The saying goes, “What is old is new again.” In the video game industry, that has been illustrated by a company like Nintendo suddenly cranking out limited runs of retro-themed products like the NES Classic Mini and the soon-to-release SNES Classic Mini, with selections of popular games on emulation software. Sega has tried to follow its longtime rival by making their classics available on mobile with a platform that takes cues from Netflix. But they’re not the only gaming giant of the past trying to bring those glory days back. Atari too has shown its hand during E3 2017 by teasing a console they call the Ataribox.
One month later, they are offered the very first look at that console, but nothing more.
Classic look
Atari has released photographs of the upcoming retro console they are developing, known by the simple moniker of “Ataribox.” Or at least they’re showing the public what the exterior will look like when released. Just a single glance at the casing will broadcast to the gaming community that Atari, presently part of the Atari SA holding company, is milking the nostalgia factor of their name for all that it is worth, with its style hearkening to the legendary Atari 2600 console.
Veteran gamers who had seen the heyday of Atari before the great video game crash of 1983 – which crippled the company and paved the way for Nintendo to take its place – would appreciate the aesthetics of the Ataribox.
It has ribbed lines and a raised back, as well as a front with the wood paneling. Actually, Atari has announced in its latest reveal that the console will also include a variant replacing the wood finish with glass. The front and sides are minimal in any other detail, save for the Atari logo up front. No buttons seem to be in evidence.
Multiple connections
Of course, the real question to ask at the moment is, what exactly can Atari’s Ataribox do? The company’s press release says rather explicitly that console is more to it than just a retro throwback. It is said to deliver not only “classic gaming content” but “current gaming content” as well. What exactly this means is up in the air, but a look at the Ataribox’s rear might yield some hints.
The number of connectivity options for the console is staggering, with ports for HDMI, USB (four of these), SD card, ethernet, and even a classic audio jack.
What these ports imply is that the Ataribox might be able to do more than the closed gaming environment of Nintendo’s Classic Mini consoles. There’s a lot more that has not been explained, but Atari will likely elaborate on these in the future.
