Who is REALLY Behind the Atari 2600+
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- Опубликовано: 16 июн 2024
- You probably heard about the Atari 2600+ that was announced about a week ago. It’s a new console that’s compatible with original 2600 and 7800 games. Really cool that Atari is coming out with a new way to play your original cartridges, but is it really Atari that’s behind this? As in, the original company from the 80’s? Or is there more to the story?
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:09 The New Atari VCS
2:06 Atari 2600+
4:32 Atari Inc
6:34 Atari Corporation
7:52 Atari Games
9:23 Atari Interactive
11:16 Conclusion
11:54 Outtro
Special thanks to the following users from pexels.com for the stock footage:
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Special thanks to streambeats.com for the music used in this video.
#atari #atari2600 #gaming 
Игры
This iteration of Atari is actually the MOST "Atari" we have had in 30 years and even has Nolan's support.
100% Agree! They're treating the brand right. They're hitting the right nostalgia points. As much as the Atari name has been dragged around the ground, and how tiny it is compared to other major players, I think this group is doing an absolutely phenomenal job. For those of us old enough to remember the days of Atari Jaguar, c'mon, they are doing a HELL of a lot better than the days-o-Jack.
True, and if they can encourage new third party developers for the VCS and the 2600+ then we might see some really cool stuff in the future. They need to make a free software developers kit available!
They finally seem to be on the right track!
@@eSh..
Jack did OK. The Atari ST Computer line was pretty damn good for it's time. Yes it wasn't quite up to the Amiga but it was really close. The Amiga had a little bit more development time than the ST.
Still damn good gaming machines.
As proof that they have stopped sucking, I bought Atari Flashback 12 Gold, Atari Gamestation Pro, Atari 2600+ and pre ordered the Atari 400 mini.
Nice take on Atari and you did a good breakdown of the company names. I will say that no company that was around in the late 70's and 80's are being run by the same people. People retire, leave, etc... so to have that expectation doesn't make sense. The current Atari is doing a great job with merch for those that still love the nostalgia of their youth and bringing back classic games in new forms. As for the Atari 2600+, it's the first time we get to run actual 7800 carts. The Retrons don't do that.
If I buy this device, I would buy it for the games. I never played a 7800 game.
Even though I have 2600 games and a Coleco Gemini, I would not want to turn that on all the time so that it would last forever.
I would prefer to have a new machine.
The video started well, but it was clear towards the end that he doesn't get it. Probably too young to understand.
Charging $1000 for reprinted Atari games as a collectors item is friggin wild.
Yeah I cant imagine anyone paying that much for it. I'll buy Pepsi Invaders if I'm willing to spend that much on a game.
@genxgrownup bought them all! :)@@pojr
those items are actually limited edition items for the 50 anniversary of Atari. the other reason why they're pricey is the cartridges are somewhat redesigned & have LED lights that light up the game title on top when using it on an 2600 consoles and there are some people who still have them and some bought from garage sales, ebey and etc. trust me I seen someone unboxed one of those. btw. it 1000 for all 10 of them not a 1000 a piece.
Rich boomer collectors that already likely own the og cartridges are literally the only people buying them
@@chrisstory563ebey?
I had the Atari Flashback 2, which was a real Atari and not emulated. It was pretty good. I don't know why Atari couldn't have done that again but with 7800 hardware.
I always thought that too. The flashback 1 was the only one that had 7800 games on it, even though it was NES on a chip.
Yes, even if they didn't do fpga, could they have done 7800-on-a-chip similar to the 2600-on-a-chip they made for AFB2? Does emulation really save them that much money?
Good question! It could have been done, and I think people would have seen the value in it. I had a plug n play joystick with a Commodore 64 on a chip. It was awesome., and it wasn't expensive. The woman who designed that was named Jeri Ellsworth. They could have hired her.
