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The Atari VCS Controversies Thread


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17 minutes ago, El Livo Cat said:

Actually…this is where Mattel fans can talk about a new endeavor from a guy while not conversing about that “thingy” with the guy or his fans…I think?
 

 

You know that literally you were the person who brought Mattel up and the only one who keeps bringing it up, right?

 

You also know that Mattel has literally nothing to do with either of these Nostalgia boxes right? 

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50 minutes ago, El Livo Cat said:

Actually…this is where Mattel fans can talk about a new endeavor from a guy while not conversing about that “thingy” with the guy or his fans…I think?
 

 

No man, you come to the REAL REAL fun Amico conversations thread for that. It’s really weird that you think that the VCS is gonna break out and sell millions of these more than a year after release. You’d get along quite well with some of the Amico folks who oftentimes talk about the BILLIONS of possible Amico buyers, once marketing starts. 

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5 minutes ago, jerseystyle said:

No man, you come to the REAL REAL fun Amico conversations thread for that. It’s really weird that you think that the VCS is gonna break out and sell millions of these more than a year after release. You’d get along quite well with some of the Amico folks who oftentimes talk about the BILLIONS of possible Amico buyers, once marketing starts. 

It was released in June of 2021…maybe you didn’t know this fact?

 

I never said sell millions…I talked about the potential nostalgia buyers and that didn’t mean all of them would buy ATARI’s newest system just that the pool is vastly larger than that other guy’s(meaning Mattel’s “1” console name from the ‘80s) nostalgia play would/could ever be from a historic perspective.

 

Just is what it is…and I provided the reasons…the whole 10 Flashbacks vs. 1…4 Flashback handhelds vs. Zero…multiple arcade/console/computer/handheld systems that touched 10s of millions of more lives…just some basic facts that can’t be denied by even the super cool people. 

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3 minutes ago, jerseystyle said:

No man, you come to the REAL REAL fun Amico conversations thread for that. It’s really weird that you think that the VCS is gonna break out and sell millions of these more than a year after release. You’d get along quite well with some of the Amico folks who oftentimes talk about the BILLIONS of possible Amico buyers, once marketing starts. 

This is a good point. I think the Amico people (Tallarico, et al.) are overestimating the potential market as well. My belief is that the "casuals/families" they're targeting are well-served by existing solutions, be it mobile devices for casual gamers (HUGE market, obviously) or Switch's and even the other two big guys for families (and let's not leave out PC and the connected gameplay it offers as well).

 

Now, with the above in mind, I'd say whatever the real number is, say somewhere between 25,000 - 75,000 pre-sold to consumers (not retailers), that's still very, very good for a mostly unknown company/brand starting from relative scratch, so they are clearly onto something. I think the difference of opinion many of us have is how big that something ultimately will be. They can clearly hit six figures, and, if they're to be believed, if they can get in the 100,000+ range, the platform (and company) will be self-sustainable. They're clearly close enough to that figure where if they actually get the darn thing out and it has a reasonable reception, they should have no problem meeting that modest goal. The question then becomes how many more people become interested in the platform post-release and how regularly they can release games that appeal to their owners (getting that cadence right can be a monumental challenge in and of itself). So to me the ultimate question is is this a platform that peaks in the 125,000 - 225,000 console sales range, or can it somehow exceed that figure and do more like 500,000 - 750,000, which I think would be an epic success for something like that. And of course, there's the question of how long this can thrive on the market. It's one thing to do well early on, but if momentum stalls and the platform has a lifespan of say three years, then it's done, it just becomes another historical footnote.

