D
Atari died. The corpse was put in a suit and pushed out as a live businessman but no-one bought it, so it was buried. Then dug up again to be the CEO of a different company, maggots and all. Then a worm that had been chewing on the corpse of Atari was considered enough Atari to launch a new company, but this worm died. Now they're trying to wave this lifeless worm corpse up as the original Great Atari?! Atari has been dead and pointless for decades, and everything that dragged the name into the limelight has been shit. Someone buying the name and slapping it on a PC means nothing beyond they've managed to hoodwink some dumb-ass venture capitalists.
You're just jealous because you could never find the dot.
looks like a good PC case with a quality woodwork. I don't think they have the financials to embark into a new console business, but maybe it is and it is different and becomes a success, so let's wait and see. More competition is good, plus Xbox for those who have a PC is very tied to the PC, so there is a chance for a 4th console. Another thing is how healthy the console business is
I link the decline of the US influence as a world power to the US's car makers decision to stop putting wood panels on the side of their cars, theres hope though, a lot of recent horror films(*) feature the wood panelled cars, perhaps this will influence the nations psychology again and make america great again!
(*)The Devils Candy (2015),We are Still Here (2015),The conjuring (2013) etc
FWIW, my previous console was an atari 2600, not the most powerful machine
Silent_Buddha
Legend
Knowing absolutely nothing about it, it's hard to speculate. Being based on PC technology doesn't tell us much. A Windows box is based on PC technology. A Linux box would be based on PC technology. The PS4 and XBO are based on PC technology. An Android box could be based on PC technology.
However, there are some interesting ways that this could work. None of this is saying that Atari is actually doing this.
This is the only model I can even remotely see as working where past efforts by numerous console hardware wannabe companies (like Ouya) have failed.
There's a big problem here though. In both cases they lose access to game purchase revenue. Game purchase revenue or the console maker's "game tax" for allowing games to be made for their platform is how console manufacturer's survive. Any meager profits from console hardware (excluding accessories sold separately) don't even cover the day to day operating costs of managing a console hardware business.
This means that their "console" would need to be priced significantly higher in order to have high enough margins to survive on hardware sales alone. That would make the device unattractive as a "console" although it wouldn't affect it if it was advertised as a gaming PC. But just being another gaming PC is pretty generic.
Perhaps they could strike a deal with MS or Valve to receive a portion of the sales revenue. Similar to games sold through Amazon or other stores. They get revenue from selling Steam digital games as well as console games. But that just makes them another game retailer, albeit with a "console" attached.
I dunno. I've been using this as just a thought exercise (to keep my mind limber as I get older), but it's difficult to think of scenarios where an Atari console would work and have even a remote chance of succeeding. And even after all this, I still don't fancy this as something that would work unless they commit to being a PC gaming hardware OEM even if they called it a "console."
Regards,
SB
However, there are some interesting ways that this could work. None of this is saying that Atari is actually doing this.
- As a Steam Box. Steam Big Picture mode is actually really good in the living room. The problem was that Valve pushed Linux too hard. The Linux gaming library is relatively pathetic. Atari would have to go with Windows if they wanted to be taken seriously.
- While Windows pricing can be a barrier, there are conditions that allow system integrators to install Windows for end users for free. This started for Windows 8.1 but continues with Windows 10. Many Chinese PC manufacturer's take advantage of this when offering sub 200 USD PCs. There are caveats, however. The system can't have more than 4 GB of memory (but can be user upgradable) and the system must include 32 or 64 GB of embedded storage (like eMMC). There's other requirements, but I can't remember them. I believe Intel and other OEMs also use this for their thumbdrive PCs. This was a program Microsoft started to drive the adoption of low priced Windows Tablets. HP, for example, used this for their 99 USD Windows Tablet.
- As a Windows Store box. Currently this is less polished with a horrible living room UI. But the future potential is if Microsoft moves to a fully integrated gaming ecosystem where all Xbox titles also exist in the Windows store then this sort of becomes an Xbox clone.
