atari
Latest
Atari VCS preorders are finally available through Indiegogo
Atari launched an Indiegogo campaign today, allowing fans to finally preorder the revamped VCS console ahead of a supposed 2019 ship date. The company is offering a handful of limited-time bundles that package the two versions of the Atari VCS along with a joystick and/or a modern controller, and Atari has announced partnerships with some independent development studios.
Atari co-founder Ted Dabney dies
The game industry has lost one of its most influential early figures. Ted Dabney, who co-founded Atari along with Nolan Bushnell, has died after deciding against treatment for esophageal cancer. He and Bushnell created Atari's predecessor Syzygy in 1971 and produced Computer Space, the first commercially available arcade game. They then used that experience as the launching pad for Atari and, along with developer Al Alcorn, released the iconic game Pong in 1972.
What we're playing: A new Atari Lynx game in 2018
This week on IRL, we're taking a break from the norm. It's a poorly kept secret that our managing editor, James Trew, has an Atari Lynx fetish. At last count, he owned seven of the things, not to mention every game ever made for them. But while Atari officially abandoned the Lynx way back in the '90s, that hasn't stopped creative types from producing new games for the system. Wyvern Tales is one such game, a labor of love by a solo developer that took eight years to build from scratch. It's the Lynx's first JRPG, and according to James, it's pretty impressive. Let's get weird.
Atari VCS pre-orders start May 30th, but it won't ship until 2019
Nearly a year after it was first revealed, retro gaming enthusiasts will finally be able to order the Atari VCS beginning May 30th via an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign.
Atari shows its non-functional 'VCS' console prototype at GDC 2018
Last June, venerated gaming company Atari announced that it was making a comeback. Specifically, that it would be jumping back into the console market with a retro-style entertainment system it dubbed at the time, the Ataribox. Eleven months later, we can finally see the results of the company's IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign: Say hello to the 2600-inspired Atari VCS.
Atari's retro console has a new name, but remains a tease
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.
Atari will use cryptocurrency to bolster its online gambling business
In its latest bid for relevance, Atari is glomming onto the cryptocurrency craze. The company is hoping to bolster its gambling business in Europe with Atari Token, according to Bloomberg. "Our aim is to take strategic positions with a limited cash risk, in order to best create value with the assets and Atari brand," CEO Frederic Chesnais noted in a release. Like Kodak and, err, Long Island Iced Tea before it, the stock market has responded favorably to the news, pushing Atari share prices up by over 60 percent after the company announced its intent to jump into cryptocurrency. Maybe now the company can afford to tell people what it's going to include in the Ataribox.
GDC retracts award for Atari founder amid online outcry
Yesterday, organizers for the upcoming Game Developers Conference announced the lineup for the 18th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, and topping that list were honors for a trio of men who helped build gaming as we know it: Vlambeer co-founder Rami Ismail (Ambassador Award), Double Fine founder Tim Schafer (Lifetime Achievement), and Atari founder Nolan Bushnell (Pioneer Award). But an outcry followed for the latter, and the hashtag #NotNolan surfaced anecdotes of sexual misconduct and harassment that Bushnell had encouraged in Atari's offices during its heydey in the 70s -- stories that he'd actually given in interviews. A day later, GDC officially retracted its award to Bushnell.
‘Dragster’ record holder stripped of his title after 35 years
Back in 1982, Activision verified the fastest time on its Dragster video game on the Atari 2600. The record belonged to Todd Rogers, with a time of 5.51 seconds. According to Twin Galaxies, the current holders of the applicable video game records, this score was also acknowledged by Guinness World Records. In 2017, however, Twin Galaxies member Dick Moreland officially disputed Rogers' time, citing analysis by Eric Koziel that showed such a time was mathematically impossible. Twin Galaxies has now decided to remove all of Rogers' score and ban him from future participation in any of its competitive leaderboards.
Atari wants your help to make 'RollerCoaster Tycoon' for Switch
How badly do you want a version of RollerCoaster Tycoon for the Nintendo Switch? Bad enough that you'd be willing to claim a direct stake in the game's success? If so, Atari has a sales pitch for you. The company's Game Partners division (tasked with making money from classic franchises) has launched a crowd investment campaign to raise money for a Switch port of the theme park construction title. Pour at least $250 into the project and you get a pro rata (proportionate) share of 50 percent of profits until you recoup 120 percent of your investment, and then a pro rata 25 percent share of profits for the 18 months following the game's worldwide launch. Ideally, you'd actually make money from backing the game's release.
Atari's Speakerhat, a hat with speakers, is now on sale
Yes, Atari's speaker-equipped hats are very much real. At the last possible minute, the game brand has started selling the Speakerhat to the masses. Pay $130 or more ($100 until January 2nd) and you too can get a cap with Bluetooth stereo speakers that put your phone's sound inches in front of your forehead. The standard models include a conventional Fuji Blackout cap as well as blue and black snapbacks, while limited edition hats commemorate Pong (above) and the nod to Atari in Blade Runner 2049.
Ataribox pre-orders start this week, without any game details
Excited for the Ataribox? Well, starting December 14th, you'll be able to lay down $250 - $300 for the retro-modern console. The company emailed the news to fans recently and even teased that there will be a chance for the "earliest supporters" to snag one at a discounted price. No, there still isn't a firm release date for the console (last we heard was "late spring 2018"), or word on its included games. So, you know, proceed at your own risk regardless of how cool those design prototypes might look.
Play Atari's 'Centipede' on a tiny, authentic arcade cabinet
There's something special to playing a vintage arcade cabinet, but it's usually impractical to own one. It's no mean feat to lug a gigantic machine into your home, and you'll probably have to restore it to recapture its glory. Atari and New Wave Toys think they have a better idea. They've partnered on Replicade X Centipede, a 1/6th-scale cabinet replica that lets you play (what else?) Centipede in an authentic-looking system that won't chew up tons of space in your den. The 3.5-inch LCD won't recreate the experience you get with an old-school CRT screen, but everything else is surprisingly close. It's made of metal and wood, the art is sourced directly from Atari's vaults, and you even steer the game using a tiny trackball.
The Ataribox will cost under $300 and ship next spring
Atari has so far kept pretty schtum about its forthcoming Ataribox, but in an email newsletter it's now revealed a few nuggets of information that should tide fans over until the console's Indiegogo launch this fall. As the newly-released pictures show, design-wise you can expect an Atari 2600 influence with a modern twist (and yes, that is real wood). Inside, the console will be powered by an AMD customized processor and run Linux, so you'll be able to tinker with the OS and access games bought from other platforms. You can also do all the usual PC-for-TV things, such as streaming, listening to music and navigating social media.
Atari partners with LGBT Media to make more inclusive games
Atari is making good on its promise to stake part of its strategy on LGBTQ apps. The company has formed a partnership with LGBT Media, the company behind the social app LGBTQutie, to reach more of the community. The deal will see LGBT Media acquire and "re-launch" Atari's city-building game Pridefest by taking advantage of its connections to the LGBTQ community, including an expansion of the title's social side. Ultimately, the two hope to create a "new standard" for gaming in a demographic that they see as underserved.
Atari taps Jeff Minter to resurrect classic coin-op ‘Tempest’
As seen in this 1981 commercial, Tempest was one of Atari's flagship coin-operated arcade games. But unlike Space Command or Centipede, Tempest sent players down geometrically fractal tunnels in an advanced -- and vibrantly psychedelic -- semi-3D adventure. Atari thinks it's high time this title was revived for current consoles, and it's tapped celebrated game designer Jeff Minter to do the job.
Atari introduces the Speakerhat, a hat with speakers
Atari might be best known for classic video gaming, but now the company is debuting a new line of wearables. The first product in the "Atari Connected Life" line is called the Speakerhat, powered by Audiowear.
Ataribox will come in two suitably retro editions
Just over a month since its announcement at E3, Atari is offering a proper look at its first new console in 20-plus years. In an email to fans, the company revealed that the Ataribox will come in two editions, both of which combine a recognizably retro aesthetic with contemporary design flourishes.
Atari is indeed working on a new console, says CEO
When Atari first revealed its Ataribox project at E3 this year, the announcement was met with skepticism as to whether the teaser was even real. The company hadn't made a home game console in more than 20 years and yet it was choosing 2017 to get back in the game? Welp, apparently so, because Atari CEO Fred Chesnais confirmed to GamesBeat on Friday that the company is doing just that.
Atari 2600 fans get the revival console they deserve
If you want to play retro Atari 2600/VCS games, you're not short on options. There's eBay for the original console, of course. You can play some on mobile, buy one of those Flashback all-in-ones or splurge on the ultimate man/woman cave table. But for those who have the original cartridges but don't want to keep an old console on permanent life support or tinker with modifications under the hood, your options aren't so good. Enter the RetroN 77 -- the VCS reimagined for the modern age. Importantly, it plays most if not all of the original game cartridges in glorious 1080p and at a modern aspect ratio, right out of the box.