@@dtester
@@dtesterEmulation lets them use off-the-shelf hardware rather than paying for custom or antique chips.. Emulation probably doesn't save much, but for these companies it's hard to resist even saving a little money.
yeah I really wish they wen full ressurrection mode on this one!
Nice History on Atari.
I am not concerned that the console isn't made by the employees from 1972. What company still has their employees from 1972?
I accept the modern Atari. The company seems to be run by employees who respect and love the original company.
It is now their turn to move the company forward. They seem to be doing a pretty good job so it's their turn to shine now.
I believe using Emulation is a smart move...to keep the price down.
Using the original hardware would have easily doubled the price and then decreased sales.
I am excited to see where the New Atari takes us!!!
@pojr : You make a valid point about Atari not being the company that Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney created on 1972. However, it's still Atari. I believe Atari SA has the right idea by using the Retro Craze to resurrect the iconic name. Atari SA is on the right track. Let's see how far they could take it.
As for the 2600+, I'm looking forward to owning one. As for it being emulation, if this is being promoted as such, then why use cartridges, original and multi? I believe it's being called emulation because of its retro use. Either way, I'm ready for this.
Have you played Atari today?
I'm pretty sure that Tod Frye has said that Pac-Man wasn't rushed at all, and the idea that it was is just people conflating it with E.T.
Still the poor quality does show. I know the 2600 had limitation and all but Ms. Pac-Man released after that does proved that a decent looking port of Pac-Man is possible for the 2600. Either Atari rushed him through development or he turn in the final work incomplete.
@@VOAN The existence of the homebrew 'Pac-Man 4K' title does a pretty good job of showing an ideal version of Pac-Man within the same ROM size limitations.
Frye gives a bunch of explanations for why he programmed Pac-Man the way that he did, but ultimately I'd say that whatever Frye did was the responsibility of Atari management. Pac-Man was going to be their best-selling game and more people were going to experience Atari through that title than any other. There should have been people making sure that it was their best product.
Even if Pac-Man wasn't rushed, the fact that E.T. was just shows how well things were being managed at Atari.
Word is that Atari made Frye program for a 4K cartridge. He wanted 8K, but they seemed it too expensive. Perhaps because of the reaction to the game, future titles would be 8K (as Ms Pac Man was).
That said, programmers have since created much more faithful 4K versions of Pac-Man, but these use programming tricks that were unknown in Frye’s day.
So glad I found this channel! You cover topics other content creators never do and you bring unique information that is a cut above. Good luck with the 10k Pojr! You'll get there
Really appreciate that!
I am looking forward to this with HDMI on my modern TV, but enjoy playing on a CRT with my composite modded 2600 so I wait to the price goes down. I did not know this was coming out, awesome review!
Love the vids. Love the content. Every time I watch you I have a yearning for a deep dish.
My girlfriend pre order for me. A nice gift for Xmas. I'm so excited to play it.
Great content. I had my 2600 vader system hooked up to my 77" lg oled via coax and it looks and plays fine. Not sure if this 2600+ is really needed but it is crazy to think that new 2600 cartridges are being released in 2023.
I don't understand why people would buy emulation when they can get the real thing off eBay. They'll get the real Atari and the originals are still affordable (for now)
Another great, interesting and informative video! On your way to 10k! I used to love the Intellivision II when I was a kid. Atlantis, Tron, Boxing, and Snafu were some favourites. Any chance on a video on that console one day?
Nice job telling the history of Atari in a concise way. Almost to 10K!
Thank you! Trying to get there.
The Retron 77 and the A2600+ have different use cases. The Plus is for Cart Collectors and the 77 is for people who want access to any game of choice without collecting.
The biggest and only question: will the paddles suck? They always do in emulation.
That's been a big problem for me. I have a box of old paddles and none of them work well on my Retron, and the Retron paddle controller (just a dial) blows. A good paddle that works with a good Atari console has become my Holy Grail.
