Tag: Ataribox

Old Tommy Interview Ages Poorly (And It's Not JDF!)

Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/interviews/intellivision-amico/

Came across this old interview that Tommy Tallarico did when he was still the head of Intellivision. Naturally, he was talking about the Amico and bringing up points about family and such. One thing I noticed he did was slag on Stadia and Atari. With Stadia, he brought up that Google had a multi-million dollar campaign that failed to get people interested in Stadia… of course, it should be mentioned that Stadia was a largely worthless piece of shit, but we’ll let that slide.
He also brought Atari’s various attempts to bring Ataribox to life, calling out their stumbling efforts at crowdfunding and pointing out that Amico has more pre-orders than Ataribox. I’ll admit that Ataribox got off to a rough start and we all mocked the thing as it kept getting delayed and news about people leaving the project got out. But here’s the thing; Ataribox did eventually make its way into the hands of those who ordered the thing. It may not be the new hot thing on store shelves, but there are videos of people actually in possession of the machine and have showcased the machine to be fully functional PC boxes.
Amico, on the other hand? All that’s come out is an unboxing video to show that it exists and talks that it might not even see the light of day because Intellivision doesn’t have any money and could be on the verge of bankruptcy. It seems almost humorous that years ago, everyone thought Atari was the big joke and Amico was going to be the more likely to materialize.
Not trying to rail on Tommy or anything; I just find it funny that he would bring up shit about Atari and Stadia and yet both products are out on the market while Amico’s future is uncertain. Hopefully, things turn around for them and they’ll get Amico out sooner or later.

Ataribox Delayed Again… This Time Due To Coronavirus

Source: https://us.blastingnews.com/gaming/2020/02/atari-vcs-console-delayed-yet-again-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak-003063581.html

Anyone remember Ataribox? Of course, you don’t, but here’s the latest update for those who care.

IndieGoGo backers who contributed close to three million dollars to the Ataribox crowdfunding campaign and hoping to receive their brand spanking new systems next month after several delays… will have to wait a little longer since the release has been delayed again. This time due to the recent Coronavirus outbreak that has claimed over 1000 lives to date and it’ll be a while before the production plants will resume operations.

This is not the sort of thing you’d like to make a joke around; clearly, this latest delay in a series of them is out of the hands of Atari. It’s nature at work in this regard. But if the Coronavirus is a legit reason for the delay and not just a cover story for a delay that was going to happen anywhere – because I’m sure some folks will feel that – but I will give Atari the benefit of the doubt and assume the delay is nature’s fault.

So, hopefully, once everything is settled, Atari can get to release the console that they sold to people… and hopefully not delay the thing again because they need to defer money to their hotel business.

Think I’m joking? Boom.
https://hoteltechnologynews.com/2020/02/in-launching-its-first-hotels-featuring-immersive-virtual-reality-experiences-atari-isnt-playing-games/

An UK Publication Reminds You That Ataribox Is A Thing

Source: https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/gaming/1074577/PS4-Xbox-One-Nintendo-Switch-new-console-Atari-VCS

I’m confounded by the lack of news regarding Ataribox. Isn’t it supposed to be out a few months?

Speaking of Atari, I’ve played my Atari 7800 for the first time in a long while. First game I fired up was Enduro. Good times.

And yes, there will be Atari reviews… they need love, too.

From The Archives – Ataribox Ramble Script… Or Some Of It.

Note: The following is a partial write-up for a DTM Rambles that I was going to do on the Ataribox campaign. For some reason, that video never came to be and everything has been quiet on the Ataribox front, so I figure… “Fuck it. Just put what I have up here and be done with it.”

Maybe if something comes of this Ataribox project that’s worth talking about, I might revisit it. For now, I offer a sample of what could’ve been… or never was… or something.

Continue reading “From The Archives – Ataribox Ramble Script… Or Some Of It.”

Gameband Officially Cancelled…

Pretend that Steve Austin is the Gameband people and that Vinny Mac is the suckers who gave them money.

Source: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Atari-Gameband-officially-cancelled-Kickstarter-backers-may-not-receive-refund.366656.0.html

More source: https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/gameband-killed-off-1203030711/?fbclid=IwAR32FzSZcbDNH8Cr3_HjmD5SaWuaJcsJNEzVYt-zwnmzhc_gUzEjboOF3I8

So, once upon a time, there was a thing called Atari Gameband that was kickstarted because people are stupid. A gaming watch? Sure, I’ll go with that. Somewhere along the way, Gameband lost its Atari branding because even the clueless putz running today’s shell of the former company had the sense to get away from that nonsense and focus on their Linux machine disguised as a video game system. Now Gameband is officially cancelled and all those suckers who donated money might not even get a refund.

