Atari SA releasing limited run 2600 cartridges.

[Gunther]

These games are now listed on Limited Run's website.

 

[+jgkspsx]

You know what would be a really good goodwill gesture? If Atari SA donated part of the sales of Yars’ Return to Curt’s daughter’s college fund.

[nadir]

1 hour ago, Gunther said:

These games are now listed on Limited Run's website.

 

Does that mean we can expect them to ship soon?  I don't know what Limited Run is.

[+jgkspsx]

6 hours ago, nadir said:

Does that mean we can expect them to ship soon?  I don't know what Limited Run is.

Limited Run is a distributor of limited run video games for current and legacy systems. I think it means they’re not selling fast enough from the Atari SA site. Some collectors and many speculators seem to buy everything they release or distribute. Atari SA are probably paying LRG a significant cut for the exposure.

Did the quantity of these releases get cut down? LRG says there are 1000 each of Yars and Saboteur and 1500 of Aquaventure. I thought the goal was more. Clearly they expect (with good reason) Aquaventure to be the big seller.

[davpa]

Hey there, I just wanted to pop in on this thread and interject/comment on what @Andrew Davie and @GoldLeader commented on.  I'm a long time Atari fan and have been floating around AA.com for too many years to admit.  I never commented on the Forums because I'm not much a forum kind of guy.  Also, there are quite few sections and topics that just bring out the toxicity here.  As a result, I tended to stay away from AA Forum section.

 

What is always hard, especially from someone like me who kept the forums at arm's length, is knowing the difference between the Gatekeeper Trolls and those that have had an actual history and experience that they now have a negative view of Atari SA.  From first glance it just looks like typical internet toxic complaining, the internet's favorite past-time! Obviously, that is not always the case.

 

I've recently started a working relationship (not currently a paid employee) with Atari Interactive on a variety of tasks.  One of them is being a liaison for new Developers for the Atari VCS as well as helping current Developers.  One of the things I recently started is just to talk to a few AtariAge programmers and see if they wanted to submit works to the VCS utilizing the AtariOS's Stella, DOSBox, and MAME built in layers.  And before you speculate, we are not asking anyone to stop making physical media with AtariAge.  I for one applaud the work that AtariAge does on this front.  I'm just making an offer for a digital version of their work to find an additional audience (ok, go ahead and insert your jokes here about how few VCSs are sold.  It is ok).  I've just started this process and I'll contact more people in time.  Also know that there is a project being worked on that will make it easier for the homebrew community to get their works on the VCS.  I know it exists and it is being worked on but I have practically no details on this yet.  The Atari VCS is not ignoring the homebrew community.  It is just a slow process.

 

@Andrew Davie and @GoldLeader, I would like to know more about your individual situations.  I would like to try and fix things.  I can't guarantee that I can fix things, but nothing can be done if we don't talk with each other first.  I'd at least want to try.

 

Things are different at Atari.  The Frederic Chesnais era is done with, it ended April 2021.  It ended even more recently with Atari terminating the contract relationship with Chesnais and his blockchain company CBI.  I'm not 100% sure, but I think he is not a Board Member of Atari SA anymore either.  Either way, his direct influence on Atari is gone.  Michael Arzt is now gone too.  So are a bunch of people that were part of the Chesnais/Arzt circle.  Sadly, we still have to live with those stupid speaker hats for a while (thanks a lot Arzt!).  I personally think of this as a very good thing.  The VCS limped out of the gate (but it did launch, so one up on some consoles) and would have died on the vine if Chesnais hadn't left.  The rumors that the VCS was just a cash grab would have been true with Chesnais as the leadership.  Instead, the VCS is being supported.  It really is.  This is not fanboy speculation, they are actively working on the system.  Atari is a small company with a giant name, so sadly they don't have wads of money to throw at the thing like a Microsoft or Sony.  If it was a cash grab, why waste money on adding features to it?  But I'm starting to digress...

