Atari acquired AtariAge

[GRay Defender]

What are your thoughts about this?

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-acquires-atariage

[RickR]

I think this was assumed to be coming after AA removed a bunch of homebrews from their store. 

I trust and respect Albert @ AtariAge, so I'm going to to with this being a good thing. 

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by RickR

[RickR]

There is a Q&A posted in the AtariAge forums with more information:  https://forums.atariage.com/topic/354589-atariage-atari-qa/

 

[GRay Defender]

I hope you are right but I am worried he will now have to bend to the will of Atari for everything as we have already seen demonstrated.  

[RickR]

People in this hobby always tend to go negative on new products and changes.  I don't know why that is, but it is a real downer to me. 

Atari has shown a lot of positive signs and support of the community.  For example, making homebrews available on the VCS.  Atari employees like @Davpa and others have been outstanding members of the community and are super nice to work with for support and stuff. 

 

[juansolo]

All I'll say is that I'm glad this place exists and I found it recently.

[Smell Dawg]

From the outside looking in, this move appears to be in line with the other moves Atari is making.  It's encouraging watching Atari grow and, more importantly, try.

[DegasElite]

4 minutes ago, Smell Dawg said:

From the outside looking in, this move appears to be in line with the other moves Atari is making.  It's encouraging watching Atari grow and, more importantly, try.

Agreed. Maybe something will come out of this that is really good. I hope so. :O)

[Sabertooth]

I'm willing to give Atari the benefit of the doubt. They have really been trying since Rosen took over from Chesnais in April 2021 and refocused the company on console games.

Also, Atari have been really hands off with Moby Games since the acquisition. I think they will take a similar approach with AA. 

I also think this can only be a good thing in terms of modern game development on legacy Atari platforms. 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

To be honest, AtariAge is back where it belongs...and I don't mean that in any sort of negative way.  What is AA without Atari behind the wheel?  It would be nice to see Atari also bring back the APX program.  Maybe someday they will but I'm all for Atari acquiring AA.

[RickR]

Good points!

I think it is an acknowledgement that Atari recognizes AA has been carrying the torch properly for the last 25 years. 

[- Ω -]

I followed the link and found this posted, "... Atari has no intention of censoring speech or restricting topics of conversation."  I'm sorry, I don't believe that

Spoiler

B.S.

for a minute.  I remember just a while back some guy made an off-the-cuff comment on how he didn't post much because restrictions.  The moderator (OLDCS1) asked him for examples, he supplied MANY, so then they erased the examples he posted and banned him.  There are many good people, who've been banned or run off from AtariAge.  As long as it continues to be run by the current crew, I doubt anything will change.  I'm so thankful this place exists with real friendly people.

[TrekMD]

Somehow I'm not surprised by this.  When Al removed homebrews that were related to IP, a lot of talk went around this possibility.  I think this will be good for Al.  Hopefully it is also good for the community. 

[MistaMaddog]

I figured it would eventually happen since Al removed all the unlicensed arcade ports for "legal" reasons, and the AA store has better expereince at selling physical carts than Atari XP right now so it makes sense.

The homebrewing community on that site though, especially the ones that hate NuAtari, are gonna be PO'ed!

 

[GRay Defender]

I must be really naive, because I thought maybe he's just cleaning up house to stave off any legal issues that could arise in the future 🙂 I really do wish Al the best and hope everything works out fine for the community!

[MaximumRD]

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ATTENTION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A reminder whatever anyone's personal take on this, KEEP IT CIVIL and no trash-talking Atariage (OR ANY OTHER SITE) NOT SAYING THIS HAS HAPPENED YET
but past experience on several occasions has taught us how discussions like this can quickly decline. WE are not a source of, nor do we encourage or foster any type of cross forums "DRAMA" our site is friends with and respectful of ALBERT and ATARIAGE. Everyone has an opinion but keep it civil, respectful etc. 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posting a copy of these posts from Atariage for informational purposes as a courtesy for clarity and convenience, this will be the only one 😉 for anyone who cannot or prefers to not access over on ATARIAGE: 

Pinned Post - AtariAge + Atari

Greetings!

