The True Source of Atari's Wealth...

[pocketmego]

Durring the BOOm years when Atari was on top of the world, what do you think most contributed to that success? Was it Arcade conversions or Homegrown titles?

 

We all the know the story of how the 2600 kind of limped along at first, until Space Invaders came out and people bought 2600s just to get that particular arcade conversion, but after Space Invaders we saw a great variety of games and unique evolution in quality of titles as programmers figured ouut how unbelievably versatile the VCS truly was.

 

From Activision we even saw a number of titles that were not actually Arcade conversions , but were mimics of such, like Chopper Command and Crackpot.

 

So which do you think was most important in making the 2600 a big hit, Arcade Conversions or Homegrown games?

 

-Ray

[G.Whiz]

We all the know the story of how the 2600 kind of limped along at first, until Space Invaders came out and people bought 2600s just to get that particular arcade conversion, but after Space Invaders we saw a great variety of games and unique evolution in quality of titles as programmers figured ouut how unbelievably versatile the VCS truly was.

 

I'm not sure that I agree that the Atari "limped" along at first. Although the reasons for the explosion probably were different from region to region, I know that from my own experience *everyone* wanted an Atari, but the stumbling block was getting one from the parents. I happened to have an extremely cool dad who bought it the first year it came out -- I think we were both enthralled with the whole mind-blowing idea that you could play video games right on your own TV. We had Odyssey (the first one), so we were familiar with video games in general, but seeing and playing tanks left the Odyssey in the dust, literally.

 

We were definitely first on the block to get an Atari, probably one of the first in the city. As prices came down and pressure from the kids increased, I think that parents finally gave way. And like anything that gets popular (iPod is a good recent example), a fairly "quiet" start in terms of sales gave way to an explosion.

 

Was Space Invaders the reason? I don't think so, but I'm sure there are many who could provide a solid argument to that effect. I think it was simply an incredible system that built market momentum.

 

Ironically, it could have been Intellivision that helped too. The question went from "should we buy an Atari or not?" to "should we buy Atari or Intellivision?" Having a competing system gave legitimacy to the whole phenomenon (which parents at the time probably thought it was, a passing fad, and an expensive one at that) and signalled that this was not a toy that would be played with on Christmas Day and then forgotten.

 

For me, and I think for my friends, it was not about arcade conversions (which were sadly lacking anyway) vs. homebrew, it was just about fun.

 

~G

[Rik]

I think SPACE INVADERS was the SEED that catapulted ATARI sales through the roof,I know thats what made me buy it!!!!!!!!.I used to go over to my fathers best friends house,which was right next door to us,and we used to play literally ,SPACE INVADERS for hours,no ,not with his kids,the father!he was into it more than the kids!!!!!!!!

Edited September 4, 2006 by Rik

[godzillajoe]

The first cart I ever bought was Space Invaders so that was a brilliant move on Atari's part to license that one.

 

There's always at least one game that sells a system

 

For Coleco it was the pack in DK

 

For the NES it was Super Mario and Zelda

 

Space Invaders made the 2600 legit.

 

There were other system out at the time but SI made the 2600 the "must have" system

 

That might be why the 5200 and 7800 "failed"

 

What was the selling point? Another version of Joust or Dig Dug?

[jboypacman]

Space Invaders was the foot in the door that Atari needed.They saw how well it sold and got smart and started to buy up the rights to other hit arcade games as well as start bring out versions of there arcade games too.Thats my thoughts on it anyway.

[Lord Thag]

Space Invaders was not only a smash hit in the arcades, the 2600 version was the first home port. It cashed in on the huge craze at the time, and subsequent arcade ports (like Defender and Asteroids) snowballed the VCS from a niche toy to a cultural icon. Atari was lucky enough to market the system around the time that the arcades went from a curiosity to a national pastime, and the fact that they were smart enough to cash in on that success is the reason we're all posting on 'Atariage' instead of 'Intelliage', 'Fairchildage' or whatever. It's easy to forget nowadays (where consoles reign supreme) just how big of a deal the arcades were back then. It was all about the arcade ports, and Atari's early ports were very well done for the time.

