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Thanks to an exclusive report from our lead writer, Dean Takahashi, we learned this week that the new Ataribox will be a low-cost gaming rig with Atari branding and style.
The Ataribox will run on the Linux OS and feature an AMD processor. Yes, you'll be able to play PC games on it, too — remember, Steam does work on Linux. That's a nice bonus for people who are interested in this box.
But let's remember — Valve itself threw its weight behind living room Linux gaming with Steam Machines. When's the last time you heard anyone talk about those? And when was the last time you hooked up your PC to your main TV and used Steam's Big Picture mode?
Yeah, I thought so. Atari's hoping the nostalgia from old games will move boxes, as it did for the NES Classic. But why would I need to buy a $250-$300 device for that? I can play the publisher's classic games on Steam for $10. I can buy one of those other cheap setup boxes that you see at Target.
And ... who has so much nostalgia for old arcade games that they'd shell out that sort of money for a box under their TV instead of just making their own MAME emulator cabinet?
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