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The initial price was US$199 and shipped with two joysticks and Combat cartridge<ref>{{cite book |last=Forster |first=Winnie |authorlink=Winnie Forster |title=The encyclopedia of consoles, handhelds & home computers 1972 - 2005 |year=2005 |publisher=GAMEPLAN |isbn=3-00-015359-4|pages=27}}</ref>. In a move to compete directly with the [[Fairchild Channel F|Channel F]], Atari Inc. named the machine the Video Computer System (or VCS for short), as the Channel F was at that point known as the '''VES''', for ''Video Entertainment System''. The 2600 was also rebadged as the '''Sears Video Arcade''' and sold through [[Sears, Roebuck and Company]] stores. When Fairchild learned of Atari Inc.'s naming, they quickly changed the name of their system to become the Channel F. However, both systems were now in the midst of a vicious round of price-cutting: Pong clones made obsolete by these newer and more powerful machines sold off their boxes to discounters for ever-lower prices. Soon many of the clone companies were out of business, and both Fairchild and Atari Inc. were selling to a public that was completely burnt out on Pong. In 1977, Atari Inc. sold only 250,000 VCSs. For the first year of production, the 2600 was manufactured in [[Sunnyvale, California]]. The consoles manufactured here had thick internal [[RF shielding]], and thick plastic molding around the sides and bottom. These added weight to the console, and because all 6 switches were on the front, these consoles were nicknamed "Heavy Sixers". After this first year, production moved to [[Hong Kong]], and the consoles manufactured there had thinner RF shielding and plastic molding. In 1978, only 550,000 units from a production run of 800,000 were sold, requiring further financial support from Warner to cover losses. This led directly to the disagreements that caused Atari Inc. founder [[Nolan Bushnell]] to leave the company in 1978.<ref>Steve Fulton, [www.gamasutra.com] "Atari: The Golden Years -- A History, 1978-1981"], ''Gamasutra'', 21 August 2008, pg. 6</ref>
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The initial price was US$199 and shipped with two joysticks and Combat cartridge.<ref>{{cite book |last=Forster |first=Winnie |authorlink=Winnie Forster |title=The encyclopedia of consoles, handhelds & home computers 1972 - 2005 |year=2005 |publisher=GAMEPLAN |isbn=3-00-015359-4|pages=27}}</ref> In a move to compete directly with the [[Fairchild Channel F|Channel F]], Atari Inc. named the machine the Video Computer System (or VCS for short), as the Channel F was at that point known as the '''VES''', for ''Video Entertainment System''. The 2600 was also rebadged as the '''Sears Video Arcade''' and sold through [[Sears, Roebuck and Company]] stores. When Fairchild learned of Atari Inc.'s naming, they quickly changed the name of their system to become the Channel F. However, both systems were now in the midst of a vicious round of price-cutting: Pong clones made obsolete by these newer and more powerful machines sold off their boxes to discounters for ever-lower prices. Soon many of the clone companies were out of business, and both Fairchild and Atari Inc. were selling to a public that was completely burnt out on Pong. In 1977, Atari Inc. sold only 250,000 VCSs. For the first year of production, the 2600 was manufactured in [[Sunnyvale, California]]. The consoles manufactured here had thick internal [[RF shielding]], and thick plastic molding around the sides and bottom. These added weight to the console, and because all 6 switches were on the front, these consoles were nicknamed "Heavy Sixers". After this first year, production moved to [[Hong Kong]], and the consoles manufactured there had thinner RF shielding and plastic molding. In 1978, only 550,000 units from a production run of 800,000 were sold, requiring further financial support from Warner to cover losses. This led directly to the disagreements that caused Atari Inc. founder [[Nolan Bushnell]] to leave the company in 1978.<ref>Steve Fulton, [www.gamasutra.com] "Atari: The Golden Years -- A History, 1978-1981"], ''Gamasutra'', 21 August 2008, pg. 6</ref>
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Once the public realized it was possible to play video games other than Pong and programmers learned how to push its hardware's capabilities, the 2600 gained popularity. By this point, Fairchild had given up, thinking video games were a passed fad, thereby handing the entire quickly growing market to Atari Inc. By 1979, the 2600 was the best-selling [[Christmas]] gift (and console), mainly because of its exclusive content, and 1 million units were sold that year.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} |
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Once the public realized it was possible to play video games other than Pong and programmers learned how to push its hardware's capabilities, the 2600 gained popularity. By this point, Fairchild had given up, thinking video games were a passed fad, thereby handing the entire quickly growing market to Atari Inc. By 1979, the 2600 was the best-selling [[Christmas]] gift (and console), mainly because of its exclusive content, and 1 million units were sold that year.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} |
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In 1980, the Atari 2600 was given a minor revision in which the left and right difficulty switches were moved to the back of the console, leaving four switches on the front. Other than this, these four-switch consoles looked nearly identical to the earlier six-switch models. In 1982, another version of the four-switch console was released without woodgrain. They were nicknamed "[[Darth Vader]]" consoles due to their all-black appearance. These were also the first consoles to be officially called "Atari 2600", as the [[Atari 5200]] was released the same year. |
