Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Hmmm... Counterpoint: I still see Mr. Smith Goes to Washington re-releases. If movies can be released on multiple formats, like Betamax, Laser disk, VHS, VCD, DVD, HD-DVD, BluRay, & UHD disks, why not games? Are games worth less than movies? That may be a bit of trolling, forgive me for it, but I'm tired of the "we already have that" argument. If the game is still worth something, what's wrong with purchasing it on a new format? Granted, creating a new format specifically designed to sell old games is stupid. Ooh, I'll play. Counter-counterpoint. Here's your Mr. Smith Goes to Washington re-release. $14.99 for the Blu-Ray+4K+Ultraviolet release, buy it today. There's nothing wrong with that. However, if it were - crowdfunded - 10X the price - completely duplicative of something already on the market - inexplicably delayed would it be such a deal? I have zero problem with "Atari" trying to monetize their old games. I have multiple Flashback units as well as double-dips into their software collections like Atari Vault. If they pull a rabbit out of their hat and surprise us with something delightful, like this ridiculous MYST colllector's edition, I'll eat a Speaker Hat. I think MYST is dumb and unplayable today, but I still see the charm in the crazy set they're bringing. OF COURSE creating a new format specifically designed to sell old games is stupid, that's the whole point. If it's truly "open Linux," as they are fond of saying, it's not even a new format, it's just a new container for old things. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBerel Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 (edited) Ummm, ya.......but remember when we're talking about the Atari back catalog, especially anything the current zombie group has rights to, we're talking about copies of the same tired rom files copied and re-copied to each release. Most of us bought them starting with the original carts, then various CD releases of Atari action packs, anthologies, vaults, best ofs, anniversary editions etc., etc., etc. The first large collection on CD, released for Windows 95 back in the late 90's, actually had all the rom files in their own directory. Many people often bypassed their crummy front end and just copied the files to their had drive and ran them through Stella or similar. Between that and a couple Activision collections of that era, I own legitimate copies of almost the entire 2600 library. Any release since is just wrapping the same exact content in another front end, of which there are always alternatives. I'm just sick of them having nothing better to offer and expecting anyone to pay for it as opposed to emulating the same content, often better than what they put together. If you're not hung up on copyright purity, you can download the entire original frickin 2600 library in under 30 seconds. Frankly, the entire original data set should be public domain by now. I don't begrudge them doing anything new with the intellectual properties, but they repeatedly keep leading with the same exact rom files over and over just offering it in other packaging. A sucker's born every minute I suppose. The mini consoles are appropriately priced toys that happen to play those same roms, so at least there's some value in the total package you get. In the case of the Atari Figment vapor box, for $300 all I can say is stop pissing on my leg and telling me it's raining. Edited April 10, 2018 by JBerel 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Frankly, the entire original data set should be public domain by now. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Let's take it from the top. What is ataribox supposed to be and what is its intended audience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetick1 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 (edited) Frankly, the entire original data set should be public domain by now. Well they're already basically public domain for personal use. Only technically they're copyrighted. Edited April 10, 2018 by thetick1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiffsGamingVideos Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Ya, I heard about that too. It's called the Gemini Gecko. P.S. -Call me crazy, brain damaged or morally ambiguous, but I want a copy of those Taco Bell releases for historical review. Can anybody point me in the right direction? I may still have some. I'd have to check. Message me in a couple of days and I'll let you know if I still have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Let's take it from the top. What is ataribox supposed to be and what is its intended audience? Ummm... It's a box that does... games? And... other things? For suckers who are willing to part with their money for empty promises of rekindled nostalgia? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Speaker Hat!!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacman000 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Let's take it from the top. What is ataribox supposed to be and what is its intended audience? It's supposed to be a small Linux multimedia PC. It's aimed at Atari fans & fans of open source software. Unfortunately, it's just concept right now, apparently a non-functional box with lights. We'd have to over come that before even asking if there are enough open source fans & Atari fans who want a Linux multimedia PC for said PC to be a profitable product. (My goodness; that's a mouthful; try saying that 3 times fast.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Linux Taco Bell has a video, too.Not sure which would be my punishment in hell, but it's a toss-up between this and "Get This Money" by J Fontaine aka Chris Cardillo the Coleco-working, GI Joe collecting scion of a NJ window installation empire. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+frankodragon Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toiletunes Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Someone mentioned those kinder eggs some pages back- I never expected to see them in the states because of American kids choking on the toys or whatever legal mumbo jumbo, but... Here they are! I never expected to see a kinder egg in my lifetime, yet I still got to see them before that Ataribox. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Sure, they have those at my local liquor store on the counter. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetick1 Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Linux Taco Bell has a video, too. Not sure which would be my punishment in hell, but it's a toss-up between this and "Get That Money" by J Fontaine aka Chris Cardillo the Coleco-working, GI Joe collecting scion of a NJ window installation empire. Wow that some of the most vile horseshit I have ever tried to watch. About halfway through I had to stop and go to the toilet as I had the urge to puke! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 I refuse to watch that. I skimmed through it for three seconds with the sound off, and still regret it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 The posted thumbnail was enough for me to not even give them a click. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+frankodragon Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 It's not suitable for those with seizures either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetick1 Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 The posted thumbnail was enough for me to not even give them a click. You're smarter than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Workman Tacobox.jpg A lot of middle-aged men have the same chassis. I wish they would act more like Mister Belvedere, instead of just looking like him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaysWithWolves Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Strange update yesterday on Delaney Digital's YouTube channel (of RVGS and Coleco Chameleon render fame): Strange, because I still wonder if they're involved with Atariboxvcs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacman000 Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Strange update yesterday on Delaney Digital's YouTube channel (of RVGS and Coleco Chameleon render fame): Strange, because I still wonder if they're involved with Atariboxvcs. atari_2600_space_invaders_box1.jpg It is a cool animation, even if the folks who made it can't deliver on their promises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Today in breathless UK tabloid headlines: Atari is BACK: Could Atari VCS give Nintendo NES Classic Mini a run for its money? Betteridge's Law of Headlines aside, this is amusing ... ATARI is back! At the Game Developers Conference, the company showed off its newest videogame product. Fact check: No it isn't and no they didn't. Atari's Video Computer System (often referred to as the VCS) has been the victim of many delays, but we should be hearing when pre-orders for the machine are due to go live this April. Wait, who's the victim here? Yes, we should be hearing when pre-orders are due to go live in April, unless they don't, again. The machine is actually more like a PC-lite - a Linux-based platform that supports keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth, or comes with a dedicated pad (which looks a bit like an Ouya or OnLive pad... remember those?) You had me at "supports keyboard and mouse," because that's such a rare thing these days. The console will ship with Atari classics loaded onto the system, the same way the Nintendo NES Classic did. Source? The difference is, Atari plans to also add upgraded versions of old games to the system, too, giving you a specific reason to nab the console, even if you emulate older titles. That's good to know, because I haven't heard of a specific reason to nab the console ... I certainly don't have any reason at all to PAY for one. Unlike the NES Classic, the Atari VCS will also let you run games that exist outside of the Atari publishing house. Neat if true, but will they have titles from Konami, Acclaim, Namco, Capcom, Tecmo, Taito, Sunsoft, and Square, like the NES Classic did? Any game that'll run on Linux will, theoretically, run on this new machine... though the specs are less in line with modern dedicated home consoles (Xbox One, PS4) and are more similar to the likes of a Nintendo Switch. Theoretically, this should have come out already, because it's really nothing special. And don't disparage the Switch like that -- it's on store shelves with over 500 games already and millions of fans. I know the Switch, I have a Switch ... this ain't no Switch. Bear that in mind if you're keen on running the newest, most demanding games. Of course, if you're keen on running the newest, most demanding games, you might do better than to wait for unannounced product from Atari. But that does get you a media hub for your living room, with some nostalgic games as part of the package to boot. Atari is making some iterations with the hardware, too: the joystick that ships with the console is a smart bit of kit thanks to the LEDs based around the stick itself, which light up to track your movement (the final build's LEDs will be that classic Atari orange). It's certainly a smarter bit of kit than the console itself, which is an empty box with naught but LEDs inside. Note to Atari: LEDs, like the idea of a Video Computer System®, isn't as neat today as it might have been 40 years ago. The top of the joystick twists, too, meaning that games like Missile Commander can be played authentically like a tracker ball from the original games. Go home, Daily Star, you're drunk. I'll call you an Uber. Maybe we can find a Night Driver with a tracker ball from the original games. The pad itself looks like an Xbox pad, and we imagine it'll handle like one, too (though playing a hardcore title or a fighter on it already seems like a bad idea). Not to worry, old chap, because there won't be any hardcore titles or fighting games on this platform. You read it here first. The ability to add your own Bluetooth devices will likely save the device as a 'proper' console, though, to be honest. Like what? A PS4 or Xbone controller? Wouldn't they be happier on a "proper" console. To be honest. Simple as that. With its huge back catalogue of classic titles such as Paperboy, California Speed and Pong, Atari could have a more nostalgic target market sewn up with the launch of the new machine. Paperboy is an Atari Games title, owned by Warner under the Midway acquisition California Speed was an unpopular, limited Midway game Pong? Whatever. Maybe you're looking forward to the Pong game show? I'm pretty sure most of the most enthusiastic Pong fans died off a few decades ago. Atari's life has been full of highs and lows with the company becoming one of the fastest growing companies in US history during the 80s. However, the gaming firm hit trouble and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2013. Having been reinvigorated by now-Atari CEO Fred Chesnais, the company is now back in the black and this new console could see it return to its former glory. What is best in life, Fred Chesnais? TO HIT TROUBLE AND FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION RETURN TO FORMER GLORY AND HEAR THE LAMENTATIONS OF THE WOMEN 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hwlngmad Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Loved Mr. Belvedere. That was a great show and highly underrated. A lot of middle-aged men have the same chassis. I wish they would act more like Mister Belvedere, instead of just looking like him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recycled Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 "...meaning that games like Missile Commander..." That is so funny. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercylon Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Someone mentioned those kinder eggs some pages back- I never expected to see them in the states because of American kids choking on the toys or whatever legal mumbo jumbo, but... Here they are! I never expected to see a kinder egg in my lifetime, yet I still got to see them before that Ataribox. WP_20180410_19_28_44_Pro.jpg Those were made special for the US market. I believe the toy is on one side and the candy on the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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