n8littlefield Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I wouldn't count them out just yet. There have been plenty of companies to get delisted without actually ceasing to exist. Given the Flashback is a product with relatively little overhead expense (compared to a big budget game) and has in the past performed well for Atari, I'd assume there's still a chance it will see the light of day. Slimming down to only profitable stuff like the Flashback could be good for Atari - Majesco has done quite well after lowering it's investment in big titles and only going for smaller projects that are sure to profit (like Cooking Mama) and they were in HUGE financial trouble a short time ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mos6507 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) In other curious news, Activision is now the #1 third party, besting EA. Maybe they would be in a good position to pick up Atari after all. http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/14064/Activi...arty-Publisher/ Edited July 25, 2007 by mos6507 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 Hi guys, Sorry to report, due to nearly 5 months of unsurmountable delays and indecisions on allowing Legacy Engineering to move forward on the FBP, the window for holiday 07' production has been lost. We are looking now at a Spring 08' launch timeframe. On the plus side, what was being developed for 08' as an advanced follow-up system has been moved up to the front burner and is being worked on now in place of the original FBP design... No details will be given/shown until after the New Year. I may consider putting one of the FBP proto's up onto Ebay during the holidays, it will be stripped of all branding and logo's and will just be a generic "Compatible with Atari 2600 game binaries..." statement on it. Curt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I may consider putting one of the FBP proto's up onto Ebay during the holidays, it will be stripped of all branding and logo's and will just be a generic "Compatible with Atari 2600™ game binaries..." statement on it. Maybe the bigwigs at Atari would consider putting more of it's prototypes and odd things in crates on ebay to generate funds. Plenty of collectors would love to get some of them. i remember someone saying "you'd buy a sack of gravel if it had the fuji logo on it." That's one of my favorite quotes. I was sure hoping to hear something about a limited first run or somesuch. I can wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory DG Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Sorry to report, due to nearly 5 months of unsurmountable delays and indecisions on allowing Legacy Engineering to move forward on the FBP, the window for holiday 07' production has been lost. Sucks, but at least it's still in the pipeline. I'll just be that to see it finished and in the stores. Nevermind when. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Wow, and just last night I had a dream that Curt announced that there would be a delay with the Flashback Portable because Atari would miss "the August 3rd deadline for the 2007 Holiday Season". Get out of my head, Curt! On the very bright side, it appears that the project is still a go. Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asaki Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 On the plus side, what was being developed for 08' as an advanced follow-up system has been moved up to the front burner and is being worked on now in place of the original FBP design... Correct me if I'm reading this wrong: this means that it isn't going to be something completely different, but will simply be an FBP with extra features? I can't imagine how it could be improved upon, but it sounds cool anyway. Just as long as it won't be losing any features from the original design =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 Nathan - the only prototypes and odd things - are those that I own. Atari is all documents, paperwork, etc.... physical assets within Atari do not exist anymore, those days passed long long ago. Curt I may consider putting one of the FBP proto's up onto Ebay during the holidays, it will be stripped of all branding and logo's and will just be a generic "Compatible with Atari 2600™ game binaries..." statement on it. Maybe the bigwigs at Atari would consider putting more of it's prototypes and odd things in crates on ebay to generate funds. Plenty of collectors would love to get some of them. i remember someone saying "you'd buy a sack of gravel if it had the fuji logo on it." That's one of my favorite quotes. I was sure hoping to hear something about a limited first run or somesuch. I can wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raskar42 Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Anyone want a sack of atari tax documents from 1982? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Correct me if I'm reading this wrong: this means that it isn't going to be something completely different, but will simply be an FBP with extra features? Or even, perhaps, something based on a platform originally released in 1979. Cooler yet: FB3P. Maybe for '09? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asaki Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Like an FB2 mixed with an FB3, and portable? Now you're just trying to blow my mind @_@ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fort Apocalypse Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Anyone want a sack of atari tax documents from 1982? I'm there, but only if you throw in a box of memeographed memorandi. All that purple ink and blurred faded copies of internal goodness. Yum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fort Apocalypse Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Like an FB2 mixed with an FB3, and portable? Now you're just trying to blow my mind @_@ I'm hoping that Curt is taking it to the next level! Arcade classics! (Here's hoping at least!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antron Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 didn't he say a while back that it was something in the modern gaming realm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+FujiSkunk Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 i remember someone saying "you'd buy a sack of gravel if it had the fuji logo on it." How about a Fuji-stamped bag of pulverized concrete originally used to bury a load of E.T. carts? I am kidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fort Apocalypse Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 (edited) didn't he say a while back that it was something in the modern gaming realm? Yes but he just posted this in which he said "We are looking now at a Spring 08' launch timeframe. On the plus side, what was being developed for 08' as an advanced follow-up system has been moved up to the front burner and is being worked on now in place of the original FBP design... No details will be given/shown until after the New Year." In other words, the Flashback 2 portable is out, and the Flashback 3 is on (that's my interpretation). I posted a topic here with the compiled FB3 