New Atari console?

[Paolo]

I know I made a wrong example with BS since it took so long to develop. I only meant that a good game, developed in a 'reasonable' timespan could be good as well. Now, I understand (and respect) T'Bird's choice of not disclosing any information about BS, but maybe we could have Lars making us understand what's under Eerievale development (economically speaking) so to have a more legitimate talk on this subject, and -who knows- make suggestions or give somehow help.

 

Regards.

[George Gray]

While I would agree that the chances of a 'real' Atari built console is about as real as my chances are of going to the moon anytime soon, I do think a company like Jaaks could step up. They already have nicely marketed several handheld units with classic Atari and Activision games built in. I like these things, even if the rendition of the games is not perfect. However, I'm tired of buying separate units. I think it would be killer of them to put out a single unit with plug in carts (and having it look like ANY of the classic Atari consoles would be cool.) They could sell it dirt cheap-say $30. The carts could sell for ten bucks each. They could have old and new games. They already have the development tools and I seriously doubt it would cost them millions to tool up such a gimmick. Maybe even sell them in different 'skins', each representing a different Atari console.

 

Just a thought...

[LU8]

That would be cool. Jaaks already has products like the handheld Atari 2600 retro game/controller machine listed on Amazon.com so maybe not so much of a stretch to go to an actual console compatible with 2600, 7800 carts existing and planned. A low price could make it a popular gift and with no end in sight to retro gaming it's a solid idea.

[Dragonforce-Europe]

if they made a new atari jaguar, markteting it. The only thing left would be enough developers. If a lot of people here on atariage then would develop games for this console. I dont see why it wouldnt be a little succes.

 

it got the power to kick the psone ass.

 

It only need enough developers and supporters.

[LU8]

I bought one of those Jaaks hand held controllers (even though I have a working 2600 console and a collection of carts from the old days), and would be interested in a new console such as a revised Jaguar. It has the specs to beat up PS One, and won't self destruct like the original Famicom NES machine.

If some company like Jaaks, the French Atari/Infrog etc come to this or other sites offering a new unit that would be great. There are over 5,000 members on this site, I noticed the production run for some of the new released Atari 2600 carts by Atari Age go to 250 units.

As the manufacturer of the rotary Jag controllers from London said it won't be easy, but projects have to start somewhere, and they can lead to bigger things.

[Schnaasfan]

But if the Atari Jaguar CD were to be realeased as a handheld console new games could be produced and then maybe more people than just the Jaguar fan community.

 

Big titles like the new Hyper Street Fighter 2 Anniversary edition could easily be converted. I absolutley belivie that it´s possible having in mind that Capcom let the brazilian company Tectoy convert Street Fighter 2 for the Master system.

[Dragonforce-Europe]

look at teh size of an cd. it would be inpractible.

 

Either

 

a. It would be the same size as a gamecube game

B. it would become little cartridges.

 

or if they were smart. they would release it somethin like teh gp32. on a smc

[Schnaasfan]

I'd go for A. Gamecube-size discs.

[DracIsBack]

I was surprised the Sega Dreamcast didn't take, considering its internet connection capability, although this machine continues in Japan.

 

Once again, folks ... the Sega Dreamcast was hardly a bomb. Ten million consoles sold does not = flop. At best, Atari sold 500K Jaguars, so it's all about perspective.

 

Sega was kind of forced to bow out because they didn't have the financial clout to keep losing money on Dreamcast hardware until the installed base hit a point where software would be profitable. It's a tough market right now. Microsoft has lost $1.8 billion on the XBox so far!

Gone are the days when you break even on hardware and make profits on software. The market is now based upon a "lose major $$$ on consoles and hope that you eventually grow an installed base where you can be profitable on software".

 

Sega was losing money and had gone through a number of bad fiscal years so they couldn't afford to compete. Microsoft is currently losing money, but they have billions to throw away. Nintendo is also struggling, but they have billions as well ... and GameBoy to bolster the set tops.

[Dragonforce-Europe]

sadly yes., The game boy has sold more than 300 millions units.

 

And i am not kidding

[scrummy]

I am sure that their are other lurkers here, with an ear to the wall both in and outside of the new Atari.

 

One thing I heard, maybe others can elaborate or comment on, is a real interest inside the new Atari and this was mentioned prior to the Jakks handhelds was a new console made with the same molds of the original 2600, but using a chrome finish and selling as a retro console with carts containing 15 or so classic games on each one.

[Stone]

With respect to portable Jaguars, as a modification of the original it's not going to end up smaller than a normal Jaguar - if you'd ever taken one apart you'd see how crammed the PCB is, with very little space unused. You could in theory hacksaw one up and then join up the tracks at the edges (if it's not multilayer, which I belive it may well be), but that's still not going to produce anything particularly small.

 

As for a redesigned mainboard, maybe on several physical layers (with multiple boards connected together internally), I don't think you'd get it much smaller than it already is, overall.

 

What could work is a completely rebuilt Jag with a new custom chip replacing Tom, Jerry and the RAM - this could remove the need for so much supporting circuitry and make it possible to end up with something much closer to handheld size. However, this would be an extremely expensive way of doing things, to the extent where only a large company could pull it off. If someone saw a profit in doing it I don't see why it wouldn't work, but considering the low sales volume of the Jag it would be a risk I think few would be prepared to take.

 

Stone

[Gunstar]

With respect to portable Jaguars, as a modification of the original it's not going to end up smaller than a normal Jaguar - if you'd ever taken one apart you'd see how crammed the PCB is, with very little space unused. You could in theory hacksaw one up and then join up the tracks at the edges (if it's not multilayer, which I belive it may well be), but that's still not going to produce anything particularly small.

