Welcome to another week of September and more new game releases. This week, we have a massive AAA release, well, at least for those that are into hammers of war and marines in space. For those that are not, we still have a busy week of new releases that starts with a very different take on what a car is, a new version of an Atari classic, an RPG farming sim, a normal take on what a car is and finally some eldritch horrors, because it's Friday the 13th.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 / This week's AAA release / Monday 9 September
Embody the superhuman skill and brutality of a Space Marine. Unleash deadly abilities and devastating weaponry to obliterate the relentless Tyranid swarms. Defend the Imperium in spectacular third-person action in solo or multiplayer modes. Steam Link

As we enter the last week of June and head towards darkness again in the Northern Hemisphere (remember, it's only six months until Christmas), we can look forward to another slow week of new releases. This week's major release is a remake of a puzzle adventure game from 1997. There's also a strategy game DLC, a shootout, a time travel adventure, some racing and some chasing to look forward to, if that's your kind of thing.

Riven / This week's major release and remake / Tuesday 25 June
Riven takes you on a journey through dense jungles, awe-inspiring caverns, and monolithic structures. Explore a world bent to the whims of a man who sees himself as a god and where every corner will immerse you in an otherworldly adventure. Uncover a story of intrigue, betrayal, and a civilization teetering on the brink of collapse as you solve intricate puzzles to unlock the secrets of Riven. Built from the ground-up and expanded from the award-winning original game released in 1997. Steam Link

We are proud to announce that THE400 Mini—a modern day mini recreation of the pioneering home computer that first appeared in 1979, will be launching worldwide on 28th March 2024. Retro Games Ltd., one of the world's leading producers of re-imagined home computers, is proud to reveal that our modern day mini recreation of a pioneering home computer is now available to pre-order.

For those looking to relive the gameplay experiences of the 1970s and 1980s, included with THE400 Mini is our THECXSTICK, an enhanced, updated recreation of the iconic CX40 Atari joystick for that added touch of nostalgia. This new controller comes with an additional seven seamlessly integrated function buttons and USB, making it compatible with a wide range of platforms.

My Arcade teams up with the legendary Atari brand to introduce the Atari Gamestation Pro with 200+ games! The Atari Gamestation Pro is available for pre-order today, at select retailers for delivery by October 31, 2023 for an MSRP of $99.99 USD. The Atari Gamestation Pro (DGUNL-7012) is the first console on the market to integrate the Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, Arcade and bonus titles into a single platform. Included are heart-pounding favorites like Adventure, Missile Command, Asteroids, Centipede and many more!

The Atari Gamestation Pro arrives with not one, but two 2.4 GHz wireless joysticks, inspired by the iconic originals. For those looking to reignite the magic of paddle games like Breakout or Warlords, fear not - the joystick controllers with integrated paddles have you covered. Indeed, the paddles feature three sensitivity settings for custom user preference.

Atari has today announced that it has formed a collaboration with Playmaji, the company responsible for the Polymega retro game console. The new partnership will "include strategic initiatives that will provide support for Atari games on Polymega hardware and software and integration between Polymega and the Atari VCS." The Polymega console features a modular design that allows the owner to configure their unit to suit differing retro games (physical media) libraries. As part of the deal, Playmaji will introduce a new cartridge model that grants backward compatibility with Atari 2600 and 7800 systems. Wade Rosen, chairman and CEO of Atari stated: "Polymega's approach fills an important need in the market, providing a hardware solution that allows players to legally access classic retro content while respecting game companies' intellectual properties."

Bryan Bernal, chief executive officer of Playmaji chipped in: "This partnership is a vote of confidence in Polymega. This is an important step in the growth of our platform, and we look forward to working with Atari in the important space of retro innovation." Atari has been on an expansion kick lately, with its acquisition of retro/abandonware specialist, Nightdive Studios, announced a few months ago, as well as a Fig crowdfunding campaign. News outlets have reached out for a comment about the company's apparent minority investment in Playmaji. Availability of the modular Polymega console has been inconsistent going back many years—customers expressed their concerns about delays in 2019. Playmaji released an assuring message earlier today, likely in reaction to extra attention due to their new partnership: "Every single person with a system pre-order will have it in hand before end of year."

