Atari VCS in TROUBLE as Lead Engineer Quits

Update on the Atari VCS as the lead engineer quits the project.
✅Listen to us @cupodcast.podbean.com
✅More info @www.theregister.co.uk/2019/10...

[@PatTheNESpunk]

What do you think of the Atari VCS prospects in light of news of their lead engineer leaving the project? ✅More info @www.theregister.co.uk/2019/10/08/atari_architect_quits/

[@sarahky86]

How about a update on John Hancock's video game museum he's buying up upgraded games for condition reasons, but still no reals solid plains on it yet is hancock the vcs of youtube ? Please share

[@peterjv8748]

I have partnered with Atari for my free-energy machine if you want it.

[@jhamptonjr]

Imagine my surprise 🤣

[@esloudan]

I've said it since day one if this comes out, its gonna be an underpowered, older hardware Atari themed ubuntu with wine installed. Atari vault is the frontend for a loaded emulator. Sandbox mode is just boot from usb devices like to install windows or linux. Maybe install retropie x86 or recall box. And nothing more but someone jumping onto the nostalgia band wagon to make a buck. Wonder if u could put a pi in it lol.

[@jedipoodoo]

I think it's safe to say that they blew it. It was never going to be a thing, and if it actually made it to consumers, like others (including both of you I believe) I've felt it would've been a piss poor underpowered POS. Can't say I'm surprised in the least.

[@rubikzombie]

Pat and Ian buy Atari after it goes belly up, just to resell the VCS as the Completely Unnecessary Console.

[@AlucardsQuest]

Hashteroids built in!

[@TheCheat420]

Got a link to the indiegogo?

[@NESADDICT]

rubikzombie good one

[@rubikzombie]

Matt Snyder I don’t, sorry

[@BubbafromSapperton]

Atari Chameleon backers - 😤 (Can't hold breath anymore) 🤣

[@JC-qu5lv]

Once I saw the news break of all the new updates I was so excited to get the Pat and Ian updated take, it's like the good ol days of the Coleco Chameleon.

[@nnomed1975]

Congratulations atari on making a 2019 chameleon... Soulja boy at this point has more street cred..

[@gvetech]

Couldn't have said it any better, lol

[@joshnickerson83]

The Chameleon never actually took in any money. This is more like the ZX Vega Plus debacle, and will likely end the same way.

[@robypal97]

Funny you mention this after recent events... LOL

[@keysersoze5024]

Ian is so quiet in this video...

[@ClassicalCentral]

I love that some people are trying to spin this as, "It's going slowly, but it's progress." If any other project by any other gaming company was going this way, the video game community would be livid. I wish for crowdfunding projects like these people would have learned a lesson from the Coleco Chameleon or "Mighty No. 9" that when communication about the project slows to a trickle, or not at all, there's a MAJOR problem. I think some of the backers just don't want to admit to themselves that this project has gone so horribly because they don't want to feel like they wasted money chasing a nostalgic pipe dream.

[@RetroAdvisoryBoard]

As much as I want Atari to do *something* relevant to gaming again, I'm inclined to agree. This project sets off red flags with every announcement (and with every half-year-plus gap between announcements). Maybe there's a decent modern joystick out of the whole endeavor. Maybe. We'll always have Atari speaker-hats.

[@CAPCOM784]

I did learn real good myself with the Saber Rider and Star Sherrifs game meaning I will never ever back another game or system kickstarter!

[@Super16BitAlex]

Has there been any good kickstarted game even come out? I mean mighty number 9 and yuka laylee didny go well and I'm not holding hope out for shenmue 3 after all the issues as of late.

[@RetroAdvisoryBoard]

@@Super16BitAlex SHOVEL KNIGHT. Asked for $75,000, made $311,000 on Kickstarter. FTL. Asked for $10k, made $300k. BANNER SAGA. Asked for $100k, made over $720k. HYPER LIGHT DRIFTER. Asked for $27k, made $645,000. DIVINITY: ORIGINAL SIN. Asked $400k, made $944k. DARKEST DUNGEON. Asked $75k, made $313k. BROKEN AGE. Asked $400k, made $3.3 million. WASTELAND 2. Asked $900k, made $2.9 million. SUPER HOT. Asked $75,000, made $250k. Sometimes, good ideas go the Kickstarter route, and good games are produced.

[@RetroAdvisoryBoard]

@@Super16BitAlex BLOODSTAINED: RITUAL OF THE NIGHT made $5.5 million on Kickstarter. Also PILLARS OF ETERNITY and UNDERTALE, both heralded games. And Undertale only made $50k from it's Kickstarter campaign.

