# Atari announces Mini PONG Jr. console



## Jokey_Carrot (Oct 20, 2020)

Neat.


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## SuperDan (Oct 20, 2020)

Looks a bit poo but i still want one !!


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## duwen (Oct 20, 2020)

A device that only plays one game is not a console.


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## Lostbhoy (Oct 20, 2020)

Just... Why?? 
I hope it was cheap to make AND to sell for under 10 bucks! Coz it aint worth any more imo. Sorry!


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## Deleted User (Oct 20, 2020)

it captures the spirit of a mini greatly: a small gizmo that is mostly an ornament, that you plug in ocasionally, play for 1 or 2 hours, forget about it for months, repeat


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## Veho (Oct 20, 2020)

We criticize Sega for only including four games in their Game Gear Micro, and now Atari only includes _one_?  

 


It's too big to be portable, but too small to be a coffee table when not in use   

I can't see too many people buying it. 

It had better be cheap.


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## m_babble (Oct 20, 2020)

The most I'd spend for something like this is $25.


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## jt_1258 (Oct 20, 2020)

really...can't you get one system out before announcing another...


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## peteruk (Oct 20, 2020)

I used to adore Atari back in my teens, was super loyal to them but I have to say they've totally lost touch with what buyers want, 1 disappointment after the other tbh


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## anhminh (Oct 20, 2020)

duwen said:


> A device that only plays one game is not a console.


*console
*
noun [ C ]
/ˈkɑːn.soʊl/

a surface on which you find the controls for a piece of electrical equipment or a machine:


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## Harumyne (Oct 20, 2020)

#nothankyou


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## VinsCool (Oct 20, 2020)

jt_1258 said:


> really...can't you get one system out before announcing another...


I was about to point this out.
The VCS is going to be a failure, and now they announce this?
It's like they really want to fuck over themselves, are they into public humiliation or something?


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## MikaDubbz (Oct 20, 2020)

That's actually a pretty cool little trinket.  Though I wish you got some options to change the appearance in some ways, like let us change the colors from white to like neon colors and junk.  It'd be cool if there was like an alternate more modern mode that gave it some more polish too, like extra visual effects when you hit the ball and stuff.


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## Bladexdsl (Oct 20, 2020)

the minis just keep getting worse and worse...


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## pedro702 (Oct 20, 2020)

pong in 2020 who will use this for more than 15 min? after that it just gets tossed in the basement lol and i bet they will be crazy enough to charge like 50$ for this  just wait and see.


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## RyRyIV (Oct 20, 2020)

I definitely need this in my life. I'll be interested to see the price, here's hoping it's not another "Pay us $50 to play Super Mario Bros" type situation.


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## VinsCool (Oct 20, 2020)

RyRyIV said:


> I definitely need this in my life. I'll be interested to see the price, here's hoping it's not another "Pay us $50 to play Super Mario Bros" type situation.


I won't spend more than $20 for that sort of thing, but I know I will be disappointed when they announce their price.


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## Mr.Faq2015 (Oct 20, 2020)

Atari trying to revive Pong consoles, now I've seen everything...


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## Silent_Gunner (Oct 20, 2020)

Atari is just a company name out of touch business men can adopt at this point.


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## VinsCool (Oct 20, 2020)

Mr.Faq2015 said:


> Atari trying to revive Pong consoles, now I've seen everything...


I wonder if they also plan to revive the crash of 1983 too.
I can't wait for my remastered copy of E.T.


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## CMDreamer (Oct 20, 2020)

Honestly, I don't know what to think about this one... I have a mess of opposite feelings.


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## Veho (Oct 20, 2020)

VinsCool said:


> I wonder if they also plan to revive the crash of 1983 too.
> I can't wait for my remastered copy of E.T.


The nostalgia-baiting (or rather "bating") "mini" console market is certainly moving in that direction. 

I wonder what product will end up in a landfill this time.


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## Julie_Pilgrim (Oct 20, 2020)

VinsCool said:


> I was about to point this out.
> The VCS is going to be a failure, and now they announce this?
> It's like they really want to fuck over themselves, are they into public humiliation or something?


Don’t kink shame


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## Taleweaver (Oct 20, 2020)

... Is this a late April's fool joke? 



Veho said:


> We criticize Sega for only including four games in their Game Gear Micro, and now Atari only includes _one_?


Next up releasing their greatest hits : EA making a console that plays zero games.


