ATARI 400 In-Store Demonstration Video VHS Tape

[Bill Lange]

I came across a copy of the ATARI 400 In-Store Demonstration Video VHS Tape in September of last year. It should be model # CX302, but it is labeled CX303. I finally got around to having it transferred to digital format last night. I've uploaded the content to youtube and to archive.org.

 

If you are interested, I wrote a blog post about it. You can find links to the video in the post. I had not seen this video anywhere before.

 

Enjoy.

 

[ClausB]

Thanks for that.

 

I'm glad I didn't see that video before I bought my 400. The cutsey advertising style would have put me off.

 

A year later I was selling 400s and we didn't have such fancy displays. We had a 400 in the front window running a demo and an 800 on a table in the store. It was my job to tell in person what the machines could do.

Edited March 1, 2018 by ClausB

[Bill Lange]

An ATARI 400 with a joystick and Star Raiders would pretty much sell itself back in '82. And the 800 running Visicalc.

 

Maybe the goofy content of the tape is why it hasn't been seen before (at least by me).

[COBRAIP]

I tried to find the link on Youtube but could not would you please post the link.

 

Thanks

[_The Doctor__]

click on his blog, then click on the video...

[Mclaneinc]

Thanks for that Bill, I'd never seen it before, although we were a dealership in the UK for Atari we got very little POS stuff and even if there was a tape we didn't have space to display it without taking down one of the machines we demoed. Chances are the POS was nicked by the twerps at head office..

[Bill Lange]

There is a lot of information in the dealers pack most of which I have scanned an put on archive.org. I'm not sure Atari actually ever sold some of the kiosk models that they listed as available. There were more kiosk styles then they had computers/consoles at the time!

[lbaeza]

Hi

 

Looking at the video I noticed some titles are shown:

 

Space Invaders

Computer Chess

Super Breakout

Basketball

3D Tic Tac Toe

Video Easel

 

 

 

I have Computer Chess, 3D Tic Tac Toe and Video Easel and they all came in these little boxes.

I didn't know there was a Space Invaders in "little box" version, I only know the big box version....maybe the little box version is the cassete version, and the big box version corresponds to the cartridge version?

 

I googled for a picture of Space Invaders in little box with no luck...anyone can share a picture of Space Invaders, the little box version?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Louis BQ

Edited March 2, 2018 by lbaeza

[Bill Lange]

I believe there was a cassette version of Space Invaders in a small box and then later, a large black box cartridge version.

 

 

 

[+Stephen]

Just chiming in to add nothing, but to say that I have always loved that cassette label. I wonder if they used 9 colours because the machine has 9 colour registers? Mind blown!

[Keatah]

Ohh dear..

[lbaeza]

Hi Bill

Thanks for uploading that picture.

I suspect there is no cartridge version released with that A5 box as seen on your picture.

I will continue clarifying this issue on this thread.

Kind regards,

 

Louis BQ