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From: Dan Mazurowski <smedley.antispam@gte.net>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit,comp.sys.atari.advocacy,comp.sys.atari.programmer,comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.atari.st.tech,rec.games.video.atari,rec.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: Hasbro/Atari Speculations/Fantasies
Date: Sat, 14 Mar 1998 20:12:15 -0600
Organization: WANTED: Bounty Bob for Atari 5200
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Chris Cracknell wrote:
> 
> Speculation: (in order of likely-hood)
> 
> 1) Hasbro plans to make a new toy that incorporates technology for which
> Atari owns the patent so they bought to Atari assets to avoid any lisencing
> difficulties.

Nah. Considering how desperate JTS is for cash, they could have gotten
the license for said technology much cheaper.

> 
> 2) Hasbro is only interested in the game franchises so that they can make
> games for other systems using Atari owned characters and lisences.

This sounds very likely. Regardless of what else Hasbro may do with the
Atari properties, I am quite sure we'll see this.

> 
> 3) Hasbro wants to enter the handheld game market and plans to rerelease
> the Lynx.

This also sounds possible to me. Purchasing Tiger shows they have an
interest in the handheld market, and perhaps even gives them a plant or
two to manufacture the Lynx in. Perhaps even the ability to fabricate
their own LCD screens? Should bring down manufacturing costs
considerably!

Wouldn't a faster, higher-resolution Lynx be cool? Woo-hoo! (Imagine a
Lynx with a 320x200 screen, running at double the clock speed, with 3D
support in hardware, and a built-in [or bundled] TV tuner, all for only
$99. I like it!)

But man, I really hope they don't try to sell it as the Tiger Lynx!
Yuck.

> 
> 4) Hasbro wants to enter the home console market and plans to rerelease
> the Jaguar as a "budget" home video game console for around $50.

No way, they couldn't manufacture the Jaguar chep enough to really meet
this price point. And the Jaguar's dated technology and poor reputation
would really be unable to compete against the strong current market
share of the PSX and N64. I love my Jaguar, but I'm afaid it is too dead
for this.

> 
> 5) Hasbro wants to enter the home console market and plans to release
> an upgraded Jaguar to compete against the N-64 and PS.

Well, the Jaguar II design (AKA Project Midsummer) was completed, and
was supposedly quite powerful. I believe the hardware could compete if
they came up with some good software for it. But I would sooner bet that
Hasbro is a Project X licensee then say they intend to revive the
Midsummer architecture.

> 
> Fantasy: (In order of what I'd most wish for)
> 
> 1) Atari will be fully revived and once again take it's rightful place
> as a leader and innovator in the computer and video games industry.

Any notion of Hasbro putting the Atari logo on a piece of hardware
pretty much goes hand-in-hand with this one!

> 
> 2) Hasbro wants to make a very cheap hand held game machine. What they
> make is actually a small, portable Atari 7800 with a built in backlit
> LCD screen. They rerelease the entire Atari catalogue of 7800 and 2600
> games which sell for 50 cents each and the hand held unit itself sells
> for under $30.

Never happen. And personally, I'd rather see the Lynx come back. Though
it would be cool to see a 2600/7800 emulator for the Lynx. You could
easily cram a couple dozen games on a single Lynx cart, along with the
emu software. (Hey, it could happen - the Lynx does have a 6502-based
CPU, after all!)

-- 
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http://home1.gte.net/smedley/index.htm

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