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In 1980, the Atari 2600 was given a minor revision in which the left and right difficulty switches were moved to the back of the console, leaving four switches on the front. Other than this, these four-switch consoles looked nearly identical to the earlier six-switch models. In 1982, another version of the four-switch console was released without woodgrain. They were nicknamed "[[Darth Vader]]" consoles due to their all-black appearance. These were also the first consoles to be officially called "Atari 2600", as the [[Atari 5200]] was released the same year. |
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During this period, Atari Inc. expanded the 2600 family with two other compatible consoles. They designed the [[Atari 2700]], a wireless version of the console that was never released because of a design flaw.<ref> [www.atarimuseum.com] The company also built a sleeker version of the machine dubbed the [[Atari 2800]] to sell directly to the [[Japan]]ese market in early 1983, but it suffered from competition with the newly released [[Nintendo]] [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]].
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During this period, Atari Inc. expanded the 2600 family with two other compatible consoles. They designed the [[Atari 2700]], a wireless version of the console that was never released because of a design flaw.<ref>{{cite web|first=Curt |last=Vendel |url=http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2700/a2700.html |title=Atari 2700 Wireless VCS |publisher=Atari Museum |accessdate=2009-07-06}}</ref> The company also built a sleeker version of the machine dubbed the [[Atari 2800]] to sell directly to the [[Japan]]ese market in early 1983, but it suffered from competition with the newly released [[Nintendo]] [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]].
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In a survey mentioned by [[Jeff Rovin]] it is reported that more stores reported breakdowns of the Atari 2600 system than any other, and that Atari repair centers seemed to have the most trouble with consoles manufactured in 1980. In one case it is stated that a system was repaired five times before static electricity from a carpet was discovered as having caused the problem. The controllers were also a source of breakage because of the way they could be gripped by a player holding it with their fist, allowing players to get carried away and over control, which was less likely with others systems released at the time, such as the [[Odyssey 2]] with controllers which were nearly half its size.<ref>"The Complete Guide to Conquering Video Games" by Jeff Rovin, [[Collier Books]], 1982 pages 7, 9, 11</ref>.
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In a survey mentioned by [[Jeff Rovin]] it is reported that more stores reported breakdowns of the Atari 2600 system than any other, and that Atari repair centers seemed to have the most trouble with consoles manufactured in 1980. In one case it is stated that a system was repaired five times before static electricity from a carpet was discovered as having caused the problem. The controllers were also a source of breakage because of the way they could be gripped by a player holding it with their fist, allowing players to get carried away and over control, which was less likely with others systems released at the time, such as the [[Odyssey 2]] with controllers which were nearly half its size.<ref>"The Complete Guide to Conquering Video Games" by Jeff Rovin, [[Collier Books]], 1982 pages 7, 9, 11</ref>
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=== Sears Tele-Games 2600s === |
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=== Sears Tele-Games 2600s === |
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During this period, Atari Inc. continued to grow until it had one of the largest [[research and development|R&D]] divisions in [[Silicon Valley]]. However, it spent much of its R&D budget on projects that seemed rather out of place at a video game (or even home computer) company; many of these projects never saw the light of day. Meanwhile, several attempts to bring out newer consoles failed for one reason or another, although Atari Inc.'s [[home computer]] systems, the [[Atari 8-bit family]], sold reasonably, if not spectacularly. Warner was more than happy anyway, as it seemed to have no end to the sales of the 2600, and Atari Inc. was responsible for over half of the company's income. |
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During this period, Atari Inc. continued to grow until it had one of the largest [[research and development|R&D]] divisions in [[Silicon Valley]]. However, it spent much of its R&D budget on projects that seemed rather out of place at a video game (or even home computer) company; many of these projects never saw the light of day. Meanwhile, several attempts to bring out newer consoles failed for one reason or another, although Atari Inc.'s [[home computer]] systems, the [[Atari 8-bit family]], sold reasonably, if not spectacularly. Warner was more than happy anyway, as it seemed to have no end to the sales of the 2600, and Atari Inc. was responsible for over half of the company's income. |
