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March 24th, 2018 
Carl Williams 
Anyone that remembers the Coleco Chameleon/RVGS console remembers the fiasco revolving around it. Retro Gaming Magazine was one of the early outlets to point out that there was more to be concerned about with this than was being let on by the “developer”. Over a year later it was revealed that the RVGS, then Coleco Chameleon, was deemed a fraud. So much so that it’s “founder” Mike Kennedy dissolved ownership of his gaming entities to VGBrands, who has sought to reboot both properties – RETRO Magazine and Game Gavel. Mr. Kennedy took a non-working “prototype” of the CC to the New York Toy Fair Trade Show and pawned off a commercial Super Nintendo motherboard inside an Atari Jaguar case mold made from the molds he purchased (currently believed to be in possession of the owner of AtariAge). Recently, Atari seemed to repeat that bit of history by attending the 2018 Game Developers Conference with a non-working “prototype” console.
First, just like the RVGS situation, we are seeing a name change with this, at best, vaporware console from Atari. It is no longer being called the Atari Box, it is now referred to as the Atari VCS. Anyone that has been a long-time gaming fan may remember that VCS was the official name for the Atari 2600 console in the early days. It was later changed to Atari 2600.
Next, Atari plans to take the Atari VCS to crowdfunding for help from fans to launch this thing. Remember, we are still not sure what is under the hood, have not seen it working in any meaningful way, and Atari themselves are not all that sure what the purpose of this “new” Atari VCS is. Just like the situation that Mr. Kennedy attempted to bring to market.
The “goal” of the RVGS/CC was to play games from multiple platforms, not just one, and to be the “complete” console, if you will, for fans. Arguably the last console they would need to purchase. Atari is taking a similar route with their Atari VCS by at least letting potential fans know that under the hood is planned to be an Intel x86 architecture, using Linux, that will allow running original Atari games (not sure which ones they own the rights to anymore) and new Atari games. How the Atari VCS will achieve this is obviously through emulation as the original hardware is not commercially feasible to include in a modern-day unit.
The Atari VCS will use a controller that bears a striking resemblance to the one Microsoft offers Xbox fans. The RVGS/CC used a controller that was remarkably like the Nintendo Pro Controller. Another similarity to point out. The difference with Atari though is that they will apparently be releasing a “retro” style controller that resembles the joystick included in the original Atari 2600 console.
Another similarity that is worthy of pointing out is that the crowdfunding campaign has been delayed. This occurred with the RVGS/CC as well. I am not privy as to why the delay occurred with Atari, but I can see that things are not going well for it so far.
From BestSellerMagazine.com, Despite having its own streamlined interface, game store, media apps (like Netflix and Hulu), and internet browser, Arzt says they are more interested in calling the VCS a computer instead of a console. I asked if it was then closer to a Steam Machine than the NES Mini, and he said “yeah, but I don’t think it’s as ambitious as a Steam [Machine].”
At least Atari has allowed the press to show pics of the back of the Atari VCS and there is no electrical tape in site. That is a plus and already puts it slightly ahead of the RVGS/CC fiasco at the New York Toy Fair.
Finally, Shacknews.com reports, “Every person at Atari and every partner involved with the new platform is just as fanatical about the brand and its heritage as our biggest fans are,” said Michael Arzt, Atari COO of Connected Devices in a press release. “We hope that Atari’s fans appreciate our extreme attention to detail and are as excited about the Atari VCS as we are.”
Just like Mr. Kennedy stated in my interview with him and his “team”.
Um, yeah. This is another “no man’s land” console that doesn’t have a sharp vision other than the fact that fans will be asked to help fund it and everything else will “hopefully” fall into place later.
Lilliputing.com has plenty of pics if you are interested in seeing more of this vaporware.
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I’m doing a giveaway for Vain Dream II on the PC-9801VM and thought it might interest people that love retrogaming https://gleam.io/3Ccf2/win-vain-dream-ii-on-pc9801vm-classic-jrpg-worth-100
Man, the guy who wrote this is one of those glass half empty people. So much whiny b.s. and just to complain, not like anything that was said had merit or anything. Maybe some milk and cookies will cheer you up, you whiny little man.
We value discussion here. If all you have is empty crappy written insults then maybe you need to go back to Kotaku or something.
As far as your “comment”, I see you are drinking the Kool-Aid that Atari is serving, much like so many did with Mr. Kennedy and his attempt at this type of charade. Well done, make sure to turn the bottom up.
