Atari’s Upcoming Atari VCS (originally named Ataribox)

It could be worse, it could be polio trying to make a comeback.

toalan wrote: ↑ It could be worse, it could be polio trying to make a comeback.

The disease? Wtf?!

Unlike throwbacks. It looks very cool but I know nothing of its specs or ataris mission statement.

A coworker shows me his nintnedo switch and I thought it was cool but then thought modern phones can display similar graphics. Didn't really see a compelling reason to buy a mobile device but it's more of a statement on my age and how I've outgrown the need to have gaming on the go. I rather listen to music when out and about but at home I love to game in high fidelity and all that jazz. If Atari wants to make a comeback and is serious about it rather then just bring out a machine to play their legacy titles, then no thanks.

If they price it at $99, think it will sell like hot cakes purely for nostalgia, much like the new mini NES/SNES

If they give it some absurd price, good luck with at - it will fail miserably.

Atari put so little information that its very much a case of I don't know. There's still no specifications, no demos, nothing. As far as we can see its a box with styling inspired by the 2600, a controller like the 2600's and a copy of a X Box controller. Even at GDC the prototype did nothing. Until we see something, I can't say much since again its a whole lot of nothing right now.

Supercooled wrote: ↑ A coworker shows me his nintnedo switch and I thought it was cool but then thought modern phones can display similar graphics. Didn't really see a compelling reason to buy a mobile device but it's more of a statement on my age and how I've outgrown the need to have gaming on the go. I rather listen to music when out and about but at home I love to game in high fidelity and all that jazz. If Atari wants to make a comeback and is serious about it rather then just bring out a machine to play their legacy titles, then no thanks.

The phones these days are capable of legitimate gaming power, technically they're brilliant. The problem however has always been the games and the really awful controls. I massively dislike gaming on my phone. I loved gaming since I could comprehend how to play, but perhaps I'm showing my age when if given these Android and iOS games...I consider them all trash and would never be a gamer if this was all I was exposed to.

The brilliance of the Switch is console level gaming on the go. No longer is this type of gaming trapped in the confines of home. I'm actually surprised it took off in this day and age with the younger generation where I thought the Android and iOS games already took them over.

bartium wrote: ↑ If they price it at $99, think it will sell like hot cakes purely for nostalgia, much like the new mini NES/SNES

If they give it some absurd price, good luck with at - it will fail miserably.

Nuh-uh on the $99 price point. I've heard on a podcast that is $200-$250. And I think that is USD.

BernardRyder wrote: ↑ Nuh-uh on the $99 price point. I've heard on a podcast that is $200-$250. And I think that is USD.

I believe it’s going to be more similar to a gimped steam machine than it is the nes/snes.

According to some of the information available you’ll be able to play Atari games but also download ‘new indie titles’. What exactly this entails is unknown.

It can also be used as a streaming device but as pretty anything these days has the capabilities to do that I’m not really sure that’s a selling point.

I still have no idea who thought this would be a good idea...

Sejad wrote: ↑ I’m curious about peoples thoughts on the upcoming Atari VCS (originally named Ataribox).

Is this supposed to be like the mini NES/SNES that Nintendo released, but you can also do modern gaming on it?

Pre-orders starting in April:
https://www.cnet.com/news/ataribox-now- ... -gdc-2018/

...but, I don't really care as it is not the Atari of old. Not sure, I'd want it back anyways. Their rep doesn't seem to know more more about their own console than RFD either:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/03/2 ... empty_box/

"What happens if we plug this into our laptop, we ask Mike. I don't know, he says. Will it work? I don't know. If we plug it into a different games machine, will it work? No. So it's custom hardware and software? I don't know about that. Launch date? Can't say. Interface? Can't tell you. Hardware manufacturer? Can't tell you. Games developer partners? We're talking to people. Target market? We can't say."

"... it doesn't sound like Atari has the slightest idea what it's doing."

RIP... don't come back... please.

BuciMaci wrote: ↑ Pre-orders starting in April:
https://www.cnet.com/news/ataribox-now- ... -gdc-2018/

...but, I don't really care as it is not the Atari of old. Not sure, I'd want it back anyways. Their rep doesn't seem to know more more about their own console than RFD either:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/03/2 ... empty_box/

"What happens if we plug this into our laptop, we ask Mike. I don't know, he says. Will it work? I don't know. If we plug it into a different games machine, will it work? No. So it's custom hardware and software? I don't know about that. Launch date? Can't say. Interface? Can't tell you. Hardware manufacturer? Can't tell you. Games developer partners? We're talking to people. Target market? We can't say."

"... it doesn't sound like Atari has the slightest idea what it's doing."

RIP... don't come back... please.

Can they tell us anything lol.

What does VCS stand for? Very Crappy System?

They're definitely building the hype machine with all of this vagueness. I believe I read it will be an AMD based X86 processor, so PC games could be an option.

JeganV wrote: ↑ Atari put so little information that its very much a case of I don't know. There's still no specifications, no demos, nothing. As far as we can see its a box with styling inspired by the 2600, a controller like the 2600's and a copy of a X Box controller. Even at GDC the prototype did nothing. Until we see something, I can't say much since again its a whole lot of nothing right now.


The phones these days are capable of legitimate gaming power, technically they're brilliant. The problem however has always been the games and the really awful controls. I massively dislike gaming on my phone. I loved gaming since I could comprehend how to play, but perhaps I'm showing my age when if given these Android and iOS games...I consider them all trash and would never be a gamer if this was all I was exposed to.

The brilliance of the Switch is console level gaming on the go. No longer is this type of gaming trapped in the confines of home. I'm actually surprised it took off in this day and age with the younger generation where I thought the Android and iOS games already took them over.

I don't think that it is the younger generation driving Switch sales. Seems like it is a much older audience, the majority (42%) of the Nintendo Switch subreddit is 25-34 years old:
https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch ... community/

I do like the look. No ones pulled off wood veneer well since the 70's. The icing would have been a sole aluminum on switch. No button or glowing touchpad button but an actual metal switch. A homage to the ones found on the original.

This looks like atari meets original xbox design. Its kinda what I think xbox 1 should have looked like.

But going amd. Hymm not sure what they are going after. That would be major overkill for old atari games. Thats whole new platform type of specs. This things eclipsed by a wide margin the phone in a box emulator that are the nes classics etc.

Would be cool if it came with say all the old mame like coin-ops with coin-ops menu, similar to found on modded old xbox's but @ 1080p hd resolution. That would sell very well at 300 bucks.

It is weird to make it overkill for just playing atari games, but underkill for pc gaming, and not being a true console with console specific games.

I like the look though. Doubt i'd buy it for 250 but would of considered it for 99. Especially if you could load any atari game so I could make sure all my favourites were on it.

i do like that it looks like the controllers are wireless. Including that in the NES/SNES reissues would of been amazing.

mrtvgame wrote: ↑ What does VCS stand for? Very Crappy System?

Bahaha