At the start of June, Atari released a 21-second video that captured the imagination of gamers in a certain age bracket. The short clip, in which a camera passes closely over an object with wooden side, hinted that the firm was set to produce a new piece of hardware.
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The video wasn't at all conclusive though, giving only a tiny glimpse of an object. Now, Atari's CEO Fred Chesnais has confirmed the rumours and revealed his company is working on its first full games console since the Atari Jaguar was released in 1993.
“We’re back in the hardware business,” Chesnais told GamesBeat at last week's E3 games conference.
The console, the publication reports, will be based on PC technology, meaning there is a good chance that emulators will be able to play some of the brand's original games as well as any potential new offerings.
Despite the confirmation, there's still a lot we don't know about the new offering from Atari. The video from the company was released with a name of 'Ataribox'. A website of the same name only displays the video, an option to sign-up for more news, and three email addresses: one for the media, one for jobs, and one for developers. The website's domain was registered by its creators on May 25.
The only clues about the new console from the video are the wooden panelling, which featured on previous Atari consoles, and the company's logo lighting up at the end of the video. Nothing should be taken for granted though, as Chesnais also said the design isn't finalised yet but when it is more details will be released.
If a new Atari-branded console is released it will mark the firm's first full piece of gaming hardware for more than 20 years. The new device will have a lot to live up to – especially for fans on the old Atari Corporation generation of consoles, including the ST, 7800, Portfolio and Lynx.
The current Atari company is a shadow of the one that released some of gaming's first consoles during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1996 Atari was merged with the technology firm JTS and then rapidly much of its IP was sold to Hasbro Interactive in 1998.
Nowadays Chesnais, who had a previous stint at the company in the early 2000s, owns a large stake in the firm after purchasing it in 2013. He swooped on the firm at the same time it was filing for bankruptcy in 2013 – it has failed to make a profit since 1999.
Atari's current website heavily focuses on its software creations. The company advertises its mobile and online arcade games – with the main selling point being variations on Rollercoaster Tycoon.
However, before the new Atari console has been fully unveiled, a new emulator is letting people play classic games in high definition. The current Atari company has teamed-up with AtGames to procude an Atari Flashback 8 Gold, Atari Flashback 8 Classic Game Console, and a Atari Flashback Portable Game Player. Each system includes a number of Atari 2600 games and will be available in July 2017.
Games included on the consolse, which support 720p HDMI output, include Missle Command, Asteroids and Frogger. The number of games vary on each of the three different consoles.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
