Atari 7800 Thread

[TL]

Just came across this, pretty cool seeing them all in a row!

[TrekMD]

This is definitely a cool video!  Nice to see the progression of the intermissions also!

[TL]

This is definitely a cool video!  Nice to see the progression of the intermissions also!

Yep! I am not good enough to see them all myself 

[onthinice]

They are all really good. Nice to see the Junior intermissions.

[TrekMD]

This is definitely a cool video!  Nice to see the progression of the intermissions also!

Yep! I am not good enough to see them all myself  :) 

[TL]

I just remembered this so I thought I would share it for those that never saw it!

This is a fan made advert for the Atari 7800 ProSystem, much better than the real ones!

[Shadowrunner]

That's pretty cool. Seeing Ballblazer in there reminded me that I played that a bit last weekend, is it just me or does the AI really suck in that game? Don't get me wrong, I like to win but I like a bit of opposition! Otherwise it's a great game.

[TrekMD]

That is pretty cool indeed! 

[Rogue Trooper]

Dunno if this is of interest to our US readers, but looking at a feature The Games Machine did over here at the then upcoming 8 Bit consoles, they said the 7800 was 'dropped' from being released over here in UK, mainly due to the large software base already avaiable for the Atari 400/800 series and instead Atari gave us the 65XE

£79.99 got you the console with Missile command and 1 joystick, further £59.99 got you a keyboard, another joystick+data recorder.

Light Gun was £29.99, data recorder on it's own £29.99, touch tablet £49.99, disk drive £179.99 printers ranging from £189.99 to £199.99.Std Atari controllers £4.99, super controllers £7.99 pair of paddles £9.99

But they state a key flaw in Atari's plans:

You could buy a brand new Atari 800, plus disk drive for less than the 65XE disk drive alone and there were plenty of A8 computers doing the rounds on the 2nd hand market.Plus in terms of developer support, you had the likes of Ocean saying they had no plans to convert any existing A8 games to cartridge.

So why would you pay more for a console version of existing A8 hardware?.

They also featured the redesigned and relaunched Atari 2600 retailing at £49.99 which they said compared to the Nes or MS seemed ' over-priced and antiquated', even though it was 1/2 the price of it's rivials.

Software now split into 3 groups:£12.99 ( Pacman Jr, Midnight Magic and solaris-most upto date games), £9.99 (midrange with titles like:Stargate, Pole Position Ms Pacman Moon Patrol etc) and cheapest range at £6.99 (oldest arcade conversions like Space Invaders, Missile Command, Defender etc).

[TL]

Slight correction, they released the XE Games System (XEGS) instead of the 7800 initially as it could be upgraded to a full blown computer. This was mainly because the British market at that time was so dominated by home computers.

Atari had already released the 65XE, replacement for the 800XL, and the 130XE computers (128k version of same system)

They only released the 7800 late on in 1987 when they released how well the SMS had taken off and that there was demand for the system too. They were also encouraged by just how well the repackaged Atari 2600 Jr. had sold. C&VG magazine also wrote a really positive piece about the 7800 in their news section and pretty much begged Atari to release it, I posted this in the NES thread.

[Rogue Trooper]

Slight correction, they released the XE Games System (XEGS) instead of the 7800 initially as it could be upgraded to a full blown computer. This was mainly because the British market at that time was so dominated by home computers.

Atari had already released the 65XE, replacement for the 800XL, and the 130XE computers (128k version of same system)

They only released the 7800 late on in 1987 when they released how well the SMS had taken off and that there was demand for the system too. They were also encouraged by just how well the repackaged Atari 2600 Jr. had sold. C&VG magazine also wrote a really positive piece about the 7800 in their news section and pretty much begged Atari to release it, I posted this in the NES thread.

Looking at article in question, i'd say T.G.M were going off the various press releases given to them by Atari, sega etc concerning their plans for the upcoming 8 Bit console war.It was an 'incoming' article rather than look back.


Mentioned as part of on-going posts tonight, to give our overseas readers a look at what sort of prices UK were looking at and media reaction.

Those Special reserve prices for Nes games opened even my cynical eyes, had no idea Nes games were retailing for so much in cases compared to games on newer systems like Lynx+MD.

Will have to scan through for the C+VG article, if memory serves it was from their columnist, rather than on-board staff (not that it makes much difference, other than he always provided a superb read each time his column appeared, really passionaite about his subject material).

[Rogue Trooper]

Laird mentioned the C+VG scan from tony Takoushi's Hot Gossip column of C+VG, where he so badly wanted the 7800 to be released in UK.

Tony, for those who are'nt aware of, started out on Big K magazine before moving to C+VG where he was responsible for the Mean Machines section (something i'm eternally grateful for), he had the 1st UK review of the PC Engine and he was always very much a real driving force with console coverage in C+VG.

Sadly Tony left C+VG (i read his interview where he talked of the then editor having personal problems and he (Tony) could see the editors way of running the magazine was very unprofessional and he just could'nt work in that enviroment.always very sad to see great talent having to leave a publication due to conflicts with the management who let personal issues get in the way of being professional).

Tony then went on to work at sega Europe, where he was european product manager and was part of the team that ovesaw Sonic 2, he also went on to become head of development services of Codemasters and set up the studio behind Freefall 3050Ad on the Nuon.

[Gorf]

So why would you pay more for a console version of existing A8 hardware?.

My thoughts on the 5200 exactly! I bought one used back in the early 90's at a flea market for $30 with a dozen games.

[Rogue Trooper]

So why would you pay more for a console version of existing A8 hardware?.

My thoughts on the 5200 exactly! I bought one used back in the early 90's at a flea market for $30 with a dozen games.

I an many others in UK i'm sure, picked up my 800Xl from the clearance sale a then well known electrical goods store, had.Think my folks picked up the system for just under £100, but a disk drive? bloody hell, way out of our price range as it were my friends.

So if Atari were struggling to sell them to UK A8 computer owners, what hope 65XE owners?.

[TL]

Here is that article for people who missed it: