New Atari Console Coming (Ataribox)?


Yeah, I just got that email myself, and I'm not very impressed. Late spring of 2018, with no true device to show? They'll be lucky to make late spring of 2019 at this point.

Of course I'll reserve judgment until some games are shown(and a decent controller, as Atari has yet to make a controller I have considered usable), and maybe Atari has that nostalgia factor like "N" has, that makes people buy over priced useless items just because. As I stated before, I don't see putting my money up, as Atari should be more than capable of that themselves, especially if the product is worth it. I just see to many companies cash grabbing with these crowd funded campaigns, and in the end, they piss away more than they use properly as there isn't much risk, since it's not their money.

Outside of the ICP2 debacle, I've helped several in the crowd funded arena, and all have delivered. But it's an issue of whats being done, where the project is when funds or asked for, and what the possible outcome could be? As of now, for a rather good period of time, they seem content to keep showing a box, with little else, which for me speaks we want boat loads of cash, and then we'll make the best device we can based on what we can get.

WOW, real wood is being used, is that going to help performance in any way, shape or form? I just see added cost, that serves no legit purpose except playing to past memories. How about talking about some features that truly matter? I guess that's being reserved for the cash drive, so I'll for sure be waiting to see what is shown, and what is offered, as I'm interested to see this in motion if nothing else.

Chris
 
@Jumpman
Jumpman, you are almost being optimistic today. :p

They say this is the actual prototype rather than a render:

https://scontent.fmel5-1.fna.fbcdn....=564edbc344748c1586275337a6911c36&oe=5A401E00

ataribox-3.jpg
 
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Im gonna guess that the controller will just be some standard PC pad with twin sticks and 4 face buttons + LR buttons with a ATARI logo that they could order from someone already making such pads, mayby you even have to put in bluetooth dongle in USB port, if its gonna be wireless. Im not sure what to think about this, it dosnt sound like a proprietary consol but rather a PC in a custom shell with an ATARI background image on the OS? Is people gonna make exclusives for this or will it just be PC games that dont require high specs and can function with joypad? It dosnt sound like a consol to me, it sounds like a PC, you could already get that and put under your TV, I dont know, guess were still waiting to hear exactly what this is?
 
I want to see actual specs! If the specs/price are right I MAY get one for my niece to replace her broken chromebook. I was going to rebuild a computer for her from parts I have from upgrading my computer over the years. I want another name in the console market that will knock Sony and Nintendo off there high horses. Unfortunately I don't see this doing that.
 
that ceo dude kind of looked familiar. turns out that's the guy who also runs the gameband campaign (has some atari branding as well) and made that weird minecraft wearable XD small world :3
 
It dosnt sound like a consol to me, it sounds like a PC, you could already get that and put under your TV, I dont know, guess were still waiting to hear exactly what this is?

It sounds like a PC to me too, and I think that's potentially a good thing. If it's going to be vaguely powerful and come with licensed old games, then it could be worth having. That said, Atari 2600 games are only ever worth playing for 5 minutes max most of the time. Atari arcade games could be more interesting though! Love a bit of proper Centipede, me, as you can probably tell from my current avatar.
 
From the venturebeat articl

"As a Linux-based open system, the Ataribox will also promote freedom for users to run what they want. Users will have free access to the underlying OS to customize as they wish"
 
That's a long interview. Someone want to summarise it for me? I mean I read it but it kind of messed me up. Something about people working at the current Atari Inc. who've been there for 20+ years, despite that incarnation as a subsidiary of the company we used to know as Infogrames being less than 10 years old. And then some stuff about it being closed, but open, but closed. 20 years ago puts it in the Atari Interactive era, probably as a Hasbro property, porting Jag games to PC.
 
@levi

He was saying that some people have been with Atari as it's gone through multiple company hands so to speak.

Basically, as I mentioned on the Atariage forum, they are not planning to compete with the big boys by launching a standard closed console. They know that would be a bad idea. Instead they have gone for the niche part of the market that wants a linux open console. For a small company like Atari - probably a dozen people and a dog (joking), winning that market would be huge for them
 
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