As Atari promised, they have taken the wraps off of the AtariBox this week- it is now called the Atari VCS (which stands for Video Computer System), a name that is a blast from the past of Atari’s heyday back in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
It’s not just the name that harkens back to the era- the design of the console does, too, which is a very clear reference to the Atari 2600. Atari has also indicated that the system will come with a host of retro games, but that it will also have modern mid tier and indie game support. Apparently it will also “transform the way we interact with our TVs” much like the original Atari did, although how it will do that is something that remains to be seen.
On the one hand, I want a new major entrant into the console market to shake things up, so I wish Atari well. On the other, I can’t help but feel that this is a misguided venture…