- Some caveats. It'll end up either being less powerful but similarly priced or more expensive. And it's going to have the full fat Windows OS overhead and Windows APIs compared to the slimmed down Xbox console version using the Windows Kernel and purpose built console APIs. So even with roughly equivalent hardware, it would perform worse. IE - it'd have to have better spec'd hardware (CPU and GPU for instance) in order to achieve similar performance which in turn means it'd be priced higher.
- That said, if this hypothetical Atari Windows Console lagged official Xbox hardware console releases by a year or two, they could likely come close to matching in game performance at similar prices to the Xbox using PC hardware combined with OEM bulk hardware pricing (IE cheaper than we as consumers could get it for).
- Alternatively, they could go cheap with lower IQ settings as console games in the Windows PC Store can scale down in hardware requirements quite significantly.
This is the only model I can even remotely see as working where past efforts by numerous console hardware wannabe companies (like Ouya) have failed.
There's a big problem here though. In both cases they lose access to game purchase revenue. Game purchase revenue or the console maker's "game tax" for allowing games to be made for their platform is how console manufacturer's survive. Any meager profits from console hardware (excluding accessories sold separately) don't even cover the day to day operating costs of managing a console hardware business.
This means that their "console" would need to be priced significantly higher in order to have high enough margins to survive on hardware sales alone. That would make the device unattractive as a "console" although it wouldn't affect it if it was advertised as a gaming PC. But just being another gaming PC is pretty generic.
Perhaps they could strike a deal with MS or Valve to receive a portion of the sales revenue. Similar to games sold through Amazon or other stores. They get revenue from selling Steam digital games as well as console games. But that just makes them another game retailer, albeit with a "console" attached.
I dunno. I've been using this as just a thought exercise (to keep my mind limber as I get older), but it's difficult to think of scenarios where an Atari console would work and have even a remote chance of succeeding. And even after all this, I still don't fancy this as something that would work unless they commit to being a PC gaming hardware OEM even if they called it a "console."
Regards,
SB
Yep a new console.
www.ataribox.com
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...ardware-business-with-mysterious-new-ataribox
Wood grain? Now we're talking!
Tommy McClain
www.ataribox.com
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...ardware-business-with-mysterious-new-ataribox
Wood grain? Now we're talking!
Tommy McClain
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But why
Actually it's not Classic NES envy or anything like, by the looks of it.
It's been now confirmed to sport custom AMD APU (probably semicustom?) and cost between $200-300. Full blown Linux with custom "designed for TV" GUI, should work with any PC game that runs on Linux, Steam included. And then have the Atari classics on top of that. Performance "enough for midrange, not latest AAA titles"
Now the question is, what kinda APU is it sporting?
Cat+GCNx?
Dozer+GCNx?
Raven Ridge variant?
It's been now confirmed to sport custom AMD APU (probably semicustom?) and cost between $200-300. Full blown Linux with custom "designed for TV" GUI, should work with any PC game that runs on Linux, Steam included. And then have the Atari classics on top of that. Performance "enough for midrange, not latest AAA titles"
Now the question is, what kinda APU is it sporting?
Cat+GCNx?
Dozer+GCNx?
Raven Ridge variant?
Actually doesn't look like it.
(Semi-?)Custom AMD APU
Full Linux with custom GUI
Compatible with any PC game that runs on Linux (Steam included) + Atari classic games
Supports streaming, browsing and the other usual suspects
$200-300 price
https://www.ataribox.com/
https://venturebeat.com/2017/09/25/ataribox-runs-linux-on-amd-chip-and-will-cost-at-least-249/
Yeah, it's definitely something else. At that price I don't think I'm interested though. Will keep up with it still. May change my mind once more details are available.
Tommy McClain
D
Deleted member 13524
Guest
Looks like a Raven Ridge machine, meaning it could get ~XBone performance at a very decent price. If it's Linux + x86, I could see it supporting a windows installation.
But for emulators and Steam Linux games, the hardware is great as it is.
Would have.
But for emulators and Steam Linux games, the hardware is great as it is.
Would have.
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Woulda.