For all we know, this could be some other company, with deep pockets, licensing the Atari name. In any case, the owner of Atari at this point has nothing to do with the company that was producing consoles 30 years ago.

Realistically though, this is almost definitely a retro console. I know they've done one before, but with the success of the NES classic, I'm sure they're hoping to cash in on that hype train.

It's confirmed that it's not a retro console, nor does it have anything to do with vintage gaming.

Later this year Atari will launch the "Atari Flashback 8 Gold" for your classic Atari gaming needs. Apparently they release an annual vintage console every year. The Atari Box is NOT this.



http://ca.ign.com/articles/2017/06/10/atari-flashback-8-gold-console-includes-120-atari-2600-games

not to be a dick but there's a reason the Atari 2600 has never been hugely popular for replaying in the retro gaming market- a lot of its games are shit and a bit too basic. bear in mind when the 2600 first came out there were no rules or regulations in the marketplace for limiting who could release games for a system; i.e. anyone could technically create a game and try to get it in a store to sell.

Obviously this abundance of bad games being allowed without having to get permission from Atari is a big part of what caused the crash of the video game industry in like 83 or whatever, lack of regulations and a bloated ugly library for the 2600.

Now there are SOME classics on the system but I think what it comes down to is the games are fairly primitive and unappealing to the eye. The best looking games on the Master System and NES are just light years better in appearance to anything on the 2600; and the 2600 was pretty limited with a majority of games being either puzzles or shooters of some sort. 

Anyway bit of a ramble but I just am not sure what the goal of this system is realistically- the Atari Flashback and things of that nature have shown over time that there is a limited interest. And again it falls to the 2600 games being extremely basic and there being a limited number of massively popular nostalgic hits.

After all in the late 70s and early 80s what people really are nostalgic for and appreciate are the actual ARCADE games (Galaga, Donkey Kong, etc.),  not so much 2600 or Intellivision stuff 

Lots of disrespect towards Atari in this thread, especially when they paved the way for the big three we love today imo. I will buy a new console from them in a heartbeat. I'd love for a fourth major league console in the industry. It's only good for gamers.

haha I gurantee you it will have a retro spin; bear in mind this is almost certainly a small company using the Atari name; as far as I know Atari as everyone knew it died a long time ago. So really the only thing it could be is some sort of device based on Atari games. maybe with a special gimmick, like a flash drive with free access to a website to download any Atari library games you want (granted obviously someone could easily already do this with the plethora of emulators out there, but still I think it might be something they'll try to do more officially).

Not sure what else it could be as, again, I don't think a real company of any size is behind this

why does Atari get all of the credit? why not Intellivision as well?

I don't think people lack respect for Atari, I like the 2600 fine for what it is, but it's naturally expected that the first real home console generation would have a lot of rough looking games and the lack of regulation at the time allowed for a load of shovelware to be sold in stores.

but you're mistaken in how you address it- Atari the console developer died in the mid 90s, the company that exists now mostly just uses the Atari trademark to make money and does little else. They are a tiny company and will not be releasing a contemporary console ever. This is almost certainly an NES Classic like move, even that I'm sort of doubtful of though given the micro size of the current 'Atari' branded company 

(just for further use, the 'Atari' wiki shows some loose revenue figures for whatever the current 'Atari' branded company is for like 2014/15 and they're vastly too small to being doing anything except for some sort of retro initiative console. Even that I'm uncertain of, unless there is another company/party involved that is paying them to use the license)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari,_SA

The company went through bankruptcy only four years ago and have somehow gotten themselves out of it.

Are you sure that's been confirmed?  The Atari CEO's statement, at least what I've seen, does not definitively say that it isn't retro related.  

Guys. April Fools is over a long time ago.

Nintendo: The Wii U and the Virtual Boy were some of the most embarrassing flops ever

Atari: hold my beer