I'm still confused about Atari's new video game console, but at least it has a name now: The Atari VCS (short for video computer system.)
It's a retro callback that's so retro the new logo feels like it was designed in the early 80s':
What the Atari VCS will actually do remains a bit more unclear. Passages from the latest press release only leave me more puzzled.
For instance:
Inspired by the iconic silhouette of the original Atari 2600 Video Computer System, the new Atari VCS has already generated considerable excitement within the gaming community. Its skillful blend of modern lines and reverential details, combined with contemporary content technology and new innovation, has evoked positive reactions from Atari fans both new and old. The Atari VCS will of course serve up lots of classic content, but it is so much more than a “retro-box.” It is a completely new Atari connected device designed for today’s living room.
[...]
Industrial design and graphics are essential parts of the brand’s DNA and part of what makes every Atari game an adventure for the player. Today’s Atari design, engineering, software and marketing teams all endeavor to bring similar levels of care and attention to the new VCS. Atari intends its new video computer system to change the way you interact with your TV, just as the original Atari 2600 Video Computer System first did more than 40 years ago.
What does this mean? The system will have classic Atari content but it's more than a retro device and it will 'change the way you interact with your TV." How will it do this? It seems like a very bold promise with very few details to back it up.
Atari also released an image of its prototype controller and joystick controller:
But nothing about this console screams 'innovation' at me. If anything, I'm reminded of all the talk about the Ouya back when it landed on Kickstarter promising to "disrupt" the gaming industry. It didn't quite go down like that.
So what will make Atari's new system stand out other than brand recognition? The system has a custom AMD processor and runs a version of Linux, meaning it will be able to play some PC games as well as retro Atari titles, but that alone isn't enough to really make a splash in the gaming market. It has a retro design that evokes the old Atari 2600 but that's only going to appeal to a niche audience at this point.
I suppose some people will be excited to play those old Atari games, but there's no way this will be as popular or in-demand as Nintendo's mini retro NES Classic Edition and SNES Classic Edition.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Journalists at GDC this week will have a chance to play around with the Atari VCS so expect some reports trickling out soon. (I'm not in attendance this year.) Pre-orders will go live in April and the system itself will come out sometime in 2018 and will likely cost between $250 and $300, though a final price has not been announced as of this writing.
What do you think of the Atari VCS? Will you be getting one? Let me know on Twitter or Facebook.