I have an important announcement to make to the AtariAge community, and I'll cut right to the chase: AtariAge has agreed to be acquired by Atari, and I have come on as a full-time employee at Atari.  This won't be a surprise to some of you, given the speculation I've seen over the past month.

The first thing I'd like to say is that this is not a decision I made lightly!  If you asked me 20 years ago if I would have considered working for Atari (much less selling AtariAge to Atari), I would have said no.  But fast forward to the present, and this is the first version of Atari I've seen since the 1980s that is taking many positive steps to restore the magic that we all associated with the original company, the Atari that left so many of us with enduring memories of experiencing the Atari 2600 for the first time, learning how to program on an Atari 800, or pumping quarters into the amazing arcade games produced by Atari in the heyday of arcades.

Atari is now taking its retro-related IP seriously and is creating a wide array of hardware and software based on that IP, while also creating new, original content.  It is very exciting to see Atari release the 2600+, a new 2600 you can feed actual cartridges, and without giving anything specific away, this is just the beginning of what we're going to see from Atari going forward.  Atari, for the first time in years, is targeting and embracing enthusiasts like ourselves, while also making products that appeal to those who grew up with Atari and have a fond nostalgia of the brand, but aren't steeped in retro gaming as we are.

I am very excited to be working for Atari, and with Atari's resources I will be able to make significant improvements to AtariAge over time.  This also opens up many new opportunities for homebrew  developers, where original games created by the amazingly talented community at AtariAge will have a much broader audience.

My role at Atari will be multifaceted, but my primary tasks, especially early on, will be to operate AtariAge as I have been doing for the past two decades.  This includes managing the forums and the AtariAge Store.  Longer term, I will have more time to significantly update the games database, something I've wanted to do for some time, but simply have not had the bandwidth for.  And I will be moving the store early in the new year to a new ecommerce platform, something I’ve wanted to accomplish for a while now.

Since AtariAge’s modest beginnings in April, 2001, AtariAge has grown significantly.  The early version of the site only contained the games database and forum, with the store coming later with a handful of titles.  Fast forward to 2023, and I've published hundreds of games for a variety of consoles, and that shows no signs of slowing down.

There is an incredible community of talented developers, consisting of programmers, pixel artists, musicians, sound engineers, artists and designers all weaving their magic to create amazing games with stunning packaging.  It is remarkable the talent that is involved in creating these new games, as well as new hardware, and I am honored that so many have allowed me to publish their games in physical form in the AtariAge Store over the years.  And the store has allowed AtariAge to exist without placing advertising on the site, and we intend to maintain that ad-free policy going forward.

While I have greatly enjoyed running AtariAge and the amazing community that has evolved throughout this journey over the past two decades, it's taken an increasingly large amount of my time to manage.  I had come to a point where I needed to make some sort of change, and I began scheming on ideas that would help reduce the amount of time it takes me to build and ship games.  And I really have not been happy that the games database has languished over the years, as that was always an enjoyable area of the site for me to work on.

Early last year, Atari approached me about the possibility of working more closely together.  Talks were slow at first, but they accelerated at the beginning of this year, and after months of going back and forth, we finally worked out a deal that benefits both parties.

What does this mean?  Short-term, nothing is going to change.  I will continue running the entire AtariAge website, including the forums and the store.  Nothing is going to be neutered in the forums, and Atari will not have access to personal conversations, private forums and clubs, and so forth.  No content is going to be removed from the forum, and those posting content will be liable for anything they post (which was already the case).

I will also be running the store, building games, shipping games, and publishing new games for the store.  In fact, I am currently working on releasing over 20 new games on a variety of platforms for the upcoming Portland Retro Gaming Expo. Over time, and with Atari’s help, I will be able to more efficiently produce and ship these games, without sacrificing quality (which is very important to me). This will free up more of my time to make improvements to other areas of AtariAge, as well as embark on new and exciting projects.

