CPUWIZ Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 Are yall haters gonna be disappointed if the ataribox makes it to market? Some people want this thing to be vaporware so badly lol No. I want something I can play, that I can't already play on one of my collection of consoles and insane PC rigs I keep inheriting from my company. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 (edited) So let's so big and assume they pre-sold 10,000 consoles. Sounds like a lot, right? In a country that has over 325 million people, and around 4000 Walmarts (f*** Walmart, used to be an overnight manager there) and over 4000 GameStops and around 1800 Targets and slightly less then 1000 Best Buys, 10,000 isn't even enough for each location to get 1 console in stock. So no, 10,000 doesn't sound like a lot. (I know only Walmart and Gamestop have been announced so far and I'm aware nothing has been said about Target and Best Buy, just used those numbers to illustrate my point) Edited June 15, 2019 by Pink 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+frankodragon Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 "Atari" is always pulling something such as pushing back its release date. (How many times has it been 3 or more?) Or the usual taking some larger corporate to court. I wouldn't doubt "he" must be working behind the scenes in Paris.....with Fat Elvis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaysWithWolves Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 Atari has been very up-front this week that they won't be losing money on the hardware. They say it's your hardware and you should be able to do what you wish with the box. That the big players lock down their consoles has always been disappointing, if not appalling ( I have an XB360 and XBone). I can think of no other appliance in our homes that we would agree to this. A clothes washer that only works with approved clothing and soap brands? A refrigerator that stops cooling unless every few days detects a new Coke product? How about a giant screen TV that makes thew viewer watch ads onscreen while the TV show is in a smaller box? (I've actually thought for years on how that TV could become reality and it's exactly that: a cheap TV with mandatory ads) Are yall haters gonna be disappointed if the ataribox makes it to market? Some people want this thing to be vaporware so badly lol You're being willfully obtuse and doing the dirty work for a company that mostly refers to itself as "the brand". I've written this before, but I'll try again: It would've been a different reaction had Atari been upfront and said, "Hey everyone. We at Atari have an idea about bringing new Atari hardware to livingrooms, but we need your help through this expensive process. Here's a bunch of ideas and mock-ups." I'd probably be okay with that, since crowdfunding backers would at least know what they're getting into; that it's a risky venture but the reward is reviving a nostalgic brand and possibly getting a new console to-boot ( ). But that's not what happened. They were wholly deceptive up-to the campaign. During the campaign they retroactively-added "for illustration purposes only". They were angry when The Register called them on their BS. Some people invested in their stocks and started branding our concerns as "hate", or calling 30, 40, and 50 year old men "kiddies". Continue championing a multi-million dollar corporation if you must, but realize some of us feel bad behavior shouldn't be rewarded. It may also lead to more bad behavior from other zombie brands. Also--Not Atari, nor informed-backers, nor pigeons, nor shills alike have answered the basic question of: Why is this necessary? 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 I agree in general with most of your post but take a deep breath and think about this one: (I've actually thought for years on how that TV could become reality and it's exactly that: a cheap TV with mandatory ads) You *do* realize, right, that this was EXACTLY what TV was for almost everybody from 1939 through about the early-mid 1980’s when VCRs became ubiquitous? Ads pay the bills for over-the-air networks and infrastructure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82-T/A Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 Just wanted to share these taco lights I found at the thrift store today. Bye now How glorious is society when you can get a string of LED taco lights for less than $3 dollars?!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaysWithWolves Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 I agree in general with most of your post but take a deep breath and think about this one: You *do* realize, right, that this was EXACTLY what TV was for almost everybody from 1939 through about the early-mid 1980’s when VCRs became ubiquitous? Ads pay the bills for over-the-air networks and infrastructure. I think you're looking at it as-if those commercials were shown only on that channel and moved from commercial breaks to the borders; that those channels subsidize that particular station and shows. While that's entirely possible (and happens today with corner logos and small pop-up ads), I'm looking at it more like the commercials are there to subsidize the TV set itself--a way for suckers to get a giant TV screen for free or little money. Hence, the appliance analogy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 @wolves you're describing the Amazon Kindle, which ships with Special Offers enabled to keep the price low. The user can pay a little extra to remove them. There's a hot mess of an article about AtariBox on Variety.com which the VCS cultists are digging as "proof" or something. https://variety.com/2019/gaming/festivals/ataris-new-console-could-be-a-very-appealing-desktop-pc-1203243265/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaysWithWolves Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 There's a hot mess of an article about AtariBox on Variety.com which the VCS cultists are digging as "proof" or something. https://variety.com/2019/gaming/festivals/ataris-new-console-could-be-a-very-appealing-desktop-pc-1203243265/ Paraphrasing Artz, "The VCS is not a console, it's an un-console and it's certainly not a retro console. Oh, and by the way, enjoy our pixel-perfect emulation." That link is for the GlobeNewsWire press release where it literally says "Pixel-Perfect Emulation" in the friggin' title: Atari® Unveils Atari VCS™ Branded User Experience, Modern Gameplay Options, 4k Streaming Video, and Pixel-Perfect Emulation in E3 Showcase of Unique Open Sandbox Mode and Powerful AMD Ryzen Tech In other words, they want all the upsides of whatever they're touting with none of the negative connotations -- like it being a $400 retro emulation machine. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 Paraphrasing Artz, "The VCS is not a console, it's an un-console and it's certainly not a retro console. Oh, and by the way, enjoy our pixel-perfect emulation." That link is for the GlobeNewsWire press release where it literally says "Pixel-Perfect Emulation" in the friggin' title: Atari® Unveils Atari VCS Branded User Experience, Modern Gameplay Options, 4k Streaming Video, and Pixel-Perfect Emulation in E3 Showcase of Unique Open Sandbox Mode and Powerful AMD Ryzen Tech In other words, they want all the upsides of whatever they're touting with none of the negative connotations -- like it being a $400 retro emulation machine. They missed the part about moms who can't figure out Netflix. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVgaTv Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 (edited) In a country that has over 325 million people, and around 4000 Walmarts (f*** Walmart, used to be an overnight manager there) and over 4000 GameStops and around 1800 Targets and slightly less then 1000 Best Buys, 10,000 isn't even enough for each location to get 1 console in stock. So no, 10,000 doesn't sound like a lot. (I know only Walmart and Gamestop have been announced so far and I'm aware nothing has been said about Target and Best Buy, just used those numbers to illustrate my point) I think the better comparison is to the OUYA, which everyone regards as a colossal failure. the marketplace collapsed due to lack of a viable user base. They pre-sold 58,000 units. Nobody is going to waste time developing for this system, especially when you consider each model has different specs. Edited June 15, 2019 by TheVgaTv 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toiletunes Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 For illustration purposes only (from @1:30 camera flyover): atari crystal clear top.png Proof the CNET camera man actually can take a clear picture: atari crystal clear front.png Edited, from the Ars Technica interview: atarivcs-2-1440x9601.jpg atarivcs-1-1440x7881.jpg Looks like a DVR capture card. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 I feel like Nintendo first used the term "pixel perfect" to refer to screen resolution of SNES games on 3DS https://nintendoeverything.com/super-mario-world-new-3ds-vc-pixel-perfect-mode-comparison/ I wonder if the (ugh) "400" model is only there as a price anchor, to make the platform seem cheaper. Nobody should buy any of this junk, but if one does, the (ugh) "400" seems like a total waste. Why? They're holding features back from the low end. This is from the IGG page, which has been modified recently. There are probably other things that have been changed or weaseled (subscriptions for example, as Wolves pointed out) and it could be "fun" to track the differences between the pitch and what, if anything, gets delivered. *Subscriptions(s) required for advanced services. Atari VCS 800 models feature native 4K HDR video. It's unclear whether the subs are for video services or the "Atari" cloud stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlecRob Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 I dont think itll be hard for VCS to live up to the hype. I mean, most of the hype is extremely negative LMAO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 I dont think itll be hard for VCS to live up to the hype. I mean, most of the hype is extremely negative LMAO "It's not as bad as the grumpy old guys on AtariAge said it would be" is a pretty low bar. For $350 or whatever this thing costs now, people should be getting something they'll actually enjoy and get some use out of, not something they tolerate because it isn't quite as awful as it could have been. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82-T/A Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 "It's not as bad as the grumpy old guys on AtariAge said it would be" is a pretty low bar. For $350 or whatever this thing costs now, people should be getting something they'll actually enjoy and get some use out of. Putting aside all the fun and riff-raff... I do really hope I end up with something. I'm not expecting a PS4 fighter... I'm not even really expecting a Steam machine that can play intensive games. I recognize what I'm (hopefully) getting with the AMD. I just really hope I DO actually get something. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaysWithWolves Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 I feel like Nintendo first used the term "pixel perfect" to refer to screen resolution of SNES games on 3DS https://nintendoeverything.com/super-mario-world-new-3ds-vc-pixel-perfect-mode-comparison/ I wonder if the (ugh) "400" model is only there as a price anchor, to make the platform seem cheaper. Nobody should buy any of this junk, but if one does, the (ugh) "400" seems like a total waste. Why? They're holding features back from the low end. This is from the IGG page, which has been modified recently. There are probably other things that have been changed or weaseled (subscriptions for example, as Wolves pointed out) and it could be "fun" to track the differences between the pitch and what, if anything, gets delivered. It's unclear whether the subs are for video services or the "Atari" cloud stuff. It lets Artz call it a "$250 PC that you couldn't build at that price yourselves". That's a paraphrase from a recent E3 interview, but he did throw out the $250 number. BTW, the interview's not worth watching if you've followed AtariBox--which I'm sure all you handsome, intelligent people have. The most interesting part was toward the end when Artz says there's been no ups-and-downs--only ups; and that detractors are only hurting other fans. Your $30 savings will get you: 4GB RAM, 1080p HD streaming*, no M.2 module (Tom's Hardware). ReviewTechUSA said that the 400 comes in the AMD R1505G flavor, which the Innernets tell me is 15% slower than the R1606G already confirmed. I can't verify his info, so grain-of-salt time unless someone else can verify. *GameStop shows 1080p HD streaming and likely-erroneously lists 4k gameplay. CNET says "1080p output". One might note that both 1606g and 1505g specs say the processors can handle three 4k monitors, so somethings intentionally getting throttled somewhere--most likely, the consumer. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 "It's not as bad as the grumpy old guys on AtariAge said it would be" is a pretty low bar. For $350 or whatever this thing costs now, people should be getting something they'll actually enjoy and get some use out of, not something they tolerate because it isn't quite as awful as it could have been. It's no different than the PolyMega. They pitch this incredible, impossible system, then scale it back to off-the-shelf parts in a spiffy case. Then they want credit for delivering the original vision when that is not what happened, at all. The only meaningful distinction is that Atari's undeliverable was their software, and Polymega's was their hardware. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 Or the Atari Jaguar, in the olden times, from when Atari (the real company, sans assquotes) was relevant. You could play Doom without a PC! With more colors! (For $70, and fewer levels). They also had Theme Park and Syndicate! (For $60 each, play mouse-heavy PC games with controllers on a TV) And sometime soon, they'll have a CD player with a light synth that reacts to the music! (But very little software) All of which is fine, in a vacuum, ignoring everything else. "Not technically a scam" and highly available. Meanwhile Sony Playstation was $300 with a dozen new games every few weeks. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlecRob Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 "It's not as bad as the grumpy old guys on AtariAge said it would be" is a pretty low bar. For $350 or whatever this thing costs now, people should be getting something they'll actually enjoy and get some use out of, not something they tolerate because it isn't quite as awful as it could have been. All that being said id STILL rather have an ataribox than say.. a raspberry pi. BUT, for the record, if i hadnt gotten the cheaper early bird onyx console only ($200) i would not purchase this thing at all for the price they are selling it at retail. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy the Atarian Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 Putting aside all the fun and riff-raff... I do really hope I end up with something. I'm not expecting a PS4 fighter... I'm not even really expecting a Steam machine that can play intensive games. I recognize what I'm (hopefully) getting with the AMD. I just really hope I DO actually get something. I think they'll manage to get something out so that the handful of backers will have an AMD Ryzen mini PC to tinker around with. I just really question why anyone is chomping at the bit to pay $300-$400 for something they'll maybe use a couple of times, then let collect dust on the shelf for the privilege of that PC having an Atari logo slapped on it. At this point, they shouldn't even be making an Atari 2600 style case. Might as well do an Atari 400 or ST mini, as the 2600 was hardly a home computer, but that's what the VCSBox wants to be (and yes I know, 2600 has all the recognition, so it gets to be dragged through the mud with this). Another question to be raised (it has been occasionally) is where are the new development partners? We've had ZERO confirmations of new software developers joining the fray of working on something for this.What they showed at E3 on the CNET video doesn't count as a partner announcement (they probably didn't bother to tell Gearbox that they'd load up Borderlands on their Linux PC). What's pathetic is that they SHOULD have a bunch of indie devs to tout by now, but I've yet to hear of a single developer that successfully managed to contact Atari and get on-board with creating something - the stories have been uniform that the attempts to contact them about it goes no where. That should be raising alarms with people, but oddly enough it hasn't for the most part. It's absolutely incompetent and short-sighted to see how they are treating developers before this even had prototypes to use. Now back to some fun, all this talk about a "sandbox" mode make me think that maybe this is just a fancy case for having an Atari branded zen garden! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaqenHghar Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 Atari has been very up-front this week that they won't be losing money on the hardware. They say it's your hardware and you should be able to do what you wish with the box. That the big players lock down their consoles has always been disappointing, if not appalling ( I have an XB360 and XBone). I can think of no other appliance in our homes that we would agree to this. A clothes washer that only works with approved clothing and soap brands? A refrigerator that stops cooling unless every few days detects a new Coke product? How about a giant screen TV that makes thew viewer watch ads onscreen while the TV show is in a smaller box? Some appliances that only work with branded components: Keurig coffee maker and its pods, my HP printer and its ink jet cartridges, ViewMaster. Not sure what's appalling about a locked down console, though. No shortage of games. Even indies can put their games on Xbox. And the current best option for getting a game on an open platform like Linux is Steam, which is still curated and they still take their share. In any case, it's nothing like your dystopian refrigerator. Your refrigerator example reminds me more of pay as you go cell plans than a game console. Worst case, it's more like betting on Betamax and being annoyed your favorite movie came out only on VHS. But I can't see betting on Linux opening up your gaming world vs. sticking with Xbox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaysWithWolves Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 This article at The Register is not Atari-approved : Atari finally launches its VCS console. Again. You can now pre-order this underpowered, over-priced, untested, over-complicated toy. What are you waiting for? By Kieren McCarthy in San Francisco 14 Jun 2019 at 19:47 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+frankodragon Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 Since this forum has been upgraded, we now have a taco emoji. ? 11 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 ? 8 5 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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