At games : Flashback 11
Atari : hold my 2600+
Great video! Interestingly enough, I still see Atari consoles and games come up for sale in my local Craigslist. I ended up picking up a heavy-sixer and about 30 games from a guy who was cleaning out stuff from his childhood, could not believe my luck! I think playing on an original Atari is still the best way to go!
i thought this was going to be like a deep dive into who designed this for Atari, like what emulator is it using etc... but this is still a good video for people who don't already know Atari history. Good job POJR!
Wonder if this will work with the "Harmony" cartridge
Could you make a video specifically about the Atari Flashback 2 and the Atari Interactive Inc. vs Tommo lawsuit? That's a very interesting story.
Great content man! Keep it up!
The change of hands/assets reminds me of sports teams and how people love a baseball team "name" even thought everyone involved from the foundation up changes on a fairly regular basis.
Awesome video. !!! Fascinating !! What a confusing history !!!
One thing to also noticed is that once Infogrames bought the Atari name from Hasbro and become Atari SA, it seems that acquisition had finally stopped. Most gamers don't want to give Infogrames the benefit of the doubt cause they kept wanting to live in the past and would refuse to accept Infogrames as Atari but the real truth now is that Infogrames is the real Atari. Atari is a videogame company, it needs leaders that respect its name and a company that could continue its foundation into the future without just acquiring and throwing the brand back and forth. The Atari that exist from 1972-2000 are not the real Atari, how could they be when they kept throwing the name from one company to another, heck the founder himself even left Atari in the dusk and never return and then went on to open Chuck E. Cheese instead.
Also realize that once Infogrames acquired the Atari name, good games are finally made, when Infogrames became Atari we got hits like Ikaruga, Dragon ball Z: Legacy of Goku II and Budokai Tenkaichi 3, games like Alone in the Dark: New Nightmare, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, and now the recharge series. Atari fans owe Infogrames a great deal of respect for keeping the Atari name alive to this day and for respecting Atari's culture in the industry. Infogrames is not like Intellivision or Coleco that were revive to scam gamers, they are Atari now, they know gaming and they know how to developed, R&D, and marketing games and that's why they are the real Atari. I don't think I know any company that shows a great deal of respect for the Atari brand than Infogrames.
I enjoy the layout of this video and the explanation of where Atari is at today. I love most of the hardware from the 2600, 8 bit computers, 7800, and Jaguar. Early 2000s when Infograms used Atari as their name was a good time. From that, we got the Atari Anthology, Test Drive and Test Drive Eve Of Destruction. Good to see new people taking the torch to create new excitement.
I knew the original company is long gone but I still respect Atari for what they did in the past. I have the Atari 50 compilation for switch and it’s fun to fire up every once in a while
Yeah some of their products have been great, including Atari 50.
I think the important thing about Atari 50 is that it was developed by Digital Eclipse who seem pretty well respected for the quality of their retro game collections, and definitely seem to be the people to go to for that sort of work.
i have the Atari 7800 with a ton if games. Many Atari 7800 games require the 2 Button controllers (pads came with the console in Europe). I wonder how you can play those games on the new plus console properly with only 1 button and i also wonder why noone brings this up!
I hate how they talk about recreating the Atari 2600 iconic look with 4 switches. Every Atari fan knows the first version had SIX switches. Anyway, i am curious what the quality will be like when it comes out. Your content is great, as always
the atari vcs system isn't an emulation box. there is over 100 games on the store and continues to grow.
Along with they are now getting some exclusives n timed exclusives which is a huge plus and a lot of people myself included are really happy with our purchase
It would help if there was a graphic in the video, showing the tree/timeline of Atari company splits. Thanks for the Atari history.
Hello pojr. I just want to tell you that I love with your videos. But there’s one small thing you can change that will probably not take that much effort, but will be worth it in the end. So you know when you finish talking and the music gets louder. Well I think it should gradually get louder, so that the transition is way smoother. Hope my small advice could help you out.
Very detailed and concise delivery on the history POJR. The channel is growing and it will keep growing. Well deserved.
Thank you so much!