 

I've been considering ways that the VCS might do better and gain momentum, but I just don't know what that might be. Certainly a much lower cost, say sub-$200, would do wonders (if arguably not quite be enough), but that's not realistic for a company of that size, particularly in the present worldwide logistical nightmare. There's also the danger of angering the earliest adopters with that kind of pricing due to the delayed release. Releasing a VCS with improved internals (and staying at the same $399 price point) is a logical next step, but I don't think that would make any appreciable difference in sales. In terms of exclusives, I feel like the VCS is beyond that point. It was never positioned as the home of exclusives, and certainly Atari can't afford to not release their own stuff multi-platform. So I just feel like they're in a hole with no easy way to get out of. That's why I was genuinely interested in reasonable thinking why suddenly sales might pick up. It's because from a practical standpoint, there's no obvious way.

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10 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

Are you ever going to explain to us how, outside of informing countless Atari superfans who have somehow missed the VCS news the past several years, the VCS is going to suddenly sell in droves?

I don't think there is going to be a way to move a ton of units but here are my (again uninformed) ideas.

- Add in a built-in M2 drive with Windows and really push it as a mini PC / HTPC / SteamBox. Make it easier to choose on bootup or through configuration to boot into Windows or AtariOS.
- Make the tools to develop for AtariOS freely available, document them and push the platform as a way to spotlight independent developers who otherwise get lost in the shuffle of bigger stores. Push it as a console for the itch.io developers. Partner with AtariAge to get homebrews available on the store.
- Add emulators for all of Atari's past consoles. Having a way to play 8-bit, ST, Lynx and Jaguar would be great. And third parties with IP for the old systems could sell their wares through the AtariOS store as well. Make it an "Evercade" but the digital alternative. Along with that, make sure there is a way to back up the media so that you truly own it and don't have to have a DRM server to validate against to play your titles.

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14 minutes ago, Bill Loguidice said:

This is a good point. I think the Amico people (Tallarico, et al.) are overestimating the potential market as well. My belief is that the "casuals/families" they're targeting are well-served by existing solutions, be it mobile devices for casual gamers (HUGE market, obviously) or Switch's and even the other two big guys for families (and let's not leave out PC and the connected gameplay it offers as well).

 

Now, with the above in mind, I'd say whatever the real number is, say somewhere between 25,000 - 75,000 pre-sold to consumers (not retailers), that's still very, very good for a mostly unknown company/brand starting from relative scratch, so they are clearly onto something. I think the difference of opinion many of us have is how big that something ultimately will be. They can clearly hit six figures, and, if they're to be believed, if they can get in the 100,000+ range, the platform (and company) will be self-sustainable. They're clearly close enough to that figure where if they actually get the darn thing out and it has a reasonable reception, they should have no problem meeting that modest goal. The question then becomes how many more people become interested in the platform post-release and how regularly they can release games that appeal to their owners (getting that cadence right can be a monumental challenge in and of itself). So to me the ultimate question is is this a platform that peaks in the 125,000 - 225,000 console sales range, or can it somehow exceed that figure and do more like 500,000 - 750,000, which I think would be an epic success for something like that. And of course, there's the question of how long this can thrive on the market. It's one thing to do well early on, but if momentum stalls and the platform has a lifespan of say three years, then it's done, it just becomes another historical footnote.

 

I've been considering ways that the VCS might do better and gain momentum, but I just don't know what that might be. Certainly a much lower cost, say sub-$200, would do wonders (if arguably not quite be enough), but that's not realistic for a company of that size, particularly in the present worldwide logistical nightmare. There's also the danger of angering the earliest adopters with that kind of pricing due to the delayed release. Releasing a VCS with improved internals (and staying at the same $399 price point) is a logical next step, but I don't think that would make any appreciable difference in sales. In terms of exclusives, I feel like the VCS is beyond that point. It was never positioned as the home of exclusives, and certainly Atari can't afford to not release their own stuff multi-platform. So I just feel like they're in a hole with no easy way to get out of. That's why I was genuinely interested in reasonable thinking why suddenly sales might pick up. It's because from a practical standpoint, there's no obvious way.