[@gamingcomics9711]

The shell of the Ataribox can have multiple colors! Just like a chameleon

[@strat57wg]

I get the feeling that the VCS has taken a longer time to develop than the original 2600 at this point.

[@RetroAdvisoryBoard]

Nahh, Bushnell was working on the 2600 for *years* before it was released. He turned Pong around after seeing the Odyssey at a demonstration in early 72, and he and colleagues were working on a home console system to play more than Pong-clone units since about 74 or 75. Fairchild's launch of the Channel F in 76 finally pushed him to get proper financing, sell part of Atari to Warner and get the 2600 operational by Fall '77.

[@thoomolong]

@@RetroAdvisoryBoard think strat57 was just bring hyperbolic. And regular Atari came out before the 2600. I think he meant the time between Atari and Atari 2600. And still, he was being facetious.

[@RetroAdvisoryBoard]

@@thoomolong You're right. I was trying to be charitable to the current, umm.. project(?), so few opportunities to be so. And the original VCS/2600 was building something with few parallels and without any sort of blueprint.

[@mistaecco]

I hope this comes out, to be honest. It'll make a great clearance buy 4 months later for $40, and it'll be a decent platform for a cute little Linux emulation box, once completely formatted and wiped of all references to atari.

[@justinr6042]

Should be able to handle Dreamcast at most no issues. maybe chug a bit in a few Gamecube games but mostly fine there too. Adding RAM to dual channel should help.

[@sloppynyuszi]

You can’t find this already? This thing isn’t coming out for another year of it does. If you really want this, just spend the little extra and get a low spec Linux machine now, since you were planning to get rid of all the Atari branding anyway, who cares?

[@CAPCOM784]

Why even waste the money? You could probably find someone that does 3D printing that will do the molding then add the rest yourself.

[@mistaecco]

@@CAPCOM784 Maybe if I'd added the term "clearance bin" to the original post it'd make more sense. It's a barebones PC in a cute-ish case, and that's all I'm treating it as. Granted though, it's gonna probably be years before it hits those sorts of prices, if it ever releases at all.

[@golden_eldorado]

Everybody to Atari:-"We told you so..."

[@billford171]

Not really fair to lump this with the Amico. Both are retro inspired, but that is about it for the similarities. Amico was not crowdfunded, much lower price point, not over-promising, had clear vision from the start, already showed actual gameplay on actual consoles, already locked in developers, etc. Atari has been a disaster since BEFORE the Indiegogo campaign. They never had a clear vision for what they wanted to produce, tried to be everything to everyone, (modern games, retro games, roku clone, alexa voice activated, etc).

[@michaelheppe218]

It's just lazy on the part of the show hosts to lump in the Amico.

[@Clay3613]

@Thomas Thomas Fishy comment. Kissing up to Tommy like that.

[@Clay3613]

@@anthonysalvaro2979 Am I, am I really? By calling out someone else I'm somehow kissing up...sure buddy.

[@scottp.548]

Exactly! Amico hasn't asked for $0.01 from consumers.

[@ramboraph4life]

So...two years later...how do you think about this comment now, William? Amico and "Clear Vision"? Not crowdfunded? Much Lower Price (when it's actually more)?

[@575forza]

Now that’s a bridge I want to walk over, the one where the architect quit.

[@NerdyMeathead]

Pat Check out walmart's website. If you look up Atari VCS it shows up as a Preorder for 389.99 and that it will arrive by 3/30/2020 lmao

[@Rando1975]

LOL!

[@gtrslinger]

Why would ANYONE buy this over a PS4 or Switch? Hahaha

[@danmacdonald1198]

thank you for looking out for all of us!I trust your view's on that matters! thank you

[@boogie5]

that grey little hair muff coming out of your left ear is KILLING ME!!!!

[@MaestroDrake]

I sure hope I can get my Super Atari VCS 2 in translucent piss yellow.

[@0zzm0dious]

this is easily one of the best episodes of the CUPC just because of how animated Ian is. Tell us how you really feel Ian!

[@jessehilton1337]

Your glee is hilariously awesome to see 😁

[@chedruid]

Pat and Ian, you are getting more and more excited with this project! lmao~

[@Metal-Possum]

Crowdfunding House, my favourite band. With such hits as: Don't Dream It's Over, Something So Wrong, and Better Be Done Soon.

[@Mugenmush]

Anybody wanna take bets on when the lawsuits are gonna start? I'm not going to say "if" because I think it's basically a given at this point.

[@scottp.548]

They'll probably lose, they willingly donated to Indiegogo. Crowdfunding has no guarantees & the consumer agrees to those terms when they donate, that's why they went that route.

