Atari XEGS

[DracIsBack]

  From what I've been reading it seems that Atari wanted to push the XEGS as their main system after sales of the 7800 were going slowly.  Why would they do this?  Was the XEGS technically superior?

938091[/snapback]

 

The XEGS has superior sound capabilities but the 7800 was capable of producing more competitive graphics.

 

You have to remember, in the latter half of the 1980s, Atari's strategy in the gaming market was to "get rich quick" rather than something thought out in an effort to win. They didn't really invest in any of their consoles the way they should have and I think that ultimately caused their downfall. Every subsquent Tramiel system sold worse than the one before it, despite some innovations.

 

Neil Harris (former Atari employee) posted this in 1987, which would give you some insight into why they repackaged the 65XE into the XEGS.

 

We come again to that perpetual question: is Atari intent on killing the

8-bits?

 

One way to answer that would be to give you a tour of our warehouse.  If you

could see the number of 8-bit computers and software in inventory, you'd

know we are highly motivated to keep the line going.

 

 

Regarding the new XE Game System, which on the first glance is a slap in

the face to those who know how powerful the 8-bitters are -- this system is

purely a strategic move on our part.  In order to keep the 8-bit line going,

we must do two things:

 

 

1. Get the computers available in more stores, and

2. Get new software developed for them.

 

 

Software is not being developed by and large because of problem #1.  So

which stores do we go to?  The mass merchants, who sold the bulk of the

hundreds of thousands (not, unfortunately, millions) of Atari 8-bit

computers out there, are currently retreating from the computer business.

K-Mart carries NO computers.  Ditto for Montgomery Wards.  And for J.C.

Penney's.

 

 

On the other hand, these same stores are doing a fabulous business in game

systems like Nintendo, Sega, and, of course, Atari.

 

 

The solution, from a business point of view, was to develop a product that

would be appealing to the mass merchants (and also to the public which buys

there), one that also accomplishes the corporate objective of revitalizing

the 8-bit line.

 

 

So what we have with the XE Game System is essentially a 65XE in disguise.

Internally it contains 64K of RAM, the standard OS and BASIC in ROM, two

joystick ports, SIO port, etc.  It is completely compatible with the current

8-bit line, including software.

 

 

Physically it is more appealing to those who don't want a computer but who

do want to play games.  The main console simply has the 4 console keys from

the XE (Start, Select, Option, and Reset), plus the cartridge port and

connectors.  The keyboard is a separate unit which plugs into the console.

 

 

When someone buys the XE Game System, they get the complete package --

console, keyboard, light gun, and 3 programs (including a new version of

Sublogic's Flight Simulator including scenery, all on a single cartridge).

 

 

We expect stores to do a great business in these.  We'll make available the

current library of cartridge software, plus we're converting some disk

programs into cartridge format for this system.  As time goes by, we expect

to see dramatic increases in sales for 8-bit software -- hopefully, this

will also include practical applications as well as games.  This should in

turn encourage developers to create new titles for the 8-bits.

 

 

Once things get moving again in the mass merchants, the current supply of

8-bit computers should also get moving through the dealers -- after all,

they make a better value than the game systems, and take up less space.

 

 

So, those few of you out there who are looking at Atari management as the

evil group who are plotting to quash the 8-bit line, you have it all wrong.

We're trying hard to keep things moving forward.  Without the distribution

and the software, no amount of advertising and new hardware development

could work.  The XE Game System is our best hope to keep things moving.

--

--->Neil Harris, Director of Marketing Communications, Atari Corporation

UUCP: ...{hoptoad, lll-lcc, pyramid, imagen, sun}!atari!neil

GEnie: NHARRIS/ WELL: neil / BIX: neilharris / Delphi: NEILHARRIS

CIS: 70007,1135 / Atari BBS 408-745-5308 / Usually the OFFICIAL Atari opinion

 

Atari wasn't willing to invest and they had a couple of problems in succeeding. The 2600 had a big library and a good name, but it was old and out of date, especially against whatever Nintendo and Sega were offering. The 7800 had a better chance of succeeding, but it required Atari to invest in development of games that were competitive.

 

The XE fell between. Its graphics and sound were closer to the competitiion than the 2600 and it had a ready made library of games that could be easily ported to cartridge. Plus, if Atari made the XEGS success, those customers could potentially buy other Atari disks, peripherals, enhancements etc.

[birdie3]

I finally got a XEGS!! The only reason I got into collecting A8 was for all of the great Atari games on cartridge. No other reason. The XEGS is perfect for this seeing as I never use the keyboard for anything.

 

As for the debate.. I don't think anyone actually knew for absolute certain at the time the NES was going to take off the way it did in the end. Either way, the NES had SMB, the XEGS had lots of old Atari games and a huge library, the SMS had cool graphics and all of the other games that the NES didn't, and the 7800 had lots of great classic arcade conversions. I like them all for differetnt reasons.