You poor, deluded fools.

All failed mocking aside, I feel bad for the folks who donated money to this thing… well, almost. And it only serves to reinforce why I have a hard time putting my faith (and dollars) into these crowdfunding bits unless the people holding it have something of a track record behind them. I’ve contributed to a couple of these things and can say that I’m satisfied with what I’ve got… but only because they’ve delivered goods in the past and proven trustworthy as a result.

Atari started a Kickstarter for their gamewatch thing and then bailed on the people making it. And despite their so-called runaway success with Ataribox’s campaign, nigh a word was mentioned since then beyond a couple signings here and there. And then there was attempt to get investors to send them money so they can release a mobile version of Roller Coaster Tycoon onto Switch despite the mobile versions being reviewed poorly. Not quite a track record worthy of forking over money.

A shame, really. That would’ve been a neat gimmick for people to presumably mock and not actually buy.

Ataribox Nearing $3 Million… For The Realz, Yo.

So despite the fact that the Indiegogo campaign has since terminated, funds are still being counted and raised over at the IndieGoGo page itself. And from the looks of things, Ataribox may very well break the three million dollar mark before the end of this week… so it took them FIVE WEEKS to get to THREE MILLION…

Goodness gracious, I need a stiff drink or twenty… but then again, I’ll settle for really strong coffee so that I can stay up late tonight and whip up a couple audio tracks and eventually, I’ll put together a quick script to read off of regarding Ataribox that will assemble my thoughts on this thing in a more concise manner… allegedly.
In any event, this was a thing that took place. Now whether it becomes a thing that happens is another story, but like a bad sportz-entertainment angle, we may have to just let it play out and see where it goes.

Final Ataribox After-Action Report

The numbers seen here was taken from the main Atari VCS Indiegogo page at the time and date specified. There will be occasional dips here and there, but beyond that, it has been a steady stream upwards. Just not quite the rocket launch that we got to that first day.

And for comparison’s sake…

High Score: OUYA – $8,596,474

Also, Atari did a Gameband watch thing that made $325,996. Don’t know what became of that, but…  anyway, here are my recorded numbers.

June 02 09:50 a.m. EST: $2,327,376
June 02 04:14 p.m. EST: $2,327,376
June 02 05:25 p.m. EST: $2,367,076
June 03 11:07 a.m. EST: $2,410,371
June 03 06:45 p.m. EST: $2,445,373
June 04 12:33 a.m. EST: $2,461,554
June 07 10:01 a.m. EST: $2,764,620
June 10 09:50 a.m. EST: $2,793,207
June 10 11:05 a.m. EST: $2,793,441
June 11 01:58 a.m. EST: $2,825,498
June 11 02:24 p.m. EST: $2,853,309
June 12 04:03 p.m. EST: $2,872,070
June 12 11:00 p.m. EST: $2,872,395
June 13 02:24 a.m. EST: $2,873,319
June 13 02:48 p.m. EST: $2,870,176
June 13 05:52 p.m. EST: $2,870,879
June 13 06:59 p.m. EST: $2,871,019
June 13 07:34 p.m. EST: $2,872,044
June 13 11:13 p.m. EST: $2,874,743
June 14 10:30 a.m. EST: $2,878,083
June 14 03:10 p.m. EST: $2,877,258
June 14 04:24 p.m. EST: $2,876,879
June 14 05:12 p.m. EST: $2,876,209
June 15 10:41 a.m. EST: $2,882,255
June 18 01:00 p.m. EST: $2,907,984
June 18 07:11 P.M. EST: $2,909,306
June 18 11:55 p.m. EST: $2,910,203
June 19 02:05 A.M. EST: $2,910,824
June 19 09:46 A.M. EST: $2,913,530
June 19 04:02 p.m. EST: $2,913,354
June 19 05:23 P.M. EST: $2,913,419
June 20 03:49 P.M. EST: $2,915,785
June 21 03:49 P.M. EST: $2,920,730
June 21 11:05 P.M. EST: $2,922,310
June 22 03:49 P.M. EST: $2,920,280
June 22 05:09 P.M. EST: $2,920,019
June 22 05:28 P.M. EST: $2,920,342
June 22 05:40 P.M. EST: $2,920,484
June 22 11:18 P.M. EST: $2,922,311
June 23 12:43 A.M. EST: $2,922,414
June 23 02:00 A.M. EST: $2,922,479
June 23 10:20 A.M. EST: $2,921,744
June 23 02:08 P.M. EST: $2,919,299
June 23 08:48 P.M. EST: $2,917,746
June 23 10:42 P.M. EST: $2,917,812
June 24 01:43 A.M. EST: $2,917,669
June 24 11:30 A.M. EST: $2,917,584
June 24 01:00 P.M. EST: $2,919,329
June 24 06:00 P.M. EST: $2,918,512
June 24 07:21 P.M. EST: $2,917,800
June 24 08:08 P.M. EST: $2,917,517
June 25 10:26 A.M. EST: $2,916,511
June 25 03:05 P.M. EST: $2,914,154
June 25 06:55 P.M. EST: $2,912,723
June 25 10:26 P.M. EST: $2,911,510
June 26 01:38 A.M. EST: $2,911,021
June 26 02:32 A.M. EST: $2,910,657
June 26 02:10 P.M. EST: $2,910,729
June 26 10:56 P.M. EST: $2,910,579
June 27 02:55 A.M. EST: $2,909,759
June 27 11:57 A.M. EST: $2,908,507
June 27 04:27 P.M. EST: $2,910,906
June 27 06:22 P.M. EST: $2,913,132
June 27 11:07 P.M. EST: $2,918,127
June 28 10:30 A.M. EST: $2,929,472
June 28 02:42 P.M. EST: $2,932,384
June 29 03:00 A.M. EST: $2,938,200
June 29 01:05 P.M. EST: $2,947,026
June 30 03:35 P.M. EST: $2,983,066

