Lesser known hardware the on ramp we never saw coming: Atari VCS 800

Forward

The Atari VCS has been in and out of the news for the last couple of years, and the coverage has been mostly negative due to the seemingly "shady" practices by the company. These practices, which can be summed up as ignorance on the part of all parties involved, has caused a cloud of mistrust around the otherwise solid idea. I won't waste time going over every issue they have had with production, or the demos of the system running games that aren't officially going to be on system. If you're interested I'm sure it wont take you long to find out all you need to know by doing a google search.

So why am I talking about a system that when released will probably be a flop? Simple, I see opportunity here, as a gamer, a developer and as a blockchain user.

The Kit

ATARI VCS 800 SYSTEM

• Operating System: Atari Custom Linux OS (Linux Kernel)
• APU: AMD Raven Ridge 2
• GPU: Ryzen
• Storage: 32GB eMMC internal, unlimited external USB HD/stick, cloud (subscription required)
• RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM (upgradable)
• Compatible Systems: Linux, Windows, Steam OS, Chrome OS
• Wireless Connections: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4/5GHz, Bluetooth 4.0
• Wired Connections: HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, 4x USB 3.1
• USB Ports: 2x front, 2x rear
• External Inputs: Classic Joystick, Modern Controller, Microphone, Others TBD
• Mouse & Keyboard Support: Yes, USB or Bluetooth
• 4K Video w/ HDCP 2.2 Integration

They also plan on having a slightly cheaper version called the VCS 400 which comes with 4 GB of ram instead of 8. Which I'm guessing is where the numbering system comes from.

Looking at the stats and the image you can clearly see they aren't trying to compete with the big three. With the next generation of console coming this gear, though decent for the price point, just wont cut it. Then again that isn't really the point of the system, the VCS is and I quote "A raspberry pi for the living room" - Atari VCS spokesperson - and that my friends is where the device gets interesting.

The Real Value

Right now, as an indie game developer you have a whole host of options when it comes to delivering your game to consumers on PC and mobile. You have Steam, Itch.io, Discord, Epic Store, GoG, etc. and of course on mobile you have iOS and Android each with their own pros and cons. By all accounts this is great, though being discovered on those platforms is harder than one might think. This also leaves out one very large audience, the console only gamers.

At the time of writing, developing for console is not a hard task, as there are plenty of game engines that support exporting to consoles. However, what they don't tell you is that YOU have to be a licensed developer for these consoles before you can distribute the game on these channels. Along with the money involved in those licenses other stipulations are applied. Such as needing to use their networking API, their cloud service, their login services, etc. this lockin keeps developers from quickly porting their games from one system to the next and excluding a lot of games due to their connection with block chains or outside networks. Atari seems to be very lax on what can go in their store, though they haven't shared many details on it yet, beyond that it will be somewhere between Android and Apples approach and that they have a blockchain based token that will be used to buy and sell things on the store.

The numbers game

Right now blockchain games are at their infancy. With things like splinterlands and colonywars being the best examples of what a blockchain game can be. Though even the developers of those games will admit that the genre of game that they are now a part of is teaming with competition, and their product would be buried if they weren't connected to the blockchain as they are.

The same could be said for these smaller consoles. When you are one game in a thousand you have a much better chance of being found and exulted in the eyes of the community than being one in one hundred thousand as it is on other platforms. Not to mention the publicity that you would get from the company that made the device.

The family effect

Though I may be in the minority, but most if not all my extended family shares one thing in common. Non of them are "computer people." Some of them own smart phones, some even smart watches, but the idea of spending money on computers to play games is so beyond them that it may as well not be a thing. That being said what they DO understand is consoles, and what they can buy at Walmart or Gamestop. So If I say "Hey I made this really cool game" they might be interested. If I say it only works on PC they would shrug it off and go about their day. But If I said "My game is on a Console that they can buy at Walmart" Hot dog, they're on their way to Wally world.
Now I'm 37 years old, and I know that my games on a console will sale consoles within my family, but how many more units would sale if the developer was 18? Or 12? How many grandparents that bought a Wii would by an Atari because their grandchild made a game for it? And with every unit sold, so to will your game be sold, along with everyone else that took the chance on the long shot.

What about the blockchain?

So along with all the reasons that we shouldn't completely dismiss the VCS this one might be the most compelling (at least for some). The Atari VCS is as close as most of us will ever get to creating content for a console. A console that can be controlled not by large companies, but smaller ones, and communities like STEEM. We could have the controlling interest in the device, dictated by the very things we make for it. As and example, lets say Splinterlands makes a native VCS game that connects to the Steem blockchain as always and because its a decently preforming game on the platform they get featured in non crypto circles as being a good casual game on the VCS. Then Allonian Seed, or Colony wars, or some yet unknown block chain game creates their native port. Before you know it countless people are playing blockchain games, spending steem-engine tokens (or the like), or maybe even watching dtube or VIMM streams on their console without even considering that they are now a part of the revolution that has been cut off from the uninitiated.

Is it a long shot? Sure, but so was bitcoin and STEEM. Hell, even the internet itself was a "long shot", but if it fails and the Atari VCS shudders its doors a year after launch, we still have the hardware, the hardware is open enough by design to allow for it to become something even more amazing that the original design, and if its a success the indie world gets a new champion, and we could have the upper hand in making a real difference in a community that is otherwise untapped.

What do you all think? Am I crazy? Comments and the like are always welcome.

P.S.

The VCS is still in pre-order stage, delays and other issues might arise as well as the chance of all this being a complete waste of money and time. However, I plan on getting on the list as soon as money allows and will be using the VCS as a teaching tool for my Game development classes. I also plan on releasing steem integrated games on the platform.
Atari the name and the logo aren't owned by the original developers of the Atari and has been sold off by numerous companies throughout the years. I know very little of the company that currently owns the right beyond what information is available on their site. Thus I can not, and should not be held liable for any losses anyone that follows me or the advice in this post.