Working with Atari was one of several possible solutions to bring some sanity back to my life.  Other possibilities included shutting the site down and walking away, taking the store down and leaving the forum and games database, or some combination of the above.  Or I could have just sold the site to some entity, whether it be Atari or another company or individual, without further involvement from me.  However, it  was very important to me to find a solution that allowed me to keep the forums and store running with my involvement.  Working with Atari was the best way to do so while working towards the goal of reducing the hours I am working every week, while opening up new and interesting ways for Atari and AtariAge to work together that weren’t available previously.

AtariAge will still have a large, 45' x 30' booth at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo this year, which is 50% larger than any booth we've had in the past. And I expect this to continue each year going forward, with the possibility of attending additional events during the year rather than just PRGE each year.  One fun thing we're going to do this year with this extra space is have several Atari 2600+ consoles on display, complete with a large assortment of games to play on them, including homebrew games.

As I mentioned above, this does open up some new avenues for homebrew authors. For instance, Atari is interested in bringing more content to their VCS platform, and a few homebrew authors have already been working with Atari to sell their games on the VCS (such as with Amoeba Jump and Tower of Rubble).  And such arrangements don’t affect the AtariAge Store.  I still plan on offering digital downloads in the store once I get the store moved to new software, which will be a primary focus of mine once I get through several other major tasks (such as surviving this year's PRGE).

There's also the possibility of original homebrew games being released in physical form under the Atari label if they do well in the AtariAge Store.  With the new 2600+ console, Atari is certainly interested in compelling, original content to augment that platform, and of course the XP line will continue along as well.  And I anticipate many other  interesting possibilities over time as well.  I feel this will greatly benefit the homebrew community, homebrew authors, and everyone who loves seeing new games for the Atari 2600 and other classic systems.

I want to thank all the homebrew developers who have allowed me to publish their games in the AtariAge Store over the years.  You are a very important reason why AtariAge still exists and has thrived, and why AtariAge remains a free and ad-free website.  It’s very rewarding to help authors realize their games in physical form with beautiful packaging, and your creations have helped keep the Atari 2600 and many other classic consoles and computers fresh in our minds.  I look forward to working with all of you to further expand the library of amazing games for our favorite classic consoles and computers.

I also want to express my extreme gratitude to the moderators who have helped maintain some semblance of sanity over the forums all this time, especially the global moderators who have purview over the entire forum.  I greatly appreciate the time you have put into the forum, as it's impossible for me to see everything that is posted.  Without you, the AtariAge forums would likely not still exist!  Here’s to another 20 years of discussing a wide variety of retrogaming topics on AtariAge!

Thank you for reading and take care,

 ..Al

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinned post -  AtariAge + Atari Q&A

Here are a few questions and answers to get things going.  As more are asked and answered in this thread, I will also add them to this post.

 

Will Albert Yarusso continue to be involved in AtariAge?

Albert Yarusso will continue to oversee AtariAge on a day-to-day basis and manage the forums, supported by volunteer global and individual forum moderators. In addition, Al will become Atari’s new internal historian, and will continue to work with homebrew developers seeking to bring new titles to market.

Is Atari planning any significant changes to the AtariAge site, forums or mission?

Atari has no plans to change the AtariAge site or its mission. The only near-term change that users will experience is the roll-out of a new ecommerce infrastructure, an effort initiated by Albert Yarusso that precedes Atari’s involvement.

How does Atari view the AtariAge forums and the community it supports?

Atari views AtariAge as an invaluable resource to the community of fans and developers who have supported the brand for 50 years, and to Atari as a brand and a company.  The AtariAge community has contributed to the long-term resilience of Atari, the documentation of the company’s games, and sustained interest in Atari’s legacy hardware and software platforms.

Will Atari censor speech within the forums, including criticism of Atari?

The content of the forums is ruled by the posted rules of conduct, and enforced by the site’s moderators. Atari has no intention of censoring speech or restricting topics of conversation.

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by MaximumRD

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Sounds like AA is in good hands.  I hope this new venue with Atari is a good thing. I personally was excited when I saw the new 2600+ console.  It has been a long time for Atari to, in my opinion, wake up and do just that.  Father and nurture the original VCS IPs you own.  Don't milk the games to death, make new hardware.  And that's what they did.  

