Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!osu-cis!tut!weaver From: weaver@tut.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: Atari's Marketing Approach Message-ID: <2494@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> Date: Tue, 1-Dec-87 02:01:50 EST Article-I.D.: tut.2494 Posted: Tue Dec 1 02:01:50 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 4-Dec-87 01:13:15 EST References: <8711301706.AA18559@cory.Berkeley.EDU> Organization: The Ohio State University Dept of Computer and Information Science Lines: 38 In article <8711301706.AA18559@cory.Berkeley.EDU> dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) writes: >>Amiga. When will Atari learn? All of the television commercials I see >>for Atari are for their game systems, but if they want to change their >>image, shouldn't they advertise their computers? The Amiga commercial > > Well, this is somewhat unfair to Atari. The Atari that controls >the video game market is no longer the same company as the Atari that >controls the ST series. They are entirely separate entities. So the problem Not quite. The Atari that owns the _home_ video games _is_ the same Atari that controls the ST series. When Jack Tramiel bought Atari he sold off the coin-op division of Atari (a company now known as Atari Games) but retained control of the 2600/5200/7800 game systems as well as the 8-bit computers and now the ST line. The games systems _are_ selling, and probably outselling the STs, unfortunately for us ST users. However, what needs to be advertised is the ST series; the 2600s can sell themselves (I think I heard some figure that around 100,000 Model 2600 game system units sold in '85 or '86 with $0 advertising. Now that says something or other about a game image.) Atari has previously been the leader with graphics (at least with Jay Miner's work with the 800.) Even some of the arcade games testify to this: Battle Zone, Tempest, Xevious, Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, etc. Maybe this 'Abaq' thing will fly; but only if it is unique in some way. Some nasty fast graphics would be nice; but lets face it: unless Atari gets something to market (on time) that has something unique about it, and isn't in the 'game vein', then they always will be 'that damn toy company.' > -Matt Cheers, -- Andrew Weaver, The Ohio State University College of Business UUCP: ...!cbosgd!cis.ohio-state.edu!weaver | "This ain'ta my planet, ARPA: weaver@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu | monkey-boy!" | - Emilio Lizardo