 

Space Invaders and Asteroids on your own TV? Amazing stuff back in the late 70s and early 80s!

[shadow460]

The selling point of the 5200, if there ever was one, was Miner 2049er.

[pocketmego]

So after SI was HUGE. Did people tend to buy more arcade conversions or original titles?

 

-Ray

[shadow460]

I would think so, given the craze over Pac-Man coming home. We all know that didn't turn out quite as expected, but people still bought it quite a few of them enjoyed the change.

[mos6507]

Space Invaders was the big break. That's what convinced me I had to have a 2600. There really was a huge difference in impact between seeing a title like Space Invaders vs. something earlier like Combat or Outlaw.

 

I like some of the early titles but the only early era 2600 _original_ that I think can be considered a true "killer app" would be Adventure.

 

The 2600 was really not able to do truly interesting things until carts switched over to 4K. Only Activision was able to make good looking 2K titles with things like Kaboom.

[pocketmego]

I remember when I was a kid (keep in mind I was maybe 6 or 7), the first game I absolutely HAD to have for my Atari was Donkey Kong jr.

 

I remember having games and enjoying them prior to DKjr, but never did I actively want a game until that one. I think it was that live action commercial with that weird Mario...

 

 

 

-Ray

[supercat]

Space Invaders was not only a smash hit in the arcades, the 2600 version was the first home port.

 

Most of Atari's titles were ports of arcade games. Space Invaders may have been the first port of an arcade game that was fundamentally designed as a single-player game, and which allowed a good person to play indefinitely.

[n8littlefield]

Looking back, there are only really a few games that seemed to be universal purchases, that everybody seemed to own. Obviously Combat was the first, but also I don't remember anyone not owning Donkey Kong, Pacman, Asteroids and Defender. I seemed like you could pretty much count on everyone owning those - so I'd say the arcade ports were likely the cash cows.

[pocketmego]

Looking back, there are only really a few games that seemed to be universal purchases, that everybody seemed to own. Obviously Combat was the first, but also I don't remember anyone not owning Donkey Kong, Pacman, Asteroids and Defender. I seemed like you could pretty much count on everyone owning those - so I'd say the arcade ports were likely the cash cows.

 

This is very true, but at the same time you could count on almost everyone owning Pitfall, River Raid, and Adventure as well.

 

 

Plus, there are many arcade games that I never knew existed before I came here like Defender 2, Pooyan, and both Mr. Do games.

 

-Ray

[n8littlefield]

Ready for this - out of my circle of Atari owners back in the day, I know a couple that had Pitfall and NONE that owned River Raid or Adventure. In fact - until my copy arrives that I just bought from an AAger, I've never played Adventure. I do have River Raid now.

[christianscott27]

Sears

 

 

Getting picked up by the nation's largest retailer meant full market exposure and from there on out it was largely hands on / word of mouth. In the early days Sears or Telegames consoles were huge, not so much in the latter half of the 2600 era. A lot of people checked em out in store or like me saw one at a friends house. At least to my way of thinking there would have been no Atari at home legacy without Sears. Mattel had an easier time since they were already a toy giant with well established retail channels.

 

You really cant oversell the hugeness of Sears in the late 70s retail enviroment, everybody went there and everybody studied that phonebook sized catalog.

[iratanam]

The selling point of the 5200, if there ever was one, was Miner 2049er.

 

Dunno if I would say that or not, M2049er is/was a great game which I was never able to find on cart for the 5200 when I was a kid. But, the reason I bought the 5200 was because at the time (at least at my local JCPenny's) you got the 5200 or a Colecovision. For some reason I just didn't like the Colecovision, so when I sold my 2600 along with almost 200 carts (for which now looking back, I could break my own foot off in my ass for doing) and my mom took me and the $250 I got for it to JC's, I grabbed the 5200 and with her kicking in some $ too, Missile Command, Centipede, and then later when it was available a tracball to play both of them with.