I hope Atari will look into other console manufacturing in the future.  And I do hope the 2600+ and Atari's involvement with AA do extremely well.  I have never wished AA ill will...I just found Atari IO to have an atmosphere I enjoy more.  I feel more comfortable here.  I like the people here.  Im not talking bad about it but AA to me felt more divided...here its like we all went to school together.  If that makes sense.  

Good luck to AA and Atari on their new relationship and I look forward to seeing what you guys do together.  And here's to the success of the new 2600+.  May it find homes with a new generation of gamers just lime the old 2600 left a lasting impression on us older generations.  

[MaximumRD]

7 minutes ago, Atari 5200 Guy said:

I hope Atari will look into other console manufacturing in the future.  And I do hope the 2600+ and Atari's involvement with AA do extremely well.  I have never wished AA ill will...I just found Atari IO to have an atmosphere I enjoy more.  I feel more comfortable here.  I like the people here.  Im not talking bad about it but AA to me felt more divided...here its like we all went to school together.  If that makes sense.  

It makes perfect sense, it is why we knew there was a place for another Atari (and other classic gaming platforms ) site, I can assure you all of us staff and everyone here are very protective of this community and feel the exact same way. 👍The more people feel welcomed here and are comfortable to share and discuss all things retro the more we like it. We do try to keep it light and fun and never at the expense of others, we want this to be an escape from the drama and outside turmoil as much as possible. 

[juansolo]

7 hours ago, TrekMD said:

Somehow I'm not surprised by this.  When Al removed homebrews that were related to IP, a lot of talk went around this possibility.  I think this will be good for Al.  Hopefully it is also good for the community. 

I'm sure it will be good for Al and I understand him doing it. The dude was completely overwhelmed as a one man outfit doing everything. For him the decision makes total sense.

However I can't think of a single instance where a corporate entity has taken ownership of a enthusiast based community and it's gone well. Already we have Bob D packing in, I can't emphasise enough how big a loss this is for the 7800 community. John C has lost all support from AA (essentially) and there are other developers who are massively sceptical or have indeed just decided to nope out. So it's already had a negative impact.

Next I expect them to be pushing the VCS and 2600+. They're already trying to secure games for them openly from the devs. If they'd actually had the balls to make the 2600+ something other than yet another emulation box in a nostalgia baiting shell I might have been more positive. As it is, they've done nothing so far to make me beleive that they're going to have any sort of positive impact on the community.

[socrates63]

Change is the only constant, right?

The 20+ year run of AA as it has been has come to an end, and I am sad to see it end. My wallet and I have been a strong supporters of the homebrew community. I have been a big fan of Al’s vision to raise the bar on the quality of cartridges and game packaging to make the games as good or better than the games released back in the day. AA and its homebrews played a critical role in getting me back into Atari after so many years. Just as the original run of the Atari consoles came and ended, so an era of the homebrew community powered by AA has come to an end. I have the hardware and the games that will let me still enjoy and celebrate those times.

But a new chapter is starting. I will hope for the best and see where it goes. I do applaud Atari for the efforts that it has been making to grow the business, and I hope Atari will reach that point of sustainability. I may not like or agree with what Atari is doing, but I trust the passion and sincerity of those at the helm of Atari.

Now we will wait and see what Atari’s ownership of AA means for users and developers alike.

[D r Clu]

What are my thoughts?   Don't like it for numerous reasons but mostly due to lack of answers that quite a few are asking.

So going around visiting, seeing what other discussions exist and finding quite a few on other forums and social media. 

Hello all !  😄

Edited September 8, 2023 by D r Clu

[RickR]

Howdy!  I suppose we should expect more visitors here.  All are welcome. 

 

[Justin]

Welcome @D r Clu! 

[TrekMD]

@D r Clu

[Justin]

  If anybody needs to "back up your ROMs" I've posted a status update with links from the Wayback Machine that will make this easy. Hopefully you all have complete ROM sets or just need to search for a few that you don't yet have. I'll be deleting this status update and links later this week so jump on this while you can:

https://forums.atari.io/profile/1-justin/?status=3465&type=status