New VCS "Retail Launch" Thread! [COMBINED]

[Mockduck]

Seems like it? Wonder what happened, and if there were any orders through Walmart.com that had to get canceled. Nothing in today's announcement about orders from Walmart, and the site still shows nothing in search results. 

[+joeatari1]

Atari VCS 800 Black Walnut All-in Bundle VCS-S8001-06AT-LF - Best Buy.pdf

 

According to the Best Buy website, the VCS comes with a free Speakerhat!  Almost makes me wish I waited (almost).

[TwiliteZoner]

Micro Center is still not showing a listing for this and GameStop now has a release date of 07-02-21? I thought this was supposed to be released this Tuesday?

Edited June 12, 2021 by TwiliteZoner
n/a

[+SabertoothRetro]

I show a TBD for Gamestop.  Best Buy still has a release date 6/15/2021 and have added the "free item" for the Speaker Hat. This wasn't currently listed.  I guess that we'll see on Tuesday.

[Mockduck]

3 hours ago, TwiliteZoner said:

Micro Center is still not showing a listing for this and GameStop now has a release date of 07-02-21? I thought this was supposed to be released this Tuesday?

Yeah, we'll have to see...sure seems like another delay.

[Cebus Capucinis]

I don't fault them for these delays, frankly. Admittedly, everyone is having a hard time getting chips from AMD, and I'm sure they're no exception.

[TwiliteZoner]

I just got off the phone with our local Best Buy and was told that they were not sure if the release is going to be online only or local. She told me to call back Tuesday morning to see if they had received any units. 

[Mockduck]

4 hours ago, TwiliteZoner said:

I just got off the phone with our local Best Buy and was told that they were not sure if the release is going to be online only or local. She told me to call back Tuesday morning to see if they had received any units. 

The announcement said available for online order, so it does not seem likely there will be local retail units. 

[Matt_B]

8 hours ago, Cebus Capucinis said:

I don't fault them for these delays, frankly. Admittedly, everyone is having a hard time getting chips from AMD, and I'm sure they're no exception.

AMD flat out admitted that they're just going to make high end chips for as long as the shortage lasts:

 

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/323197-amd-prioritizes-high-end-cpus-during-shortages-just-like-intel

 

I'm pretty sure the only reason Microsoft and Sony are getting ones for their consoles is that they'll have had iron clad contracts with really severe penalty clauses in them.

[Cebus Capucinis]

Makes sense from AMD's perspective.

[Classic Pac]

I know this owner of a small used game store and they told me it's like Atari does not want the VCS to be sold retail. There order was outright cancelled several months ago, and have refused to allow them to order ever since. I don't know what is going on, but to me this is very strange.

[digdugnate]

On 6/12/2021 at 9:45 AM, TwiliteZoner said:

Micro Center is still not showing a listing for this and GameStop now has a release date of 07-02-21? I thought this was supposed to be released this Tuesday?

yup- i pointed this out on the unofficial reddit sub to very little fanfare, lol.  are we ever going to see a retail release?

[Mockduck]

4 hours ago, Classic Pac said:

I know this owner of a small used game store and they told me it's like Atari does not want the VCS to be sold retail. There order was outright cancelled several months ago, and have refused to allow them to order ever since. I don't know what is going on, but to me this is very strange.

This probably has/had to do with them trying to secure exclusives with the big boxes. I'd assume that once enough stock is around they'd support a larger independent retail and even layperson consumer order. Kinda sucks though to hear about your friend, they shoulda let it happen.

[Shaggy the Atarian]

11 hours ago, digdugnate said:

yup- i pointed this out on the unofficial reddit sub to very little fanfare, lol.  are we ever going to see a retail release?

Atari missing promised ship dates? That seems unlikely given their stellar history of releasing things on time 40ish years ago.

[+SabertoothRetro]

The Best Buy link appears to be live. I added it to my cart and was given an in-store pickup date of 6/19. No change on the Microcenter or GameStop pages. 

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/atari-vcs-800-black-walnut-all-in-bundle/6459020.p?skuId=6459020

[+SabertoothRetro]

Microcenter added the VCS and controllers to their page overnight. Currently "sold out." 

 

 

[The Historian]

Available in 

Chicago, IL
Cambridge, MA

Rockville, MD

Maddison Heights, MI

St. Louis Park, MN

Brentwood, MO

North Jersey, NJ

Westbury, NY

Flushing, NY

Yonkers, NY

Columbus, OH

Mayfield Heights, OH

Sharonville, OH

St Davids, PA

Houston, TX

Fairfax, VA

Most have 10 in stock a few only 9. Good luck. 

https://www.microcenter.com/product/627563/atari-vcs-800-black-walnut-full-bundle

Edited June 15, 2021 by The Historian
fixed URL

[The Historian]

Best Best buy has them available for order online. 

[justclaws]

1 hour ago, SabertoothRetro said:

Microcenter added the VCS and controllers to their page overnight. Currently "sold out." 

[justclaws]

1 hour ago, SabertoothRetro said:

Microcenter added the VCS and controllers to their page overnight. Currently "sold out." 

Yes, apparently they went very quickly, presumably a lot to existing owners,
and to those people who said they'd never want a console, just a controller.

[Mockduck]

24 minutes ago, The Historian said:

Best Best buy has them available for order online. 

So, you can order online for in store pickup only at the moment, strange that delivery is not available. Also looks like either there was a quick run on the sticks or both controllers are "sold out". 

[+jeremiahjt]

The Best Buy in Lubbock is supposed to have them in stock on Saturday. The automated system said there was a nearby store with them in stock, but when I queried the system about it it came back with the Midland store will have them in stock next Thursday, the 24th.

[+jeremiahjt]

49 minutes ago, The Historian said:

Available in 

Chicago, IL
Cambridge, MA

Rockville, MD

Maddison Heights, MI

St. Louis Park, MN

Brentwood, MO

North Jersey, NJ

Westbury, NY

Flushing, NY

Yonkers, NY

Columbus, OH

Mayfield Heights, OH

Sharonville, OH

St Davids, PA

Houston, TX

Fairfax, VA

Most have 10 in stock a few only 9. Good luck. 

https://www.microcenter.com/product/627563/atari-vcs-800-black-walnut-full-bundle

Sweet a Texas store has some. Oh, Houston. Not going to drive 10+ hours for the Atari VCS.

[Mockduck]

Well, it's basically sort of happened!

 

As of today you can order a VCS from Best Buy, Micro Center, and AtariVCS.com. July 2nd for Gamestop. 

 

That said, it's a bit of an odd rollout, maybe not that surprising for 2021. Best Buy.com online order only for local pickup, no delivery available. Micro Center the same. Gamestop running behind? 

 

IGN said there'd be free Speakerhats when ordering from Best Buy or Gamestop, which was a wonderfully dumb thing that had me willing to pick up a 2nd VCS to give to my brother for our birthday. Except no free Speakerhats to be found!

 

Also, no controllers to be found separate. If they ever existed for online order today, it must have been instantly sold out. My thinking is they weren't actually available to order, but we'll see if someone reports getting one. 

 

 

[zzip]

2 minutes ago, Mockduck said:

 

That said, it's a bit of an odd rollout, maybe not that surprising for 2021. Best Buy.com online order only for local pickup, no delivery available. Micro Center the same. Gamestop running behind? 

Bestbuy says will be available at my store in 9 days.   There is no normal rollout anymore I guess, as weird as this is, it's still less weird than trying to buy a PS5!