What happens after Generation Atari?

[lingyi]

When,...err, I mean If, the Ataribox / VCS fails , what will happen when Generation Atari (i.e. those of us who played and loved the REAL Atari consoles) passes on? Will the Atari name be remembered for what it used to be or will only Atari SA be talked about in the future?

 

Granted, thanks to sites like this and the posters here, some of the younger generation are learning to appreciate the wonders of the original Atari consoles (I'm counting up to the 7800) , but how long will that last? We're two+ generations away from the introduction of the 2600 and I suspect that outside of our hallowed circle of sites and posters, the majority of this generation doesn't even know about Atari other than possibly seeing an AtGames console or adding the ROMs to their emulation sets.

 

I look back on Sega and I suspect the majority of this generation doesn't even know about Sega, other than they were once Nintendo's biggest competitor and in the next 20 years will be completely forgotten.

 

*SIGH* Sorry, just the ramblings of an old man getting older and yearning for the good old days I guess!

 

"Back in my day, all we had was the Atari 2600, and WE LOVED IT!"

 

"Grandpa, what's an Atari???"

 

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Atari will always have a fan base, thanks in large part to sites just like this one making Atari accessible to younger generations of enthusiasts. There may be less Atari fans as the decades go on, but who knows, it's arguable the Jaguar is a more popular system now than it was when it was a current generation system.

 

No matter how old a system gets it will always have a fan base as long as it still has games that are fun to play.

[littleman jack]

Our children and grandchildren will hopefully keep playing Atari until there are no more working joysticks left. My son likes to play the 2600, 800, 5200, and 7800 in between runs on the ipad, NES, SNES, Gamecube, PC, Switch, and 3DS. So there's hope the Atari will outlive us old guys.

[MrMaddog]

Hey, that's why we (both Atari SA & the fans) need to keep the games alive for future generations even if it's in digital form. Just like in the Ready Player One book...

[racerx]

Atari to my kids has about as much attraction as my father's tin toys did to me. There's some mild interest as an antique but that's about it.

 

I hear over and over again that the Flashbacks and such aren't for us hardcore fans but lemme tell ya...outside of our immediate circle, there really aren't that many people that care.

[TigerSuperman]

I don't think history will change. Right now whether we like it or not if someone talks about playing Atari these days, the kids will instantly associate Atari with the 2600. The only other console they know about is the jaguar due to YouTube celebrities using it for views. Otherwise INTV and Odyssey don't even exist, to them it was Atari > NES > SNES Vs. GEN > Sony > Sony, Microsoft, Lunchbox > Microsoft, Sony, Waggle > What we have now.

 

The French aren't going to do anything but appeal to us old people and have no plan to revitalize the brand nor educate the youngsters on other Atari gaming hardware or computers. It's just how it is. Even Commodore is fading in obscurity these days.

 

I don't know if many of you talked to the youngsters but this is an accurate summary of their knowledge in gaming history: """""""Atari had a console it was ok, nobody ever brought any games or consoles so then there was a crash, there was no money and everyone is bankrupt, then Nintendo came in and saved gaming with games we never seen before even though most of the games it had were games we've seen before, then the SNES and GENESIS had a huge battles because SEGA did what Nintendon't and Mortal Kombat Night Trap ESRB, then Sony and Nintendo got mad at each other and Sony became the biggest console maker of all time and lol Jaguar/Saturn they had no games. Oh and then PS2 came out and killed that pesky Dreamcast no one brought it side note, Xbox did XBL and something Halo something, Gamecube was a lunch box and had lego. Then The Xbox 360 had RROD and PS3 had no games because all we played was Ridge Racer and if we attacked that giant enemy crap for massive damage Jack Trenton would come out offering $1200 to anyone who found a PS3 on the shelf after launch and if it was too expensive it's your fault because you should have gotten 2 jobs, 4D 120fps it only does everything $599. Also Wii had senior citizens and waggle. Also Kinect sucks lolz roflcopter.""""""

 

You'll find that to be a most accurate summary of the average youngsters knowledge in gaming history.

