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Atari's retro console has a new name, but remains a tease

Maybe we'll know more in April, maybe not.

Atari's retro Ataribox console has been more sizzle than steak since it was first unveiled last summer, with delays and a distinct lack of game announcements dampening the enthusiasm. And unfortunately, that trend is mostly continuing today. The company has announced that it's rebranding the Ataribox as the Atari VCS in a nod to the 2600's little-used full name and plans to show prototypes of the system, the Classic Joystick and the Modern Controller at the Game Developers Conference this week. However, that's about all it's showing.

There's no mention of a game lineup, and Atari noted that its "objective" is to announce the pre-order date sometime in April. It could be well into the spring before you can even put money down on a VCS, let alone hook one up to your TV. We're still holding out some hope for the VCS, especially since it won't be limited to playing vintage games, but the proof will be in the pudding -- Atari needs to show a working device and playable titles for this to be more than another nostalgia cash-in.

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