Great Show Enjoyed your Work Keep it up
Love your channel, love your videos, really want to know what region of the United States has decided that Jag Wire is the correct pronunciation of Jaguar tho 😂
I had an original Atari 2600 in the 80s and played it so much. I've had emulators with 2600 games and some of the Flashback consoles. But now, I'm so over the 2600 games. Brilliant and innovative for the time, but done to death. PS. Love the channel :) Awesome work.
Totally agree; I have an Atari 2600 as part of my retro collection. There are still some games that hold up even to this day like Keystone Kapers, Pitfall and HERO but most of them are very simplistic and not something you would lose yourself for hours in like you did back in the day.
one word: homebrew
Man, you're entirely too harsh on Atari. No new VCS games? TONS of new games are out, developed both within Atari and by independent studios and individuals. Is it going to compete with Microsoft or Sony? No. But that was never the point. Also, the AtariAge website just announced it is being aquired by Atari and integrated into the company as their customer-facing support and community forum. Atari may not be the same company that Nolan Bushnell founded, but it is a company that is working to both pull the past into the present and continue to build onward into the future.
Any company that has existed as long as Atari has had at least some sort of mix up so if you're trying to say that the Atari that exists now isn't the same one that's true of most companies
Apple never been the same with Steve gone. Him and Woz are legendary Atari alums.
To be honest, I would've brought the Hyperkin version of the 2600 do to be able to load games via SE card, but it wasn't compatible with 7800 games/cartridges.
The Atari 2600+ do look tempting with compatibility with the 7800, but i haven't heard of a SD slot like the Hyperkin version. I already have an original AV modded 7800 that i can connect to either my Commodore monitor, or a Framemeiser to my flat screen. Also, I have FPGA systems like the CollectorVision Phoenix and Analogue Pocket that can play Atari game. I'm not going to even mention my Steam Deck can play Atari games very well.
I only look at the 2600+ for those who's into Atari collecting, and the ones who don't have the option of playing Atari in HD yet.
As long as it plays most of the old 2600 and 7800 games, who cares whether it's an emulation or the exact same hardware from the 80s? The point of this re-release was to allow older gamers to play their classic games on newer TVs without all the adaptors and workarounds needed to do so.
I *loved* the Atari Lynx. Many games on it were amazing (Roadblasters comes to mind). I also had a lot of fun with the Atari Jaguar. I didn’t much like Atari back in the day (I had an Intellivision console in Atari’s heyday), but something about their 90s systems rubbed me the right way.
I loved my Lynx!!
I had the Lynx. It was awesome! My favorite game for it was Blue Lightening. The only negative was how fast it went through batteries.
@@visitperaiagreece I used rechargeable AAs, so it was never a problem for me. I also had an AC adaptor for home use.
Epyx really designed a futuristic hand held console with the handy that Nintendo didn’t pull off until the snes
I'm a weirdo who loves my Atari VCS ("Ataribox"). Now, granted, I got it on a Black Friday sale for much cheaper, and I wouldn't have paid full price, but for what I paid it's a fun console. The Recharged line of games are great and I play the hell out of them, and there's enough interesting (and inexpensive) stuff in their library that I think it's been a good addition to my retro games collection.
The VCS rocks! Once you get up and running there is a pretty amazing selection of new games and nearly the whole 2600 catalog plus arcade versions.
I still have the original console since i was a child.
Here's something I always wondered about... the split of Atari into the home division (Atari Inc) and arcade division (Atari Games) is pretty well known, and it's the reason that these recent Atari products are limited to the early arcades like Asteroids, Missile Command and other "Atari Inc" games like Scrapyard Dog, Basketbrawl, etc.
