The Atari VCS Controversies Thread

[universal2600]

It was a disappointment from the start

[sn8k]

Damn shame. It looked cool. I wanted it to do well. But in my gut I felt the chances of it being a total failure or dropped entirely were very high. 

 

This thing is going to be a super expensive emulation box for you to illegally download all atari roms and add full romsets for what ever its powerful enough to run.

 

Not worth the 5 or 6 hundred this thing costs.

 

The new intellivision on the other hand seems like something made by people who actually give a shit. They believe in this thing even if I still don't entirely. I need more single player games to be really sold on it. I dont do couch co op. No one I know plays this classic shit. Everyone I know is currently talking about being slightly disappointed in their next gen console purchase. Crying about no games. I gave up looking and play SEGA or Atari instead. 

 

Feels great.

 

Still, chances of me getting an Intellivision are quite high. I am avoiding the VCS when it becomes available in Canada.... or if this thing ever gets here.

Edited July 26, 2021 by sn8k

[Mockduck]

Not dead yet, but seems to be slowing down. My guess is a handful of new games and then...probably not much unless it starts to sell, which it just doesn't seem to be. Again, no big surprise there. However, for those of us who do have one and have been using it, it'll be useful for the long-term. Been loving mine, and will continue to for quite some time. 

[Djmicklovin]

I love these doom and gloom posts. Blows my mind that there are people that hate Atari on Atariage forums...  The media has said all they could say about it, doesn't mean it's dead. My local Microcenter and eBay are selling them, i've been keeping an eye on stock. But yeah I wish Atari would keep the game announcements coming.

 

People are still posting unboxing and game videos for the VCS on YouTube. Funny because the big gaming channels that mainly cover anything Nintendo, Sony, Xbox related stuff don't get anywhere near as many views and engagement as something on Atari gets because it's rare to hear something from Atari or even Sega. That should tell you a lot of what people think of the big three gaming giants. 

Edited July 26, 2021 by Djmicklovin

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

37 minutes ago, Djmicklovin said:

I love these doom and gloom posts. Blows my mind that there are people that hate Atari on Atariage forums...  The media has said all they could say about it, doesn't mean it's dead. My local Microcenter and eBay are selling them, i've been keeping an eye on stock. But yeah I wish Atari would keep the game announcements coming.

 

People are still posting unboxing and game videos for the VCS on YouTube. Funny because the big gaming channels that mainly cover anything Nintendo, Sony, Xbox related stuff don't get anywhere near as many views and engagement as something on Atari gets because it's rare to hear something from Atari or even Sega. That should tell you a lot of what people think of the big three gaming giants. 

Pointing out negative aspects or predicting the early demise of the "AtariVCS" literally has nothing to do with hating "ATARI" ?

It blows my mind mind that some feel that anything Atari branded these days most somehow always gets a pass or be blindly worshipped and is somehow beyond any negative comments or analysis. Simply pointing out some the failings or disappointment in a product does not make someone a "HATER" and it is ridiculous how people keep feeling the need to defend or white knight a product that literally would be ignored if it was simply some Chinese import knock off that didn't happen to have an Atari badge slapped on. ?‍♂️ 

[jerseystyle]

45 minutes ago, Djmicklovin said:

I love these doom and gloom posts. Blows my mind that there are people that hate Atari on Atariage forums...  The media has said all they could say about it, doesn't mean it's dead. My local Microcenter and eBay are selling them, i've been keeping an eye on stock. But yeah I wish Atari would keep the game announcements coming.

 

People are still posting unboxing and game videos for the VCS on YouTube. Funny because the big gaming channels that mainly cover anything Nintendo, Sony, Xbox related stuff don't get anywhere near as many views and engagement as something on Atari gets because it's rare to hear something from Atari or even Sega. That should tell you a lot of what people think of the big three gaming giants. 

I don’t mean it isn’t being sold, I mean is Atari doing anything to support it? It seems they mislead the early adopters (and current buyers) when they implied it’d be an ongoing, active system. And I call BS on your second point. I went to YouTube and here are the only unboxing videos posted in the last month. Notice the viewership numbers. You are really saying Atari has more social media engagement then Nintendo’s website and related projects?

[+Sauron]

I bet sales would pick up by quite a bit if Atari dropped the price for the full bundle by $100. As it stands, the VCS just doesn't offer much value when compared to other gaming platforms, and it's ability to double as a full-fledged computer isn't enough to push it over the edge.

[jerseystyle]

1 hour ago, Djmicklovin said:

I love these doom and gloom posts. Blows my mind that there are people that hate Atari on Atariage forums...  

Also, I gotta call you out on this. Not only is it a pretty straw man style argument to say I hate Atari, it’s also pretty ignorant. Do you know me? I’ve been a member of this forum since 2004. I kept the Atari Traveler cartridge (remember that?) safe during Cyclone Nargis while I lived in Myanmar. I wrote the 7800 review section for AtariHq nearly 20 years ago (check ‘em out here: http://www.atarihq.com/reviews/7800/index.html)

 

So to call me a hater is, honestly, a pretty stupid thing to say. Critical of the VCS? Yup. I think they lied to their customers and investors and continue to do so. But I love my Atari consoles- been playing tons of Lynx lately via Evercade.