[@Mugenmush]

@@scottp.548 Sure, but that has no bearing on employees not getting paid for their work, assuming there was some kind of contract involved, which I would certainly hope. I'm not talking about a lawsuit by backers. They're just SOL.

[@Blue-zw8er]

I feel the actual physical console gets in the way of the graft.

[@WillyTung]

Is the SNES book otu yet? If so, is PAt bringing some for sale this year at PRGE?

[@ColeHomeVideo]

"Every Johnny Come fuckin' Lately" is a beautiful phrase.

[@poposterous236]

Ian is a passionate man. I respect that.

[@jonnyrockwell]

7:30 Pat starts to foresee PowerA lawyers incoming!

[@UncleSilverGaming]

LOL, Ian was poppin' off, and I love it!

[@GareWorks]

This is great. They tried to dodge the question about Rob Wyatt for ages but now it's impossible for them to deny it any longer. As for the PCB, it's legit. Does it work? No idea. But the board's markings indicate (as discussed on AtariAge) that it was rushed into production around the time everyone (including The Register) started saying "WELL FUCK, THEY'VE GOT NOTHING AFTER ALL!" at the end of last month. And even if that piece of shit works, it's just an overpriced, under-powered Linux box. You could spend less and get more if you built it yourself. Or even if you bought a fucking Mac.

[@lldjslim]

Atari caused the video game crash of 1983 and now they are causing the retro gaming crash of 2020

[@pee-in-the-wind]

Sounds like a Android Box in a fancy case with $200 added to the sticker price, but without Android or anything else.

[@yotaiji012]

A friend asked me about this during the Kickstarter. I told him to stay away from it. Glad I was right.

[@kingkold]

Jesus , Pat and Ian must have had a Rager during this segment lol.

[@UNDERGROUNDskateco]

When are we going to get a supercut compilation of Pat saying "LIMITED" ??

[@gmcnewlook]

Lol power a, that’s the company you buy from when you want a cheapo controller for your friends to use when they come over ;)

[@LarryLopez91]

Is Mike Kennedy one of the 3 people at Atari headquarters?

[@JH-jo6os]

Has Atari made any in-house products since the Atari Jaguar

[@chuckd8166]

Hey Ian or Pat, On the subject of stalled failed projects that were fully backed.... Thoughts or possible future video of Watermelon Games beat em up Genesis game Paprium? Watermelon did great with other projects but this Paprium project has been stalled too many times. Backers sent money directly to Watermelon and I do not see how they can or even will be able to refund the money. I’m still hoping it will be made and delivered. Thoughts?

[@PatTheNESpunk]

We've spoken about that a while back - bad situation.

[@pxlsicle]

lol paprium

[@RonnieBarzel]

Anyone who ever doubts the old proverb “A fool and his money are soon parted” really needs to check out crowdfunding projects.

[@Jhilax0]

This is Ian at his finest!

[@johnnydalton8903]

I love how Spry Ian is now!

[@devo076]

yeah, he doesn;t look like he's on death's door. Must be all the pot.

[@Pharaoh025]

But what do you REALLY think, Ian?

[@Jermainskee]

What's in the boohx!?

[@32_bit_gamer]

Ian was in Beastmode!

[@brendantoungate8287]

I know nothing about these nostalgia-driven consoles, but these discussions are consistently super entertaining!

[@Thrakus]

What is the point as its a game system from 2012 at the cost of a ps4 pro? If the hardware was good maybe people would buy it but even then who is making games for?

[@jtstacey83]

This is common in leveraged buyouts. Load the company with debt and pay yourself and your management firm millions in payroll and fees. When the company eventually claims bankruptcy they've made their million.

[@JohnSmith-yd5wq]

Yep which is how Mitt Romney made his billions. Which was also illegal until Reagan who was a puppet of corporations and 1 percent.

[@brrneon]

They should have just sold the case where it would be setup to install your own retropie, told buyers they can download 20 Atari games from their site, and called it an Fn day...

[@NewAgeHeaven]

Sandbox..... or litter tray?

[@jeff97ish]

I feel bad for the people who lost money, but laughed my ass off. Pat said there might be people come out and say fuck these people and this console. That made me lmao!

[@ArtDocHound]

Completely Unnecessary Haircuts

[@BolofromAvlis]

Every time I see this thing, I just think it looks like an old clock radio with the face covered up.

[@JC-qu5lv]

Pat you should start a Go Fund Me and buy the Atari properties for like 1 million and license them well. At this point I think we'll be hearing of Atari being sold/bought out in the next year.