And, Atari Lynx was an Atari Inc product... so, how did it get ports of all the Atari Games arcade games like Xybots, STUN Runner, APB, Paperboy, Hydra, Klax, Rampart, Cyberball, Gauntlet, Hard Drivin, Roadblasters. At the time, I thought it made sense because they were Atari - but they were functionally two separate companies, right? Maybe they still had some friendly terms, or maybe it was just easier to license games back then. After all, the system also had Rygar, Qix, Pac-Land, Ms Pac-Man, and two versions of Ninja Gaiden. And some Williams properties like Rampage, Xenophobe, and even the Williams pinballs games Elvira and Police Force. Maybe just a different time.
Anyhow! Thanks again for the interesting video Pojr!
From what I know Pacjr went to Namco and the rest were split between this Atari and the one owned by WB. They are all coming back into the same hands soon. Just like MaBell through ATT buying most of its siblings.
Nolan Bushnell was appointed as a Director of Atari SA in 2010
I love your videos. You were a little repetitive at the beginning of this one, even down to saying "not special" twice. In general emulation is not as good, but that really doesn't apply to 2600 emulation. The system is so basic and simple that emulation is nearly indistinguishable from the original hardware.
I wish Atari would make a Atari computer mini like the c64.
I love the Atari 8-bit computers. 😊
It’s interesting and one of the better new recreations but I can’t really justify it when I currently have no cartridges and other ways to play these games. Very few have aged that well too imo but I do like the idea of purchasing homebrews and playing them on a real console.
So here's my question.... I'm interested in this, but don't actually own any cartridges. Heck I didn't even grow up playing Atari, I'm only 30 and grew up playing the Genesis. I just think the modern release is super cool plus being able to output HDMI. So would the Retron 77 be a better fit for me?
I'm well aware that Atari today isn't the same company it was 40 years ago, but I think all that really matters is what they're doing now. They seem to really be embracing their heritage, offering a lot of cool new products for us older guys. I have a VCS/Ataribox, and I don't regret buying it. I enjoy it for what it is, and they're still releasing new games for it. The 2600+ looks promising, and 7800 compatibility is the selling point for me, but you're right that it only being emulation is disappointing. I enjoy your videos. They're well researched, and well presented. Thank you!
Yeah in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter that Atari isn't Atari as long as the products are still good. I think some people who bought the VCS might have only done so because they thought the company behind it was the same one from the 70s/80s. I do think the 2600+ is still a cool console though, and I can't wait to see what it's like when it's released.
I want it badly!!! but live in Brazil. Let´s see how it goes.
Saying the Retron77 has very limited support for games is flat false. It has way more compatibility than the 2600 + in it's published compatibility list. I have a Retron77 and it's rare to find a game that does not run. Dip switches on a multicart in 2023 is a sick joke that will ruin that cart for casual gamers.
Great video
Since the 5200 carts don’t work on this system why not put out like an adapter that you could plug them into? Just a thought.
I think this will sell well. I personally don't need it as I keep an Atari 7800 hooked up to and old crt TV. I can see where alot of younger gamers might want to give this a shot since its getting harder and harder to find original hardware at affordable prices. Thankfully I started most of my collection in the early 2000's when stuff was cheap.
I mean of the little that I have played of my friends VCS I'm genuinely impressed with Atari, whoever is in charge has not only managed to revive the brand but make a modern Atari console.
Now they're introducing a new console that to play their older games?
Yes sign me up,
I'm all in for preservation regardless who's involved with the current brand.
I think they should A. contract analog to do a fpga based motherboard for this project B. Contract limited run to handle and distribute the reprints of older games keeping the price lower and C. contract retro-bit to design the controllers.
This would be a bit more expensive than what they're probably going to do but it'd be such a better console as a result.
Despite these Pie in the Sky wishes I am optimistically keeping an eye on this, they can pull this off... even if it has to use emulation.
If I still had my childhood 2600 collection I might consider buying this product, I never owned a 7800 or was even aware of its existence during my childhood though it has a few memorable exclusives so it's nice to include 7800 since it was backwards compatible with 2600, overall I like the design and will always have a soft spot in my heart for the 2600 as it was my introduction to video games
The fact that its emulation is special to me. Hopefully this means it would be easy to hack and load it with your own ROMs and maybe even with different systems like Mame. Now imagine playing the arcade rom of Tempest with this system's paddle controler. 😉👍
Nolan Bushnell seems liked a very cool guy. Wonder how Atari would have turned out had he not been replaced by a traditional suit.
