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The
Rise & Fall of the Atari 7800 ProSystem
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›››The Dawn of Atari It
all began in 1972 with Atari creator Nolan Bushnell's dream of creating
electronic games which would harness a television set or rastor display
as a playing field. With help from friends Ted Dabney and Larry Bryan,
Nolan took advantage of his amusement park background and experience with
electronics and created what would grow to be our beloved Atari. Soon,
Bushnell was the head of the world's most revolutionary self-start company,
which would change the course of history as we know it. One good example
of Nolan's impact upon the world is the existence of both Macintosh and
Windows. Bill Gates got Windows from Macintosh; Macintosh was the brainchild
product of Apple, which was started by Steve Jobs; Steve Jobs came from
Atari, and Atari was started by Nolan Bushnell. Atari started it all.
In the very beginning, Atari started out with arcade machines such as
PONG and Computer Space. Many of the most popular hits in the arcade bore
the Atari Fuji logo, such as Asteroids, Missile Command, Pole Position,
and Lunar Lander, and home entertainment was no different. PONG by Atari
was the most popular home video unit of the time, next to Sears Telegames
Pong which was manufactured by Atari as well. Soon Nolan had the greatest
idea of all, to bring a gaming console to market which could do more than
simply play variations of pong, but rather an entire line of games which
could be contained in cartridges that would plug into the base unit. Nolan
had created the cartridge based home game system, and it was called the
Atari 2600 Video Computer System. In
order to gain capital for the production and development of the 2600,
Nolan had to sell Atari off to Warner Communications which in turn sunk
its deep pockets into the 2600. In the fall of 1977, the Atari 2600 Video
Computer System was released to the public, however it wasn't until the
subsequent release of Space Invaders on the 2600 that the gaming system
reached its full potential in the consumer market. ›››The Atari 3200 By 1981, Atari was taking off, the 2600 was a true success, and the future couldn't be brighter for the empire under the Fuji However, Mattel's Intelevision was hot on the tail of the quickly aging 2600. It was in 1981 that Atari began its venture into the future with its next generation of home gaming systems. Atari's goals were simple, and the objectives were laid out. They wanted to produce a higher-energy home gaming system with arcade quality graphics, sound, and control. State-of-the-art accessories would be made available and the system was also to be reverse-compatable with the existing 2600 technology and would feature advanced controllers for serious gamers. Development soon began on the Atari 3200 SuperSystem X, which was to be released within an 18 month deadline. The following is a quote from Curt Vendel as posted on the AHS website:"According to engineering logs, in 1981 Atari began work on a new video game console to replace the Atari 2600 Video Computer System. This new console during development took on many codenames: Sylvia, Super-Stella and also... PAM (with notes next to it saying "Super-Stella: Multipurpose". This new console was to be based on a new 10-bit processor and would have more memory, higher resolution graphics and improved sound while maintaining compatibility with all existing Atari 2600 console games. Prototypes were built and one or two preliminary games were written for the new "super" console. However before the design could be finalized on the new console, the feedback from the programmers was that the console was too difficult to program on and they didn't want to do games on it since it was so difficult. Time was running short, Intellivision was breathing down Atari's neck so to speak and rumor had it that other companies (Coleco, Tonka) were developing new game consoles. The 2600 with its aging technology was in danger, a new console was needed and quickly. Before project Sylvia even got a name (The console was named ATARI SYSTEM X) the project was canceled and replaced with a quick solution. Repackaging the Atari home computer technology into a game playing console codenamed PAM, Atari almost named the second "SYSTEM X" PAM which would have stood for P.ersonal A.rcade M.achine, however Atari 5200 was chosen. During
the development of the new Atari 3200: System X, Atari was also preparing
a clone version of it to be sold through its Sears distribution channel.
This console was to be called the Sears Super Arcade II. Actual prototypes
do exist of the case designs. " As stated in the quote above, the Atari 3200 SuperSystem was simply declared too difficult to program for and was scraped in favor of the easier way out with the 5200 shortcut. Atari opted to drop all development of the 3200 SuperSystem, and create a gaming system out of existing Atari 800 technology. The result was the Atari 5200 SuperSystem which was released as "Atari's Intellivision Killer" in 1981 to mixed reviews. The system was the most advanced Atari had ever produced, however it came out limping with many flaws. For one, the graphics were questionable; although they were better than existing 2600 technology, they were not quite par with CBS electronics' ColecoVision. Secondly, the unit was absurdly oversized. This was during an age where size truly mattered in a gaming system, a styling situation comparable to cars with large fins in the back which were popular during the 1950's. Thirdly, the unit was NOT out-of-the-box compatible in any way with existing 2600 technology. This was truly frustrating to longtime Atari players. Finally, and worst of all, the controllers were an absolute nightmare to use in most cases. While they did feature pause and reset options on the controller, they were confusing and flimsy. The analog joystick was not self-centering and made games such as PAC-Man a disaster to play. People scrambled for 3rd party joysticks and asked Atari "what went wrong" The
SuperSystem was quickly failing to meet the needs of home gamers who expected
great things from the most advanced Atari product on the market, and it
soon became clear that it was time for damage control. Atari had begun
to lose their "anything is possible in the futuramic world of Atari"
luster and the dream was slowly slipping away. Early on in 1983, Atari
began asking consumers what they wanted in a home gaming system. The answers
were clear. They were the same answers that had been in Atari's back pocket
all along. The people wanted a system that was simple and easy to use.