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## medoli900 (Oct 20, 2020)

Judging from the pictures, the build seems to be of good quality, at least. The design looks nice. It will probably cost a lot though, since it's targeting a very niche market. They have to recoup somehow.


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## pwsincd (Oct 20, 2020)

so we can rip of our customers .... con
with a device that's has only one  .....  sole

yeah its a con-sole


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## AmandaRose (Oct 20, 2020)

duwen said:


> A device that only plays one game is not a console.


Sorry but you are wrong. 

Definition of a Video game console. 

A video game console is an electronic or computer device that outputs a video signal or visual image to display a video game that one or more people can play through some type of game controller. These may be home consoles which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a television or other display device and controlled with a separate game controller, or handheld systems that include their own display unit and controller functions built into the unit and can be played anywhere. 

The Mini Pong Jr is most definitely a console.


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## MikaDubbz (Oct 20, 2020)

Mr.Faq2015 said:


> Atari trying to revive Pong consoles, now I've seen everything...


Eh, I dunno, when you treat the 'revival' as a clear novelty as they have here, then I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with it.  For the right price, I totally get why it exists, but something tells me they are gonna overcharge and totally fail on marketing toward the market they should with such a novelty.


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## digipimp75 (Oct 20, 2020)

Pong is the new hotness.  I'm all in on this!


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## JuanBaNaNa (Oct 20, 2020)

When are we going to get *Tamagotchi Desperate Housewives Edition?*
I want to feed and clean Gabrielle.


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## RyRyIV (Oct 20, 2020)

VinsCool said:


> I wonder if they also plan to revive the crash of 1983 too.
> I can't wait for my remastered copy of E.T.


ET remaster for Switch W H E N


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## eyeliner (Oct 20, 2020)

MIT is going to release a Mini PDP-1 with Spacewar!

Mark my words, humans.


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## JuanBaNaNa (Oct 20, 2020)

eyeliner said:


> MIT is going to release a Mini PDP-1 with Spacewar!
> 
> Mark my words, humans.


The same way Dogs marks their spots?


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## eyeliner (Oct 20, 2020)

JuanMena said:


> The same way Dogs marks their spots?


Yes.


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## tfocosta (Oct 20, 2020)

This is something I would add to my collection! It's adorable!


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## ca032769 (Oct 20, 2020)

If it's reasonably priced I'm in.

I would rather have one of the large sit down or Stand up Pong Tables, but they are a little out of my price range right now:

-Sit Down Version: https://www.gameroomguys.com/Atari-Pong-Coffee-Table

-Stand Up/Stool Version: https://www.gameroom-goodies.com/atari-pong-cocktail-table-arcade-game/


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## nWo (Oct 20, 2020)

This was a bold move!! It looks kinda neat, yeah, but is lacking some serious modern "features" to catch the eye of more people and not only the retro-fans like me. Their only chance is to make it insanely cheap but, hey, I don't think that will ever happen.


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## Deleted User (Oct 20, 2020)

You might as well play a board game than that.


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## Rail Fighter (Oct 20, 2020)

Waiting for the Mario 64 port.


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## Bladexdsl (Oct 20, 2020)

Atari must really be getting desperate for $ now that they lost the rct franchise


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## Deleted User (Oct 20, 2020)

Veho said:


> We criticize Sega for only including four games in their Game Gear Micro


I've already forgotten about that and you reminded me again. lol


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## subcon959 (Oct 20, 2020)

Would've been a fun stocking filler but we all know it will have a stupidly high price.


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## dAVID_ (Oct 20, 2020)

Are people really willing to shell out money for what amounts to a single fifty-year-old game?


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## TheZander (Oct 20, 2020)

If it gets hacked and some homebrew gets released I might get it


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## EPgrouch (Oct 20, 2020)

looks cool. I'd be interested in if for $10 maybe $15 anything over that'd be overpriced for me.


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## the_randomizer (Oct 20, 2020)

Wow, one game, what next, a 3D0 Mini that plays Doom?? Can't wait!


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## osaka35 (Oct 21, 2020)

maybe next we'll get that philips CDi mini I've been wanting.


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## Harsky (Oct 21, 2020)

Atari Jaguar Mini? Nah. Atari Lynx Mini? Nope. 

This. This is what's going to save Atari this Christmas.


