Atari

Atari Factoids

November 10, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Was it all fun and games at Atari? I would have given an arm and a leg to had been part of this great company that brought video games to the masses. If only I was born in a different era and resided in California (Ed: keep dreaming!).

There has been much written about Atari – from well known facts to myths and even fan fiction. We set the record straight on a few unknown (and well known) historical facts at the once mighty Atari.

Fact 1. First video game to have background music
To contrary belief, it wasn’t Namco’s Rally-X that first featured background music (BGM), it was beaten to the punch by Atari’s Cannon Ball – an Owen Rubin developed game. Unfortunately, the feedback was not great from location testing. Arcade operators disliked the BGM, citing it as being annoying. Sadly, the game was never mass produced.

Fact 2. Space Duel was the first multicolour vector game
Another contradiction in video gaming folklore – Tempest was not the first multicolour vector game. That gong belongs to Space Duel – another Owen Rubin game. To rub salt into the wounds, Owen Rubin’s colour vector generator code was used by Dave Theurer in Tempest. Owen never received any credit for his effort.

Fact 3. Missile Command was going to be called Armageddon
Atari had designs and cabinet prototypes created for Armageddon, later to be renamed by Gene Lipkin as Missile Command.

Fact 4. The Last Starfighter
In 1984, when Atari was being carved up and sold, two games in development based on the film, The Last Starfighter were redone to become Star Raiders II and Solaris.

Fact 5. The naming of Yars’ Revenge
Howard Scott Warshaw (from E.T. fame) named his game Yars’ Revenge after Ray Kassar (Ray spelled backwards). The ‘Razak’ solar system was also based on Ray’s surname, with the letters ‘ss’ replaced with a ‘z’ and the surname spelled backwards. Very clever indeed!

Fact 6. Championship Soccer / Pele’s Soccer
Championship Soccer, aka: Pele’s Soccer was the first video game to license a sports personality, the lovable Brazilian soccer maestro, Pele!

Fact 7. The Atari and Nintendo deal
Atari was in talks with Nintendo in regards to their Family Computer (Famicom). The deal would be for Nintendo to design the printed circuit boards and engineer all the electronics, while Atari would design the console case and packaging. Basically, Atari would be selling Nintendo’s product for them in the USA and the rest of the world under the Atari brand. Imagine if this deal had gone through.

Fact 8. Naming the Atari 7800
After the Atari 5200 debacle, the marketing department at Atari would not dictate the functions or features of the new Atari 7800. However, they did come up with the product name by adding 2600 to 5200. Absolute genius (Ed: stop being sarcastic!).

Fact 9. Burying Atari
Atari could only wish they could bury the E.T. myths. When the decision was made to close the El Paso (Texas) plant, truckloads of unused and faulty stock was being ferried to the Alamogordo, New Mexico city dump. The deal was to dump the goods and steamroll them. As the media got wind of this, it was made out as if Atari was trying to “cover up” and they became the media whipping boy with the video gaming woes of the early 80s.

Fact 10. Cloak & Dagger
At the end of 1983, Atari was manufacturing upgrade kits to turn rival Williams’ Robotron:2084, Defender, Stargate and Joust cabinets into a new Atari game called Cloak & Dagger. Cloak & Dagger (originally titled Agent X) was designed to plug directly into the existing power supply in these games. Indeed, this was very cloak and dagger like of Atari. By the way, the movie of the same name was a gloried Atari advertisement.

Fact 11. Clandestine sale to Philips
Without the knowledge of James (Jim) Morgan at Atari, Warner Bros. management (Manny Gerard and Rob Newman) were surveying Atari at the request of Steve Ross (Warner Bros head-honcho). The staking out of Atari was to take visual inventory and current status of projects for a possible sale to the Dutch electronics giant, Philips. There were a series of talks between Steve Ross and Wisse Dekker (Philips CEO), but in the end, after being burned by the Magnavox Odyssey, Philips chose to walk away from the deal.

Fact 12. First Nintendo, then the Amiga Hi-Toro
It seems that Atari had a knack of getting itself into some wheeling and dealing, but ultimately, choosing to opt out of certain deals. After the Nintendo deal fell through, Atari struck a gentleman’s agreement with the Amiga Corporation in early 1984. The ‘Letter Of Intent’ between Atari and Amiga had Atari advancing $500,000 to the cash strapped Amiga Corporation so that they could continue developing the ‘Lorraine’ chipset. Atari was never interested in acquiring Amiga, they just wanted to get their hands on the chipset that Jay Miner and Joe Decuir had created. The chipset was going to be used in Atari’s arcade machines, consoles and home computers. Dave Morse’s intention was always to find a buyer for his fledgling and struggling Amiga Corporation. This is where Commodore stepped in and the rest, as they say, is history. Hindsight is always 20/20!