Atari, once a leader in video game consoles, has today published... a new game! Called Mr. Run and Jump, the game is a classical 2D platformer, following Mr. Run and Jump with his trusty pal Leap the Dog, who defeats the terrifying Void and collects all the Power Gems from the Realms of Color. The gameplay is self-explanatory, as this 2D platformer aims to bring some of the vibes of older games with modernized stories and elements. Interestingly, the game is available for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and Atari 2600, also called Atari Video Computer System (VCS). The last game for Atari VCS was developed in 1990, and this game comes after 33 years to the platform.

Coming in a cartridge for the VCS console, the cartridge design has been updated a bit. It now has beveled edges and gold-plated connectors. Atari prices the cartridge at 60 USD, with availability on July 31. This version of the game is toned down a bit, as the older VCS hardware can not support all the features that modern console/PC versions have. There are 80 levels in the game and as many as five different enemy types, with a unique high-score system.Below are more screenshots of the game.

System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition was created with the goal of reverse engineering the original code to port SS2 (1999) to the KEX Engine and made available on next-generation consoles for the first time. Nightdive Studios has also partnered with the systemshock.org community to integrate all the best mods and updates. All cinematics, textures, characters and weapon models have been updated, and the Co-Op Multiplayer has been overhauled to create a seamless experience.

"Remember, it is my will that guided you here. It is my will that gave you your cybernetic implants, the only beauty in that meat you call a body. If you value that meat... you will do as I tell you." The cult classic sci-fi horror FPS-RPG has returned...

Atari - one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers - announced, on April 19, the acquisition of more than 100 PC and console titles from the 1980s and 1990s. The collection includes notable games from the Bubsy, Hardball, Demolition Racer series, as well as the 1942: Pacific Air War, F-117A, and F-14 air combat series. Atari will seek to expand digital and physical distribution of the classic titles, create new games based on the IP, and explore brand and merchandising collaborations.

"This is a deep catalog that includes groundbreaking and award-winning titles from Accolade, Infogrames and Microprose," said Atari CEO Wade Rosen. "Many of these titles are a part of Atari history, and fans can look forward to seeing many of these games re-released in physical and digital formats, and in some cases, even ported to modern consoles." Atari also acquired the trademark to the Accolade and GTI brands. Accolade was a well-respected US-based video game developer and publisher from 1984 until 2000.

Atari has announced that is buying Nightdive Studios for a cool $10 million - the abandonware specialists will become part of the publisher's larger ambitions to boost production of retro IPs. Nightdive's proprietary KEX engine will form the technological base for future remakes of Atari titles from the archives. As the news of this acquisition hit the web, the Nightdive Twitter posted a positive message regarding the buyout: "This is a big win for our team! As we look to continue producing high-quality, new, and remastered games that do justice to the original IP; we could think of no better long-term partner than."

Nightdive leaders Stephen Kick and Larry Kuperman stated in a joint statement: "Night Dive and Atari have a long history together and we know that Atari shares our passion for retro games and our focus on producing high-quality new and remastered games that do justice to the original IP. As we look to grow our business and expand our capabilities, we could think of no better long-term partner than Atari."

What can only be summed up as one of the biggest failures when it comes to gaming consoles, the Atari VCS, is coming to an end, as Atari has decided to pull the plug. The company is said to have cancelled all of its "existing VCS manufacturing contracts", which means that after its current stock is sold out, it's unlikely that the company will make any more VCS consoles. The company is offering its current stock at a 20 percent discount, to anyone that would be interested in throwing away their money.

