Pre-orders for the upcoming retro Ataribox console will open on December 14, 2017, as reported by Engadget.
The Ataribox was originally announced earlier this year. Adopting the style of the classic Atari 2600 console, it aims to bring back some of the classics of the era alongside some new games in a sleek, modern design. You can get an idea of what the console looks like in this short first look video from June 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WNsmCpdhhY
Since its launch, there hasn't been any mention of which games will be included with the console. The Atari 2600 boasted a decently-sized library of first-party titles alone, and the third party titles include classics like Donkey Kong, Q*Bert, and Chuck Norris Superkicks. There were well over 550 games that were published for the Atari 2600 in its heyday, but which ones we'll actually get is up in the air. (In fairness, copyright & trademark laws would still protect most of these titles, and negotiating a deal such as this is probably quite tricky indeed.) Whether titles for later systems like the Atari 5200, or Atari Jaguar will be on it is also not known at this time.
As for the release date, well, that's an unknown quantity as well. The most current information from the creators has it pegged as somewhere around Spring 2018. Despite an unknown game library and an uncertain release date, an e-mail went out to potential customers stating that they would be taking pre-orders for the retro console starting December 14, 2017. An Ataribox will run you anywhere between $250 and $300. It's a hefty sum with an awful lot of question marks attached, so it might not be a bad idea to wait and see what this retro console is all about. Personally, if it doesn't have Atlantis then I won't be all that excited about it.
What do you think of the Ataribox taking pre-orders before any games or the final release date has been announced? Do you think the potential risk would be worth it to get your hands on one of these retro consoles? Let us know in the comments below!