Great points Bill. I've wondered if an easy solve to a price drop is "gifting" a couple games and maybe a coupon for existing owners. I'm sure that's easier said than done (though they essentially just did this with the 2 emulators) but considering most who backed were die hards, that might appeal to them. For instance, if they could somehow get an Activision Vault or add a couple Jaguar games in addition to the Combat/Food Fight relaunch they've rumored, that could be a win for all.

 

Long term, I think a renewed, relaunched VCS with improved internals and, say 50+ available games and a more competitive price is the only way upwards. Get this thing around $300 for a bundle with improved specs and they could have something. 

Edited by Atarick
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15 hours ago, Matt_B said:

I don't think anyone has ever disputed that they're the legitimate owners of the Atari IP, so can you please stop bringing up that straw man?

Have you even read the threads???   You also contradict yourself in your last paragraph.

 

16 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

Well, let's just compare some of the other solutions. The Amico runs on an Android-type system with a proprietary layer and unique controllers centered around family-friendly multiplayer gaming. Could Atari have stirred up interest with a cohesive proposal of similar scope? Maybe. 

They still need the games.    I'm not sure they can finance enough quality games to make it worthwhile.   Their current approach with VCS store allows them to feature hidden indie gems that get lost in the shuffle on Steam, and these can be ported to VCS very cheaply because of the architecture.   I'm also not convinced by the Amico concept.  It clearly wants to be the next Wii, but it's more likely to be the next Ouya I think.

 

16 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

The Evercade is both a handheld and a console running the same cartridges (as licensing allows). It has Atari games and other relatively inexpensive licenses. Could Atari have come up with a similar approach to a product? Maybe.

They already have the flashback portable console line from At games,  they could always expand on that concept.   But a lot of it seems to be a licensing issue.   They would have to license IPs they don't own, and they don't seem to do much off that

 

16 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

Could Atari have commissioned the creation of an Analogue-like FPGA-based system that had say, an Atari 7800 with POKEY and then sell compilation cartridges to run on it? Maybe

That sounds even more niche.   They've been releasing 7800 games on the VCS.   Most people won't care if it's done via software emulation or FPGA.   The average person couldn't explain the difference anyway.   Either way they aren't likely to release the full 7800 library due to licensing.

 

16 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

The point is, Atari went with the most basic, simplest approach, a generic PC box with limited capabilities with a fancy case and an interesting

But why is a PC box bad, but an Android box good?

 

16 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

All of the other systems/approaches I mentioned (some in this post, some in others) have in some way tried to differentiate themselves in the market, which is step one when coming up with a product idea, i.e., is this something people would want and/or can I make an existing something better? What was the differentiator with the VCS?

Differentation is good,  but the retro market is an area that virtually everything has been done,  so none of these things are really all that innovative.   Evercade portable doesn't seem so special when you realize you can play all these games on your phone or other portables like DS, Switch or even GBA.    I also how many of us GenXer's who these things are aimed at are now in our 50s and starting to have eyesight issues that make small screens uncomfortable to game on?

 

The Amico may seem to be trying something different but it seems to appeal mostly to old Intellivision fans and not the family demographic they say they are targeting.   Same with how VCS appeals mostly to old Atari fans,  but at least Atari isn't pretending they are targeting anyone else.   

 

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11 minutes ago, stirrell said:

I don't think there is going to be a way to move a ton of units but here are my (again uninformed) ideas.

- Add in a built-in M2 drive with Windows and really push it as a mini PC / HTPC / SteamBox. Make it easier to choose on bootup or through configuration to boot into Windows or AtariOS.
- Make the tools to develop for AtariOS freely available, document them and push the platform as a way to spotlight independent developers who otherwise get lost in the shuffle of bigger stores. Push it as a console for the itch.io developers. Partner with AtariAge to get homebrews available on the store.
- Add emulators for all of Atari's past consoles. Having a way to play 8-bit, ST, Lynx and Jaguar would be great. And third parties with IP for the old systems could sell their wares through the AtariOS store as well. Make it an "Evercade" but the digital alternative. Along with that, make sure there is a way to back up the media so that you truly own it and don't have to have a DRM server to validate against to play your titles.