 

As for a redesigned mainboard, maybe on several physical layers (with multiple boards connected together internally), I don't think you'd get it much smaller than it already is, overall.

 

What could work is a completely rebuilt Jag with a new custom chip replacing Tom, Jerry and the RAM - this could remove the need for so much supporting circuitry and make it possible to end up with something much closer to handheld size. However, this would be an extremely expensive way of doing things, to the extent where only a large company could pull it off. If someone saw a profit in doing it I don't see why it wouldn't work, but considering the low sales volume of the Jag it would be a risk I think few would be prepared to take.

 

Stone

 

Even so, if this were to be done,"they" might as well use the Jaguar II specs as a base for the design of the portable's chips, since it was compatible with the Jag anyway, and only the Jaguar II would hold it's own compared to todays portables ( excepting the GBA, it's probably not much more powerful than the original Jag).

[Fredifredo]

Where Can I buy a JagDuo with DVD player ? :wink:

 

Just for 200$

[Punisher5.0]

But if the Atari Jaguar CD were to be realeased as a handheld console new games could be produced and then maybe more people than just the Jaguar fan community.

 

I've been working on my JPS (Jaguar Portable System) for about a week now. I've been thinking about it for a long time and I've had my Jaguar running off of battery power a year ago but I forgot all about it. I just restarted the project and its off to a very good start. Currently I have most of the electrical stuff done. The biggest problem is going to be making the case. And like Stone said the PCB is pretty big and it can only be hacked down a little bit. I am also pretty sure its multilayered. After I'm finished making the first JPS, I might make a couple more if any one is interested.

 

Note in the last pic everything that is not needed is gone (RF modulator, controller ports, LED, and power connector) to save power, weight, and space. Everything is wired directly to the PCB.

 

Here is a couple of pics of the project:

[Dragonforce-Europe]

heh not bad!

[Gunstar]

Where Can I buy a JagDuo with DVD player ?   :wink:  

 

Just for 200$

 

only case mockups were ever made of the JagDuo, which I *think* was only supposed to be the Jaguar/cd combo in a new case, rather than the next-gen Jaguar II with the new Tom&Jerry chipset and other new custom chips, which is what I was refering too. Which a couple prototypes actaully exist of it.

[TheGrandPubaa]

Depending on how that turns out, I may just order one, Punisher. What price do you think one of your units will go, eh?

[Adrian M]

 

I've been working on my JPS (Jaguar Portable System) for about a week now. I've been thinking about it for a long time and I've had my Jaguar running off of battery power a year ago but I forgot all about it.

 

Pretty interesting.

What kind of battery life are you able to get off of the unoptimized setup (as it exists now)?

If the price is right, I could be interested in one.

[Punisher5.0]

Depending on how that turns out, I may just order one, Punisher. What price do you think one of your units will go, eh?

 

I will sell them at cost. Whatever amount of money I spend on a unit is the price it will cost. And that price will fluctuate depending on what the person wants. I can custom build them. I would say around $200 for a JPS with a good screen (2.5" backlight TFT Active Matrix) and one 1.8 amp hour battery. I will only sell them to people I know who are going to keep them. I really don’t want to see one for sale up on ebay so someone can get a quick buck.

[Punisher5.0]

 

I've been working on my JPS (Jaguar Portable System) for about a week now. I've been thinking about it for a long time and I've had my Jaguar running off of battery power a year ago but I forgot all about it.

 

Pretty interesting.

What kind of battery life are you able to get off of the unoptimized setup (as it exists now)?

If the price is right, I could be interested in one.

 

I've done two battery consumption tests so far. One with a 3.6 amp hour battery and one with a 1.8. With the 3.6 its gets about 4 hours of run time and the 1.8 is about 2 hours. Right now I'm currently getting my power for the screen directly from the Jaguar. I'm no longer using a voltage regulator to supply 5 volts to run the screen. Voltage regulators use up quite a bit of power and they also make a good amount of heat.

 

For the first one I'm going to use dual 1.8 amp hour batteries wired in parallel to get the same amount of run time as the 3.6 but the system will be much more slender. The 3.6 battery is way too fat.

[TheGrandPubaa]

Depending on how that turns out, I may just order one, Punisher. What price do you think one of your units will go, eh?

 

I will sell them at cost. Whatever amount of money I spend on a unit is the price it will cost. And that price will fluctuate depending on what the person wants. I can custom build them. I would say around $200 for a JPS with a good screen (2.5" backlight TFT Active Matrix) and one 1.8 amp hour battery. I will only sell them to people I know who are going to keep them. I really don’t want to see one for sale up on ebay so someone can get a quick buck.

 

Sounds good, Punisher. I just might buy one. Oh, and don't worry about eBay. I mean, I still own my JagCD I got from there, hehe. Besides, the JPS is far too unique a console to just sell.

[Stone]

Are you doing any modifications to the screens on these? Replacing the CCFL tube with a couple of white LEDs can snip power consumption in half on the standard active-matrix-type LCD screens

 

Stone

[Dragonforce-Europe]

if teh size will be big. Why not make it more comfortable to hold? I know it sounds weird. But its better then playing on a "block".

 

And what are we talking about? the atari jaguar WITH jag cd or a portable Atari jaguar with no jagcd support

 

I twould be nice if you could make the jagcd portable. and the luser have to use th gamecube sized discs (the games had to be done on a new cdr tough) it would atleast be smaller just my 2cents

[Punisher5.0]

Are you doing any modifications to the screens on these? Replacing the CCFL tube with a couple of white LEDs can snip power consumption in half on the standard active-matrix-type LCD screens

 

Stone

 

I've been thinking about it. That would definitely help out battery life. Right now the Jaguar and screen are using around an amp together. Which is really pretty decent for the circumstances.