S3:E1: Atari's Biggest Mistake (part 1): The Day Atari Lost The Video Game War

Episode 1 March 16, 2020 00:54:54
S3:E1: Atari's Biggest Mistake (part 1): The Day Atari Lost The Video Game War
Into The Vertical Blank
S3:E1: Atari's Biggest Mistake (part 1): The Day Atari Lost The Video Game War

Mar 16 2020 | 00:54:54

/

Show Notes

What was Atari's biggest mistake? To truly be inside The Vertical Blank is to ruminate on "what could have been." For Atari, there are many "what could have been" moments. What if they produced The Amiga computer? What if they released the NES? In this two-part season opener we delve into, what we believe, was the biggest mistake Atari ever made. Any mention of the games Pac-Man and E.T. for the Atari VCS elicit groans from Atari fans because they have heard the arguments before: they are "the worst ever", they "caused the crash". But what if those games were only a small part of much bigger and more fundamental mistake that Atari made in the 80's, that still has repercussions today?

Show Note Links

Atari Age Issue 1 - Pac Man Interview: https://www.atariage.com/magazines/magazine_page.php?MagazineID=1&CurrentPage=2

Atari Age Issue 1 - Word Find : https://www.atariage.com/magazines/magazine_page.php?MagazineID=1&CurrentPage=10

Atari Pac Man Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FHkMqHx5xM

Other Episodes

Episode 3

March 30, 2020 00:47:57
Episode Cover

S3:E3: Dan Kitchen Interview Part 2: The First "Pro Brew" Game Developer

In the 2nd part of our Dan Kitchen interview, we discuss the ground-breaking title "Garry Kitchen's Game Maker", Dan's new game "Gold Rush" and...

Listen

Episode 16

July 10, 2020 01:19:27
Episode Cover

S3:E16: GCC  Part 2: Ms. Pac-Man  and the Sad Fate of the The  Atari 7800

In part 2 of our discussion with Steve Golson, we cover the glory of the Ms. Pac-Man, arcade game, and fate the lay ahead...

Listen

Episode 7

July 18, 2021 01:12:30
Episode Cover

S4:E7: A Joyous Noise: Adventures With The Pokey Audio Chip

In the 80's we sold all of our Atari 800 discs and lost all of our youthful programs BASIC programs and creative output forever. ...

Listen