Considering how he handled Chuck E. Cheese, I had to say I'm glad he's gone from Atari. He probably would had run it into the ground just like his version of Chuck E. Cheese did.
I’ll wait and see how good the emulation is. I wish they used FPGA hardware, I’d be willing to pay a little extra for it. Maybe Analogue will put one out eventually. Every console I’ve bought from them has blown me away, especially for the price (their products after the NES). Even their packaging is impressive.
They don't even need to use FPGA hardware as the Atari 7800 used a slightly custom variant of the MOS 6502 CPU of which variants are still being made to this very day in the original DIP package design.
I find some irony about the RF cable not looking good on modern TV's when talking about a system where you can literally count each and every pixel on screen :D
cool video keep up...btw i m fine with my atari jr. rca modded console thanks xD
Although modern Atari is basically Atari in name only, they seem to ave been making the most effort to revive the brand than they ever had. They've even been trying to buy back some of the IPs they had sold off previously and even a few third-party IPs that had a strong presence on Atari, like Berzerk which was originally from Stern.
It might be a lot to ask of them currently, but I hope Atari SA will also buy Atari Games' old IPs from WB and even some from Midway since WB has done almost nothing with any of those IPs outside of Mortal Kombat. I'd like to see a new Gauntlet, I'd like to see a new Paperboy, a new Marble Madness, a new Hydro Thunder. But of course they should focus on the original Atari before thinking of Atari Games. Even if WB's just sitting on them, they'd probably still ask for a lot of money.
knocking on the door to 10k
Atari Corp was still Atari. It may have lost the original employees but it retained all the technology, manufacturing, documentation, etc. They were able to keep producing and expanding upon the same hardware as before, like when they released the 130XE which was basically a redesigned and upgraded 800XL. The difference between what happened with that split into two companies in 1984 and what has happened after 1996 when Atari Corp went out of business, is that after Atari Corp was gone, "Atari" was reduced to nothing but IP rights for games and branding.
It's a rockchip-based system. Basically the same thing you'd find in a Chinese emulator handheld.
I can't wait to get my Atari 2600 +
Atari is still a recognizable name.
It never would of been the same people even if the old Atari in original format existed, it's been 50 yrs they would of all retired by now. At least Wade is bringing in the older guys for various things.
You from Upstate New York? Your accent reminds me of home
What is the best selling item in the pojr store??
I m getting the atari 2600+ does come with 10+ game cartridge with this system???
It comes with the cartridge that contains 10 games
@@pojr that's great I own
Atari 2600 6 lite switch
Atari 2600 Jr
Atari 2600 Vader
Atari flashback 50th anniversary gold
Atari flashback X
Atari flashback portable
Atari flashback Nintendo
Atari flashback vol 1 2 3 for Xbox one
Also atari 7800 pro system
12:34 second video, nice!
"Jag-wire?" What a strange way to pronounce that word.
I ordered one of these. The HDMI output will be handy but for secret reasons I still use my original heavy sixer 2600 to record videos.
IMO the 2600-oriented releases from Atari have been a mixed bag over the past couple of years. The cartridge collection for $1K was ridiculous, the VCS was pointless. But clearly someone inside what is now Atari is interested in producing classic-oriented products. The current crop of cartridges from Atari work in a real 2600 and are boxed just as if the original Atari Inc. had never stopped making cartridges - who would have guessed in 2023 we could still buy brand new cartridges? I have to give kudos to whoever is driving these releases, and at least they're willing to take chances even if not everything will be a hit.
Atari in the early 00s did release mutiple DBZ and Godzilla games though
Soo WB interactive acquired Atari Games?