Atari's revenue from sales of the VCS and its accessories dropped from €2.3 million last year, to an abysmal €0.2 million this year, or a drop in revenue of 92 percent based on Atari's latest earnings report. This suggests that the company went from selling around a million units to selling around 10,000 units, based on the retail pricing of the VCS. Atari is apparently planning on launching new games based on its intellectual property, as well as getting into NFTs in the future, in addition to potentially licensing its brand to third parties for new hardware products. It would appear that history is repeating itself when it comes to Atari's success and not in a good way, as the company had a net loss of €5.4 million this year.

Atari—one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers—today launches its new title, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, commemorating 50 years of success, growth, and progress in the video game industry. Available now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Series X|S, PlayStation 4|5, and Windows PC, Atari 50 functions as an interactive trek through Atari's historic past, featuring a selection of the publisher's most iconic games, and brands, as well as showcasing the creative individuals who launched the video game industry.

A mix of video game collection-meets-anthology, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration showcases the history of Atari through a combination of retro and modern playable games, short videos, never-before-seen interviews, early development diaries, and more. Emulating seven separate console platforms, and containing titles spanning five decades, the library-styled interface presents over 100 video games sorted by era in an intuitive linear timeline. Other files and materials are also part of the package, including early development sketches, hardware schematics, internal memos, pictures, films, and other "artifacts," the majority of which have never been made public.

Atari announced today another step into establishing the all-new Atari VCS Videogame Computer System as a capable and fully-featured small form-factor PC for the living room. Paired with a robust modern indie and retro video game selection and streaming applications, the Atari VCS now provides users with the ultimate productivity powerhouse: Google Workspace.

Atari VCS owners can take advantage of the system's desk-to-living room versatility with easy access to Gmail, Calendar, Slides, Sheets, Docs, and Drive—all accessible right from the Atari VCS dashboard—and controllable with the Atari VCS Companion app or a traditional mouse and keyboard.

The Atari VCS was first teased in 2017 as the "Ataribox" before a rebranding to Atari VCS and a successful IndieGoGo campaign in June 2018. The campaign raised over three million dollars with an original target release date in mid-2019 but development was repeatedly delayed resulting in the project's lead architect quitting. The console is modeled after the Atari 2600 and includes 100 Atari games of which 18 are from the arcade and 82 are from the Atari 2600. The console features an AMD Ryzen R1606G processor paired with 8 GB ram and 32 GB storage both of which can be upgraded. The console also includes support for installing various desktop operating systems including Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS. The Atari VCS has now shipped to IndieGoGo backers and is currently available to purchase from Best Buy, Micro Center, and Atari for 299.99 USD. Atari also offers a limited Walnut edition which includes a wireless joystick and controller for 399.99 USD.

The Atari VCS is an upcoming 'hybrid' PC/game console releasing later this year, powered by a Ryzen R1606G APU paired with 8 GB DDR4 RAM and running a custom branch of Debian Linux aptly named Atari OS. The new device will face tough competition against the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 this holiday season priced at 279 USD. The device cannot compete in specifications, so Atari will target the niche boutique game market. The Atari store will cap games at 25 USD and initially focus on indie developers and retro games with plans to eventually offer AAA games down the line.

Michael ArztTitles in Atari's store are expected to be much more affordable, with prices ranging anywhere from $3 to $25, with no fees imposed by Atari for online access.

The Atari VCS was first announced over two years ago in 2018 but has since suffered numerous delays. It looks like there may be light at the end of the tunnel for the Atari VCS 800 with the console now available for pre-order from Atari, GameStop, or Walmart. The console is only available as part of a bundle including the console itself, Wireless Classic Joystick, a Modern Controller, and free copy of Atari Vault of 100 classic arcade and console games. The bundle is priced at 389.99 USD and is expected to ship by the 2020 holiday season.

The console features a custom AMD Raven Ridge APU with Vega 3 graphics, paired with 8 GB DDR4 ram, and 32 GB eMMC internal flash storage. The device runs a custom Linux OS but also supports Linux, Windows, Steam OS, or Chrome OS if booting from an external drive. Connectivity consists of 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 while I/O includes a single HDMI 2.0 port, gigabit Ethernet port, and quad USB 3.1 connectors. A lower-powered Atari VCS 400 system is also planned with half the ram at 4 GB and is expected to sell for 249.99 USD.