Fact 13. Shedding Atarians
The gravy train at Atari was coming to a screeching halt. Under James Morgan’s NATCO (New Atari Company) cost saving plan, Atari’s ranks shrivelled from 7,800 employees in January 1983, to an astounding 1,500 by the end of May 1984.

Fact 14. Atari MindLink – Bionic Breakout
Atari was always at the forefront of product development. Atari’s MindLink product was a headband controller that controlled game play by the player just looking at the TV screen and ‘thinking’ about moving an object. There was no extra sensory perception going on here, the MindLink controller would read the resistance of the muscles in the player’s forehead and interpret them into the appropriate joystick or fire button signals. Was it ahead of its time, it sure was. The market did not take the product seriously so Atari chose not to pursue production of the MindLink.

Fact 15. I, Robot – The last Atari, Inc. Coin-op
The final coin-operated game under the Atari, Inc. banner was I, Robot (1984). Created by Dave Theurer and Rusty Dawe, I, Robot was the first commercial arcade game to feature filled 3D polygonal graphics. Sadly, only 750 machines were produced, with even less being sold. If you have one in your possession, hold onto it, it is worth a small fortune!

With a vast amount of information out there on Atari, we cross referenced facts, myths and misinformation with the definitive book, Atari Inc. – Business Is Fun by Curt Vendel and Marty Goldberg. If you weren’t aware, Curt Vendel is an Atari historian (since the mid 1980s) and has the largest Atari collection in the world. Curt has collected vast amounts of Atari paperwork and other memorabilia over the last few decades. His intimate knowledge of Atari is second to none.

Advertising Wars, Retro Style

October 18, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Back in the 16-bit war between Sega and Nintendo, it was Sega’s clever marketing department that released some great advertising campaigns. These campaigns were used to either discredit Nintendo’s offering or make you think twice about jumping over to the red side. Campaigns like “Genesis does what Nintendon’t” and “To be this good takes Ages” were memorable campaigns and are still being talked about to this day. Sega protected their (market) patch by firing these broad shots at Nintendo. It obviously worked, as the Genesis had a huge market share in North America. However, things did change once Sega started experimenting with add-ons and lost their way. To their credit, Nintendo built their reputation by consistently producing high quality products and eventually the SNES overcame the market deficit and made it to the top of the 16-bit ladder (in North America) by 1993. Once on top, Nintendo proclaimed “Nintendo Is What Genesisn’t” – a stroke of genius.

Sega’s campaigns were great; however, the boldest examples came from SNK. Their advertising was based around the 24-bit power of their Neo Geo AES (Advanced Entertainment System), and they were shameless and aggressive. The advertising was clearly aimed at male gamers – with ads like “If you’re still playing Sega, NEC or Nintendo you’re nothing but a weenie! If you’re playing the incredibly high powered Neo Geo system you’re a real hot dog!” and the menacing pitbull mascot proclaiming that the Neo Geo was “Bigger, Badder, Better”. However, my favourite Neo Geo advertisement was the raunchy “I Remember When He Couldn’t Keep His Hands Off Me!” – perhaps the ad should have come with a warning.

SNK were going after every player in the market, not just the big boys Sega and Nintendo. Even poor old NEC (TurboGrafx-16) was being attacked. With the premium price of the AES system and games, SNK had to do whatever they could to snag some market share, even if it meant fighting dirty.

Being the king of the hill makes you a target, so it would have been no surprise to Nintendo to be in the crosshairs of every competitor’s marketing department. Not only were they being attacked on the console front, Nintendo was also fighting the handheld war with Atari (Lynx) with their “Lynx Eats Boy’s Lunch” ad blitz and Sega (Game Gear) with their “Separate The Men From The Boys” campaigns. It is safe to say, we all know how that battle ended.

They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. I hope to see more of this old school mud-slinging marketing for the new generation gaming systems.

The Thrill Of The Chase: Garage Sale Loot

October 8, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Last Saturday I set my alarm for 6:30am. Had I lost my mind? Why would I do such a thing on the weekend? I’ll tell you why – I wanted to get to the once-in-a-blue-moon Lobo’s Collectables garage sale. The garage sale was slotted for a 7:00am start. Knowing that the best items go first, I wanted to ensure that I was the early bird that caught the worm. Upon arrival, I could see the back alley garage sale being manned by two Star Wars heavyweights, Darth Maul on one side and Jar Jar Binks on the other. As I approached, I noticed that I wasn’t the only early bird trying to snag the worm. To say the place was packed, would be a gross understatement. I started my surveillance of the area, looking for all things related to retro gaming and vintage toys – Star Wars and Masters Of The Universe (MOTU) in particular. Once the reconnaissance was completed, I devised my plan to squeeze past the hordes and get to my targets.