 

The point is, there are more people like me at Atari then you might think.  I'm an old school Atari supporter, I had an Atari VCS in 1978 (actually Sears Tele-game, but I still get street cred), and don't think AtariAge is a den of trolls....sometimes.  I think that is where a lot of the breakdown has happened.  Yes, during Atari's dark years of being passed around like an old hat between hard drive companies and Hasbro and other holding companies, a lot of crap things happened.  Various groups, including Infogrames and Chesnais, got overly aggressive with their protection of IP rights and beyond that.  So a lot of animosity was built up against Atari. Some of that anger was rightfully earned.  Sadly, when new people who were not connected to those events are attacked as well, the vicious cycle just keeps going round and round again.  Nobody wins, everyone is just left missing eyes.

 

If you survived my long-winded novel, I hope that I can try to help build those bridges again.  I can't say I have a magic wand and everyone's wishes will come true, but know at the very least that are people like me working in or with Atari that doesn't hate AtariAge (and by extension, you).  That is one of my goals, to make things better by what resources I have to work with and what influence I have.  So I offer anyone to reach out to me either in the AtariAge DMs or via my email davpa@vcsconnect.net. I've opened my doors, please don't sling those arrows too hard!

Edited May 10, 2022 by davpa
grammar correction! I said "to" instead of "too"

[+jgkspsx]

4 hours ago, davpa said:

What is always hard, especially from someone like me who kept the forums at arm's length, is knowing the difference between the Gatekeeper Trolls and those that have had an actual history and experience that they now have a negative view of Atari SA. 

For what it’s worth, I know @GoldLeader relatively well and he is certainly not one of the reflexively negative people here.
 

Andrew Davie I don’t know well, but he has contributed mightily to 2600 homebrew and beyond for very many years, viz. https://www.randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-tutorial-andrew-davie-01.html

 

In general, with a few exceptions, the forums have been relatively positive and open-minded lately, and as always flooded with more incredible indie game development than one person can even keep track of. It’s worth hanging around here. I am slightly biased, I suppose, but it is also likely more professionally relevant to you than me  

[+Andrew Davie]

7 hours ago, davpa said:

 

@Andrew Davie and @GoldLeader, I would like to know more about your individual situations.  I would like to try and fix things.  I can't guarantee that I can fix things, but nothing can be done if we don't talk with each other first.  I'd at least want to try.

I have responded privately, via email.

[jefffulton]

I ordered the $50 Aquaventure in November (pre-ordered actually). 
The Atari XP site says they were anticipating a release in early 2022. It's still early, but getting later...

[Tempest]

20 hours ago, davpa said:

Also, there are quite few sections and topics that just bring out the toxicity here.  As a result, I tended to stay away from AA Forum section.
...
Im an old school Atari supporter, I had an Atari VCS in 1978 (actually Sears Tele-game, but I still get street cred), and don't think AtariAge is a den of trolls....sometimes.

There are a lot of strong opinions on the new Atari and on many other modern retro gaming companies (lets not even mention the Amico).  We try to allow people to express their opinions, even highly negative ones as long as they don't harass other members or violate the handful or rules we have.  There's a fine line between a troll and someone who has legitimate complaints who happens to post them in a negative or confrontational way.  As moderators we try our best to keep the actual trolls at bay while allowing people to express their opinions without fear, even if they happen to be unpopular ones.  We're not perfect by any means, but I think calling AtariAge a 'den of trolls' (but only sometimes) is a bit unfair.  If you truly want to see what a den of trolls looks like, take a peak at some of the Neo Geo boards sometime.

 

That being said, I hope you give the AA forums another chance and if you see something that looks like trolling reporting to the moderators.  We're not omnipotent (well maybe Al is) and we can't spend every waking hour reading the forums so things get missed.

 

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should also point out that I too have a working relationship with Atari (I'm helping with some prototype research).  I'm happy with the direction the new Atari is going, and I hope that finally something positive can be done with its rich history.

[Gunther]

22 hours ago, nadir said:

Does that mean we can expect them to ship soon?  I don't know what Limited Run is.

Limited Run is an excellent company that sells physical games for classic consoles.

I think it's excellent that they are now supporting ATARI products.

It would be best to contact them directly, but as far as I'm aware, they're only carrying the limited-editions'.

It's great news though.

 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Gunther

[Mockduck]

The only issue with Limited Run doing these is good for them but bad for the Atari fan, which is that their releases have a core group of big collectors buying them along with quite a few flipper/scalper types, so availability can be annoying sometimes. 

