NYT: Snatching Atari Back From the Grave Again

[Flojomojo]

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/05/snatching-atari-back-from-the-grave-again/

 

 

In a phone interview, Mr. Chesnais said the company was now focusing on mobile and Facebook games, rather than on the far riskier console market, where development budgets are much higher. Atari has announced plans for a social casino game that will exploit vintage Atari games like Asteroids, Centipede and Breakout within slot, poker and blackjack games.

The company intends to enter markets it says are currently underserved by games. In one game under development, Pridefest, players will be able to create their own L.G.B.T. pride parade, designing floats and parade routes. It’s a variation on an existing Atari franchise, RollerCoaster Tycoon, that lets players design amusement parks.

 

[jhd]

 

 

Mr. Chesnais believes there is also an opportunity to use Atari game brands like Asteroids as the basis for television shows. “What Hasbro did with G.I. Joe and Transformers is really relevant,” he said.

 

Does anyone think that this is a viable idea? The window of oppourtunity for this closed about 1984 or so.

 

Interestingly, he did not reference the Pac-Man or Donkey Kong cartoons (or even the later Mario Brothers progras) that would be a much better comparison than the examples he cited.

[jaybird3rd]

I can only reiterate what I said the last time Chesnais appeared in the news:

I've seen a few posts about Frederic Chesnais lately, and it seems as if the new CEO is simply making the media rounds, trying to generate hype by talking up the Atari brand and all the wonderful plans he has for it, working in as many buzzwords as he can along the way.

I'll reserve judgment until I see what (if anything) they actually do.

Even if the ideas have merit, I don't have much faith in the current incarnation of Atari to pull them off successfully. This is, after all, the same genius who gave us the "gamified watch" quote that I've had some fun with.

[+Allan]

"The company intends to enter markets it says are currently underserved by games. In one game under development, Pridefest, players will be able to create their own L.G.B.T. pride parade, designing floats and parade routes. It’s a variation on an existing Atari franchise, RollerCoaster Tycoon, that lets players design amusement parks."

 

 

 

 

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

The true Atari long time dead and buried. If this is "Snatching Atari Back From the Grave Again" then I say time to blow this walking corpses

brain out and once and for all and let it rest peace once and for all.

 

Play your old consoles and computers and Atari lives on in the best way.

 

 

As far as the Atari we knew and loved and hoping it can return or be revived in any meaningful way, well the title of this song

spells it out pretty well:

 

http://youtu.be/u5o582N3wOQ

Edited June 6, 2014 by OldSchoolRetroGamer

[Rex Dart]

Atari - Back Snatching From the Grave Again

 

 

That's how I read it at first.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Rex Dart

[jaybird3rd]

"The company intends to enter markets it says are currently underserved by games. In one game under development, Pridefest, players will be able to create their own L.G.B.T. pride parade, designing floats and parade routes. It’s a variation on an existing Atari franchise, RollerCoaster Tycoon, that lets players design amusement parks."

I never thought I'd say it, but this makes me miss the days when "Atari" was publishing ghetto graffiti games.

[Atariboy]

Sounds like Atari is dead as a doornail.

[+Ripdubski]

Not just one facepalm, but a whole slew of them...

[thegamezmaster]

Is it just me or does Atari not have a clue of what they have and could market of they did it right the way people that remember the old Atari and the different machines. Too bad they don't tap into the 5200, 7800, the Atari computer software and make it playable on something other than Facebook or smart phones. Seems to me people are still into the Retro scene and love to play their old Atari machines. I know I do.

Edited June 9, 2014 by thegamezmaster

[gorf68]

How about a micro (plugs into TV) console ranging through all the 8Bit computer lines stuff from th 400 and 800 right through to the XL/XE. The onboard lineup could be trully fantastic!

 

And if you made IO ports that people could use to load their own cartridges, tapes, and floppies... Now that would surely be the best retro micro-console ever!

[Flojomojo]

It's four years later, and Atari seems to be rowing in circles now more than ever. At least they enabled (or stopped obstructing) Tempest 4000 for release.

[MrMaddog]

Talk about "Rise From Your Grave" with this re-thread...

[mbd30]

At first I didn't notice that this is a four year old thread and thought that Atari abandoned the VCS for mobile gay pride parade games.

[carlsson]

Well, Atari announced PrideFest on July 17, 2014. The game was released on January 27, 2016 and the rights were sold to LGBT Media in the beginning of September 2017 so it seems their involvement in the LGBT community last a little over 3 years. As Flojomojo wrote, they're rowing in circles as Atari is going back to the far riskier console market, where development budgets are much higher.

 

Actually it strikes me that already in the beginning of June 2014 it was communicated they were planning casino games based on Atari IP, something we're seeing being implemented in 2018. That means over the past four years, the only part of their business strategy thing they have held onto is to get into the casino market. Pretty much everything else changes for each season or yearly.

[Keatah]

If they can satisfy their shareholders with paper propositions. All the better. No real work need be done.

[Flojomojo]

That's a mighty big "if." Oh, and their main website has been down for a week. Astoundingly incompetent.