[jerseystyle]

5 minutes ago, Sauron said:

I bet sales would pick up by quite a bit if Atari dropped the price for the full bundle by $100. As it stands, the VCS just doesn't offer much value when compared to other gaming platforms, and it's ability to double as a full-fledged computer isn't enough to push it over the edge.

Yeah I could see picking it up to fiddle with for 100 bucks including the classic controller.

[+Sauron]

1 minute ago, jerseystyle said:

Yeah I could see picking it up to fiddle with for 100 bucks including the classic controller.

I meant BY $100, not TO $100. If it were priced that low, it would probably be flying off the shelves and no one would be able to keep them in stock.

 

[Djmicklovin]

1 hour ago, OldSchoolRetroGamer said:

Pointing out negative aspects or predicting the early demise of the "AtariVCS" literally has nothing to do with hating "ATARI" ?

Okay there's being critical of a product and being a crazed stalker troll. These are literally the same people posting negative things on the VCS and Amico almost daily. Nothing better to do with your lives eh? 

 

1 hour ago, OldSchoolRetroGamer said:

it is ridiculous how people keep feeling the need to defend or white knight a product that literally would be ignored if it was simply some Chinese import knock off that didn't happen to have an Atari badge slapped on. ?‍♂️

Funny you mention Chinese import knockoffs. Where do you think the PS5s, Xboxs, Switches are made? 

[Djmicklovin]

1 hour ago, jerseystyle said:

I don’t mean it isn’t being sold, I mean is Atari doing anything to support it? It seems they mislead the early adopters (and current buyers) when they implied it’d be an ongoing, active system. And I call BS on your second point. I went to YouTube and here are the only unboxing videos posted in the last month. Notice the viewership numbers. You are really saying Atari has more social media engagement then Nintendo’s website and related projects?

I really doubt you're an Atari fan. I've seen your name enough times on here to know better. Funny how you just pulled up some of the most random, anonymous YouTube channels and say they're not getting views. Spawn Wave's Atari VCS video got over 500k views, nothing on his channel on Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo comes even close. Other big YouTube channels that covered the VCS have also outperformed anything on Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

43 minutes ago, Djmicklovin said:

Funny you mention Chinese import knockoffs. Where do you think the PS5s, Xboxs, Switches are made? 

Yeah obviously ?, I was referring specifically to smaller lesser known, less popular companies that make things on much smaller scale with varying levels of quality control. 

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

32 minutes ago, Djmicklovin said:

I really doubt you're an Atari fan. 

You tell him, you are clearly the authority on who is an Atari fan, nothing he says or does mean squat unless he refrains from saying anything negative about the current hunk of plastic with the Atari logo the AtariVCS ? 

 

Seriously though, not sure why you have it in your head that liking the AtariVCS seems to be a requirement to be an Atari fan, I think it's an overpriced hunk of plastic that has nothing going for it besides an admittedly cool case but I don't want one yet I lived through Atari history, own pretty much every model of the original 2600 as well as several Atari 8 bit and 16 bit computers etc. I consider myself an Atari fan, your opinion has no bearing on that. 

Edited July 26, 2021 by OldSchoolRetroGamer

[Keatah]

2 hours ago, Djmicklovin said:

I love these doom and gloom posts. Blows my mind that there are people that hate Atari on Atariage forums...

Ding..Ding..Ding.. School is in session.

 

There is a huge difference between Atari and atari. The former is loved by all. The latter is hated by all.

 

Class dismissed!

[Djmicklovin]

43 minutes ago, Keatah said:

Ding..Ding..Ding.. School is in session.

 

There is a huge difference between Atari and atari. The former is loved by all. The latter is hated by all.

 

Class dismissed!

When has atari ever been Atari? Time for you boomers to move on. By your logic, Atari hasn't been Atari since Nolan Bushnell sold the company to Warner in the late 70s. The name has been run by so many different entities over the years. Even if Atari had the same lineage from the 70s/80s, and even 90s, Atari wouldn't be the same company today regardless, like every other company changes throughout the years. All the original people involved with the original Atari, Steve Jobs, Wozniak, and others included would be long gone today. So who cares? The people running it today seem to doing a better job than the idiots running it from the past three decades. The company is profitable again and they are bringing Atari back to greatness.

Edited July 26, 2021 by Djmicklovin

[Keatah]

You have to stay after school!

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

1 minute ago, Djmicklovin said:

 The company is profitable again and they are bringing Atari back to greatness.

 

?

 

[Keatah]

Remedial training time..

 

27 minutes ago, Djmicklovin said:

When has atari ever been Atari? Time for you boomers to move on. By your logic, Atari hasn't been Atari since Nolan Bushnell sold the company to Warner in the late 70s.

