The Atari 2600 is not a dead console yet, if the new game development studio Audacity Games has anything to say about it. Composed of former Activision personnel, the studio will produce retro games for a variety of consoles, while offering alternatives for those without authentic hardware.
While it might have been decades since it was commercially active, the Atari 2600 is one of the most iconic consoles of all time. For one, it was a first introduction of video games to many of a certain age, with all of the nostalgia that implies. For another, many of its best-selling games are well-known, such as the adventure title Pitfall! and an array of arcade ports. On the flip side, the inconsistent quality of the console’s games is also blamed for the mid-1980s video game crash, setting up Nintendo to nearly monopolize the American market a few years later.
Audacity Games’ teaser website is sparse, currently showcasing a simple video of an unmarked cartridge. Still, what the website might lack in substance, it makes up for in pedigree. Audacity Games was founded by former Activision developers Dan and Garry Kitchen, as well as Activision co-founder David Crane. This is fitting, given that Activision first rose to prominence by publishing games like Pitfall! for the Atari 2600. In fact, the Kitchen brothers have extensive experience with the Atari 2600; Garry is responsible for the Atari 2600 port of Donkey Kong.
According to the company’s founders, Audacity Games will offer all-new games for actual hardware. While the team will likely move on to other retro hardware, the team will start by producing Atari 2600 games. In a move that will please those saddened by poorly-boxed versions of pseudo-retro games like Mighty No. 9, Audacity Games says it pay great attention to aesthetics and packaging. Each game will arrive in a retail package, with a full-color box, instruction manual, and unique serial number. Each box will also include a download code for players to obtain and play the game via Stella, the Atari 2600 emulator software.
In addition to the value of its games as collectors’ items, Audacity Games will aim to create games that are fun to play. Players will apparently be able to report scores via their smartphone and receive physical rewards for high scores. While some know the Atari 2600 for lackluster games like its port of Pac-Man, there’s no reason to doubt that Audacity Games can come through. After all, the company has no deadlines or licensees to appease, key factors in downfall for some of the Atari 2600’s least-liked games.
The next few years could represent a renaissance of sorts for the Atari brand. In addition to the work of Audacity Games and the in-development Atari VCS console, Atari is part of one of the most ambitious video-game-related projects ever undertaken: the Atari Hotels concept, which will combine esports with luxury hotels and all sorts of Atari-themed aesthetics. If these new projects are successful, they might just bring Atari back into the spotlight for older and younger gamers alike.
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