Once the targets were reached, I did not waste time in grabbing items out of boxes and off the shelves. I was clutching them tightly. My plan was executed flawlessly and I walked out with all the goodies I was after – Atari VCS/2600 game cartridges and retro gaming figurines, Star Wars items and Masters Of the Universe action figures. As a bonus, I latched onto a MOTU board game. It seemed that everyone missed it in the mad rush! It pays to keep your eyes open.

As I drove away, with my loot in hand, I was reflecting on what to have for breakfast. Bring on the next garage sale!

Book Review: Atari Inc. – Business Is Fun

July 30, 2013 By ausretrogamer

‘Atari Inc. – Business Is Fun’ documents Atari’s history from its humble beginnings in the early 70s, to its meteoric rise and then, its downward spiral in the 80s. Atari had a big hand in bringing video gaming to the masses, and then almost bringing the same industry to its knees. These events are all retold in exquisite detail.

From its very beginnings, Atari lacked (business) discipline and clear market direction. It is evident from this book, that Atari just wanted to be part of the video games action, no matter what. Co-founder Nolan Bushnell aggressively advanced the company and Atari’s market and popularity grew rapidly. It seemed that Atari could not put a foot wrong – everything they created, from coin operated machines to the Video Computer System (2600) console, turned to gold.

There was a culture of ‘anything goes’ inside Atari, from their weekly staff parties to casual drug taking – it was all about having fun while creating video gaming hardware and software!

Stripping back the myths and misconceptions, this book sets the record straight in what went on behind the scenes at Atari. It wasn’t all glamour and high-fives. The authors spoke to the ‘real’ people at Atari who gave first person accounts of their experiences in the once titan of the video games industry.

The content grips you like a vice and does not let go until you have read every page. There are a few dry chapters where the authors cover the technical details of Atari’s home computer range, but these could be deemed optional for the non-technical reader.

You will be in awe of the people behind Atari and their many creations – which have withstood the test of time (even outlasting the company!). You will also be shocked to read about the back-stabbings, the parties, the drugs, and the backroom wheeling and dealing. I would not be surprised if Hollywood comes knocking on Martin Goldberg and Curt Vendel’s door.

Verdict: With never before seen photos and content exclusively obtained from the people at Atari, this book is a must read for any video games fan, not just Atarians. Buy it now!

Atari Inc. – Business is Fun [by: Goldberg & Vendel] is available in Paperback and Kindle.

Hot Wheels: Atari Nostalgics

June 4, 2013 By ausretrogamer

What do you get when you cross an iconic toy car brand with a video gaming icon? You get the awesomely cool and soon to become collectable, Atari Nostalgics Hot Wheels series.

This Hot Wheels series consists of six Atari games inspired vehicles:

’55 Chevy Panel – Tempest
Custom ’52 Chevy – Pong
’49 Ford C.O.E. – Breakout
GMC Motorhome – Atari 2600
Cool One – Centipede
Fast Gassin – Missile Command

Mattel and Atari have capitalised on the retro gaming movement by creating this range of collectable vehicles. If you were lucky enough to find them all, hold onto them, they will become highly sought after in no time. If you are anything like me, rip them out of their packaging and have some fun!

Competition: Win Atari 2600 Games

March 24, 2013 By ausretrogamer

COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED!

In celebration of the new look ausretrogamer.com, we would like to offer you the chance to win these Atari 2600 games: Missile Command, Space Invaders and Freeway.

To enter this competition: email your age, gender, occupation, and the amount of time you spend gaming in a typical week to [email protected] with “A2600 Comp” in the subject line. We won’t pass your information on to anyone else; we just want to know a little bit about our readers. Read our privacy policy here.

a2600_comp1

California Games: Fun In The Sun

March 21, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Format: Atari Lynx
Media: Cartridge
Year: 1989
Developer: Epyx
Publisher: Atari

Ah California – where the sun always shines, the surfing is great and beach parties rock with scantily clad women with golden tans aplenty. Throw some cool sporting events into a competition and you have yourself some California Games.

If it was one game that Atari was betting on to shift more Lynx units, this one was it – California Games. The Lynx version of Cali Games turned out a bit different from its console and home computer counterparts. Firstly, the number of events was cut down to four: BMX, Half Pipe, Surfing and Footbag. Secondly, the BMX and Surfing events were tweaked for the Lynx screen which actually made them quite enjoyable to play. Thirdly, you could not pick your sponsor (oh no, I wanted Santa Cruz boards!). Lastly, gone were the earthquakes, the taunting dolphin and the menacing shark with sunglasses.