I like these ideas a great deal. I'm not sure the company is financially able to implement all or any of it, but it's certainly something that I think would appeal to a broader group of potential buyers, although the price point would likely jump up a bit too much and you'd still have something relatively underpowered for many of today's most popular games. You'd really have to double-down on the classic gaming aspects in the marketing, with occasional modern games and streaming services to round out its appeal. Right now, Atari's marketing push around the VCS seems to be the enjoyment of re-imagined classics on the platform, which again, is not a bad idea, but not something that will bring people into the platform, even putting aside the non-exclusive nature.

 

I feel like the loose partnership with Antstream kind of put the kibosh on Atari's own digital store plans (or at least acknowledged their own limitations versus existing solutions) in certain ways. It's almost like that was their acknowledgement of the desire of many of their owners to legally play older games. It's a fine move as it is, of course, but not something you need a VCS for to enjoy.

 

Anyway, the concepts I like most and probably would give it something relatively unique is to turn it into a mainstream tinkerer/hacker box -- even if that's just from a software standpoint rather than hardware (it's obviously not designed for hardware-modding). There are of course plenty of solutions to do that out there already, but to have a platform that guided that with a recognizable name behind it would be rather interesting. Of course, it's not that, and it's probably way too late to pivot to that even if they had the resources. There's also still the issue of the cost versus other products in that category and then it still doesn't solve the problem of trying to get mainstream interest. None of that would really have the potential to interest larger groups, but then again I suppose that was at least a portion of the unexpected appeal of the Playdate, so you never know.

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24 minutes ago, zzip said:

But why is a PC box bad, but an Android box good?

 

Differentation is good,  but the retro market is an area that virtually everything has been done,  so none of these things are really all that innovative.   Evercade portable doesn't seem so special when you realize you can play all these games on your phone or other portables like DS, Switch or even GBA.    I also how many of us GenXer's who these things are aimed at are now in our 50s and starting to have eyesight issues that make small screens uncomfortable to game on?

 

The Amico may seem to be trying something different but it seems to appeal mostly to old Intellivision fans and not the family demographic they say they are targeting.   Same with how VCS appeals mostly to old Atari fans,  but at least Atari isn't pretending they are targeting anyone else.   

 

RE: "But why is a PC box bad, but an Android box good?". It's not inherently. The difference is the Android box has a proprietary layer on top with mostly unique games and definitely unique controllers, all designed around multiplayer family fun. There's nothing wrong with repackaging the same basic stuff in new ways. The problem is when you repackage the same basic stuff and don't offer anything unique or do so at an untenable price point.

 

The Evercade is a good example. People DO want the ability to buy licensed games even with the option to get everything for free (mostly illegally). Again, even though it's nothing more than an Android-like handheld with a proprietary layer, it takes cartridges that are easy and "fun" to collect. It's not a world beater, but then it doesn't have to be. It has a clearly defined purpose that's unique enough where it offers a compelling, low cost entertainment experience that you can't easily replicate in other ways, especially not legally. We simply can't underestimate the value of having a clearly defined product. Whether an audience responds to that clearly defined product is another story, but we can see with something like the VCS there's been a lot of head-scratching because Atari themselves was never never to accurately present the "why?" of their own product.

 

I'm not sure how much the Intellivision connection helps or helped the Amico, and I doubt it will much at all post release. Certainly it helped initially with the marketing as an angle to actually get noticed, but the connection is loose at best. I feel like they've gotten considerable mileage out of their approach and have pre-sold quite a bit and gotten quite a few retailers interested, which is not an easy feat with all of the other videogame products out there battling for shelf space. Again, we'll have to wait for its actual release before we see if Amico's strategy does in fact appeal to casuals and family gaming enthusiasts - there's a good chance it won't - but it's very hard to argue with the initial results, even with the stumbles in the past year. That's really the only direct comparison I see being valid with the VCS, i.e., on one side you have a clear, mostly well-executed vision that has resulted in quite a few pre-sales, while on the other side you have a muddled, poorly executed vision that has likely already peaked at a fraction of what the other guys have already accomplished even before going live.

