Was the Atari 2600 really delayed until November 1977?

[+Random Terrain]

Here's an excerpt from a Gamasutra article:

 

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130414/the_history_of_atari_19711977.php?page=18

Quote

Atari showed the VCS at the Summer CES in 1977 and prepared it for release in October. . . . During the manufacturing process, they ran into some problems that delayed the release of the unit. . . . All of these things led to shipping delays and disappointed retailers. . . . By late November 1977, the Atari VCS shipped to retailers, including Sears who marketed their own version named the Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade.

 

Sears was advertising their version of the Atari 2600 in September 1977 newspapers. Would Sears do that if they didn't have the consoles in stock?

 

 

Update

 

The 1977 page has been updated:

 

https://www.randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-history-1977.html

[+Atari_Warlord]

I'm pretty sure I bought one at Sears in October of 1977, but the receipt disappeared with the boxes long ago.  I remember seeing the ads and then visiting the store where they had a display unit.  After a few minutes of playing around I took my summer job money and bought one on the spot.  Over the next couple months I kept showing the list of available games to my parents as a hint on what to buy me for Christmas.  I think I got Pong Sports and maybe Outer Space as gifts.

[ubersaurus]

I'm checking Weekly Television Digest, as they reported routinely on delays for the Intellivision, Bally Arcade and various dedicated systems - including Atari's own Tank II in 1977, which was canned due to GI chip shortages according to the June 27 edition, though they note Atari didn't expect this to impact their programmable deliveries in the summer.

 

There's also this September 19 edition that mentions Combat:

 

 

Finally, and I suspect this is where that came from - Atari was hit with MPU shortages, which delayed deliveries of the VCS, though many still made it out before November (from the October 17 edition):

 

Edited May 20, 2021 by ubersaurus

[+sramirez2008]

Wow. The Article mentions Alexander’s NY. I used to get all my toys (Mego Batman, Spider Man, Micronauts and Action Jackson) at Alexander’s.  Hadn’t thought about that store for quite some time now.

[+Random Terrain]

1 hour ago, ubersaurus said:

I'm checking Weekly Television Digest . . .

 

Thanks. That's more helpful than the Gamasutra article. This is from the last image in your post:

 

 

 

What does "Video Computer System MPU games" mean? Did they mean the console? If they meant the console, then the Atari 2600 started being shipped to all major market areas in August.

 

The last sentence is easy. Looks like I can safely say that shipments of the first 8 games began in September.

[ubersaurus]

Yes, based on how they usually talk about these things the first line means the system itself. August would check out with the earlier WTD report and the newspaper ads I’ve spotted in August too.

[+Random Terrain]

Just now, ubersaurus said:

Yes, based on how they usually talk about these things the first line means the system itself. August would check out with the earlier WTD report and the newspaper ads I’ve spotted in August too.

 

Thanks. I'll update my 1977 page tonight if I don't get too sleepy.

[ubersaurus]

Here's a bonus from the April 28 1980 edition of Weekly Television Digest, talking about the first four Activision games. The first newspaper ads I've come across indicate stores actually started getting them around late August, so I'm guessing they started hitting stores a little earlier than Activision expected:

 

[+D Train]

13 hours ago, sramirez2008 said:

Alexander’s NY.

Alexander's on fordham road, baby!  I remember going by that (although never it in).

 

and of course the alexander's right across the street from bloomies that is now the site of the bloomberg tower.

 

I went shopping with a friend of mine, who tried on coats in bloomingdales, then ran across the street to buy one at alexander's.  so embarrassing.

[+sramirez2008]

 

50 minutes ago, D Train said:

Alexander's on fordham road, baby! 

I practically grew up in this store.

51 minutes ago, D Train said:

alexander's right across the street from bloomies

That was their headquarters, BITD.

[+D Train]

2 hours ago, sramirez2008 said:

I practically grew up in this store.

you're the only one on this site that can (or wants to) do new york talk with me...

 

[+sramirez2008]

14 minutes ago, D Train said:

you're the only one on this site that can (or wants to) do new york talk with me...

 

Lol!  I don't want to derail this thread.  We need to chat via PM.?

 

[+Random Terrain]

6 hours ago, ubersaurus said:

Here's a bonus from the April 28 1980 edition of Weekly Television Digest, talking about the first four Activision games. The first newspaper ads I've come across indicate stores actually started getting them around late August, so I'm guessing they started hitting stores a little earlier than Activision expected:

 

 

Leisure Time Electronics and the Klove list claim that July is the correct month, but I also haven't seen ads until August. Do you think the lack of ads in July prove that August is the correct month?

[+sramirez2008]

4 minutes ago, Random Terrain said:

 Do you think the lack of ads in July prove that August is the correct month?

I would think so.  Save some of the budget until the games were actually released.

[ubersaurus]

I think it’s plausible that shipments did start in July but nothing actually arrived until August. Hard to say for sure though! Merchandising covered the announcement of the games but didn’t mention when they’d be shipping.

[+Random Terrain]

The 1977 page has been updated:

 

https://www.randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-history-1977.html

[+DrVenkman]

On 5/20/2021 at 3:14 PM, sramirez2008 said:

Lol!  I don't want to derail this thread.  We need to chat via PM.?

 

I lived in western Connecticut until the summer I turned ten in 1978, then spent a couple months each summer with my Dad and grandparents there through around 1983 or 1984. I have lots of good memories of watching Yankees games on WPIX almost every night while reading science fiction paperbacks, and a seeing a game or two at Yankee Stadium every season. 

[+sramirez2008]

1977 was a great year.  Star Wars, Atari VCS and the Yanks won the World Series!