Atari Adventure Centers - A Look Inside The Atari Store Of The '80s

[Justin]

 

 

 

In late 1983, as the affects of the video game crash were taking hold, Atari was putting the final touches on a brilliant retail concept that would present Atari as a lifestyle brand and place Atari in retail locations across America. It was called “Atari Adventure” — a retail store that mixed ideas of arcades, interactive cinemas, amusement park attractions, computer learning, video game and computer stores, and world’s fair pavilions, creating a retail experience unlike any other. Visitors to Atari Adventure stores would enter from the mall into an extraordinary environment where they could learn how Atari technology fit into their everyday lives and get up close with revolutionary new phones, computers, games and gizmos.

 

I've posted an entire article on the blog about Atari Adventure with lots of great pictures and videos: http://www.atari.io/atari-adventure/

 

 

 

Atari Adventure Centers

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpL-vpBJopc

 

 

 

 

AtariTel - Atari Smart Telephones presented by Alan Alda

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzGsPGaxXYo

[DeLorean]

Justin, this is the coolest thing I have seen on this website. Good job.

[Shark69]

wonderful Stuff Justin...quite the M>A<S>H up ...pun intended for the Alan Alda tele vid..some super Atari goodness 4 sho  :
)

[Fire_In_The_Valley]

That was the coolest Atari article I've read all year, thanks for sharing.

[Arcade Dude 44]

If I were a millionaire (Billionaire!?)...which I certainly am not, I would totally build something like this!  I'm guessing that it wouldn'be be profitable, but I bet there would still be plenty of people that would enjoy the awesomeness!  Boy do I sure miss the early 80's...

[RadioPoultry]

Great article!  This is the first I've heard about this.

 

Also, the videos are a wonderful look at corporate humility.

 

"And since Atari is owned by Warner Communications, it is a company here today and here tomorrow"

 

"...then they practically created the field of home computers."

[Atari Adventure Square]

This is a wonderful article. What a dream palace of retro awesomeness.

 

Y'know, in a way, today's remaining arcades have adopted the widescreen playfield (mostly for co-op racing games and ultimate Dance-Dance-a-thons) to lure dwindling customers to something unique from home gaming.

 

But this Atari Adventure center is something out of a dream.

And I'm sure my 80s dreamscapes had such landmarks at some points, as single visits to well-stocked out-of-town arcades imprinted the mind as iif they were spiritual pilgrimages.

 

Man oh man. I'm also reminded of Logan's Run gathering center, where futuristic shops occupied the space with extraordinary offerings.

 

Yeah, please please please let some billionaire see this and make it come true.

Heck, the layout plans are at the end of the video!

You can do it!

For science!