Edited October 1, 2018 by TigerSuperman

[Lost Dragon]

I think the 2600, 7800, Jaguar and possibly Lynx will weather the storm for a good few years yet.

 

Hopefully the A8 micro range as well.

 

The 5200 i think will begin to fade into obscurity at some point, espically here in the UK as we never had it.

 

And the ST has sadly already started to slip further and further into the same area.

 

If UK magazines like RetroGamer continue to feature little if any coverage of the Atari systems like the A8 and the ST in standard issues and these book zines they are pumping out at a production line rate of knots...

 

The future doesn't look bright.

[Mockduck]

The reality is few things last forever. In the same way people don't really get into horseless carriages and chemical flash compounds for photography any more, there will be a day when Atari and its ilk are so far removed from the experience of the older generation that they lose all but the most obscure appeal.

[VectorGamer]

If this site is still alive in 50 years it will be a ghost town.

[nick3092]

The same thing is happening with the old car hobby. Generally anyone with a car worth showing these days is 40+ years old. Not many younger people want to own a classic car.

[Swami]

I don't think history will change. Right now whether we like it or not if someone talks about playing Atari these days, the kids will instantly associate Atari with the 2600. The only other console they know about is the jaguar due to YouTube celebrities using it for views. Otherwise INTV and Odyssey don't even exist, to them it was Atari > NES > SNES Vs. GEN > Sony > Sony, Microsoft, Lunchbox > Microsoft, Sony, Waggle > What we have now.

 

The French aren't going to do anything but appeal to us old people and have no plan to revitalize the brand nor educate the youngsters on other Atari gaming hardware or computers. It's just how it is. Even Commodore is fading in obscurity these days.

 

I don't know if many of you talked to the youngsters but this is an accurate summary of their knowledge in gaming history: """""""Atari had a console it was ok, nobody ever brought any games or consoles so then there was a crash, there was no money and everyone is bankrupt, then Nintendo came in and saved gaming with games we never seen before even though most of the games it had were games we've seen before, then the SNES and GENESIS had a huge battles because SEGA did what Nintendon't and Mortal Kombat Night Trap ESRB, then Sony and Nintendo got mad at each other and Sony became the biggest console maker of all time and lol Jaguar/Saturn they had no games. Oh and then PS2 came out and killed that pesky Dreamcast no one brought it side note, Xbox did XBL and something Halo something, Gamecube was a lunch box and had lego. Then The Xbox 360 had RROD and PS3 had no games because all we played was Ridge Racer and if we attacked that giant enemy crap for massive damage Jack Trenton would come out offering $1200 to anyone who found a PS3 on the shelf after launch and if it was too expensive it's your fault because you should have gotten 2 jobs, 4D 120fps it only does everything $599. Also Wii had senior citizens and waggle. Also Kinect sucks lolz roflcopter.""""""

 

You'll find that to be a most accurate summary of the average youngsters knowledge in gaming history.

Don't forget the N64 they all owned when they were 8 and played "Everything 64", Mario Kart 64, Donkey Kong 64, etc. (and none of them will admit they played DDR and Dance Central, though they did. I watched them do it on the holidays.).

[Inky]

If this site is still alive in 50 years it will be a ghost town.

Disagree. As current consoles become retro, I forsee AtariAge to adapt with the changes. Hell, you're seeing it happen as we speak.

[Rom Hunter]

Even Commodore is fading in obscurity these days.

No.

 

[+Atari_Warlord]

I'm one of the few weirdo's that can enjoy a silent movie, the same will be true for someone in the future for Atari.

[CobraMJD]

Well, I lived all my childhood 83-91 with the VCS, and I'm 35, so I will propagate for a good amount of time (I hope) how good it was Atari.

The fear we must have it just like the Genesis, if the new generation thinks those At&T garbages are true Genesis(Mega Drive) games.

[Keatah]

When,...err, I mean If, the Ataribox / VCS fails , what will happen when Generation Atari (i.e. those of us who played and loved the REAL Atari consoles) passes on? Will the Atari name be remembered for what it used to be or will only Atari SA be talked about in the future?

 

Granted, thanks to sites like this and the posters here, some of the younger generation are learning to appreciate the wonders of the original Atari consoles (I'm counting up to the 7800) , but how long will that last? We're two+ generations away from the introduction of the 2600 and I suspect that outside of our hallowed circle of sites and posters, the majority of this generation doesn't even know about Atari other than possibly seeing an AtGames console or adding the ROMs to their emulation sets.

 

..to say nothing of lesser consoles like ColecoVision, Intellivision, Odyssey², Astrocade, Vectrex, and other obscure units.

[Keatah]

The same thing is happening with the old car hobby. Generally anyone with a car worth showing these days is 40+ years old. Not many younger people want to own a classic car.

 

True enough. We still have a few old gassers in our part of town. But the scene is essentially shrinking. The car culture thing was something born of the 1960's. Youngsters that owned them then are the ones populating the scene now and they'll be keeling over soon or deciding to pursue other more practical interests.

[nick3092]

Disagree. As current consoles become retro, I forsee AtariAge to adapt with the changes. Hell, you're seeing it happen as we speak.

As current consoles become retro, I don't think there will be quite the same following. I think a fair amount of activity here is partly due to people wanting to stay in sync with the new games/homebrews being developed by Pixelboy, Opcode, CollectorVision, and others. It's easy enough for 1 or 2 guys to get together and make games for the older systems at a reasonable price (given the limited volume they ship). I don't see a homebrew scene for much past snes and genesis.

 

Sure, there have been some homebrews for newer-ish systems such as DC and the like. But think about the number of people it takes to put out a decent current or even last gen game. Not even factoring in AAA games, indie studios are far more than 1 or 2 guys. And for a current gen console, they are counting on volume of sales to make it worth the effort. Volume that won't be there in 20-30 years.

 

Based on that, I think eventually homebrew will have diminishing returns with newer systems. It will take too much manpower and hours to put out a low volume game. Without those new games, there would be far less draw to a place like AA.

Edited October 2, 2018 by nick3092

[Keatah]

There's still quite a bit that needs to be done on the VCS. Namely arcade ports. We just got Scramble, SuperCobra, Draconian, Star Castle, and a few more, good enough to bear the label "Arcade Quality" - graphics resolution aside.

 

On the other hand, a buddy of mine here with me now asks how much time and effort should go into pushing the VCS' capabilities? At what point do you just want to play the arcade version instead? FWIW.

[Vinnie D.]

I imagine retro enthusiasts fueled by nostalgia will gradually be replaced by those who do it out of an appreciation for history. There are plenty of vintage audiophiles today who weren't around for vacuum tubes. I know things look sad at the time with kids blankly poking away at their tablets, but some of those kids, just like us are the kinds who ask "how does this work?" and "Where did this come from?" That's the same sort of inquisitiveness that we had that could lead new blood back to the history of gaming and computing to before the days where everything was built on one or two standardized architectures, and into the wild west years of the 70's, 80's, and 90's when systems were wildly different and all pushing new boundaries, and in the wonder of what creative programmers did to make that hardware sing.

 

Then again my parents are antiques dealers who's interests go back centuries, so appreciation of old things is kind of in my blood.

[digdugnate]

Generation.... Nintendo? *ducks and runs away*

[youxia]

I believe there always will be people who appreciate how fun the old games actually are, gameplay wise. The old aesthetics can also be appreciated.

There's no need for nostalgia or any other such crutches

 

I love some old films, music, literature & art even though it was all before my time. It's still great stuff though.

[TigerSuperman]

Generation.... Nintendo? *ducks and runs away*

Thing about Nintendo is that there isn't anything like Atari Age or similar websites for Nintendo. Sega has a much bigger preservation and homebrew seen and they were't the ones that won anything.

[digdugnate]

Thing about Nintendo is that there isn't anything like Atari Age or similar websites for Nintendo. Sega has a much bigger preservation and homebrew seen and they were't the ones that won anything.

dude, it was a joke. i was making a play on words-- 'Generation Atari' / 'Generation Nintendo'

[TigerSuperman]

dude, it was a joke. i was making a play on words-- 'Generation Atari' / 'Generation Nintendo'

I felt it was a point that should be added so I used your quote.