Atari, yes Atari, confirms it's making a new game console

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Atari, yes Atari, confirms it's making a new game console

Your retro gaming icon wants back into the console business.

Twenty four years after the company put out its last home console, Atari announced Friday that it will release a new console for an already crowded mass market.

In an exclusive interview with GameBeats, Atari CEO Fred Chesnais confirmed that the New York company had big plans in the works.

“We’re back in the hardware business,” he said.

The move was teased last week, when Atari launched a site for something called the Atari Box. The site featured a video of a wood-paneled something that could only be the Atari Box.



At this point, little else is known. Chesnais only seems to have told GameBeats that the Atari Box (Or maybe it's Ataribox?) uses PC technology (which, what console doesn't?). He also said they are still finalizing the design and will show it off some time in the future. There is no word on what kind of games would be provided for it or how development would work.

Atari led the market in home console adoption in the late 1970s and largely contributed to the video game industry's collapse with its oversaturation of poor quality titles. The company launched its last console, the sad-fated Jaguar, in 1993. The Jaguar was discontinued in 1995, selling only about 125,000 units — compare that with one of its competitors, the Super Nintendo, which sold almost 50 million.

After Atari filed for bankruptcy protection in 2013, Chesnais bought the company and made it profitable by focusing on mobile games. He told GameBeats that he sees the Ataribox as another step in the company's revival.

Good luck, buddy.

Source: Mashable

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Our objective is to create a new product that stays true to our heritage while appealing to both old and new fans of Atari.

Inspired by classic Atari design elements (such as the iconic use of wood, ribbed lines, and raised back); we are creating a smooth design, with ribs that flow seamlessly all around the body of the product, a front panel that can be either wood or glass, a front facing logo, indicator lights that glow through the material, and an array of new ports (HDMI, 4xUSB, SD). We intend to release two editions: a wood edition, and a black/red edition..

As you can guess, those ports suggest modern internal specs. It also means that while we will be delivering classic gaming content, we will also be delivering current gaming content.

[melancholy]

I mean, it looks okay. But there's still barely any detail about it. I don't see how this will fit into the market.

[Matisfaction]

I'm mildly intrigued...

[Calavera]

Atari is just a name now, it isn't like it has anything to do with the Atari that existed from the 70s-90s. My guess is it will be just some sort of generic machine that could just has easily been labeled as Coleco,Intellivision,Commodore etc..

[ian]

Atari is just a name now.. could just has easily been labeled as Coleco,Intellivision,Commodore etc..

The AtCol ComVision?

I like it..

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Ataribox will be powered by an AMD customized processor, with Radeon Graphics technology. It'll run Linux, with a customized, easy-to-use user interface. This approach means that as well as being a great gaming device, Ataribox is also a full PC experience for the TV, bringing you streaming, applications, social, browsing, music, and more.

There will be tons of classic Atari retro games pre-loaded, & current titles from a range of studios (we'll start talking titles very soon, stay tuned).

We're launching Ataribox on Indiegogo this fall (read: pretty soon). To reiterate why: we want you, the Atari community, to be part of this launch. We want you to have early access, grab special editions (& pricing) and to have you as active partners in the rollout of Ataribox. We want you to be part of the story.

We plan on shipping late Spring 2018, with an expected price range of $249-$299 (depending on specific editions & memory configurations).

[melancholy]

It's nice looking, but I still see no need for it.

[Big Boss Man]

Yea nice retro looking design but any PC could emulate old Atari games. If it had its own OS or a unique interface that could be a selling point. Also someone could get a Pi and put it in an old Atari casing and it does the same job.

[Calavera]

Ataribox is also a full PC experience for the TV, bringing you streaming, applications, social, browsing, music, and more.

Or you could just, ya know just get an HDMI cable and hook your current PC to your TV.

Yea nice retro looking design but any PC could emulate old Atari games. If it had its own OS or a unique interface that could be a selling point. Also someone could get a Pi and put it in an old Atari casing and it does the same job.

Agreed, anymore all of these retro systems are running on basically the same hardware. The only thing different is the case. The price seems pretty high, $250-$300?

Who is this thing marketed at? I would think by now anybody who wanted "a full PC experience for the TV" already has it whether by hooking their PC into the TV or using an android box. I guess I could see some super hardcore Atari fans wanting to buy it. But they won't even use it and will keep it in the box as a collectible. I just don't get it. Maybe it is just me but I find it hard to enjoy old Atari games for much longer than about 5 minutes tops.

[Big Boss Man]

If they put a Pi inside the cartridge of ET the game for Atari that would be fun. I had a PC hooked up to a TV and the PC graphics card went wacky and had all funny colours etc on the screen. It was a XP one with a good card so I guess putting it on a TV was too much for it?.