specs from Curt's previous posts. Ok, now here goes my speculation: * FB2 portable was not going to be feasible because: (1) people were clamoring for DB-9 ports, no controllers would be available with FB2 portable, so they would be wasted on casual consumer. (2) Game licensing and support issues with providing USB loading of games. (3) unit was too clunky to deal with with controllers attached since it was so light Edited July 27, 2007 by Fort Apocalypse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfranklin Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Anyone want a sack of atari tax documents from 1982? You actually own these documents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfranklin Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Anyone want a sack of atari tax documents from 1982? You actually own these documents? ok, after reading the other posts I realize you're kidding also. Sounds like Curt owns some of these rare papers, though! I'm still pleased to hear that Atari hasn't given up on the FBP and the FB3 yet. I can wait until next year for them to get these products to the store shelf! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raskar42 Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Anyone want a sack of atari tax documents from 1982? You actually own these documents? ok, after reading the other posts I realize you're kidding also. Sounds like Curt owns some of these rare papers, though! I'm still pleased to hear that Atari hasn't given up on the FBP and the FB3 yet. I can wait until next year for them to get these products to the store shelf! no i'm sorry it was meant to be a joke, but i misjudged the ravenous appetites of the atari fanbase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Math You Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 (edited) It's a shame the Flashback portable has been delayed, but on the bright side, we do have the 800/5200 to look forward to (or maybe a portable 7800?) Edited July 28, 2007 by MRB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werejag Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 no fb2 portable = looks like Atari lost me permanently then they can go fudge them selfs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fort Apocalypse Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Sucks, but at least it's still in the pipeline. I'll just be that to see it finished and in the stores. Nevermind when. I kind of get the impression that since Curt was thinking about selling a prototype, that the FB2 portable project is permanently on hold/a.k.a. cancelled until further notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fort Apocalypse Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 (edited) no fb2 portable = looks like Atari lost me permanently then they can go fudge them selfs I was really disappointed also when I first saw Curt's post about that. But I got over it, because: There would have been problems with sales and support * The target market was too small. There were a lot of people that wanted to play Atari games with real old style atari joysticks in the general market when the FB2 came out, but assuming that the same or even more people would pay $10 more to get a portable version was probably wishful thinking. * The support costs could have been much higher than the FB2 because of things like people crying that their game they loaded didn't work, or they had chosen a 2 player game since the majority of games support 2 players. The cheap way to handle this was to put 2 DB-9s on it and then if people had usability issues around 2 player games, Atari could say that they could use the FB2 controllers, but then people would get upset about that. Also sharing the screen with two controllers attached would have been a little clunky since the device was light. They could have also responded that the customer could use the A/V connector to a T.V., but the customer would argue the whole point of a portable is not to require a T.V. Another much more expensive way to handle it would have been to have the bottom part of the device slide out to reveal a detachable part of the device (connected by wire) with a second TFT, controller button, and fire button. However, THAT would have definitely driven the price out of the target market. There is still hope for the obsessed * Atari could sell the rights to the FB2 portable to someone else who could handle a more limited target market and increase the price to sell on a geek toys site, AtariAge, etc. * Curt said he may be selling one or more prototypes on eBay * If Atari tanks at Infogrames and there is enough interest in Atari, someone else with more money may buy up Atari and take on the FB2 portable despite the risks mentioned above, or maybe to create a beefed up legacy console: http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...t=#entry1327594 * I think I saw a thread where someone was using an http://www.vgwiz.com/a26maxicart.html with the FB2 to dump roms... Naybe loading games on the FB2 may work with the cartridge port hack and an A26 maxicart for those willing to try. Don't blame me if it doesn't work though- I haven't tried it. * http://www.atariage.com/2600/emulation/index.php * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GP2X Atari Flashback 3 is now coming sooner than we thought * Please, please, please include Fort Apocalypse in one of the carts that are sold. I smell a free car wash or maybe a gift certificate to Chili's for Curt if this happens! (you have the "power of influence"!) * Plan is to have SD support (memory stick) via carts that contain them * If you buy one, Atari makes money and is more likely to continue producing legacy gaming consoles and possible portables Edited July 28, 2007 by Fort Apocalypse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Math You Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 (edited) I wouldn't be surprised if the imminent release of the Gameport portable has scared Atari into making something more powerful. For all we know, the Gameport might have been inspired by the Flashback portable discussions that we've had on Atari Age over the past year or so. It might explain why the new Atari product won't be revealed until next year. BTW I think it would be wise of Atari to remove cartridge roms from websites. I know that Atari fans wouldn't be happy about this, but it least it would stop the Gameport people from cashing in on Atari's software. Edited July 28, 2007 by MRB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercat Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 * The target market was too small. There were a lot of people that wanted to play Atari games with real old style atari joysticks in the general market when the FB2 came out, but assuming that the same or even more people would pay $10 more to get a portable version was probably wishful thinking. I don't know about that. Many of the Atari games are good for wasting little bits of time here and there--just the sort of thing portables are good for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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