[@Mnpctech_Giveaway_PC_Mods]

I hope you’re all excited about your Atari sandbox.

[@robertpage1590]

So Where did the 3 mil go

[@jedipoodoo]

The only thing I've bought from Power A was the Wii U "ultra" sensor bar on clearance from Walmart once upon a time, and it wasn't much better than the stock one. They're making the controllers for this....thing? 😛

[@NoelComiX]

Intelevision seems legit. The Atari VCS saga is fascinating. You guys are at your best when you go after this type of stuff.

[@CoreDreamStudios]

R.I.P. Atari Vaporware Computer System

[@davidfox8791]

Will we ever be able to -bay this Atari 2600 Definitely getting the new intellivision

[@575forza]

Some serious Chesnaisnigans going on here.

[@TheConcertCruizer]

its the Fire Fest of video games

[@MichaelKing-vm5wv]

I get bashing the VCS and the Chameleon but not sure about the Amico. If they were crowdfunding it then I would understand the criticisms. Just seems unfair since they are self funding the Intellivision.

[@Clay3613]

Cause the system won't sell enough or have games up to snuff to justify it's existence.

[@RetroAdvisoryBoard]

Clay3613 And how exactly are you substantiating or qualifying this statement? Were you equally prognosticating that Bratz dolls would make a company $2 billion per year, or Zhu Zhu Pets or battle royale games would make billions upon billions? You don’t know until its out and we see if there’s any market traction.

[@Clay3613]

@@RetroAdvisoryBoard Dolls are much easier to sell and make than a game console. Terrible comparison.

[@RetroAdvisoryBoard]

Clay3613 And yet brand after brand of dolls don’t sell. While tens of millions of consoles do every year. My point stands. How do you *know* what will or won’t sell to justify its existence, or that the games won’t be up to snuff? Instead you avoid the question. That’s fine.

[@scottp.548]

@@Clay3613 How many dolls have you sold? Just curious, since you seem so knowledgeable.

[@stevejohnson130]

Somebody need to put this thing out of its Misery.

[@sloebone7399]

Somebody needs to audit these Atari imposters and see where the money went. I’m guessing a lot of strippers got paid even if the employees didn’t.

[@photonarbiter]

Ian is a legend.

[@scottp.548]

More like a character from the old 80s movie Legend.

[@Acrolance]

6:01-6:05 probably the best thing to come out of this video :P

[@TheDeliciousMystery]

So how many of these retro revival consoles haven't been scams at this point?

[@rcg38]

Mega sg and everything else from analogue

[@davidleeashkenazi8992]

Real wood

[@davoid96]

What a surprise.

[@shoked99]

New consoles ultimately aren't sold by the case and specs. They are sold by games both for launch and in development. Amazing how these start up companies don't seem get this.

[@cax1175]

Who knew the second generation would have another console war in fucking up. Coleco Chamelon vs Atari VCS vs Intellivision Amico

[@sunnohh]

It is almost exactly “off the shelf”

[@j.m.ratkos5319]

it makes me want to start a company and offer up all of these failed consoles (coleco chameleon, atari vcs and the soon to maybe be release amigo) as the trifecta of the decade of gaming consoles that wasn't. sell them as individuals or sets with matching serial no's (but don't package the matching serial no'ed consoles together to further irritate my [plastic doorstop] customer base.

[@sloebone7399]

Guys, please, it’s not coming out, EVER. They’ve got 3 employees and I doubt any of them know how to turn the lights in the building on and off, much less build a gaming system. The money is gone! Backers might get a speaker hat if they are lucky, but that’s it.

[@GundamGokuTV]

Honestly I would love to have the Atari license. To either A. Reboot it. Or B. Hold on to it so that no one can try to exploit a name that means so much to so many people.

[@BubbafromSapperton]

Can everyone say-"Kevtris" 🤣

[@theyoungac]

I thought this was a cool idea when they first announced the Ataribox. But after they faked the Tempest footage, I knew this thing was a scam. I don’t know why people crowdfunded this? Probably just living off of nostalgia. This thing will get released, but it will be utter trash.

[@davidbecker5724]

Can we start a go fund me or an indiegogo now, so when the "company" goes under the cupodcast can buy it, or just make an offer outright? Their only obligation to the backers being a honor system to do right by the brand.

[@Aragorn7884]

Next Patreon Poll: Which will do worse, Intellivision Amico or Atari VCS?

[@Mr_Wheez]

Besides that the Amico could potentially be a financial failure, I think that Tommy Tallarico and his team have at least good intentions in order to make and deliver a unique and proper product. I don't think the same about Atari...