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## DerpDingus (Oct 21, 2020)

Hopefully once the next recession hits , people wont be so willing to waste their money on useless garbage consoles like this 
( including the Nintendo game and watch)


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## StarveBread (Oct 21, 2020)

Can't wait to see this running Doom


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## HarveyHouston (Oct 21, 2020)

Nice to see the Atari name still hanging in there, even if it's not the same company from the 20th century. I wonder when they'll get that Atari hotel done?


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## MaxToTheMax (Oct 21, 2020)

Who is going to hack this with TX gone


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## wartutor (Oct 21, 2020)

I like how they dont show anyone actually playing it. They dont want people to realize its smaller than their damn phone  next we find out its goin to be like $100 ‍


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## Rail Fighter (Oct 21, 2020)

Here's the Pong killer:


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## Ajlr (Oct 21, 2020)

Well you know what would be better? An Atari handheld that could play Atari-exclusive games from the 2600 to the Jaguar, also including the Lynx and with mapped buttons for the 5200 and Jaguar.


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## Worldblender (Oct 21, 2020)

I wonder if this handheld's LCD can display color, or only black and white. If the former, it may open up some more interesting use cases if it is ever possible to run other software on it.


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## vincentx77 (Oct 21, 2020)

VinsCool said:


> I was about to point this out.
> The VCS is going to be a failure, and now they announce this?
> It's like they really want to fuck over themselves, are they into public humiliation or something?



I hate to be that bitch (that's a lie, I love being that bitch), but in order for the VCS to be a failure, doesn't it actually have to come out and, like, fail? Yeah yeah, it's coming in November... this time. They've lied about coming as much as I used to so my ex-boyfriend would leave me alone. I'll believe it when the voluptuous soprano finishes her aria.

As far as this little pong machine goes. It plays one game in black and white. Maybe the new Atari can get this out without fucking it up. I dunno. This may be too much tech for them to handle.


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## StrayGuitarist (Oct 21, 2020)

I love PONG consoles with actual knob controllers, but it being in a form factor like this doesn’t seem.. pleasant to use. Nor cheap.


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## Purple_Shyguy (Oct 21, 2020)

The tagline should be "It's fun for 3 minutes!"


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## GbaNober (Oct 21, 2020)

why not if it's for nostalgia


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## tech3475 (Oct 21, 2020)

I know it’s not the bets value, but I can imagine these will be aimed as xmas gifts for those who grew up with Pong or collectors of novelty tat.

I was tempted to get my dad the small ‘arcade-like’ Pong machine for that reason.


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## zxr750j (Oct 21, 2020)

A device with controls made solely for I (epic) game, I love it.


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## K3N1 (Oct 21, 2020)

Will it run crysis


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## Deleted User (Oct 21, 2020)

No. Please, stop. 
I thought gaming communities were toxic, but the industry seems far worse.

Everybody knows nothing is serious in the gaming business, but this ?


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## depaul (Oct 21, 2020)

I doubt those who originally played Pong are still alive..


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## Reploid (Oct 21, 2020)

Hooray, another lazy cash grab from agonizing publisher.


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## Aew4life (Oct 21, 2020)

The 35 year old kid in me wants this terribly guess I will be buying lol

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------



depaul said:


> I doubt those who originally played Pong are still alive..


My dad is


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## MetoMeto (Oct 21, 2020)

if it costs more than 40 euro they can go f**k them self. I would never give more than 50 actually...even thats enough for this.

But i have a feeling they are trying to cache in with these "mini" consoles in general, so i presume it will cost 150 euros or something.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------



Purple_Shyguy said:


> The tagline should be "It's fun for 3 minutes!"


These games are much more fun than you might think.
Its best in short bursts.


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## Vila_ (Oct 21, 2020)

Can’t wait for this to be priced at $100


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## AutumnWolf (Oct 21, 2020)

"How many times do we have to teach you this lesson old man?"


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## putamierda (Oct 21, 2020)

First deliver all the Atari VCS this October as promised, and then we can talk about your stupid cryptocurrency gig or your hotel or a new console...


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## raxadian (Oct 21, 2020)

This would have been cool in the early eighties I guess? Then again bavk then it would have cost way too much and then the Nes would have killed it.


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## subcon959 (Oct 21, 2020)

It seems some are a bit too young to have spent countless hours playing electronic games back in the 70s and 80s.

Single game LCD toys like this one were extremely popular. My favourite was Astro Wars, I think I got it for Christmas 1981 or 82.


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## osirisjem (Oct 21, 2020)

Why not play other paddle games
Like Warlords ?
Bomber ?
Breakout.



still might get it.


