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First look at Atari's new console, "Ataribox"

uncleslappy

nethack is my favorite dark souls clone
I don't think this is meant to be a challenger to current gen consoles. More of a reaction to the NES/SNES Classic. They're just trying to throw in the "modern" angle to see if they can make more money off this in the long run.
 
We were already asked if we thought Android-based microconsoles were worthwhile gaming platforms back in 2013 and the response was a resounding "fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck no!" so I don't get why they'd think this is a good idea now.
So is thing actually a modern video game console? We have heard no rumblings from nvidia/ati. So it seems like its just an android box, but that press release makes it seem likes it is a current console.
Welp. Guess they will at least see an Android box will not work.
It’s PC-based. They already announced that. It’s in no way an Android device.
 

Peltz

Member
Not to you maybe. But if they are able to go for a good performance/price ratio + AAA third party support + one or two good exclusives they could build a good foundation for a new Atari console brand, just like Microsoft did with the original xbox. Nothing that would be able to challenge Sony or Microsoft now, but maybe next gen. Of course it needs to be x64 based for that to happen and that's not very likely.

Man-Laughing-Funny-Gif-Image.gif


To challenge Sony or Microsoft next gen, you're looking (at a minimum) at a $100 million investment. In reality, it may even be 5-20 times that number. And that includes a very lucky attempt at viral marketing that catches on with passionate fans. There's no way you can come close to challenging them with anything less considering the market.

Ouya tried to do it at $10 million. And we saw how far that went. It was completely unrealistic. To compare Atari of 2017 to Microsoft of 2001 is beyond absurd.
 
It is funny how, while Atari 2600 was my first console ever, I have zero nostalgia for Atari products. I just remember thinking the graphics looked rough and the gameplay was repetitive even back then. But this is the only time I saw my parents actually playing some videogames (Tennis and Pinball I think)
 
Love the look of both versions of the 'box. Lazy effort on the name, though. If the standard controller included analogue rotary control ala the classic paddle controllers and a set of modern set of classic (Tempest, Warlords, Breakout, Pong) and new games to go with it, I'd consider purchase. Get a decent trakball in there and provide a new combo of Crystal Castles, Missile Command, and Centipede/Millipede, too! As all of this is unlikely, I don't see the point of this thing beyond novelty retro factor. Wish someone with this brand would figure out how to do something beyond cheap nostalgia cash-ins of late '70s/early '80s A2600 stuff that was both great and modern for once.
 

Futaleufu

Member
The only way they could justify using PC based hardware on this is by including arcade games like San Francisco Rush or California Speed, or by incuding "current" PC games like Test Drive Unlimited 2
 
The only way they could justify using PC based hardware on this is by including arcade games like San Francisco Rush or California Speed, or by incuding "current" PC games like Test Drive Unlimited 2
Or by it just being a regular PC packed with an Atari emulator package. That’s my theory - it might be a Steam Machine, or just a low-powered gaming PC. Not an actual modern-day full fledged gaming console with its own SDK and managed gaming store.

Having said that, I would buy that, because it looks awesome.
 

thelatestmodel

Junior, please.
It is funny how, while Atari 2600 was my first console ever, I have zero nostalgia for Atari products. I just remember thinking the graphics looked rough and the gameplay was repetitive even back then. But this is the only time I saw my parents actually playing some videogames (Tennis and Pinball I think)

Yeah, to be honest this is how I view the majority of the 2600's catalog. The games are so basic and shitty that it's actually more fun to do something other than gaming at that point.

Atari's arcade releases are where it's at.
 

ultrazilla

Member
As someone who grew up gaming on the original Atari 2600, I welcome the return of our Atari overlords! Seriously, welcome back Atari, it's been too long.

Very interested to see what they have under the hood spec wise. I could see a system similar to Nintendo Switch performance and price- $200.
 
Briefly owned an Atari 800xl. Remember playing a lot of River Raid on it and not much else.

Can't see the point in this to be honest unless it is going to have "new" games, even then are they going to be good new games?

At least the case looks good so they can repurpose it like the Jaguar...
 
I hope for retro games they put more than just 2600 games on it. I'd love to play 5200 games with a non-terrible controller, and the 7200 and Jaguar would be cool to see as well.

Though honestly, I don't really expect much from this. The woodgrain is cool though.
 

StereoVsn

Member
That makes it sound doomed in this climate. Atari nostalgia ain't likely to be strong enough to make that happen.
Crowdfunding could be mostly for visibility and marketing. We shall see.

Overall though I think this approach is doomed. Atari doesn't have similar nostalgia feeling ala Nintendo, similar efforts with Steam PCs and various Android consoles have crashed.

I could see Apple or Samsung being able to pull off something to this order with their deep pockets but not Atari.
 

GodofWine

Member
I would love to see this play 2600 games faithfully / well. Showing my kids (6 and 8) the hot garbage I had as a kid would be a lot of fun, and I think they'd play some of the games too...and then they'd go back to their gaming PC's and laugh at my childhood. lol
 
Which games does it play? What good Atari games are there?

Also, what's up with the name?

So... The Phantom?

Holy crap. I completely forgot about that.
I remember some kid telling me it was going to be the best game console ever, and change game content delivery forever.

Eventually I believe I saw it bounce around E3 for a year or so with no interests.



So sounds like whatever this product is.
 

Aeqvitas

Member
I'd be in for Jaguar AvP. Also if it lets you play your PC games and has standard controller support it could be a fun side console.

I don't know if it would survive as a traditional walled garden console, but it could probably do alright as a mini PC that comes with all of atari's library of games. Let it have a wrapper that lets you instal and play all your steam, origin, and blizzard titles. It doesn't take much to be better designed than steams big picture mode. Bite the bullet and run it off windows, linux would only kill it.
 
Not to you maybe. But if they are able to go for a good performance/price ratio + AAA third party support + one or two good exclusives they could build a good foundation for a new Atari console brand, just like Microsoft did with the original xbox. Nothing that would be able to challenge Sony or Microsoft now, but maybe next gen. Of course it needs to be x64 based for that to happen and that's not very likely.

Microsoft spend millions of dollars for marketing. Atari don't have even a fracture of that money available.

Ataribox will most likely share the fate of Ouya or even worse. Most third parties don't even support Nintendo and not even tried to support Ouya & Co, but they surely will support a new Androidbox ;-)

If some big names try to push some new hardware in the console business, like Apple or Amazon, they have a small chance to succeed. But Atari? Never...
 

Trago

Member
Its probably AMD. They annouced late 2016 that they had a new console contract that wasn't any of the current 3 but no other details.

They'll need to hit Nvidia Shield level pricing if anything. Lower-end AMD hardware might do the trick. It's actually funny to think about.
 

SDCowboy

Member
Is anyone else enjoying the resurgence of wood grain on electronics these days? If done right, it looks amazing.
 
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