[A.J. Franzman]

Looking back, there are only really a few games that seemed to be universal purchases, that everybody seemed to own. Obviously Combat was the first, but also I don't remember anyone not owning Donkey Kong, Pacman, Asteroids and Defender. I seemed like you could pretty much count on everyone owning those - so I'd say the arcade ports were likely the cash cows.

This is very true, but at the same time you could count on almost everyone owning Pitfall, River Raid, and Adventure as well.

 

 

Plus, there are many arcade games that I never knew existed before I came here like Defender 2, Pooyan, and both Mr. Do games.

I never did have Donkey Kong back in the day, nor do I remember knowing anyone who had it. If anyone did, they didn't play it much. The other 6 games mentioned (through Adventure), my brother or I did own.

Regarding the last four titles, AFAIK there was no Defender 2 in the arcades -- it was called Stargate (and released as such for the 2600 before they gave it a name change). I had seen Stargate, and played Pooyan and Mr. Do! in arcades (not very well, I admit). I'm not sure whether I ever saw Mr. Do!'s Castle there, though a vague feeling makes me want to say that I did.

[pocketmego]

Looking back, there are only really a few games that seemed to be universal purchases, that everybody seemed to own. Obviously Combat was the first, but also I don't remember anyone not owning Donkey Kong, Pacman, Asteroids and Defender. I seemed like you could pretty much count on everyone owning those - so I'd say the arcade ports were likely the cash cows.

This is very true, but at the same time you could count on almost everyone owning Pitfall, River Raid, and Adventure as well.

 

 

Plus, there are many arcade games that I never knew existed before I came here like Defender 2, Pooyan, and both Mr. Do games.

I never did have Donkey Kong back in the day, nor do I remember knowing anyone who had it. If anyone did, they didn't play it much. The other 6 games mentioned (through Adventure), my brother or I did own.

Regarding the last four titles, AFAIK there was no Defender 2 in the arcades -- it was called Stargate (and released as such for the 2600 before they gave it a name change). I had seen Stargate, and played Pooyan and Mr. Do! in arcades (not very well, I admit). I'm not sure whether I ever saw Mr. Do!'s Castle there, though a vague feeling makes me want to say that I did.

 

 

I should correct myself, I meant to say "I never knew they existed as 2600 games". I knew they existed as Arcade games and I certainly recall Stargate.

 

-Ray

[Brian R.]

Durring the BOOm years when Atari was on top of the world, what do you think most contributed to that success? Was it Arcade conversions or Homegrown titles?

 

We all the know the story of how the 2600 kind of limped along at first, until Space Invaders came out and people bought 2600s just to get that particular arcade conversion, but after Space Invaders we saw a great variety of games and unique evolution in quality of titles as programmers figured ouut how unbelievably versatile the VCS truly was.

 

From Activision we even saw a number of titles that were not actually Arcade conversions , but were mimics of such, like Chopper Command and Crackpot.

 

So which do you think was most important in making the 2600 a big hit, Arcade Conversions or Homegrown games?

 

-Ray

 

To start with, it was all about arcade conversions. Born in 1971, I was a kid in the 80s, so I know. It was about being able to play arcade games at home, without needing a parent to drive you to the mall arcade, or needing to beg your parents for quarters.

 

Yes, PacMan is a horrible conversion. But ya know what? Back then, at least in my world, we didn't care. It was all about being able to play PacMan at home, even if it was different. Space Invaders is another good example, as are Ms Pac, Dig Dug and Frogger.

 

It was only later, mainly with Activision's games like Pitfall and River Raid, that we got hooked on games that we hadn't seen in the arcade.