On June 27, 1972, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney incorporated Atari in Sunnyvale, California. And it's safe to say that if this didn't happen, I'd be a different person. I spent my childhood living and breathing Atari: playing 2600 games, crowding Atari coin-ops crammed into pizzerias and bodegas, and running an Atari 800 bulletin board system (BBS) in the 1980s. Before there were Nintendo, Xbox, or PlayStation consoles, there was Atari. These early experiences inform everything I write about technology now, as an adult, I've written Adventure, Breakout, and Faster Than Light, three books about the Atari's 2600, 800, and ST, plus Attract Mode, a book about arcade coin-ops that features Atari heavily. Many other tech enthusiasts of a certain vintage feel as strongly about Atari as I do. So in honor of the brand's 50th anniversary, it seems appropriate to celebrate and look back on the storied history of one of the most iconic names in technology. Atari 50 will feature more than 90 games — including six new titles “inspired by the classics” — from consoles like the 2600, Jaguar, and Lynx, along with archival photos, images, and even interviews.
If the name Digital Eclipse sounds familiar, it’s probably because the studio has made a name for itself with thoughtful, well-executed classic game collections like the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, The Disney Afternoon Collection, and the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. “When it comes to emulation or bringing classics back or doing really any sort of remastering or reimagining, I don’t know if there’s anybody who does it better than Digital Eclipse, so they were always our first choice,” Atari CEO Wade told Game Informer, according to Digital Eclipse the game will consist of five interactive timelines, which contain information on “the games that launched the modern industry […] through interviews, archival images, special source material and behind-the-scenes content” as players discover games in the timeline, they’ll be able to come out of the timeline and play them, then return to where they left off to continue the story.
The ability to play multiple games in the comfort of your own home was not unlike how VHS changed the movie industry. Consumers wanted to enjoy themselves in their living room. It’s too much to ask someone to put on their pants and trek outside simply for the love of the game.
Launched in 1977, Atari saw millions upon millions of the VCS (2600) fly off the shelves, thanks to high-quality games like Combat and a home version of Space Invaders. It wasn’t until 1983 when a dip in quality with games like ET and Pac-Man and fierce competition began to take Atari down. That year, they reported a loss of $536 million.
Their luck never really turned around, even after the market recovered thanks to the Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1992, the Atari 2600 was officially discontinued. These days you’ll find Atari strolling through the park, feeding the pigeons.
Here's some more info regarding the included games from Atari's website:
Sword quest:Air world – Yes, you read that right: After nearly 40 years of waiting, the team at Digital Eclipse has created the fourth and final entry in the legendary Sword quest series, inspired by the design concepts of original Sword quest creator Tod Frye. Who will be the first to solve its mysteries – and finally complete the quest?
Haunted Houses – The original “survival horror” game for the Atari 2600 gets a modern 3D voxel-based sequel, featuring more houses, more spooky situations, and more urns.
Space game– This mashup celebration of the vector era of gaming combines the gameplay from Asteroids, Tempest, and other vector-based arcade classics into a single, continuous challenge.
Neo Breakout – An amazing and addictive two-player competition that combines the best features of Breakout and Pong, with a modern graphic style.
Quadrat tank – The first new entry in the classic Tank series since 1978 combines features from the original games with four-player fun in team or free-for-all modes.
In all seriousness, Atari hasn’t folded. They are now owned by French company Info games and are still putting out bit games here and there.
Atari 50 is expected to launch in November for just about every modern platform: the PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC, Nintendo Switch, and even the Atari VCS.
Their current output isn’t their legacy. Atari will always be known as the little company with a big vision that captured the world’s heart. Happy birthday, Atari.
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