So they didn’t break three million, proving me wrong on numerous occasions where I thought this campaign would break three millions. On top of that, Atari proved people who thought this was going to be another Ouya wrong, since the Ouya made a lot more money with a lot less name recognition. Still, congratulations to Atari for getting the money. Let’s hope they’re able to shit out a system in time for next year.

The Atari Vault House Show will be up later on, but first Mega Man Maker stuff.

ReviewTechUSA Interviews El Reg Reporter Who Killed Ataribox (Not Really)

Courtesy of Rich of ReviewTechUSA, an interview with the man, the myth, the legend that is The Register’s own Kieren McCarthy, the so-called vulture who interviewed the Atari people about the Ataribox, wrote a hilarious yet brutally honest article about the lack of information regarding the product that Atari eventually claimed was a troll tactic, which prompted El Reg to release the full audio interview to the Interwebs, which has caused a significant stall in the Ataribox campaign.

On June 23, at 2 a.m., the campaign had reached $2,922,479, which was probably the highest it had reached up to this point. Roughly four days later at this very moment, it went down to $2,909,555. There’s always a possibility that the campaign will break three million – a lot can happen in three days, after all – and despite this mishap, the project has already made its money, so they should be ready to go.

But after hearing about Atari’s other failed ventures and abandoned concepts, I’m even more skeptical than before as to whether they can or even will pull this off. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Ataribox After-Action Report: The Weekend Plundge

June 23 12:43 A.M. EST: $2,922,414
June 23 02:00 A.M. EST: $2,922,479
June 23 10:20 A.M. EST: $2,921,744
June 23 02:08 P.M. EST: $2,919,299
June 23 08:48 P.M. EST: $2,917,746
June 23 10:42 P.M. EST: $2,917,812
June 24 01:43 A.M. EST: $2,917,669
June 24 11:30 A.M. EST: $2,917,584
June 24 01:00 P.M. EST: $2,919,329
June 24 06:00 P.M. EST: $2,918,512
June 24 07:21 P.M. EST: $2,917,800
June 24 08:08 P.M. EST: $2,917,517
June 25 10:26 A.M. EST: $2,916,511
June 25 03:05 P.M. EST: $2,914,154
June 25 06:55 P.M. EST: $2,912,723
June 25 10:26 P.M. EST: $2,911,510
June 26 01:38 A.M. EST: $2,911,021
June 26 02:32 A.M. EST: $2,910,657
The Ataribox campaign hit a bit of a snag after the whole register debacle and actually saw a considerable drop over the weekend… and this during a time when I thought this would be the weekend where it finally breaks that three million mark.
Unless there is some miracle last-minute burst of investors jumping in on the final day of the campaign, I think it’s safe to say that this thing won’t be making Ouya numbers anytime soon. In any event, all that’s left to do is wait and see if we actually have a new Ataribox next year in retail stores.