At a certain point it’s like the ship of Theseus. Is Ford Motor company still ford decades after the death of its founder, making vehicles completely alien to the cars they made in his lifetime, often in manufacturing plants far from his original? I guess in that case there was always a continuity in one way or another. I think the fact that this company is taking an interest in keeping the history alive is good (although I’m not fond of their buyout of the fan forum atariage..)
So the Atari 2600+ is produced by Infogrammes now? I feel I've missed something. Nevertheless, thanks for the history lesson - I've been wondering about this for some time!
funny Atari Games went full circle back to their corporate parent from the 80s (Warner Bros.)
I didn't mention this in the video, but you're 100% correct
In Australia it is $189.95.
Pretty much The original Atari became Atari Games, while Jack Tramiel made the computer and console division his own thing and still owned the copyrights to Asteroids, Battlezone, Centipede and the lot. Nolan Bushnell said that selling Atari to Warner Brothers was probably the biggest regret of his life. Also, WMS Renamed Midway Manufacturing to Midway Games & Atari Games was renamed to Midway Games West, basically signalling the death of the original Atari company before MIDWAY went Bankrupt and sold the majority of their assets to Warner Brothers, Atari's previous owners. Even for awhile before that in 1993 to 1996, Atari Games was owned by Time Warner Interactive.
So many great companies basically died when they sold to investors/publishers. A few that come to mind are obviously Atari as you mentioned, Blizzard, and Origin Systems, Inc who made the Ultima Games (when they sold to EA).
Warner Bros never let go of their portion of Atari.
@@metronome8471 Yes they did, they just reacquired it two separate times.
That's the best damn $4 history of Atari I've seen.
He forgot to mention Atari has been on a shopping spree purchasing once owned titles and I won't be surprised if WB sells them the Midway brand and it's library.
I thought the orginal atari compagny had veen split in 3 (not in 2).And I also thought One of atari thirds became namco usa.
I will just keeep my orginal Atari 7800 which is essentially the same thing as it also plays both 2600 and 7800 with no issues!
My wife was an Atari kid, but when we heard about this we both thought it looked cool. At it's price point I had assumed it was FPGA based, but then I learned it was another emulator console. That's a disappointment. Especially when you consider how bad emulation has been in the past. Had they gone with an FPGA console, I think they would not have the incompatibility issues with certain games. And with a cartridge adapter, and additional console core, they could have easily made it 5200 compatible as well which would have made retro super fans REALLY happy.
I think you mean the original company from the 70s. Nevertheless, was Atari Atari when Warner Communications bought them? Was it Atari when Jack Tramiel bought them? When JTS bought them? Etc…
More interesting question: does it matter?
Idk but Atari 2600 games with ESRB ratings reminds me of the NES version of Warios Woods
I always preferred the Intellivision. Until, that is, the Atari 800XL / XE. The best of all the 8-bit computers, imo. I quite liked the Atari ST and the Atari Lynx too.
I think everyone is well aware that the actual ATARI is long gone. I believe the final moments of Atari was in 2003.
For many of us, we will need to wait for actual reviews of the 2600+ before making a decision.
I think that the atari 2600+ is a good idea, and I can understand why they probably decided to go with emulation instead of FPGA because it would make an already niche product more expensive. It's $130 if they had done FPGA it would probably would have ended up at 200 to 300 dollars, making a product that not that many people are going to buy sell to an even smaller market. Basically, FPGA is really expensive to produce and has to be sold at a higher price for the company to actually profit. The atari 2600 isn't as popular as it was probably a decade ago at this point, from what I can tell. The popular retro game consoles has moved on from 2600.
Making a expensive FPGA Nes or snes makes sense profit wise because Nintendo is still a big name today where as atari hasn't been super relevant to gaming since the late 70s and early 80s big difference there.
This is coming from some who really likes owns and enjoys the atari 2600.
The 2600+ also needs A/V component outputs, for those who like to play on a CRT TV like the ol' days.