Now, I know what you are thinking, what the hell is left in this Lynx version of California Games! Relax, chill out like a real West Coaster. This game is so awesome, I would recommend you to get a Lynx just to play it. The learning curve to play the events is quite easy, with the half pipe event being the most difficult to get used to out of the four. For those of you that have never had the pleasure of playing California Games, let’s run through the event playbook:

BMX – Ride your bike on the stunt course strewn with obstacles and get to the finish line before the timer runs out. The more stunts performed and the faster you hit that finish line, the better your score. If you keep on crashing on the way to the finish line, the event spits you out.

Half Pipe – grab your board and hit the half pipe to build up your momentum. Once you have some speed, hit each ramp with some cool tricks to gain points.

Surfing – my personal favourite of all the events. Surfing was changed on this version to riding the wave from ‘right to left’ – this actually breathed a new life to this event, as I was never crazy about surfing on the console versions. You earn points by staying ahead of the wave and getting airborne to perform (multiple) spins. Yes, I can do quadruple spins – that is a 1440! Oh yeah you must land the board on the wave at an angle that won’t see you diving into the surf.

Footbag – or hacky sack. The premise is simple, keep the bag off the ground by kicking, kneeing or head-butting it in the air. Earn extra points by spinning around while the bag is in the air or by hitting George. Who is George you ask ? He is the friendly seagull that you hit as he flies across the top of the screen. Luckily animal welfare groups were cool about knocking off seagulls back in 1989.

The challenge of each event is always to beat your (or your friends) high score. The only way to achieve a higher score is to nail the timing in each event. Get the timing wrong, and not only does your score suffer, the game also humiliates you with light hearted quips. Thankfully, these were left in the Lynx game.

So there you have it – four obscure events that are quite enjoyable to play. If you have a Lynx, California Games is a mandatory addition to your games library.

Graphics	Awesome detail and animation in all events. This game shows off the power of the Lynx	92%
Sound	Simply awesome and ambient tunes for each event. The sound effects are just so sweet too	92%
Playability	Four distinct events which will keep you on your toes	94%
Lastability	Single or multi player, this game is built to be replayed so those high scores and records can be broken	95%
Overall	The perfect mix of variation, challenge, enjoyment and fun.	93%

Video Games Graveyard

March 18, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Survival of the fittest or just plain bad business decisions. Just as Betamax was left in the wake of the VHS behemoth, the video games market is strewn with carcasses of systems and games that just never made it.

Some of history’s most spectacular gaming console flops come from two of the industry’s heavy hitters, Atari and Sega. The hardware manufacturing death knell was getting quite loud at Atari – they decided to throw in the towel and quit making games consoles after the Atari Jaguar was caught in the crossfire of the Sega versus Nintendo battle of the 1990s. The Jaguar was rushed to market and suffered the consequences. Selling fewer than 250,000 units just wasn’t going to cut it. Perhaps Atari should have done the math (get it!) before they embarked on the Jaguar.

A few years after Atari ceased making hardware, it was Sega’s turn to wave the console making white flag. Once a pillar of the video games console industry, Sega’s Dreamcast was met with initial enthusiasm but Sega also abandoned making consoles after the Dreamcast was smashed by the new kid on the block, Sony’s PlayStation 2.

As for gaming flops, Atari’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial takes the gong. The game was rushed (it took 5 weeks to develop) to retail stores for the 1982 Christmas season but was such a disappointment, that millions of unsold game cartridges ended up in landfill in the New Mexico desert. Atari ordered more E.T. cartridges to be made than there were installed Atari VCS 2600 units! Again, Atari should have DONE THE MATH.

Top 5 Games Charts: March 1981

February 22, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Let’s rewind back to March 1981, dead smack in the middle of a thriving arcade age and a killer home console scene. These were heady times for Atari – they were dominating the arcades and the home video games market.

To find out what we were playing as youngsters, here are the top 5 games from March 1981 for the Atari 2600, Arcade and the venerable Game & Watch.

	1) Dragster (Activision)
	2) Pele’s Soccer (Atari)
	3) Video Pinball (Atari)
	4) Fishing Derby (Activision)
	5) Golf (Atari)

	1) Pac-Man (Namco)
	2) Missile Command (Atari)
	3) Battlezone (Atari)
	4) Defender (Williams Electronics)
	5) Space Panic (Universal)

	1) Fire (Nintendo)
	2) Manhole (Nintendo)
	3) Helmet (Nintendo)
	4) Vermin (Nintendo)
	5) Flagman (Nintendo)

Best-Selling Video Game Consoles: 1972 to 2002

January 2, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Do you remember those school-yard arguments you used to have with your friends about which video game console was better: Atari vs Intellivision or Sega vs Nintendo ?
Finally, you can check out the best-selling video game consoles from 1972 to 2002 figures below and put an end to those endless arguments – or will this just reopen old wounds ? [Read more…] about Best-Selling Video Game Consoles: 1972 to 2002

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