 

EDIT: I think it's also fair to point out that neither the Amico people or Atari consider each other competition in any way. Only certain people outside those companies do. There are literally Atari games - and big names at that - on the Amico.

Edited by Bill Loguidice
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4 minutes ago, Bill Loguidice said:

I like it, I just wish they would stop with all the VCS promotional tie-ins already (cheap shot, I know):

 

image.thumb.png.17f11da9a587ab155bd4d5d495c0c53e.png

I feel like they have to tie it in. For all our opinions on it, ditching the VCS now after just launching it this year would be even more disastrous for the brand.

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4 hours ago, toiletunes said:

I'm almost tempted to buy an Ataribox. This thread has provided value and entertainment over the years. To think that djmcdonald demanded all critical threads be locked a week ago, and there's been about a page of text every day since then. I wonder if ha had kept quiet, would there had been so much activity?

 

The only things holding me back from purchase at this point is the price ($50 seems reasonable) the convenience (No in store units nearby because most chains won't carry it) and the fact that I have no need or desire for anything it offers (I play Dark Chambers on a real 7800).

Ha, the RAM alone in the VCS is 30-60 bucks.

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15 hours ago, El Livo Cat said:

Actual marketing…there really hasn’t been any. 
 

Plus millions & millions(so many more than that other guy’s system could even dream about…oh wait…the Hyper-casuals…haha…my bad) of Gen-Xers who don’t even know it exists…yet.

Atari did do a marketing push when they first unveiled the concept.  So much so that it got covered by mainstream gaming sites.    However since actual units have been manufactured, one would think they'd do a push to sell them,  but they've been fairly quiet about it.   Maybe they are supply constrained due to the chip shortage and don't want to do it yet,  or they just aren't planning to produce that many.  IDK.

 

I always said it would make a perfect Christmas present for a GenX dad who has everything and grew up on Atari.

 

15 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

It's already reached its maximum potential of <15,000 units sold.

So how exactly do you arrive at max potential of 15,000?   Why not 20 or 30?   It does seem like a lot of people don't know about it yet and there is room to sell more.   I'm not claiming it's going to sell millions,  but I think it can move more units than it has.

 

14 hours ago, leech said:

Heh, to be fair; the VCS doesn't currently have competition, because you can't actually find new Xbox and Playstation consoles...

Christmas should be interesting.   I wonder how many will sell simply because were are no other consoles on the sheves and parents are desperate to have something under the tree.

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11 minutes ago, zzip said:

Atari did do a marketing push when they first unveiled the concept.  So much so that it got covered by mainstream gaming sites.    However since actual units have been manufactured, one would think they'd do a push to sell them,  but they've been fairly quiet about it.   Maybe they are supply constrained due to the chip shortage and don't want to do it yet,  or they just aren't planning to produce that many.  IDK.

 

I always said it would make a perfect Christmas present for a GenX dad who has everything and grew up on Atari.

 

So how exactly do you arrive at max potential of 15,000?   Why not 20 or 30?   It does seem like a lot of people don't know about it yet and there is room to sell more.   I'm not claiming it's going to sell millions,  but I think it can move more units than it has.

 

Christmas should be interesting.   I wonder how many will sell simply because were are no other consoles on the sheves and parents are desperate to have something under the tree.

I definitely think the needing of more systems in place, ready to hand to customers…is the reason for not pushing more sales at this time. I think very shortly there will be sales discount &/or extra perks(online store voucher(s)…t-shirt voucher…free controller or free extra controller) with purchase. I believe that ATARI sees this as a system for all ATARI fans throughout the world & will be getting it to them is a financially sound way for their benefit & fans benefit as well.  
 

