Information about Atari’s new “Ataribox” is sparse yet intriguing leading me to believe they’re just throwing out a basic concept and letting the online community tell them what they want. Sounds smart. At this point, all I really know about this new “console” is that it’s coming in 2017 and offers a few sleek design options including a classic woodgrain option and a more modern black and red version. That’s about it.
My guess is that this will play classic Atari games and feature the ability to download new and potentially exclusive newer versions of the classic games we all know and love. Retro remakes if you will. If that’s the case, I think this could be a success especially considering how ravenous people were about the NES CLASSIC and the upcoming SNES CLASSIC.
And if I were a betting man, I would bet this new “console” will be some type of crowdfunding project on a platform like kickstarter. It makes sense, and would be a good way for the company to gamble on a new machine after all these years. It’s a safe bet.
It would be a mistake to consider this new machine as a competitor to the PS4 or XBOX ONE. But if Atari wants me to add yet another box on my overcrowded TV stand, they’re going to have to come up with something truly special. Having a wood grain option is a good start, but it’s not enough just yet.
If you want to keep an eye on this project, you should head over to Ataribox.com and subscribe to their newsletter. This will likely be the fasted way to get fresh updates. And considering the Ataribox is slated for a 2017 release, expect new announcements very soon.
While I’m not sold yet, I’ll say there’s potential.
Ataribox “wood grain” / Atari
Ataribox “red and black” / Atari
