New Atari Console that Ataribox?

[The Historian]

The front lights, I figured, were meant to indicate which controllers were active; though that's just an assumption.

I read on some website I'd never heard of (pocket-lint.com) that they "were told that the top ridges are modular and can be used for ventilation to ensure the box doesn't overheat." I wonder if this is true, and if it's the "cool feature" TheHistorian hinted toward.

 

That was my understanding that the light would indicate an active controller. It would be cool if they were color coded by the connection type. One color for wired, another for wireless.

 

The venting is what I was referring too, I hadn't seen any press about it so I didn't want to say much.

[BiffsGamingVideos]

Activision wants nothing to do with Atari, yet AtGames managed to release Atari Flashback 8 Gold: Activision Edition? Or is that due to Activision only have to work with AtGames, not with Atari SA?

 

There is a huge difference. If someone approaches Activision and says we'll give you money so we can release an emulated game that you have from 40 year ago and you have to do nothing....then yeah sure, where do I sign. Free money! Developing software for a new unproven platform with estimated sales of around 10,000 is out of the question. That would take a lot of time and money for Activision to do with little return. They'd lose a lot. Big companies put millions into those big hit games so they have to pull in millions to break even. Indies put very little money or nothing into them. They are doing it part time in their basements by themselves or with friends. An indie game that sells 100,000 copies at $10 each is $1million in sales. A hit game. The guy who wrote if makes $700,000 after steam takes a cut and maybe $500,000 after a distubutor takes a cut (so $250,000 a year salary for 2 years). For Activision to spend 2 years on a game they would loose millions there. They need to sell 1 million copies for $10million in sales to break even (or turn a small profit). But instead, if activision was to spend that time on a new Warcraft game, they can profit tens of millions for the same time and effort. So if a big company is using Unity, then they could just export it out to Linux and post it on Atari UI. They'd probably have no more than a week's worth of changes to do. So in that instance, yeah. A big company could release titles on the Atari VCSII.

Edited May 4, 2018 by BiffsGamingVideos

[PlaysWithWolves]

Thanks for the input--much appreciated. I had concerns over the article's legitimacy since it offered new information that, as you say, the press didn't pick up on.

 

The venting is what I was referring too, I hadn't seen any press about it so I didn't want to say much.

[Flojomojo]

Artz also claims the VCS is a "passion project".

Of that, I have no doubt, so long as we're talking about the same definition of "passion."

 

How does modern hardware work, can you develop for one generation of hardware and then plop in faster, more powerful chips of the same architecture and everything magically just works, only with higher number of frames per second unless you limited that in software?

Yeah, everything they've said to date suggests that it's just a PC.

 

Activision wants nothing to do with Atari, yet AtGames managed to release Atari Flashback 8 Gold: Activision Edition? Or is that due to Activision only have to work with AtGames, not with Atari SA?

Activision just had to cut a deal with AtGames, allowing them to use ROMs and box art from 35 years ago. Receiving a licensing fee isn't a whole lot of work.

 

In recent media coverage, Polygon posted this story:

Atari is crowdfunding a new console, but who is this device actually for? And why is it being sold on a crowdfunding website?

 

PC IS DEAD ... AGAIN

Unfortunately for Atari, the living room PC market has more or less collapsed. The segment’s last best chance was the Steam Machine, an initiative by Valve to create an ecosystem of Linux-based living room PCs without the requirement for an expensive Windows license. Valve has since moved on from the concept, de-listing the Steam Machine entry on its website.

But, as everyone knew in 2014, Steam Machines ended up playing fewer games than a typical Windows gaming PC and had less functionality overall. Hardcore PC gamers didn’t buy them because they already had a gaming PC, and console gamers didn’t buy them because they already had a console. Meanwhile, the PS4 and Xbox One have proven to be more than capable media centers, bringing everything from over the air and linear network TV to Netflix and HBO Go all through a single box in the living room.

The author recaps the RollerCoaster Tycoon crowdfunding thing, stating

 

Nevertheless, the campaign page itself was pulled down, a practice which StartEngine CEO Howard Marks told Polygon is usual and customary on his platform.

The phrasing makes me think of whoever wrote this tweet.

 

My favorite comment:

 

[carlsson]

Oh, so that means most crowdfunding campaigns on StartEngine are just testing the waters, something of a direct opposite to Indiegogo where you can grab whatever money you get without meeting your goals? It probably is good there are several different platforms with different reputations and used for different kinds of projects. Now Atari have tested the waters for a somewhat costly Rollercoaster Tycoon port to the Switch, and instead will grab whatever they can when it comes to the Atari VCS. The top site that in the beginning became synonymous to crowdfunding, i.e. Kickstarter, was avoided in both cases.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

Coming soon from Atari:

 

Another machine you can use to wait for a sale on those games you don't want to pay full price for.

[Flojomojo]

Coming soon from Atari:

 

Another machine you can use to wait for a sale on those games you don't want to pay full price for.

 

Or knowing Atari, it could be the opposite:

 

A machine that runs old games at sharply inflated prices.

 

When I was younger, we called that the "Atari Jaguar." Where else could you pay sixty dollars to play cut-down ports of DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D?

 

 

Besides the Macintosh.

 

[JBerel]

A little clarity please: When the term "developer" is used here, what are people talking about??

 

There's a hell of a difference between Activision and somebody who might make a game or two to put up on an app store. Even indie developers would usually be referring to those with $50K in annual revenues. I don't believe for a second that any established companies who make games have reached out to AtariSA, or even know/care about what they are doing.

[Flojomojo]

A little clarity please: When the term "developer" is used here, what are people talking about??

All we have to go on is the near-takedown by The Register and the mush mouthed interview by Eurogamer. Whether "Atari" can/will do what they say is another question entirely, but here's what they said:

Eurogamer: I could keep asking questions about the VCS, but I don't know how much you can openly answer right now. Like for example, third parties...

 

Michael Arzt: Yeah! We're talking with third-party publishers, and giving them the opportunity to... if some of them already have things that already run on Linux. Great - port them over, we'll give you a really favourable deal if you put them in our store. We're having those conversations.

I have no idea why Minecraft and Terraria would "need" to be the Atari store, but that's the type of low-effort "port" I would anticipate in the best case scenario. As others have said, Ouya 2.

[JBerel]

Michael Arzt: Yeah! We're talking with third-party publishers, and giving them the opportunity to... if some of them already have things that already run on Linux. Great - port them over, we'll give you a really favourable deal if you put them in our store. We're having those conversations.

 

 

That's my point. I wouldn't be surprised if Atari SA were going to makers of established titles, begging with hat in hand, trying to convince them to help Atari SA generate any credibility. I don't think anybody with in-demand (or even recognizable) content is seeking Atari SA out.

 

Based on their inability to announce anything, I'd say Atari SA's effort to reach out is falling on deaf ears. If they could even get tired properties like Minecraft to return their calls, you know they'd be shouting that to the rooftops. Who does Atari SA think they are by expecting anybody to give them even the tiniest cut of sales on titles for an open Linux platform that are already distributed through Steam and others? Derp.

[+frankodragon]

I don't believe for a second that any established companies who make games have reached out to AtariSA, or even know/care about what they are doing.

[godslabrat]

Atari SA = Atari, Sans Atari

[Osgeld]

 

today's lunch, which actually existed

[PlaysWithWolves]

This thread is cruel to low-carbers and AtariboxVCS fans alike.

[+thanatos]

I had Culver's again. Not because I wanted to derail into burgers again, but because I wanted some broccoli cheese soup.

[Flojomojo]

 

That's my point. I wouldn't be surprised if Atari SA were going to makers of established titles, begging with hat in hand, trying to convince them to help Atari SA generate any credibility. I don't think anybody with in-demand (or even recognizable) content is seeking Atari SA out.

Based on their inability to announce anything, I'd say Atari SA's effort to reach out is falling on deaf ears. If they could even get tired properties like Minecraft to return their calls, you know they'd be shouting that to the rooftops. Who does Atari SA think they are by expecting anybody to give them even the tiniest cut of sales on titles for an open Linux platform that are already distributed through Steam and others? Derp.

 

 

The following is from here.

 

 

Guys, in the pursuit of opportunities to successfully bring this product to market I have tapped deep into my contacts and friends of contacts which are all legitimate contacts in the industry.