@brentad2004 That would be nice, but apparently, they are going with hdmi because that's what people expect from video games nowadays, apparently. I find it kind of funny because something with graphics like the 2600 using hdmi seems rather pointless to me. Why do I want to see the squares more clearly? Everything on the 2600 is a bunch of squares, and I don't really need to see them in HD.
Pacman is a game that probably won't work very well on this system because it needs the scan lines of a crt TV to be able to show all of the ghosts on screen at once. I know that Pacman is a bad game, but it's not the only 2600 game that uses that programming trick.
No offense, but: would anyone say that SNK (Neo Geo) is "the same company" (as it was in 1994) by these standards? Sega: same question. No offense.
Even Nintendo isn't and they really have changed for the worse.
That's sad that Atari proper doesn't really exist anymore... I might still get the 2600+ though since I legit don't even know if my 2600 would power in anymore at this point lol.
The history of Atari is sad but the company today respects the brand and is moving it forward. I love that we are getting new IP and hardware, its something I thought would never happen.
Prior to Infogrames buying out Hasbro they were a top tier developer. Worth looking back at the 16/32-bit era and seeing what they were putting out under the Infograme branding.
Since rebranding has Atari it’s been a very sad and pitiful decline. The company now being a mere shadow of its Infograme heyday, trading off a name recognition that belongs in a bygone era and selling nostalgia products popular 50 years ago.
Yeah I didn't talk about their history at all and I wish I did because it's some good information.
Infogrames never bought Hasbro, they just bought the Atari brand from Hasbro. Hasbro was going to sell away the brand to any gaming company that wants to take the brand and Infogrames was the highest bidder. Also I don't think Infogrames were that well known before they became Atari, they were more well known when they are Atari and as Atari they were able to get access to tons of licensing and gaming partnerships such as the Dragon Ball license from Bandai and Toei and Ikaruga from Treasure.
At this point the main things I really know Infogrames for are for wearing the Atari name, and for killing off Humongous Entertainment. It would be cool if someone would do a retrospective on them to know more about them before they got to this point.
@@VOAN No, Infogrames did not buy 'Hasbro' but they did buy 'Hasbro Interactive' which the Atari brand was part of, and Hasbro Interactive was not just the Atari brand.
Infogrames were very well known in the uk @@VOAN
Wade Rosen, Atari CEO since 2021, is the guy behind the 2600+. Of course no one from the original Atari is still around. The company is 50 years old. They've mostly retired from the industry - or worse.
The 2021 Atari VCS is not an emulation machine. It's a mini PC / console hybrid. I have it setup to boot into Atari's OS, Linux or Windows, and play Atari OS and Steam games on it.
"Is this really Atari?"
People have been saying Atari isn't Atari since Nolan sold... ;-)
I'm not worried about whether they are really Atari or not. Just if they don't mess things up really badly...
Which ironically would be pretty Atari.... ;-)
As for the product. I think its priced right and should sell fairly well. I'm not bothered that it is emulation. If it plays the games well enough, I don't think that matters...
It does concern me that I don't see a way of updating it. Which means things that don't work now won't ever work. I think that's a mistake.
Then again, the original Flashback wasn't great. But laid the path for the Flashback 2...
So, I'm probably not buying (I have a 7800 with a CC2 multicart that probably wouldn't work with this), but cautiously optimistic about it and this new version of Atari...
....
And still the Atari Pacman hate... Yes, some people grumbled... But it was the best selling game of it's time and is still the best selling 2600 game ever...
And as someone who played it back in the day, it didn't bother me too much that it wasn't arcade quality. It was still fun. It wasn't until MsPacman was released that I really thought about how it could have been better...
Looking back from today's eyes, yeah. But in reality, it was a successful game that most people liked, flaws and all...
The original Atari probably died when Jay Miner left to design the Amiga.
I MAY get a + ... But a recreation of a 4 switcher? Not a 6 switcher?
I’m legit just surprised they aren’t charging $126.00 for one 2600!