Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: atari, AtGames, genesis, interview, sega

Chatting With AtGames About The Upcoming Atari & Sega Retro Consoles

Published Mon, 18 Sep 2017 06:45:33 -0500

Last updated Mon, 18 Sep 2017 10:43:48 -0500

AtGames has released a set of retro consoles that will both be a bit of competition for Nintendo but will unlock some cool libraries for people (who don't use emulators). The Atari 2600 and the Sega Genesis will both be available with a cool selection of games that will only be around for a short period of time. Before their release, we got to chat with Ray Attiyat, marketing coordinator at AtGames, about both the consoles and the journey to building them.

BC: How did the idea come about to create these retro consoles?

Ray: The AtGames is home to a family of premiere retro gaming brands including Atari, Sega, and Konami, with more joining in the future. Our retro console and portable lineup has sold millions globally and established AtGames as a premiere purveyor of fun. The original idea came from us observing how passionate fans are of these original systems and we realized that there was no one making any quality and fully licensed consoles for people to buy

How much influence did the NES Classic Edition have over the decision to make these? What did the success of their console tell you about the retro market at the time?

We have been making these systems for over a decade, so we are very humbled to see them join the market. Their success was no surprise to us and confirmed what we knew all along– That there is a huge demand for retro gaming products.

What was it like working with Atari and SEGA to get the libraries and the designs for these systems?

As mentioned in the previous question, our long time experience has allowed us to create great working relationships with many publishers. Atari and Sega are great partners and it is a relationship that we value very highly.

Were there any emulator models out there that served as a template before designing the new versions?

No, there was no need to. We used our experience gained from our past products to completely redesign our 2017 console lines.

Knowing the library from SEGA, what was the process like in deciding what to bring back for the Genesis?

There are plenty of games that we would love to include, but unfortunately obtaining licenses is not always an easy task for a variety of reasons. We believe it's of the utmost importance for the health of the retro gaming community that every game on all of our products is always officially licensed.

What made you decide to go wireless with the controllers instead of a cord controller?

We try to mimic much of the look and feel of the original systems and controllers but do make considerations for modern technology and the tastes of today's consumers. For instance, our Sega Genesis Flashback console comes standard with 2.4ghz wireless controllers but still remains compatible with the original Sega Genesis controllers. Original cartridge support is also available on the Sega Genesis Flashback

What was it like getting the look and feel down on both models to match their original counterparts?

This was a major priority for us for our Sega Genesis Flashback. 2017 will be the first year that we are using the 1 Generation Genesis design. Our Atari systems have always looked very similar to their original counterpart.

With the NES Classic Edition, the systems were made in short quantity and went quickly. Are you doing the same kind of limited run?

Our products have always been available and always in stock at all major retailers. No limited runs here– If the demand exceeds our expectations we will manufacture more units to meet it.

1If these models are a success, would you be inclined to go back and remake other models like the SEGA CD or TurboGrafx 16?

We are considering all new consoles, however, we do not have any information that we can share at the moment.

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