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## Rail Fighter (Oct 21, 2020)

raxadian said:


> This would have been cool in the early eighties I guess? Then again bavk then it would have cost way too much and then the Nes would have killed it.


They're late to the Pong wars for around 40 years.


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## Aew4life (Oct 21, 2020)

subcon959 said:


> It seems some are a bit too young to have spent countless hours playing electronic games back in the 70s and 80s.
> 
> Single game LCD toys like this one were extremely popular. My favourite was Astro Wars, I think I got it for Christmas 1981 or 82.



Remember tiger electronics handheld games I had hundreds of them still have my pit fighter road runner ninja gaiden and mortal kombat tiger handheld and a tiger sonic watch that you can play a black and white sonic game on very cool


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## SonicRings (Oct 21, 2020)

Unless this is $5 I don't see much of a point.


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## Velvis70 (Oct 21, 2020)

Prans said:


> View attachment 230015​
> An unexpected gaming company is also releasing a console this holiday season: Atari. However, it's not competing to be your next-gen buy but is playing on nostalgia by bringing the classic game of PONG in a small, portable form factor.
> 
> ​
> ...



Make it 4 player Warlords and I am in.


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## Julie_Pilgrim (Oct 22, 2020)

the_randomizer said:


> Wow, one game, what next, a 3D0 Mini that plays Doom?? Can't wait!


 don’t act like you wouldn’t buy that


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## Viri (Oct 22, 2020)

I don't have any nostalgia for Pong at all. But, if it's cheap enough, I might buy one for fun.


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## BORTZ (Oct 22, 2020)

We've done it folks. We have found the bottom of the mini consoles barrel.


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## Flame (Oct 22, 2020)

BORTZ said:


> We've done it folks. We have found the bottom of the mini consoles barrel.



wait to we get E.T. mini


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## Aew4life (Oct 22, 2020)

Oh yeah wait till the total recall nes handheld comes after the post apocalyptic war that the robots win damn robots


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## slaphappygamer (Oct 22, 2020)

Ffs, No 4K UHD!???!? FML!! FTS!!!


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## Aew4life (Oct 22, 2020)

Atari triggering fans since the 70s


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## duwen (Oct 22, 2020)

AmandaRose said:


> Sorry but you are wrong.
> 
> Definition of a Video game console.
> 
> ...


So... my phone is a console, my tv is a console, my pc is a console, my calculator is a console, my watch is a console...
No, this thing, based on definitions of prior gaming devices, is at best an "electronic tabletop game".


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## ldeveraux (Oct 22, 2020)

This is news now on GBAT?


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## AmandaRose (Oct 22, 2020)

duwen said:


> So... my phone is a console, my tv is a console, my pc is a console, my calculator is a console, my watch is a console...
> No, this thing, based on definitions of prior gaming devices, is at best an "electronic tabletop game".


None of the things you meantioned are designed to be primarily used for playing video games as you well know. The mini pong is designed as to primarily play a game so it is indeed a console.


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## ital (Oct 22, 2020)

Really quite cool as the control mech itself makes all the difference to the experience and its got good aesthetics. Waiting for the £100 price lol.


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## ldeveraux (Oct 23, 2020)

AmandaRose said:


> None of the things you meantioned are designed to be primarily used for playing video games as you well know. The mini pong is designed as to primarily play a game so it is indeed a console.


 You're being pedantic, and by being so, are defending this trashy release. Jog on...


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## a32bitmint (Oct 23, 2020)

Who is this even for? Atari is just all over the place right now.


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## ChibiMofo (Oct 23, 2020)

Veho said:


> We criticize Sega for only including four games in their Game Gear Micro, and now Atari only includes _one_?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



First off, Atari stopped being "Atari" in the mid-90s. This is just a shell company that purchased the name. Atari is very, very dead.

Second, you do realize that Pong was a console in the 1970s and had just the one game, right? You couldn't run ANYTHING else on it. It was literally one game. So all four people who still feel nostalgic for that dreadful little game (and my family purchased a knockoff of it in 1979 by the way) will be satiated by this stupid little device. And for those four people, it won't matter that it only plays that one game.

But hopefully it can be hacked to play... The other couple of games that will be functional with those two controls.


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## duwen (Oct 24, 2020)

AmandaRose said:


> None of the things you meantioned are designed to be primarily used for playing video games as you well know. The mini pong is designed as to primarily play a game so it is indeed a console.


ok... so these are consoles...




...and so are these...