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The programmers of many of Atari Inc.'s biggest hits grew disgruntled with the company for not crediting game developers and many left the company and formed their own independent software companies. The most prominent and longest-lasting of these third-party developers was [[Activision]], founded in 1980, whose titles quickly became more popular than those of Atari Inc. itself. Atari Inc. attempted to block third-party development for the 2600 in court but failed,{{Fact|date=December 2007}} and soon other publishers, such as [[Imagic]] and [[Coleco]], entered the market. Atari Inc. suffered from an image problem when a company named [[Mystique (company)|Mystique]] produced a number of [[Pornography|pornographic]] games for the 2600. The most notorious of these, ''[[Custer's Revenge]]'', caused a large number of protests from women's and [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] groups<ref> [www.atarihq.com] because it depicts [[George Armstrong Custer|General George Armstrong Custer]] raping a bound Native American woman.<ref> [classicgaming.gamespy.com] Atari Inc. sued Mystique in court over the release of the game.<ref> [www.gamespot.com] |
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The programmers of many of Atari Inc.'s biggest hits grew disgruntled with the company for not crediting game developers and many left the company and formed their own independent software companies. The most prominent and longest-lasting of these third-party developers was [[Activision]], founded in 1980, whose titles quickly became more popular than those of Atari Inc. itself. Atari Inc. attempted to block third-party development for the 2600 in court but failed,{{Fact|date=December 2007}} and soon other publishers, such as [[Imagic]] and [[Coleco]], entered the market. Atari Inc. suffered from an image problem when a company named [[Mystique (company)|Mystique]] produced a number of [[Pornography|pornographic]] games for the 2600. The most notorious of these, ''[[Custer's Revenge]]'', caused a large number of protests from women's and [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] groups<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atarihq.com/2678/3party/mystique.html |title=AGH - Third Party Profile: Mystique |publisher=AtariHQ.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-06}}</ref> because it depicts [[George Armstrong Custer|General George Armstrong Custer]] raping a bound Native American woman.<ref>{{cite web|author=Fragmaster |url=http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=282 |title=Custer's Revenge |publisher=Classic Gaming |accessdate=2009-07-06}}</ref> Atari Inc. sued Mystique in court over the release of the game.<ref>{{cite web|first=Lauren |last=Gonzalez |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6090892/p-3.html |title=When Two Tribes Go to War: A History of Video Game Controversy |pages=3 |publisher=GameSpot |accessdate=2009-07-06}}</ref>
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Atari Inc. continued to scoop up licenses during the shelf life of the 2600, the most prominent of which included ''[[Pac-Man (Atari 2600)|Pac-Man]]'' and ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Atari 2600)|E.T.]]'' Public disappointment with these two titles and the market saturation of poor third-party titles are cited as big reasons for the [[video game crash of 1983]]. Suddenly, Atari Inc.'s growth meant it was losing massive amounts of money during the crash, at one point about $10,000 a day. Warner quickly grew tired of supporting Atari Inc., and started looking for buyers in 1984. |
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Atari Inc. continued to scoop up licenses during the shelf life of the 2600, the most prominent of which included ''[[Pac-Man (Atari 2600)|Pac-Man]]'' and ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Atari 2600)|E.T.]]'' Public disappointment with these two titles and the market saturation of poor third-party titles are cited as big reasons for the [[video game crash of 1983]]. Suddenly, Atari Inc.'s growth meant it was losing massive amounts of money during the crash, at one point about $10,000 a day. Warner quickly grew tired of supporting Atari Inc., and started looking for buyers in 1984. |
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| title = The Greatest Easter Eggs in Gaming |
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| accessdate = 2008-01-30 }}</ref> ''[[Super_Breakout#Ports|Breakout]]'',<ref> [www.mobygames.com] MobyGames. "Breakout for Atari 2600," (retrieved on March 2nd, 2009).</ref> and ''[[Yars' Revenge]]''.<ref name="ataritimes">{{cite web
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| accessdate = 2008-01-30 }}</ref> ''[[Super Breakout#Ports|Breakout]]'',<ref> [www.mobygames.com] MobyGames. "Breakout for Atari 2600," (retrieved on March 2nd, 2009).]</ref> and ''[[Yars' Revenge]]''.<ref name="ataritimes">{{cite web
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| url = [www.atarimuseum.com] |
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| accessdate = 2007-11-13}}</ref> are frequently blamed for contributing to the [[video game crash of 1983]].{{Fact|date=January 2008}} |
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| accessdate = 2007-11-13}}</ref> are frequently blamed for contributing to the [[video game crash of 1983]].{{Fact|date=January 2008}} |
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{{-}}
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== Legacy == |
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== Legacy == |
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===Atari 2000=== |
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===Atari 2000=== |