AMD today announced revenue for the first quarter of 2019 of $1.27 billion, operating income of $38 million, net income of $16 million and diluted
earnings per share of $0.01. On a non-GAAP(*) basis, operating income was $84 million, net income was $62 million and diluted earnings per share was $0.06.

"We delivered solid first quarter results with significant gross margin expansion as Ryzen and EPYC processor and datacenter GPU revenue more than doubled year-over-year," said Dr. Lisa Su, AMD president and CEO. "We look forward to the upcoming launches of our next-generation 7nm PC, gaming
and datacenter products which we expect to drive further market share gains and financial growth."

Atari - one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers - today announced that game platform architecture expert Rob Wyatt and his Boulder, Colorado-based company Tin Giant, are officially joining the Atari VCS team. Wyatt, an expert in GPU Hardware and 3D graphics, has worked on everything from hardware design to graphics applications for a variety of well-known game systems and software platforms. While at Microsoft, Wyatt held roles on the development teams on DirectX and the Windows kernel before becoming the system architect of the original Xbox game console. Wyatt later contributed to the graphics systems of the PlayStation 3 before moving on to become the graphics architect at Magic Leap, an augmented reality startup. Along the way, he has also lent his expertise to many AAA video games and high-end movie special effects.

The Atari VCS is a completely new connected gaming and entertainment device slated to begin shipping in mid-2019. Atari has partnered with chipmaker AMD, who will provide the Atari VCS custom processor featuring Radeon Graphics Technology. The operating system of the Atari VCS is based on Linux, and the platform's highly-anticipated open Sandbox will allow users to create and port additional content to personalize their experience.

E3 2018 has concluded, leaving us with dozens - if not hundreds - of games to anxiously await throughout the remainder of 2018 and beyond.

Atari, one of the world's most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, took to the show this year to showcase another impressive line-up of multi-platform video game titles - from reimagined revivals of beloved Atari hits to new takes on current popular franchises and completely original titles. For those that couldn't make the show, Atari has released today all-new assets for their E3 2018 line-up.

Atari - One of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers - today announces that pre-sales of its new Atari VCS hardware platform will start May 30, 2018. The pre-sale is exclusive to Indiegogo and features the time-limited Atari VCS Collector's Edition featuring the special retro-inspired wood-front. In addition to the Collector's Edition, fans will have the option to pre-order the Atari VCS Onyx, a sleek black version. Early-bird Atari VCS packages will be offered, including the Onyx starting at $199 USD for a limited period of time. Other packages will include the Classic Joystick and Modern Controller. Initial Atari VCS shipments are planned for Spring 2019. Fans who have signed up for "insider" email alerts at AtariVCS.com before May 24, 2018 will be eligible for special purchase incentives during the pre-sale.

The VCS is a completely new Atari connected device, designed in California by Atari. The company has partnered with AMD who provides the Atari VCS custom processor with Radeon Graphics Technology. The Atari VCS platform will offer support for 4K resolution, HDR and 60FPS content, onboard and expandable storage options, dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0, as well as USB 3.0 support. A complete list of Atari VCS product specs will be posted with the pre-sale.

Atari, one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers, today proudly celebrates "Pong Day" on the 45th anniversary of the influential Pong arcade game that first debuted on November 29, 1972. A simple-but-challenging table tennis simulation, Pong was the first commercially successful video game and an immediate smash hit that effectively established the video game industry. To commemorate this groundbreaking birthday, the company has unveiled the all-new Pong Anniversary Limited-Edition Atari Speakerhat which is in stock and available now exclusively at AtariLife.com.

