Atari reveals the Ataribox joystick, but can it be used to play modern games?
I've been tough on Atari's lack of information about the Ataribox console. The joystick they revealed - five months later - is a futuristic take on the original 2600 VCS joystick. It's beautiful, gorgeous even, but it seems ill suited for modern games.
Atari reveals the Ataribox joystick, but can it be used to play modern games?
Atari claims their upcoming video game console will play retro games as well as modern games. That sounds great, but the controller they presented has one fire button. It's a near duplication of the original 2600 VCS joystick. I hope they also have a modern controller for today's games.
Delivering a new gaming console into a market that just received Nintendo's iteration of mobile & home in the Switch along with Sony & Microsoft adding enhanced consoles to their existing lines... well, it's a tough time to come to market. I assume Atari is well aware of this as the Ataribox will come to fruition via crowd funding on Indiegogo.
Although I can play a large number of "retro" titles on any of my existing modern consoles, Atari seems to differentiate themselves by adding retro games from the 1980s alongside the ability to play modern games. Sounds good, but I'm not sure if that alone will allow another game console into a saturated market.
I'd love to see this joystick released with a 9-pin connector for my old Atari 2600! I'd buy that in an instant. Atari has mentioned a $300 price tag for the Ataribox which prices it out of my reach for what it appears to be offering. We wish Atari luck in once again bringing a game console to market.
