Atari Brings Back the Greatest Games of an Era
posted:
4/28/2005 12:04:00 AM
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To celebrate the 30th anniversary of PONG, Atari has announced the development of Atari Flashback 2.0.Built off the same technology that powers the original Flashback console (which sold more than 550,000 units), 2.0 includes more than 40 classic games including a faithful recreation of PONG. Other titles include Asteroids, Centipede, Millipedeb and Missile Command. The system features wood grain paneling and retains the look and feel of the classic Atari 2600.
Atari is looking for an early summer release at the $30 price point.
GREAT GAMES NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE
‘ATARI® FLASHBACK 2.0’ ANNOUNCED
-- Plug-and-Play Console Celebrates 30th Anniversary of PONG® --
NEW YORK, NY, April 27, 2005 – In response to consumer and retailer demands, Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) today announced the summer launch of Atari® Flashback 2.0, the follow-up to the holiday 2004 hit, the Atari® Flashback Classic Game Console, which shipped more than 550,000 units to retail. Atari Flashback 2.0 will be modeled after the pioneering Atari 2600 console and heralds in the 30th anniversary of Pong®, the first arcade game created for the home which started the revolution that has today turned into a $10 billion industry.
The Atari Flashback 2.0 will feature Pong as well as 40 other classic games including Asteroids®, Centipede®, Millipede®, Lunar Lander™, Breakout®, Missile Command®, Combat™ as well as retro game and arcade classics that have never before been released for the home console. Atari Flashback 2.0 will feature the same wood grain paneling and look of the Atari 2600, and will capture the feel through two classic joysticks for multi-player competition and vintage controls.
"The Atari Flashback series harkens back to the early days of video games where the simplicity of design and the addictive game mechanics connected instantly with audiences of all ages. Even in this day of advanced and more complex gameplay, these legacy games continue to elicit fantastic reactions via the on-screen action, and again, to a wide and broad audience," said Wim Stocks, Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Licensing and Distribution. "Now, on the 30th anniversary of Pong -- the grandfather of all video games -- it is fitting that we begin to commemorate this milestone with the launch of Atari Flashback 2.0."
The Atari Flashback 2.0 promises to deliver the same gaming sights, sounds and action as the original Atari 2600. To ensure this authenticity, Atari has engineered the tools and code of the original games for reproduction on modern chip technology.
“Unlike other nostalgia gaming products on the market, the Atari Flashback is the real McCoy and the games included are originals, not third-party ports,†said Curt Vendel, president of the Atari Historical Society and contributing producer for Atari Flashback 2.0. “Atari has traveled back in time to recall an era where the experience was paramount to the technological bells and whistles.â€
Developed by Atari, the Atari Flashback 2.0 will be available early this summer for under $30 at retailers nationwide.
About Atari
New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company’s 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining games such as DRIV3R™, Enter the Matrix™, Neverwinter Nights™, Stuntman™, Test Drive®, Unreal® Tournament 2004, and Unreal® Championship; and mass-market and children’s games such as Backyard Sports™, Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues™ and Dora the Explorer™, Dragon Ball Z® and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.
© 2005, Atari, Inc. All rights reserved. ATARI, the ATARI logo, and classic Atari game titles and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Interactive, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
‘ATARI® FLASHBACK 2.0’ ANNOUNCED
-- Plug-and-Play Console Celebrates 30th Anniversary of PONG® --
NEW YORK, NY, April 27, 2005 – In response to consumer and retailer demands, Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) today announced the summer launch of Atari® Flashback 2.0, the follow-up to the holiday 2004 hit, the Atari® Flashback Classic Game Console, which shipped more than 550,000 units to retail. Atari Flashback 2.0 will be modeled after the pioneering Atari 2600 console and heralds in the 30th anniversary of Pong®, the first arcade game created for the home which started the revolution that has today turned into a $10 billion industry.
The Atari Flashback 2.0 will feature Pong as well as 40 other classic games including Asteroids®, Centipede®, Millipede®, Lunar Lander™, Breakout®, Missile Command®, Combat™ as well as retro game and arcade classics that have never before been released for the home console. Atari Flashback 2.0 will feature the same wood grain paneling and look of the Atari 2600, and will capture the feel through two classic joysticks for multi-player competition and vintage controls.
"The Atari Flashback series harkens back to the early days of video games where the simplicity of design and the addictive game mechanics connected instantly with audiences of all ages. Even in this day of advanced and more complex gameplay, these legacy games continue to elicit fantastic reactions via the on-screen action, and again, to a wide and broad audience," said Wim Stocks, Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Licensing and Distribution. "Now, on the 30th anniversary of Pong -- the grandfather of all video games -- it is fitting that we begin to commemorate this milestone with the launch of Atari Flashback 2.0."
The Atari Flashback 2.0 promises to deliver the same gaming sights, sounds and action as the original Atari 2600. To ensure this authenticity, Atari has engineered the tools and code of the original games for reproduction on modern chip technology.
“Unlike other nostalgia gaming products on the market, the Atari Flashback is the real McCoy and the games included are originals, not third-party ports,†said Curt Vendel, president of the Atari Historical Society and contributing producer for Atari Flashback 2.0. “Atari has traveled back in time to recall an era where the experience was paramount to the technological bells and whistles.â€
Developed by Atari, the Atari Flashback 2.0 will be available early this summer for under $30 at retailers nationwide.
About Atari
New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company’s 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining games such as DRIV3R™, Enter the Matrix™, Neverwinter Nights™, Stuntman™, Test Drive®, Unreal® Tournament 2004, and Unreal® Championship; and mass-market and children’s games such as Backyard Sports™, Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues™ and Dora the Explorer™, Dragon Ball Z® and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.
© 2005, Atari, Inc. All rights reserved. ATARI, the ATARI logo, and classic Atari game titles and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Interactive, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
