Back in July, Atari made waves by announcing the Ataribox. In an interview with GamesBeat back then, Atari CEO Fred Chesnais confirmed that the company was working on a new console. Details were very scarce at the time; the only information available included photos and Chesnais’ confirmation that Atari was “back in the hardware business.” Some folks were curious, others hopeful. I was neither.
Fast forward to last Monday. Atari general manager Feargal Mac Conuladh announced more details about the Ataribox, putting some theories to rest. He stated that the Ataribox would be Linux-based, running on a custom AMD processor that includes Radeon graphics. A target price range of $250 to $300 was mentioned. Finally, he said that there would be an Indiegogo campaign this fall to crowdfund the Ataribox. Assuming all goes well, the Ataribox will launch sometime in spring 2018.
Mac Conuladh mentioned that upon launch, the console will have a “large back catalog of the publisher’s classic games.” However, the console won’t be limited to just those games. According to Mac Conuladh, the Ataribox will run more modern games as well. The article specifies Minecraft and Terraria as examples of games the console can handle.
Of course, the announcement included new photos of the retro-inspired Ataribox. All of the design cues from the original shots are still present, right down to the wood paneling. As skeptical as I was and still am about the Ataribox, I can’t deny that the console is a looker. That is the one thing about it that attracts me to it and its possibilities.
Of course, once I take a step back, I see all the things I was worried about before. Only now, there’s more to doubt.
Making the Ataribox Linux-based is a smart idea in my opinion. Android, the OS many speculated would reside in the console, is a capable OS. But Linux is more robust. Moreover, I feel more people will be attracted to a Linux-based box. I can already imagine the tons of things adept tinkers will do with this console.
An AMD processor is also a good cost-effective choice. Since the article seems to mention the AMD part including Radeon graphics, I’m thinking it may be similar to AMD’s APUs. Those merge the CPU and GPU onto one die, simplifying construction. Those APUs are not exactly barn-burners graphically, but I’m sure Atari didn’t intend to run AAA PC games at max settings with it. The AMD APUs can be power-efficient as well, which is a plus.
Things start to fall apart for me when I look at its intended purpose. Having the Ataribox to play classic Atari 2600 games is a nice idea. The thing is, many folks who want to already do so. In addition to emulation, people can snap up an original 2600 with a decent library of games for roughly the same price as the Ataribox. Collectors already have consoles of their own. Gamers who prefer an HDMI connection can pick up the Atari Flashback 8 Gold, which releases soon and includes 120 games. The Ataribox will include every game Atari has ever published, which may eclipse the Flashback’s library. But I don’t see people rushing to buy one for the chance to play Codebreaker or Math Grand Prix.
The way I see it, the Ataribox’s most solid selling points are its OS and its flexibility. The console will not only run PC games, but also play music, browse the Web, stream content, and allow other programs to run. Past that, its pitch to nostalgia fall kind of flat.
Then we come to what I feel is the absolute deal breaker for me: the Indiegogo campaign. True, Atari no longer manufactures hardware, so I can see them trying to secure some additional funding to get this off the ground. But Indiegogo? Resorting to a crowdfunding campaign makes me think they’re just looking to minimize their costs in case the console bombs. I can see a start-up like the Dreamcade Replay or the Seedi taking to crowdfunding. But Atari? I’m not comfortable with that.
Worse, the choice of Indiegogo irks me. According to the article, Mac Conuladh defends the choice by saying Indiegogo “will be able to offer stronger international support for crowdfunding.” While that may be the case, I can’t shake the fact that Indiegogo allows people to run crowdfunding campaigns without having a working prototype. That may be my overactive imagination combining with my paranoia. It could be that Indiegogo has a better international reach. But then again, I haven’t seen anything from Atari other than some glamour shots of the console. I haven’t seen a single demo as of this writing. Like I said, maybe I’m just overthinking it.
One thing’s for sure: they’re buying into the crowdfunding mentality. A single sentence from the article cements that thought in my head: “Atari will factor in feedback from fans, particularly on things like content, colors, special editions, early access, and design options.” It could be an honest attempt to listen to fan feedback. Then again, “special editions”, “design options” and “early access” are typical things dangled as stretch goals. We’ll have to see where the Indiegogo campaign goes when it launches.
Obviously, the Ataribox isn’t for me. I still own my old six-switch console, even though my nephew is playing it now at his house. I also have every game I will ever want to play on it, save a couple I haven’t snagged yet. But I recognize that there are many people who are excited about it. If any of you reading this are among the excited, don’t think I’m trying to dissuade you from buying it. In a way, I understand what you see in it. Shit, like I said before, the damn thing is pretty. It’s even supposed to have real wood on the trim! It’d sure look nice on my console shelving, right alongside the NES Classic and SNES Classic I don’t own and don’t plan on buying. The fact that it’s supposed to do much more than just play Pitfall! and Missile Command is a plus. I hope I ended up worrying for nothing and it’s great. I just have my reservations on the console.