The other guy trying to have a worldwide release from the beginning…???…a “Running Man” before walking business move that could jeopardize Mattel fans’ hope for their 2nd Flasha…I mean that kiddie/hyper(scan) casual gaming system. 
 

Also…sorry if this offends anyone including the super cool. 
 

 

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1 hour ago, stirrell said:

- Make the tools to develop for AtariOS freely available, document them and push the platform as a way to spotlight independent developers who otherwise get lost in the shuffle of bigger stores. Push it as a console for the itch.io developers. Partner with AtariAge to get homebrews available on the store.

They already are freely available,  it uses standard development tools.    The question is what the process is to get something into the Atari store.    I also head rumblings that they may open AtariOS up to use content so we could install our own stuff without going through the store.

 

1 hour ago, stirrell said:

Add emulators for all of Atari's past consoles. Having a way to play 8-bit, ST, Lynx and Jaguar would be great. And third parties with IP for the old systems could sell their wares through the AtariOS store as well. Make it an "Evercade" but the digital alternative. Along with that, make sure there is a way to back up the media so that you truly own it and don't have to have a DRM server to validate against to play your titles.

This is one of the advantages of having a device like the VCS that can easily emulate the computer line and Jag,  unlike most flashback type consoles that only emulate consoles and the most popular ones at that.

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37 minutes ago, Nall3k said:

I feel like they have to tie it in. For all our opinions on it, ditching the VCS now after just launching it this year would be even more disastrous for the brand.

I think that 50th anniversary ad says it all. Very generic and focused on multiplatform support. Atari is a multiplatform company and wants to sell as many games as possible on as many platforms as possible. I just don't get the impression the VCS is a cornerstone of their overall plan, which I why I was predicting the platform basically being dropped at some point in 2022. We'll see, of course.

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32 minutes ago, zzip said:

Atari did do a marketing push when they first unveiled the concept.  So much so that it got covered by mainstream gaming sites.    However since actual units have been manufactured, one would think they'd do a push to sell them,  but they've been fairly quiet about it.   Maybe they are supply constrained due to the chip shortage and don't want to do it yet,  or they just aren't planning to produce that many.  IDK.

 

I always said it would make a perfect Christmas present for a GenX dad who has everything and grew up on Atari.

 

So how exactly do you arrive at max potential of 15,000?   Why not 20 or 30?   It does seem like a lot of people don't know about it yet and there is room to sell more.   I'm not claiming it's going to sell millions,  but I think it can move more units than it has.

 

Christmas should be interesting.   I wonder how many will sell simply because were are no other consoles on the sheves and parents are desperate to have something under the tree.

RE: The initial marketing push... Yes, that indeed happened and is the benefit of the Atari name. That's why I said in the past it would have been interesting for Atari to have slapped their name on one of these good, but otherwise under-the-radar handheld gaming PCs (the Steam Deck being the obvious late exception). At least with something like that, even with a $700 - $1000 price point, it would have been something cool to attach the Atari name to and give the category a much-needed boost. Of course, with the announcement of the Steam Deck, it's too late, but it still would have been an interesting alternative history. My opinion remains that having a recognizable name gets you only so far if your product is lackluster, which is why the VCS has fizzled.

 

RE: "perfect Christmas present"... I just don't see how it's better than a new console from Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo. They offer the same types of games, many more of them, and at a better and/or more consistent quality. It's also less effort to run emulation on the Xbox Series S/X if that's the angle.

 

RE: "arriving at the 15,000 figure," I just don't see how it sells more at its current price point and what else is on the market. Why would someone want the VCS over one of the major consoles that do a better job at playing all kinds of games? If you're a dedicated PC gamer, you'll get a better experience on a gaming PC.