Those look like real opportunity seeking discussions to me. This is what you do running a business. You seek out opportunities. This is what I was doing (and have continued to do throughout this process) reaching out to companies like Konami. I never once said anywhere that I had a deal with any of these companies. Only that I was in discussions. This is where opportunities begin. I was being very open and honest about this to the gaming world as it was important to me to build a fan base for this product prior to lighting up a Kickstarter campaign. I wanted to do as much groundwork as I could in the beginning to show people we were serious about trying to go after some of these cool games we would like to all see brought back in some form.

I have real legit contacts in this industry and it can be seen from the writing team I put together on my magazine. This is the same model I was going to apply to the console, tapping into friends and colleagues to help make this a cool gaming platform for all to enjoy.

I have admitted that we F'ed up on the hardware but I am not going to sit back and admit to or be accused of lying to any of you about anything. Many here have known me on my podcasts and other dealings and I can't believe I have to come in here and defend myself against someone who is questioning everything I do and using my situation as a springboard for his own gain. Do you guys think I am out of line here?

 

[+frankodragon]

They should of just called themselves Zboub Système or Dick System instead.

[toiletunes]

Merde Systeme?

[carlsson]

Zboub Système supposedly was what Infogrames in the beginning were planning to call themselves, but they were adviced to pick a better name and from there they came up with Infogrames. I don't know if any of the people from the early 80's still are around in what today calls itself Atari SA, but it might be part of the company culture somewhere to have a wish to draw attention by being rude.

[Raticon]

pure speculation here. they may believe that once a software marketplace exists then an infinite flood of games will appear, and they can't answer any questions about it because this marketplace hasn't begun development yet.

Worked really nice with the Ouya where everyone who bought the console or registered on their website was issued a "Developers licence", didn't it?

 

If nothing else they got a lot of content on their store. 90% of which was simple android junk shovelware but hey, looks impressive from a distance at least!

 

Given Ataris recent legal crusade against the likes of Nestlé over KitKats Breakout ad and other sillyness the risk is more that Atari is so aloof and high strung about their legacy that they will only let the most noble of developer let their hands on their most holy IP and develop for this most exclusive of systems.

[CommanderGrimm]

 

Hey look guys, a totally real ad for the Atari (SA) VCS (II) was just leaked!

 

Totally real guys! Totally not just a render for a Raspberry Pi case!

[+frankodragon]

Zboub Système supposedly was what Infogrames in the beginning were planning to call themselves, but they were adviced to pick a better name and from there they came up with Infogrames. I don't know if any of the people from the early 80's still are around in what today calls itself Atari SA, but it might be part of the company culture somewhere to have a wish to draw attention by being rude.

Just like when the Bic company wanted to call their company "Bich" at first after the founder but they realized that everyone would call their products "bitch."

[BiffsGamingVideos]

All we have to go on is the near-takedown by The Register and the mush mouthed interview by Eurogamer. Whether "Atari" can/will do what they say is another question entirely, but here's what they said:

I have no idea why Minecraft and Terraria would "need" to be the Atari store, but that's the type of low-effort "port" I would anticipate in the best case scenario. As others have said, Ouya 2.

 

If it's using a cross platform engine like unity, then it's not a port. One just exports out to whatever platform he wants. It's the same game and code and all. The only differences might be in the controller or some specific thing about a platform, but the game is the same.

[BiffsGamingVideos]

 

 

That's my point. I wouldn't be surprised if Atari SA were going to makers of established titles, begging with hat in hand, trying to convince them to help Atari SA generate any credibility. I don't think anybody with in-demand (or even recognizable) content is seeking Atari SA out.

 

Based on their inability to announce anything, I'd say Atari SA's effort to reach out is falling on deaf ears. If they could even get tired properties like Minecraft to return their calls, you know they'd be shouting that to the rooftops. Who does Atari SA think they are by expecting anybody to give them even the tiniest cut of sales on titles for an open Linux platform that are already distributed through Steam and others? Derp.

 

Steam takes 30%. So Atari UI would take 30%. if it's an established title, Atari could offer to take just %20. and Atari said they are not distributing titles. These are just games uploaded to the Atari UI much like uploading an Android game to the Google play store.

[Flojomojo]

NSS, but what incentive would anyone have to bother with this minuscule marketplace (assuming it actually happens)?