Pong was originally meant to be a simple training exercise, assigned to newly hired engineer Allan Alcorn by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, to acclimate him to creating games. Alcorn went above and beyond, adding appealing features such as segmented paddles that changed the angle of the "ball" and accelerating speeds as play went on. Alcorn also elected to retain a "glitch" that didn't allow the paddles to reach the top of the screen, which added to the game's difficulty. Lastly, Bushnell had Alcorn add cheering crowd noises and other sound effects. The game was so well-received that Bushnell and the team were able to rapidly grow Atari and an entire industry was born.

Initially the Ataribox team wanted to wait until the console's launch to officially reveal the controller's design. But they just couldn't help themselves and decided to share a few photos of the controller on their Facebook page. As expected, the Ataribox's controller maintains a squared design with a familiar layout similar to the original Atari 2600's controller. There's a single joystick in the middle and a big fire button in the corner of the controller. The joystick appears to sit on a translucent, glossy black surface with LED lighting. However, we're not 100% sure on the lighting as it could have been a result of the camera's flash at the angle of which the photo was taken. We will just have to wait until launch day to verify. What's worth noting, though, is that the modern iteration of the controller is accompanied by home and back buttons, which weren't present on the original design.

Atari is back in the console game with their upcoming Ataribox which is slated for a late spring 2018 release. At the heart of the system is a specially designed AMD processor running on Radeon Graphics technology. According to the Atari team, they've opted to implement a customized version of Linux operating system into the Ataribox to bring a full PC experience for the TV. Linux allows users to customize the OS the way they want it while also giving them access to games they've bought from other content platforms. The Ataribox will come preloaded with many classic Atari retro titles, so that gamers can relive their childhood days. However, it will also support modern titles from other studios. Besides gaming, we can use the Ataribox for other tasks like running applications, multimedia streaming, web browsing or checking social media.

Initial images revealed the Ataribox sporting a black plastic casing. It will be available in two editions: black and red with a glass front panel or wooden front panel. We also noticed numerous modern ports at the back of the console. So far, we counted four USB ports, one HDMI port, and an Ethernet port for internet access. There is also a SD card slot for expandable storage.

Konami has confirmed that its upcoming survival-horror game "Silent Hill: Homecoming" has been refused classification in Australia, so selling it there is illegal. According to a Atari spokesman (Atari is the local distributor for Konami) Australia's Classification Board found issue with the high impact of Silent Hill's violence.

Silent Hill: Homecoming is just one more victim in a series of banned games in Australia this year. Dark Sector, Shellshock 2: Blood Trails, and Fallout 3 were all banned in 2008, though both Dark Sector and Fallout 3 were eventually allowed back into the country after some modifications were made.

The game is currently being developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows. The PC version will be distributed exclusively through Valve's Steam digital content delivery service.

Atari has confirmed to Shacknews that Eden Games' Alone in the Dark has been delayed again, pushing the reimagining of the classic survival horror franchise back to a June 20 release. Alone in the Dark had been previously slated for a May release, which itself was a result of a delay from a March release window. Publisher Atari said that the delay was enacted to "allow the development team at Eden Games to polish the game to an even higher standard and deliver the best possible experience to gamers." The delay applies to the PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC versions of the title, with the PlayStation 3 version of Alone in the Dark due out late this year.

Valve has revealed that Atari has become the latest big name addition to the list of publishers distributing their games via Steam, with a number of well known titles going on sale. Nine games are now available for download; Act of War: Direct Action, Act of War: High Treason, ArmA: Combat Operations, Atari 80 Classics in 1, Death to Spies, Desperados 2: Cooper's Revenge, Indigo Prophecy, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum and Tycoon City: New York. Two more major titles from Atari which will go on sale in the coming weeks are The Witcher and Neverwinter Nights 2. Nizzi Renaud, Atari's Vice President of Online Entertainment, said:

Atari is excited to team up with Steam and deliver great games through a digital platform that our fans have asked for. We look forward to making an extensive collection of games, across many genres, available to Steam's extensive, globally-connected community.