You provided no material evidence to back up your claims that “history is repeating itself” so you tend to come off as a glass half full whiney type.
Maybe next time you should do more research. The fact is if Atari does release the Atari VCS this article is a proven falsehood.
You should be careful with what you publish it tends to uplift or diminish your reputation depending on your accuracy.
It is called an editorial. Look it up next time before commenting.
Writing an editorial does not give you license to be dishonest or create a narrative that has no established facts. Certainly you can write and publish whatever you want, but don’t get salty when people call you out on nonsense.
You are upset that something that you are obviously a fan of is not getting praise that you wish it was. You are in the minority on the point of view of the Atari VCS and it is obviously bothering you.
You came here with snarky comments and attitude and that is what you received back. That is how I am. Give attitude, get attitude. It is a tug of war. Show respect and get it in return. Simple.
The editorial position was linked to historical activities at each point. I would love to see Atari pull off this thing and it become a success. Guess what will happen here if it does? I will make sure to point out how well it is doing. I will also be here to bring commentary to the situation if it fails.
Not sure how that is “being salty” but that is the great thing about the Internet – that is your opinion.
This is a god awful article. You can’t just cite a past situation as proof of a current situation just because there are some similarities. It is very lazy journalism and amounts to clickbait. The article you cite from Lilliputing is far less damning than your article.
Where is your evidence that the Atari VCS is a scam or vaporware?
This is a device being crowdfunded and with any crowdfunded project there is an element of buyer beware. The problem is your article is placing all its bets on the fact that the AtariBox got a name change so that must mean this is a scam.
If the mission of this website is to inform people you have failed.
I would address the other portions of your “comment” but your lack of understanding a basic concept such as “history repeating itself” kind of nullifies the rest of your comment.
You call it a “god awful article” yet, here you are, commenting not once, but twice, on it.
Look up the definition of “history repeating itself” and come back and say hello again, I will wait.
Carl,
Do you want to build an audience? Or do you want to be a jerk? It seems to me like the later, but perhaps that is your natural charm shining through.
I am well aware of what “history repeating itself” means. My point was that you can’t simply cite history repeating itself over a name change. So far you haven’t provided any evidence that proves Atari is out to scam people. Changing the name of your hardware doesn’t automatically mean you are scamming people. Being coy about your hardware specs (likely because they are not finalized) does not mean you are scamming people.
If that was the case the Nintendo Wii was a bid scam. It was revealed called the Nintendo Revolution and Nintendo was very shy about revealing specs, it was all very close to the vest.
This is a god awful article and so far the author seems a little thin-skinned. I am commenting in the hopes that next time you try to actually put forth some effort and write something that may be of value to your audience and not depend on conspiracy theory click bait.
Good luck.
This is far more than just pointing out the name change. Course, that is what you have chosen to focus on from the article so that will become the focus of the discussion here in the comments. I am quite familiar with this discussion tactic. People on social media use it to discredit anyone that they don’t agree with, more often than not it is over a typo or misuse of one word from a response that is used to discredit the complete view of the other side.
Since you wish to focus on the name change specifically (though I brought up other points in the article) then you will notice that I never said it will fail BECAUSE they cannot decide on a name for this thing.
Yet, I am sure, you will wish to continue this discussion focusing on the name change.
You are comparing the Atari VCS to the Nintendo Wii like that is a comparable comparison. You seem to forget that Nintendo had several high profile, not to mention profitable, console and hand held launches prior to the Nintendo Wii. They basically had a history of delivering product.
Atari has none of that. Atari has a recent history of crap. The Atari speaker hat. The Gameband. Wanting fans to crowdfund the Nintendo Switch port of Rollercoaster Tycoon. No hardware launches. No new game launches. Nothing new from them. They certainly have a record of licensing their IP’s out to anyone and everyone that has cash though – regardless of quality of the final product.
Yet,I am the conspiracy theorist here. Right.
I am not thin-skinned, just giving you what you have given me. Attitude. Try being respectful in a discussion you are 100% on one side of and see what you get back.
YOU HAVE NO FACTS TO SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM.
SO YOUR ARTICLE IS FALSE CLICK BAIT ‘yo mamma’ I WON’T BE BACK TO THIS ‘rhymes with bitty’ WEBSITE
KINDLY ‘bad word’ OFF YOU ‘commenter has affliction to butts’.
This comment was edited by the owner to remove vulgar language.
Tell us what you really think there, @Darthdiggler.
Nothing says butthurt like using insults and all caps in a response.