The Atari Effect

[Frank_Sinatra_]

I don't know why this hasn't dawned on me yet but Im seeing a pattern emerging with Microsoft's Xbox. The Xbox to me seems like its starting to follow in the footsteps of Atari. What I mean is Atari's ill fate in doing quantity over quality.
Microsoft is buying out all the competition (i.e. DLC, ect.) to boost sales for their system they will eventually be the only hard core gaming system out there. Like Atari they are using muscle over brains, through all of their power they will eventually start making crap games and bad systems (they have started that) over keeping quality.

Spoiler: disclaimer

Im typing this at 12:05 so my thoughts are a bit jumbled and I have left Nintendo out of this because I don't see them as a hardcore system

 

[TsunamiWombat]

I don't know why this hasn't dawned on me yet but Im seeing a pattern emerging with Microsoft's Xbox. The Xbox to me seems like its starting to follow in the footsteps of Atari. What I mean is Atari's ill fate in doing quantity over quality.
Microsoft is buying out all the competition (i.e. DLC, ect.) to boost sales for their system they will eventually be the only hard core gaming system out there. Like Atari they are using muscle over brains, through all of their power they will eventually start making crap games and bad systems (they have started that) over keeping quality.

Spoiler: disclaimer

Im typing this at 12:05 so my thoughts are a bit jumbled and I have left Nintendo out of this because I don't see them as a hardcore system

Hi, my name is Bill Gates, have we met?

Microsoft has been doing this shit since the early 90's.

 

[Squarewave]

Atari failed because they had 0 control over the games. The 2600 had no form of DRM or lock out chips any company that wanted to make a 2600 game could do so without paying atari a dime, and they did in mass with little attempts at making something other then clones of other games. Same was true of other systems at the time as well

The NES got around the issue with a combination of the lock out chip and its "seal of quality" program that was little more then just sign that nintendo was getting a cut of the sale

 

[Snotnarok]

Atari failed because they had 0 control over the games. The 2600 had no form of DRM or lock out chips any company that wanted to make a 2600 game could do so without paying atari a dime, and they did in mass with little attempts at making something other then clones of other games. Same was true of other systems at the time as well

The NES got around the issue with a combination of the lock out chip and its "seal of quality" program that was little more then just sign that nintendo was getting a cut of the sale

Atari also failed because they were bought out by the past owner of another company (I think Colicovision...or was it commadore? It's four AM and I don't know haha) and started making computers. The owner saw that nintendo was raking in cash and his company, Atari wasn't doing so well they decided to release the Atari 7800 which was put on hold because of said owner, which at the time was already 2 years old and lacking in the sound, games department and Nintendo had a lot of the 3rd party support. I'm sure the U.S. 7800 joystick didn't help sales any either.

 

[Ace of Spades]

The day that the Xbox is the only hardcore gaming system left will be a dark day for the world. It'll also be the day I stop playing games.

 

[rossatdi]

I don't disagree with you on any particular point but that doesn't mean I think it'll happen.

Sony are more than enough competition to put up a fight. I suspect the next generation will be very exciting.

I miss Sega vs. Nintendo.

<----Guess which side I was on?

 

[Frank_Sinatra_]

I don't disagree with you on any particular point but that doesn't mean I think it'll happen.

Sony are more than enough competition to put up a fight. I suspect the next generation will be very exciting.

I miss Sega vs. Nintendo.

<----Guess which side I was on?

Well Im not saying this is going to happen Im just thinking about what would happen if it did... I think I need more sleep.

 

[Raven28256]

No, no, no, and no some more. There were MANY things that led to the old gaming crash and Atari's fall from grace.

For one, there were too many cocking consoles. People were getting confused. They didn't understand the concept of new consoles because gaming was still young. The parents were just like "Wait, hold on...We have a game console, why do we need another?" I'll stop here, as this is more of a discussion for another time.

Secondly, there was NO quality control whatsoever. Pretty much everyone with the knowledge to make and release a game could do it. This led to some REALLY shitty games getting onto the market. Sure, bad games come out today too, but some REALLY bad stuff made it into the market on a daily basis around the time of the crash.

But, above all else, the number one reason why Atari failed was because they got too corporate and cocky. When they were bought out by Warner they started becoming a lot more strict and focused solely on pumping out new games at quicker rates. The guys at Warner were blinded by dollar signs. They thought only of the money they could make, and sent over people who knew jack shit about games to come up with new ideas and run Atari. A lot of the former, good employees at Atari quit, leaving it to a bunch of suits.

The cocky part is the fact that these corporate buffoons thought that, because games were so popular, they could sell ANYTHING. They started getting deals to make games based off of freaking commercials and products at one point. Imagine if someone was to release a $60 360 or PS3 game based off of the Geico Cave Men commercials and you have a good idea of what Atari was trying to do towards the end. At one point one of the suits looked at the Rubik's Cube and said "Wow...This is so popular...And games are so popular...A Rubik's Cube video game would make MILLIONS!!!" Finally a game designer said "No...Just no...I'll make the game as soon as you explain to me why kids would buy a video game version of a small, portable toy they can buy for under $10."

Really, I think Microsoft is no where NEAR the level that Atari was towards the crash. If anything Nintendo is on their way because the Wii has massive amounts of terrible shovelware.