[Gunther]

1 hour ago, Mockduck said:

The only issue with Limited Run doing these is good for them but bad for the Atari fan, which is that their releases have a core group of big collectors buying them along with quite a few flipper/scalper types, so availability can be annoying sometimes. 

They are not part of the Limited Run 'full-set'.

This is detailed on their website.

[davpa]

2 hours ago, Tempest said:

..., but I think calling AtariAge a 'den of trolls' (but only sometimes) is a bit unfair...

Sorry, I think I might have word-salad what I was trying to say.  I was saying in my OP that I DIDN'T think of AtariAge as a den of trolls...only sometimes.  I was trying to be cute and failed.

[Tempest]

26 minutes ago, davpa said:

Sorry, I think I might have word-salad what I was trying to say.  I was saying in my OP that I DIDN'T think of AtariAge as a den of trolls...only sometimes.  I was trying to be cute and failed.

Ok I was hoping that's what you were going for.  I was hoping that AA didn't have that kind of reputation.  ?

[nadir]

4 hours ago, jefffulton said:

I ordered the $50 Aquaventure in November (pre-ordered actually). 
The Atari XP site says they were anticipating a release in early 2022. It's still early, but getting later...

Yeah, in one of the blog entries they updated it from Q1 to May.  It's May now, so hopefully... 

[Gunther]

It would be great to see new 2600, 7800, Lynx, and Jag games from ATARI XP.

 

[+jgkspsx]

38 minutes ago, Gunther said:

It would be great to see new 2600, 7800, Lynx, and Jag games from ATARI XP.

I would love to see reissues of some of the rarities they still have rights for. As far as homebrew releases, the community has never had it so down pat before as it does now.
 

I would rather see them use their relationships with Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, Apple, etc. to get homebrew to the much much larger buying public they have.

 

I am unabashedly rooting for Atari SA to live up to the name, and I’m really happy to hear that a lot of people who care are trying to help them do it. I also hope they do what they can to make up past injustices to people like Andrew, Dennis, and especially to Curt Vendel’s family.

[Gunther]

 

[Gunther]

A great interview with Wade Rosen, discussing ATARI XP, game preservation, and the current VCS:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/atari-game-preservation-efforts/

[CapitanClassic]

24 minutes ago, Gunther said:

A great interview with Wade Rosen, discussing ATARI XP, game preservation, and the current VCS:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/atari-game-preservation-efforts/

Reads like a puff-piece or paid “news” article. (So, tell me about Atari’s latest initiatives… well we are focused on rebranding as a game maker (reloaded), and new hardware (VCS), we care about game preservation (we bought MobyGanes), we like the physicality of games (we just rereleased physical carts of Yars)

 

I prefer, 

 

 

[toiletunes]

Rare and unreleased games like Yars' Revenge?

[+groundtrooper]

13 minutes ago, toiletunes said:

Rare and unreleased games like Yars' Revenge?

Yep, attention to detail. I laughed at that also. 

[4ever2600]

Still nice to see groups communicating instead of doing nothing.  Step in the right direction.  Can't fix something unless it's known to be broke, on both sides.

 

My gripe, as with most people, wish they could bring the re release prices down.  I know it's more a collectable than a practical,  and costs etc but 50.00 ouch.  I could only order one due to this and Adventure, don't even get me started.

 

One thing I would ask the OP, do we have a solid date on these shipping?  Did I miss it somewhere in the thread?

 

Thank you for the lengthy post, means alot.

[Gunther]

16 hours ago, toiletunes said:

Rare and unreleased games like Yars' Revenge?

They should have added a comma.

Again, there's information regarding these games on the ATARI XP website.

Interviews with HSW and Dennis Debro, information about enhancements to Yars' Return, and much more.

 

[+groundtrooper]

7 hours ago, Gunther said:

They should have added a comma.

Again, there's information regarding these games on the ATARI XP website.

Interviews with HSW and Dennis Debro, information about enhancements to Yars' Return, and much more.

 

 

I think you missed what @toiletunes was pointing out. Yars' Revenge is hardly a rare or unreleased game. Who is editing these articles?