...no.
If you want to simplify the definition of every electronic device that has the primary purpose of playing a game being a console then I'm not going to change your mind... but to me it's akin to calling every passenger vehicle with wheels a car.
For the vast majority of us a console is defined by the fact that it can play multiple games, and usually (since the early to mid 80's at least - with the exception of "plug & plays") the games for the console can be officially obtained on media (either cartridge, disk, or digital download) to be inserted/installed on the console.
It may go against *your* all encompassing definition of what a console is, but this Pong thing is an electronic tabletop game.


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## AmandaRose (Oct 24, 2020)

duwen said:


> ok... so these are consoles...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You know fine well the difference between arcade machines and consoles and yes the single game machines you show above in the grandstand advert are concidered consoles why because electronic tablet tops are concidered as consoles lol.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dedicated_video_game_consoles

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first_generation_home_video_game_consoles

Oh look somewhere else also confirming this in there list of consoles.

http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/pages/20431/Game-Consoles-by-Date/


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## duwen (Oct 24, 2020)

AmandaRose said:


> You know fine well the difference between arcade machines and consoles and yes the single game machines you show above in the grandstand advert are concidered consoles why because electronic tablet tops are concidered as consoles lol.
> 
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dedicated_video_game_consoles
> 
> ...



Sorry, but you're not proving your argument.
The first link lists;
*Early dedicated home consoles (1972–1984)*
followed by;
*Early handheld electronic games (1976–present)*
then;
*Retro style dedicated home consoles and handhelds (2001–present)*
...so there's clear distinction between what's considered a home console and handheld/tabletop electronic games.

The second link just backs up what I said about systems after the early to mid 80's (as all the systems listed are from before that era - being first generation games consoles).

And the final link can just be discounted for being amateurish, poorly structured, with a basic lack of facts and info... it has the Sega CDX listed as April 1984!!! It also fails to list the Nuon, Apple Pippin, 3DS, and the Switch, amongst others, but manages to include both the N-Gage and the Laseractive, which by your reckoning aren't consoles they're a phone and a laserdisk player respectively. It also lists the Nvidia Shield, and even describes it as;


> The NVIDIA Shield Android TV (originally known as Shield Console) is an Android TV based set-top box aimed at both home entertainment and gaming in the living-room.


...so if that's a console so is my phone, tv, tablet, etc


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## crea (Oct 25, 2020)

Atari is just a zombie at this point, they are not capable of rational thought, let alone design a passable product.

The only use of this thing will be to run other arcanoid type games on it, as the form factor is ok and the control wheel is kind of nice (I own this as add-on for DS though, 3 fun games, but more a gimmick). I bet it will be hacked very fast, looking at the USB port and the fact it's from Atari.


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## alucardx2 (Oct 27, 2020)

Nicee


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## Deleted member 397813 (Oct 27, 2020)

watch out sony, we got two bars and a square.


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## rdurbin (Oct 29, 2020)

duwen said:


> A device that only plays one game is not a console.



Technically it is, there were video games consoles that did not have interchangeable cartridges/CDs.  Some had multiple games built-in, some only had one and some with one but multiple variations.  The number of games included is not what defines it as a console.  Atari Pong console originally came out in mid 70s


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## Kioku_Dreams (Oct 29, 2020)

On today's episode of "Things Nobody Asked For"...

Just seems... pointless. :x


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## Aew4life (Oct 29, 2020)

Memoir said:


> On today's episode of "Things Nobody Asked For"...
> 
> Just seems... pointless. :x


Like the analouge mini duo


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## 2shizukasensei88 (Oct 30, 2020)

Lmao I'll spend $5 on something like this.


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## Velvis70 (Jan 30, 2021)

Did this thing ever get released? 

Sent from my Surface Duo using Tapatalk


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## raxadian (Jan 31, 2021)

Velvis70 said:


> Did this thing ever get released?
> 
> Sent from my Surface Duo using Tapatalk



Not yet as I can't find it on ebay or Amazon at least.


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## Velvis70 (Apr 9, 2021)

raxadian said:


> Not yet as I can't find it on ebay or Amazon at least.


To answer my own question Microcenter carries it for $150.


Sent from my Surface Duo using Tapatalk


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## raxadian (Apr 9, 2021)

Velvis70 said:


> To answer my own question Microcenter carries it for $150.
> 
> 
> Sent from my Surface Duo using Tapatalk



150$ How much is a used Nintendo Switch again?


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