 

RE: "selling more because no other consoles are available," Maybe, but I don't see it because it's not an actual alternative to those other systems. It has very specific use cases that certainly appeal to some people, but is completely wrong for so many others. Availability won't change that. There's no evidence that the units are moving now and I really don't think that's going to change even with the lack of being able to purchase other consoles.

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14 minutes ago, El Livo Cat said:

I definitely think the needing of more systems in place, ready to hand to customers…is the reason for not pushing more sales at this time. I think very shortly there will be sales discount &/or extra perks(online store voucher(s)…t-shirt voucher…free controller or free extra controller) with purchase. I believe that ATARI sees this as a system for all ATARI fans throughout the world & will be getting it to them is a financially sound way for their benefit & fans benefit as well.  
 

The other guy trying to have a worldwide release from the beginning…???…a “Running Man” before walking business move that could jeopardize Mattel fans’ hope for their 2nd Flasha…I mean that kiddie/hyper(scan) casual gaming system. 
 

Also…sorry if this offends anyone including the super cool. 
 

 

Why would they need more systems in place? They aren’t selling all the ones they have. They’ve been in stock at the Microcenter near me since release without selling out. Microcenter even reduced the price. 

 

The fact that, even in the supply shortage, they can’t sell the small number of units they’ve managed to build is worrisome. 

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1 hour ago, Bill Loguidice said:

I've been considering ways that the VCS might do better and gain momentum, but I just don't know what that might be. Certainly a much lower cost, say sub-$200, would do wonders (if arguably not quite be enough), but that's not realistic for a company of that size, particularly in the present worldwide logistical nightmare.

With the logistical nightmare and the higher levels of inflation I think you need to toss out the old notions of reasonable price targets.   They don't hold anymore.   Given how much costs have increased in the PC space,  the VCS cost no longer seems as unreasonable as it did in say 2019.

 

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17 minutes ago, zzip said:

With the logistical nightmare and the higher levels of inflation I think you need to toss out the old notions of reasonable price targets.   They don't hold anymore.   Given how much costs have increased in the PC space,  the VCS cost no longer seems as unreasonable as it did in say 2019.

 

Yeah…it’s like anything…there’s no point in discounting until you have the numbers in place.

 

FYI…The Forbes article talks about a 50th Anniversary VCS-800* Bundle…??? I would link to it…but it doesn’t want to let me & my device at this time??? Anyway…that is as Macho Man Randy Savage would say…

 

SWEET!!!!!!

 

Also…I’ve wanted that Centipede: Recharged t-shirt…so…done + done + done + a couple of Christmas gifts…done.

 

 

*the edit

Edited by El Livo Cat
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3 minutes ago, El Livo Cat said:

Yeah…it’s like anything…there’s no point in discounting until you have the numbers in place.

 

FYI…The Forbes article talks about a 50th Anniversary VCS-800* Bundle…??? I would link to it…but it doesn’t want to let me & my device at this time??? Anyway…that is as Macho Man Randy Savage would say…

 

SWEET!!!!!!

 

Also…I’ve wanted that Centipede: Recharged t-shirt…so…done + done + done + a couple of Christmas gifts…done.

 

 

*the edit

Nice!  I may consider getting a second one.  The VCS is a fun little thing.  Updates have just made it better.

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41 minutes ago, Bill Loguidice said:

I think that 50th anniversary ad says it all. Very generic and focused on multiplatform support. Atari is a multiplatform company and wants to sell as many games as possible on as many platforms as possible. I just don't get the impression the VCS is a cornerstone of their overall plan, which I why I was predicting the platform basically being dropped at some point in 2022. We'll see, of course.

I agree and understand Atari has to release games on every platform for increased revenue. My thought is they are in too deep with the VCS at this point to abandon it, especially on their 50th anniversary. If they do decide to drop it, I'd wager 2023, to avoid bad publicity. But, if the VCS is somewhat profitable, it could just be a niche micro console for a few years.

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