Ohh not for a while I'd venture to guess. Stewardship can and does change. And that is ok.

 

27 minutes ago, Djmicklovin said:

The name has been run by so many different entities over the years. Even if Atari had the same lineage from the 70s/80s, and even 90s, Atari wouldn't be the same company today regardless, like every other company changes throughout the years. All the original people involved with the original Atari, Steve Jobs, Wozniak, and others included would be long gone today. So who cares?

Personally I don't care who runs any company.. With few exceptions now and then.

 

27 minutes ago, Djmicklovin said:

The people running it today seem to doing a better job than the idiots running it from the past three decades. The company is profitable again and they are bringing Atari back to greatness.

But they are unable to foster the creative environment of the halcyon days. They are not pushing the art form. I have yet to see something innovative and desirable come from present-day atari. The closest thing might be the new joystick, with the other controller as runner-up.

 

To an unaware kid back, through the decades, to today's conscientious consumer, the creative art of 70's and 80's videogames remains everything.

[Matt_B]

Given that unloading on the bad practices of Ray Kassar and Jack Tramiel has been a regular pastime for the entire history of this forum, I'm not sure why the current management should be left out.

Why, we're practically honoring them by holding them up to the same standards as their illustrious forbears. ?

[roots.genoa]

1 hour ago, Djmicklovin said:

Spawn Wave's Atari VCS video got over 500k views, nothing on his channel on Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo comes even close.

Here's a theory. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo "fans" have countless other channels to check about their system. And in my experience (I'm in charge of a retro gaming web site), controversy creates views, so yeah, articles and videos about systems like the Atari VCS are quite successful. It doesn't mean the system is, though.

[Matt_B]

1 hour ago, roots.genoa said:

Here's a theory. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo "fans" have countless other channels to check about their system. And in my experience (I'm in charge of a retro gaming web site), controversy creates views, so yeah, articles and videos about systems like the Atari VCS are quite successful. It doesn't mean the system is, though.

Here's another theory. Spawn Wave's most popular video, with 2.2 million views, is literally about using Xbox and PlayStation controllers with the Switch. ?

 

Also, his last video on the VCS was six months ago. Like most of the bigger YouTubers who covered it at the time and had positive things to say, he's moved on. There's always new hardware coming out to unbox, evaluate and play games on but very little from outside the big three, PC and mobiles gets much lasting attention.

[+swlovinist]

I want the VCS to succeed and am an original backer.   I had low expectations and was pretty surprised that it actually came out.    I did a follow up video talking about the good and bad things and tried to be objective about it.   The last game released on the store was June 11th and it was a 5 year old soccer game.   While there are some that will use the VCS as a PC, I feel the majority of backers/consumers will not bother.   The market space for gaming right now is super saturated and this fall is heating up to be very competitive.   One thing is for sure, they need to provide more content for their $300-$400 device if they want to be a valid option.    The problem with launching a console is that the real challenging work begins after a console is launched.    Providing ongoing content and listening to market feedback is crucial more than ever for a product to continue to be offered.   The VCS needs to have both more content provided and a reduction in price for this fall/winter if it is to be and sort of a valid option.  

[youxia]

To be dead, you'd need to be alive first. And the way I see it VCS never truly was, in fact I don't think it was planned to be.

 

Obviously, I mean the general concept of a thriving platform with original content, because if you own it and it works for you as just a media/lightweight gaming PC, then that's great. But that's not what Atari SA was promising with their bombastic "unprecedented levels of flexibility and control to help transform how we Interact with our TV’s, just as the original Atari 2600 did four decades ago" or "all new games". And I don't think they have ever really meant it. Those who are familiar with their history and operation know that they were never capable of supporting such eco-system, and this whole project was an opportunistic stunt, riding on the popular wave of retro-nostalgia machines. They are small-time and so the KS money, plus some profit from selling the new units and whatever they can scrape from the "store" as it is, is probably enough. The existence of the VCS also creates an illusion of ASA being still an important player in the industry, which might help with their future investor-baiting exercises.

Edited July 26, 2021 by youxia

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

4 minutes ago, youxia said:

To be dead, you'd need to be alive first. And the way I see it VCS never truly was, in fact I don't think it was planned to be.

 

Obviously, I mean the general concept of a thriving platform with original content, because if you own it and it works for you as just a media/lightweight gaming PC, then that's great. But that's not what Atari SA was promising with their bombastic "unprecedented levels of flexibility and control to help transform how we Interact with our TV’s, just as the original Atari 2600 did four decades ago" or "all new games". And I don't think they have ever really meant it. Those who are familiar with their history and operation know that they were never capable of supporting such eco-system, and this whole project was an opportunistic stunt, riding on the popular wave of retro-nostalgia machines. They are small-time and so the KS money, plus whatever they can scrape from the "store" as it is, is probably enough. The existence of the VCS also creates an illusion of ASA being still an important player in the industry, which might help with their future investor-baiting exercises.

? THIS !