+Nathan Strum Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 I can't tell if there will be a separate secret perk than the $199 Onyx price or if that is the perk. (Everybody chant along...) FREE SPEAKERHATS!!™ FREE SPEAKERHATS!!™ FREE SPEAKERHATS!!™ FREE SPEAKERHATS!!™ FREE TACO SAUCE!!!!!™ FREE SPEAKERHATS!!™ C'mon AtariSA - you know you want to! Don't you have a whole garage full of these things just sitting around? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 I bet a taco it's a crowdfunding perk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 FREE SPEAKERHATS!!™ Since they're still trying to get rid of even the "Limited Edition" models with spring blowout pricing, I'd wager you're right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 AtariLife is a different company from AtariBox Game Box LLC. Seems like a smart way to sweeten a lousy deal if they can pull it off though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 AtariLife is a different company from AtariBox Game Box LLC. Seems like a smart way to sweeten a lousy deal if they can pull it off though. At some point, we need to find the exact line between "sleazy" and "criminal". 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 In what universe is that chunky 1970s clock radio considered "sleek, futuristic?" $300 in 2018 is like $75 in 1977. Did someone at "Atari" just wake up from a long sleep? 59FAD241-697A-4F92-B844-FC135771ACDA.jpeg (Maybe someone at a computer would like to update these images and prices for the skeleton crew at AtariBox HQ) I had the one at the top when I was in public school. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 If this thing comes out, and it has support for Steam, the PC version of the Sega Genesis package that just dropped on PS4 and Xbone just got Mac and Linux support. https://gbatemp.net/threads/steams-genesis-mega-drive-classics-updated-to-have-online-multiplayer-linux-mac-support-more.505644/ If for some reason you're averse to just grabbing Genesis ROMs and throwing them into an emulator, or unwilling to wait for ArGames to get the Genesis Flashback right. Personally, I think AtGames is the better deal, and will almost certainly come to market and retail faster, without crowdfunding. It should come with controllers and a card reader, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+frankodragon Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Criminal and AtariLife. Hmm.... AtariThugLife? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 If for some reason you're averse to just grabbing Genesis ROMs and throwing them into an emulator, I am not, the only one's I ever play are the games I had when the genesis was current gen and I still have them in a plastic tote up in the attic ... I know I just moved them there 2 years ago from my parents house. not going to pay twice for media I still own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Might want to put those in a friendlier place -- attics get really cold in the winter and hot in the summer where I live. Then again, you can always grab a ROM, so who cares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Might want to put those in a friendlier place -- attics get really cold in the winter and hot in the summer where I live. Then again, you can always grab a ROM, so who cares. its an insulated space that while not controlled is mild compared to the outside since its on the same plane as our upstairs bedrooms 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Attaboy My Genesis collection is in similarly protected space awaiting yet another contender for HDMI Sega Alternative. To get back on topic, here's a pro tip for all you AtariBox fans: don't buy any software from "Atari" unless it also comes with a Steam key. The dudes who talk about digital purchases as "glorified rentals" will be proven correct if you knowingly lock yourself into a dead platform. When (not if) AtariBox is gathered under its fathers, you should still be able to use your precious Atari Vault license on another piece of hardware of your choosing. Preferably something better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+frankodragon Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Maybe Atari SA™should start trademarking the word FREE™. As in FREE™ tacos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlecRob Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 I ate tacos for dinner. I contacted ATARI SA, I want to become an authorized dealer of ATARI VCS. I will sell them at my independent record store. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcoleiro1 Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 What time does the Indiegogo crowdfunding go live? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 What time does the Indiegogo crowdfunding go live? Either 6AM Pacific time or, if past history is any indication, in 5 months. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaysWithWolves Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 The Atari Investors' site has a press release today. Not too much info, except it sounds like they're banking on the New VCS' success and have some midterm-to-longterm plans. Plus the blockchains. Also there's a reminder that the woodie edition has "Collector" in the name. You can't buy that kind of branding. Well, unless you have an extra US$100. As mentioned before, tart time is 6AM PDT/9AM EDT/1PM UTC.For your convenience: AtariVCS Indiegogo AtariVCS.comTheAtari_VCS TwitterAtariVCS FacebookTheAtari_VCS Instagram Atari TwitterAtari FacebookAtari-investors press releases (French) or (Google translate) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBerel Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 At some point, we need to find the exact line between "sleazy" and "criminal". That's easy. It's that line they cross at 9am when the first blithering idiot pledges money for a "pre-order". This is one of those cases, though, where the victim deserves what they get. Atari is providing a valuable educational service. Let the lesson begin.......again. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+frankodragon Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 I briefly read Atari SA's nauseating mission statement and I can tell that it sounds like hurled up escargot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 I actually have the day off so I'll be able to watch how the circus, I mean campaign goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Right before the launch, this just in from everyone's favorite clickbait think piece mill! Exclusive: As VCS Pre-Orders Begin, Atari Explains What Its New Box Actually Is “We very consciously try to avoid using the word ‘console,’ because it’s not really a console,” Atari COO of Connected Devices Michael Artz tells me. “A console to us means Xbox, PlayStation. It means a platform where you’re in their environment and can’t really go beyond it. We’re creating a device that invites creativity.” I think the term you're looking for is "low end computer." Speaking with Atari execs ahead of today’s campaign launch, the idea seems to be for the VCS to be both a living room PC, a hub for games and streaming, but also something customizable for both developers who want to make games for the system and those who want to play them. “The point of this whole box is that we’re creating an ecosystem that will enable people, because of its open Linux sandbox, [where] you will be able to load Linux apps, Linux games into this, even if it’s not within the Atari portion,” says Artz.”That’s what we’re trying to build. We’re trying to build a box that can be a haven for independent game developers and studios as well as the hobbyists that are creating games for retro systems and things like that.” Or, they could just use existing tools and target Windows, Mac. Linux ... nah, that doesn't have the "ATARI" name on it. One fundamental question about the VCS remains. What exactly can you play on it? The VCS will come loaded with 100 classic Atari games, but past that, Atari is in the process of courting other developers, big and small, to release games on the system. They will announce a handful of partners today, but made it clear that it will be an ongoing process to get developers on board. They will, however, accept more than a "handful" of your money should you be foolish enough to give it to them. An example they gave me was that they recently had Borderlands 2 running well on VCS, though they said that isn’t necessarily a commitment that Gearbox will release BL2 for the system, as those deals are still forthcoming. If this entire idea sounds like it’s in flux, that’s because it is. “Between now and the launch we’re going to have a lot of exciting announcements in terms of major partners and additional functionality,” says Artz. “This is really sort of the beginning. We’re by no means at the point where we’re saying this thing is 100% baked. The specs could potentially change, that’s how hardware and software works, you find a better way while you’re doing it.” Oooh, a 2012 game that also ran on the PS Vita. Awesome? Let's remember that Borderlands 2 also runs on Nvidia Shield, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and just about every potato computer currently in existence, no pre-order required. If the idea of this kind of "sandbox mode" computer appeals to you, just buy a real computer. You'll have complete control over the process and you won't be part of the problem that is Atari SA's attitude toward consumers. The next year will prove to be a challenge for Atari as they try to woo both consumers and developers to the VCS in a landscape where Nintendo has amazed with the portable Switch, Sony has released astonishing first party titles and Microsoft has lapped everyone with the power of the Xbox One X. Atari can say that the VCS is not a console, but it will be compared to these powerhouses all the same. And Atari? Atari has a handful of partners and an ongoing process to get developers on board. Atari, despite its storied history, is a brand in recovery. “We bought the brand from Hasbro in 2000,” says CEO Fred Chesnais. “We sold it to a hedge fund which drove it into the ground. We filed for bankruptcy in the US. It took me 18 months to clean up the place.” A return to hardware, not just software, is key for this kind of turnaround, and Atari is hoping that the VCS generates enough interest to be a new beginning for them. “It has always been of interest to me to have a hardware product that could form the basis of a bigger expansion for the company,” Chesnais says. To me, "a brand in recovery" sounds like Fred is having trouble with drinking at work. “I think it’s a combination of factors,” says Chesnais. “We want the VCS to be as open as possible. At the end of the day, the goal is to bring the user the best of the PC experience on the TV. It’s really a hub, it’s a place you can go where everything you can do on the PC, you can do on the TV. You should really view this as your hub for any multimedia activity. You should not think of this as ‘oh it’s a competitor to the Xbox or PlayStation.’ No, it’s very different. It’s a place where you have the freedom to create in sandbox mode, and everything you enjoy on your PC, you can do it on the TV. I think that makes a difference in terms of positioning and why you would want to buy a VCS.” Ahh, the "digital hub" strategy. I agree that is an interesting idea ... or at least it was when Steve Jobs used those exact words in 2001, when the iPod was new. For the numerically challenged, I remind you that 2001 was seventeen years ago. It can be a bit tough to fully judge the prospects of the VCS given that much has yet to be revealed. Atari told me to stay tuned for a year’s worth of announcement about the system and its games, and of course we have to wait and see if the crowdfunding campaign, meant to both engage fans and predict the breadth of interest, pans out. Something tells me hitting the funding goal probably will not be an issue, but the VCS arriving to make a mark in a crowded landscape where others have tried and failed before is another matter entirely. No, it's not tough, not really. What's tough is having to write these "think pieces" where the most reasonable conclusion is, "this is unworthy of our time, attention and money, but people click on it so let me spew some random false equivalencies and pretend that these dotards have a snowball's chance here." Again, there’s more info to come, but I do have to remain somewhat skeptical of the VCS, now that I can see more clearly what it is. It's been pretty clear since the Eurogamer showing that Atari is in over its speaker-hatted head. But the VCS doesn’t have to conquer the world. It just has to be enough for Atari to get its footing back in the hardware space as part of a longer term plan, and today’s pre-order launch is the first step in that direction. You can check out the campaign for yourself here, which goes live at 9 EST, and see what you make of their offering. 20 minutes to go! "Looks great, can't want to play!" #notmyatari #deadonarrival #don'tsupportcompaniesthatdon'trespectyourintelligence 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+frankodragon Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 #ataripotatotacobox 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexkeaton Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 3 Minutes to go. I am ready to pre-order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 #ataripotatotacobox It could almost be a review of the subject of this thread! "The hardware is kinda cute, but overly expensive, but it was kind of OK once I booted into Lakka instead of the AtariBox interface." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaysWithWolves Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Flexible Goal alert! They'll receive all funds no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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