Well, this is a thing now

Teased over a month ago, many debated the validity of Ataribox, something that seemed to come out of nowhere. Why would Atari wait this long to try and re-enter the console market, and why now after Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony already have the market cornered? It also doesn’t help that smaller consoles like the On-Live (Remember that? Probably not) and the Ouya both failed to attract casual console buyers outside of their initial niche audience

Well, whether or not its a good deal, it’s happening. This morning, they officially showed off the first look at what’s supposed to be Atari’s big comeback. To be fair, the console actually looks super nice. It’s small, sleek, and very appealing as the design of it harkens back to the classic wooden paneling on the 2600. The system will have multiple ports including HDMI, 4xUSB, and SD. Finally, the console will be able to play classic Atari games, as well as modern games, but not much more was elaborated. What are your thoughts? Check out the picture below and tell us what you think in the comments!

 

Briefly: I didn’t expect this to come out of Gamescom today, but I’m very happy that it did.

Atari has announced a new PC version of RollerCoaster Tycoon entitled RollerCoaster Tycoon World. The game will launch on PC in early 2015, and will also be the series first entry to include cooperative multiplayer.

Details on the game are slim at this time, but Atari CEO Fred Chesnais certainly sounds excited for the project, stating that “Many of the new features in RollerCoaster Tycoon World were not possible a few years ago, but we have taken advantage of technological improvements to offer a wildly fun gaming experience that stays true to the storied franchise.” The game is also micro-transaction free (thankfully), and is said to be a full PC experience.

I lost weeks and weeks of my childhood to RollerCoaster Tycoon, and I sure hope that this game is great so I can do it all over again as an adult. Take a look at the reveal trailer for the game below, and let us know if you’ll be giving this one a shot.

It’s time to pull out the ol’ Atari 2600 in memorium, as it could soon be lights out for the house that PONG built.

 

Both the US and French divisions of the once prominent company have entered bankruptcy protection after main shareholder BlueBay couldn’t find a buyer for the struggling developer. Atari’s company’s current assets are set to be auctioned off before a credit facility is due on March 31st.

 

It’s crazy to think that how far this company has fallen since its inception and insane growth through the 70’s and 80’s. Things turned very sour for them in 1984, when the Atari 2600 cartridge E.T. was released… and was one of the worst things ever. The video game market crashed shortly afterwards, and the company arguable hasn’t had a real hit since.

 

Hopefully things turn around for them, for as tarnished as the company’s reputation and resources may be, it would be sad to see them gone completely. Current CEO Jim Wilson stated that by auctioning off current assets, “we will seek to maximize the proceeds in the best interest of the company and all of its shareholders.” Hopefully the name will live to see another day.

 

In any case, things aren’t sounding good.

 

E.T.1

 

Source: Deadline

This was a lot of fun! While wandering the floor at Comikaze, I discovered an entire Intellivison booth and met original game programmer Keith Robinson, who began creating games for Intellivision back in 1981! This episode is great for old school and new school gamers alike!

Subscribe to the show on iTunes!

Being a Lamborghini fan myself, I can’t deny that I had a Ferrari Testarossa poster taped to my wall in the late ’80s. With Atari’s Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends, I am curious as to my loyalty for Lamborghini and how it holds up today.

With 52 vehicles and a campaign mode that spans the whole history of Ferrari’s legacy, that should be more than an adequate ‘test’ of my loyalty.

 

Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends releases July 3rd, 2012 on PC, Xbox 360 & PS3