In a surprise announcement the founder of AtariAge, Albert Yarusso, revealed they'd agreed to be acquired by Atari.
AI:
I have to admit I'm leaning on the edge of my seat to see what comes next. And frankly I wish there was a comparable cohesive Commodore company on par with what Atari is currently doing. The chance of that, we all know, is nil.Atari is now taking its retro-related IP seriously and is creating a wide array of hardware and software based on that IP, while also creating new, original content. It is very exciting to see Atari release the 2600+, a new 2600 you can feed actual cartridges, and without giving anything specific away, this is just the beginning of what we're going to see from Atari going forward. Atari, for the first time in years, is targeting and embracing enthusiasts like ourselves, while also making products that appeal to those who grew up with Atari and have a fond nostalgia of the brand, but aren't steeped in retro gaming as we are.
When Atari originally announced the VCS I was very excited by the exterior design but baffled by the product itself. I never pulled the trigger as a result and I wondered if the new Atari would survive this seemingly dead-on-arrival hardware.
But since then they really seem to have solidified their product strategy and fully embraced their past IP with solid design. I’ve personally been sucked in and look forward to what they come up with. Two years ago I would have never said this.