It must be attractive, have precise controllers that were not overly confusing
to use but were more comfortable to hold in the palm of your hand than
the 2600 joystick. What was wanted most was a system with arcade quality
graphics yet is still fully 100% reverse compatible with existing 2600
technology. Atari soon began their effort to make right what once went wrong. They took the existing 2600 technology and redeveloped it into what would be called the Atari 3600 System X. This new system was to be the vehicle to take us into the future of home videogames. The graphics it was capable of producing were so intense for its time, Atari unfortunately never truly harnessed its full capabilities. The 3600 would be the most powerful home gaming system Atari had ever created, and it would meet all of the objectives they had set forth. The 3600 would be sleek, handsome, and fully compatible with all existing 2600 games and accessories right out of the box. It was to feature arcade-quality graphics and would come packed with Atari's new precision ProLine controllers which would fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. What's more, Atari added an encryption code to the cartridges and system to prevent unlicensed production of games for the unit, hopefully preventing another market flood of games. Soon
marketing got hold of the 3600 and decided that it needed a new name.
A higher number was decided upon to give the system prestige. The 3600
soon became the Atari 9000 Video Computer System. The 9000 was bumped
up to the top of Atari's priority list, and became the company's pet project.
Development continued onward, and soon the electronics of the unit were
crafted. Atari, along with General Computer Corporation had developed
a new chip set named Maria that was capable of producing over 100 sprites,
and a much better color palate for increased graphics and resolution. Soon after the 3600 was changed to the Atari 9000 Video Computer System, marketing gave it yet another name change. The 9000 soon became the 7800. Since the system was 2600 compatible and featured 5200 graphics, it was summed up to 7800. The 7800 was to utilize the all new line of Atari ProLine accessories, thus it was dubbed the Atari 7800 ProSystem, and so the 7800 was born. Atari
decided on a handsome case for the 7800 ProSystem. It was to be a redesign
of the Atari 2800, an Atari 2600 compatible unit which was released in
Japan. The case design was slim, sleek, and handsome. They stripped off
the futuristic touch-sensitive buttons of the 2800 and slapped on what
was Atari's trademark at the time, a metal name plate across the center
of the unit. Small adjustments were made to the exterior of the 2800 and
it soon became recognizable as the handsome look of the Atari 7800 ProSystem. As far as graphics are concerned, Atari decided to take advantage of the arcade quality graphics chip, code named Maria, that the 7800 ProSystem possessed, and began to release for the first time in Atari's history, home versions of videogames that were so close to their arcade counterparts, that it was at times difficult to notice the difference. Atari pounced on this opportunity and started developing home versions of arcade staples, right off the bat. The first line of game cartridges designed for the Atari 7800 consisted of Centipede (CX7801), Asteroids 3D (CX7802), DigDug (CX7803), Food Fight (CX7804), Galaga (CX7805), Joust (CX7806), Ms. Pac-Man (CX7807), Pole Position II (CX7808), Robotron: 2084 (CX7809), Xevious (CX7810), and Desert Falcon (CX7811). These games became known as the "Fabulous Eleven" line of games which were to be released in 1984 along with the 7800 ProSystem. Pictured
below are several pictures taken from slides Atari was showing the press
prior to the release of the Atari 7800 ProSystem. These are screenshots
of recognizable games, however at the time these were released, the games
were not nearly finished. You will notice several differences in the graphic
layout of these games. They are all distinctly 7800 specific, however
they have a 5200 flavor to them as the graphics have a certain bulkiness
that was resolved in the final releases. Click on the thumbnails below
to see a larger version. (None of the images, above or below may be used
in any other way without our written consent) ›››ProSystem Packaging Atari was not about to let the 7800 go unnoticed on the shelves at the toy and electronics stores. They had developed a flashy packaging system that differed from the packaging of the 2600 and 5200 of an earlier day. First of all, the main colors for the 7800 were to be silver and purple. The 2600 colors were silver and red, and the 5200 colors were silver and blue, and since 2600 + 5200 = 7800, Atari also concluded that Red + Blue = Purple. The box design and label designs were beyond beauty for its time. The silver used is beyond comprehension, and we cannot reproduce it in full on the computer. The game labels and packaging featured silver aluminum graphics that were most likely developed in Atari's Holoptic Lab. They feature a bright silver background with a grid landscape that literally has a 3D holographic imagery look and feel to it. Below, are pictures of some of the game cartridges in the Atari 7800.com museum collection. These are prototype game cartridges for the Atari 7800 ProSystem. This is one of the only complete sets of 7800 prototype cartridges left in the world and they are indeed very rare. You will notice the copyright on these games states 1984, not 1986 or 1987.
