There was a lot of skepticism over whether or not Atari would pull through with the Atari VCS, the new home console that will play old Atari games and new PC games alike. Some gamers felt as if it was going to be Atari's Ouya, while others were excited at the prospect of a cheap home console that could play the latest and greatest games. Well, it didn't matter what the general public thought because the die-hard Atari fans scooped up the collector's edition of the Atari VCS once pre-orders opened up, causing it sell out instantly. However, it's still possible to get your hands on the console.
According to a press note from Atari, the Atari VCS Collector's Edition as part of the limited-time IndieGoGo pre-sale has sold out. The company had such a strong response from the pre-sale campaign that Atari decided to launch a second production run of the Atari VCS, this time called the Atari VCS Tribute Edition. The Tribute Edition features a design inspired by the original Atari 2600.
Pre-purchases for the Atari VCS Tribute Edition are open right now, and it features a cosmetically similar aesthetic to the Atari VCS Collector's Edition, which has already sold out. The Tribue Edition comes with the same sleek design and real-wood front panel that Atari advertised for the Collector's Edition, along with the plastic ridge work and compact dimensions.
Atari makes it known that the VCS is not another retro console just for retro games, nor it is a portable emulator. It's described as a "unique" open platform device running a Linus distro for playing old and new Atari games alike. It will come jam packed with 100 of Atari's classic games, along with the ability to play many of Atari's newer games.
Gamers will also be able to flesh out the Atari VCS' library through an Atari VCS storefront, which will likely work similar to the Android Google Play Store, or the Steam storefront, only specifically customized to accommodate the VCS.
Regardless of what people think about Atari's venture, it's actually quite popular. The IndieGoGo campaign still has just over a week to go before completion and it's already surpassed its initial goal by a significant amount, racking up $2.1 million in crowdfunding on a goal of just $100,000.
Atari has had a really rocky history over the years, and the multiple bankruptcies didn't help at all. Some of the library of games were shuffled around during the new ownership, while other games have fallen under some hard times, such as the Roller Coaster Tycoon games, and there were some troubles with getting ports of some games over to the Nintendo Switch, spawning even more controversy.
So far, it appears as if the gaming community has put faith back into Atari and believe that the company can make a comeback with the Atari VCS. Now that Atari certainly has the funding, it's a matter of whether or not the company can deliver the console as promised in a timely fashion.
According to the press release, the Atari VCS is available for pre-sale for $219, and it comes with the console, a classic joystick and a modern controller. The systems are expected to ship out to backers in July of 2019.