[@AlucardsQuest]

Amico might sell to say... 10 times as many people as they demoed it to behind closed doors, but that's as generous as I can be.

[@brendantoungate8287]

Don't know enough to know which will be more successful, but I'm rooting for the Amico moreso, just because the guy behind it seems to be an honest actor.

[@KoopaKid2000]

Amico seems to be genuine. VCS was a scam console made by people who honestly thought they could get away with making a console through bsing.

[@skimmaster5000]

RIP

[@petervenkman5483]

3:12 LOL... Settle down Beavis

[@linkmaster6486]

Ian, buddy, ya gotta clam yourself. This isn't worth losing a 1up over.

[@jordan177606]

My question is why can i see the prototype case. Up until they actually have an AtariOS with a SDK for development, this should be in a wooden crate. If they start with the shell first and build the boards around it they can't adjust the dimensions of the case without completely redoing tooling. It's like none of them ever made a console before! Wait a second Rob Wyatt was behind the original xbox, the console that was so expensive for Microsoft to produce, when the 360 launched they dropped support like it was a duke controller. This is great.

[@igano111]

Ian turned red ffs.

[@18matts]

Did anyone think the Atari vcs was gonna be anything more than a Android TV stick?

[@Ben-do1bf]

How can you not get UNITY optimized for your system!? I am pretty sure the Ouya was able to get a Unity deal. The Ouya actually shipped, with all of those "outstanding" Unity andr- I mean Ouya games. But it still was a product. With a working OS and store.

[@duncanrathband5492]

11:49 the word 'fiscal' relates to tax specifically, not finance generally.

[@stevefulkerson4995]

A Raspberry Pi in a box?

[@RcT990]

Woooooaaaah iiittsss the C U consooolle!

[@ChampippleD]

1:53. Wait... what?

[@MetalHorrorGamer]

Do what to his Penis?

[@JohnMiller-mmuldoor]

I’d bet someone could make this on their own with a pi zero and some plastic molding for like $50

[@BleuSkiddew]

11:30 Crooked companies don't work like traditional companies. In my novice opinion, the owners are making it look like the business is losing money by writing off personal stuff (food, vacations, cars, houses, boats, bad personal investments, and loans) as business expenses. It's kind of obvious when the company has almost no equity, very little cash on hand, but is still paying large wages.

[@escoofimpakt]

It was a scan from the start

[@MEQUPWER]

2020 ooya box

[@sloebone7399]

Atari wants your money a year ahead of time but when it’s their money, the employees are supposed to wait six months to get paid. I thought Rob Wyatt was getting paid to lend his name to this scam, turns out he could be the biggest victim.

[@sloebone7399]

Lassi Kinnunen - I picture the VCS team as 2 guys clocking in everyday, putting on lab coats locking themselves in a converted janitors closet and playing Centipede all day. Then every few weeks they text Wyatt their high score.

[@nicholasharron3325]

I get customers that are SUCH fanboys to this day waiting ever so patiently for this console to release. I smile at them and laugh in my head so much.

[@sloppynyuszi]

It’s just the times we live in. Getting your hands on a lower spec device that plays literally thousands of games through emulation and the android play store is not a hard find and as a dedicated device is crap business as the Ouya showed. In all honesty if you have a PC hooked up to a TV and Bluetooth a Microsoft controller do you even need a console? There is space for some well curated game console with pedigree out there, but honestly I don’t see anyone outside Nintendo, Apple or Sony doing this right. Actually I wouldn’t be surprised if after this generation Sony will drop out and Xbox will be a game service for Windows. This Atari thing would have made more sense as an Atari Android TV box with an Atari UI skin and a selection of Atari games installed from 2600-Jaguar with some exclusives for the console. The rest of the games you can download from the play store. Doing anything more is quite stupid. They aren’t going to compete against anyone new, it’s just a way to grab from the Nostalgia craze.

[@sithcritic8906]

Am I the one nerd that would actually enjoy a video on the production of the SNES Guide?

[@scottp.548]

Yes

[@Cander5142]

And you know some are still defending and spinning this. “Oh no big loss. All the real work has already been done so he isn’t needed any more”

[@iestyndavies7287]

Come on guys, this is going to be awesome! It’s got real wood, REAL WOOOOOOOD!! I’d take a NES Action 52 cart if it was embedded in half an oak tree! You can’t underestimate the power of the Maple!!!

[@JH-jo6os]

So your telling this Atari VCS is still a thing! Today?

[@sloebone7399]

Actually it’s not a thing as of today.

[@andydavidson1278]

Sinclair Spectrum Vega + anyone?!?