"When Atari was sold to the Tramiels in 1984, the last the thing the Tramiels had on their minds was selling video games. They wanted the Atari name for selling their new computer which they put all their effort into. The Atari 7800 was shelved. Then Nintendo approached Atari back in 1983 to license and sell their Famicom system under the Atari name since Nintendo didn't feel it could compete against the once mighty video game giant. Nintendo was told that Atari was not interested in their 6502 CPU based video game system, also according to Michele Ebertin, former manager of Atari's Consumer Electronics Division "marketing just didn't like the idea of a game system with a controller that didn't have a joystick on it, they hated the Nintendo controllers." Nintendo decided that they would sell their Famicom in the U.S. and called it The "Nintendo Entertainment System" and it was an instant selling success. Atari Corp, seeing the sudden resurgence in the video game market decided it was time to pull the finished 2600jr that Atari, Inc under Warner Comm. had developed in 1983 out of mothballs and take the Atari 7800's which were also completed and sitting around for more then 2 years off the shelf and sell them in 1986. Well, it was too little, too late. Nintendo had the market; lock, stock and barrel. Not to mention Sega with its Master System was also hot in Nintendo's tail, Atari was running third in a race it used to run a far lead in first in the past."
When the 7800 ProSystem was eventually released in 1986 by Atari under Tramiel control, the once promising system came out the door limping. The Tramiels were a nasty, dank, greedy, and most of all, stingy family who treated Atari like their own personal bank account. They never put any money or thought into anything they did. The first thing they did to the 7800 ProSystem was cancel all the existing add-on technology from the 7800 ProSystem lineup. First to go was the ProLine Keyboard, followed by the High Score Cartridge. These promising accessories were not to be. It truly was such a waste. The nail in the coffin on all of this was the cut of the expansion port on the 7800 units. The expansion port which had been built into the first 5000 units was cut from further production, limiting the 7800 to its self contained technology, and again cutting all possibility of a LaserDisc add on. The
7800 ProSystem came out of the Borreagas Ave. headquarters with its head
hung low. It was without its great accessories, without its great management
from the Warner days, and even without its shiny silver labels. In place
were dull grey and black labels. that were totally uninspiring as compared
to their prototype counterparts. ›››Survival Yet,
The 7800 ended up living a much longer life than had actually been expected.
The 7800 lived a lifespan that lasted from its original 1984 release until
its absolute complete drop of store support in 1992, although late 1990
is a more realistic time of death for the system. During those 8 years,
over 45 videogames were released for the ProSystem library, however games
are still in the works today for the 7800 by independent developers such
as Atari 7800.com, and Video 61. The 7800 legacy still continues to this day. It walked along side the Atari Lynx released in 1989, and was replaced in December of 1993 by the Atari Jaguar, a 64-Bit system that is still considered a modern game system. The 7800 still has a passionate league of followers, such as ourselves who truly have a never-ending passion for the ProSystem. This was a system that had so much potential, and was capable of so much more, yet was utterly under utilized. The 7800 represented what Atari was all about. It was the only time Atari was able to accomplish all of their objectives in their home system, to be able to bring the arcade experience home to you in your very own living room. The ProSystem thrived on the spirit of Atari, the soul of Nolan Bushnell's empire which had taken on some sort of "anything is possible in this futuramic world of tomorrow" atmosphere similiar to Disney in the 1950's. This was what Atari had always been about. Defying the boundaries of imagination, defying the boundaries of space and time, flying into deepspace to fight along side a giant fly, or guide your star cruiser through the thickest of asteroid belts. The Atari 7800 ProSystem was a truly emotional experience for truly dedicated Atarians everywhere. It gave people hope. It gave us all hope. Hope that life was more than just work, but could be about play and shenanigans as well. The 7800 ProSystem has a new home, a haven for Atarians everywhere, and we are proud to host the triumphant return of the 7800 ProSystem. Not only are we supporting the 7800 ProSystem in sales, accessories, and reviews, but we have greater objectives in mind behind the scenes. We hope to introduce a new kind of ProSystem, one that is new and improved, and contains more functions with a slightly different look. But that is to be left to the future. In the meantime, thrive in the past The
Atari 7800 ProSystem is alive again. Once again proving, there are no
limits.
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Quick Links : Atari
7800 ProSystem |
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 | Dan Boris' 7800 Tech Page |
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 Stay in the game with high-quality ATARI 7800 Sales & Service! |
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