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[[Image:Atari2600jr.jpg|thumb|225px|right|The Atari 2600 in its 1986 cost-reduced version, also known as the "2600 Jr."]] |
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[[Image:Atari2600jr.jpg|thumb|225px|right|The Atari 2600 in its 1986 cost-reduced version, also known as the "2600 Jr."]] |
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The '''Atari 2000''' (model number CX-2000) is a [[prototype]] version of the Atari 2600 intended to be released as a cheaper alternative for children in 1982. Although identical in specification to the original 2600, the 2000 included built-in controllers and a different case design. The 2000 was originally intended to be black, but it was later recolored blue to appeal more to children. While Atari never officially stated the reason for not releasing the 2000, experts have cited the poor quality and durability of its built-in joysticks and the greater in-house popularity of the competing 2600jr design as the most likely reasons.<ref name="atari2000"> [www.atarimuseum.com] |
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The '''Atari 2000''' (model number CX-2000) is a [[prototype]] version of the Atari 2600 intended to be released as a cheaper alternative for children in 1982. Although identical in specification to the original 2600, the 2000 included built-in controllers and a different case design. The 2000 was originally intended to be black, but it was later recolored blue to appeal more to children. While Atari never officially stated the reason for not releasing the 2000, experts have cited the poor quality and durability of its built-in joysticks and the greater in-house popularity of the competing 2600jr design as the most likely reasons.<ref name="atari2000">{{cite web|author=Curt Vendel |url=http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2000/a2000.html |title=The Atari CX-2000 Prototype |publisher=Atari Museum |accessdate=2009-07-06}}</ref>
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===Atari 3200=== |
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Atari started work on a replacement to the 2600, called the '''Atari 3200''', with codenames including Super Stella, Sylvia, and PAM (a note attached reads "Super Stella: Multipurpose"). The system was to have compatibility with Atari 2600 cartridges, and was based on a 10-bit processor. It was still unfinished when preliminary game programmers discovered that it was difficult to program. The project was cancelled, and Atari went with the second "System X" also titled PAM, that would later become the [[Atari 5200]]. Atari also cloned the Atari 3200 into the Sears Super Arcade II, but this was never released.<ref name="sylvia"> [www.atarimuseum.com] |
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Atari started work on a replacement to the 2600, called the '''Atari 3200''', with codenames including Super Stella, Sylvia, and PAM (a note attached reads "Super Stella: Multipurpose"). The system was to have compatibility with Atari 2600 cartridges, and was based on a 10-bit processor. It was still unfinished when preliminary game programmers discovered that it was difficult to program. The project was cancelled, and Atari went with the second "System X" also titled PAM, that would later become the [[Atari 5200]]. Atari also cloned the Atari 3200 into the Sears Super Arcade II, but this was never released.<ref name="sylvia">{{cite web|url=http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/sylvia/sylvia.html |title=The Atari 3200: Super-Stella/Sylvia |publisher=Atari Museum |accessdate=2009-07-06}}</ref>
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===Clones and reissues=== |
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===Clones and reissues=== |
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== External links == |
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== External links == |
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<!--==========================({{NoMoreLinks}})============================
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| PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. WIKIPEDIA | |
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| PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. WIKIPEDIA | |
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| IS NOT A COLLECTION OF LINKS NOR SHOULD IT BE USED FOR ADVERTISING. | |
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| IS NOT A COLLECTION OF LINKS NOR SHOULD IT BE USED FOR ADVERTISING. | |
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| to the relevant category at the Open Directory Project (dmoz.org) | |
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| to the relevant category at the Open Directory Project (dmoz.org) | |
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| and link back to that category using the {{dmoz}} template. | |
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| and link back to that category using the {{dmoz}} template. | |
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* {{dmoz|Games/Video_Games/Console_Platforms/Atari/VCS_Family/Atari_2600}} |
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* {{dmoz|Games/Video_Games/Console_Platforms/Atari/VCS_Family/Atari_2600}} |
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* [www.gamasutra.com] Gamasutra's A History of Gaming Platforms: Atari 2600 Video Computer System/VCS] |
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* [www.gamasutra.com] Gamasutra's A History of Gaming Platforms: Atari 2600 Video Computer System/VCS] |