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With Ataribox, the legend returns -- powered by Linux

Available to pre-order starting on December 14, the gaming console will ship with some Atari classics pre-installed and use the open source OS to run other PC games and stream media to HDTVs.
Written by Sean Portnoy, Contributor
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Ataribox

Have you played Atari today? Once a jingle's catchphrase as well as a legitimate query, a resurrected version of the brand is hoping you'll soon be asking that question again with the forthcoming Ataribox.

Available to pre-order on Thursday for a special price via an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, the Ataribox is shaping up to be an amalgam of retro gaming console and living room PC. Details are mostly sketchy at this point, but we do know that it will be powered by some variant of Linux OS and will include over 100 Atari classic games pre-installed.

Unfortunately for retro gaming fans, the full list of games isn't known yet, nor do we know other key information like the Ataribox's shipping date or its pricing (though VentureBeat reports it will sell somewhere between $250 and $300). Atari Interactive has been leaking dribs and drabs through social media, such as the inclusion of titles like Asteroids, Missile Command, and Breakout.

The company has updated the design for its console while retaining touches from the vintage 2600 -- in addition to an option with black trim and red glowing Atari logo, you can get the Ataribox with the faux wood trim of the original. The joystick also resembles the 2600's, but with a revamped look that's more 2017 than 1980.

But by choosing to build the Ataribox as a Linux-running mini PC, Atari is giving itself the opportunity to stay current with new games, unlike many of the plug-and-play retro consoles. Though we don't know the precise configuration, we've been promised a system with an AMD processor customized for the console and the ability to play mid-range games.

Will the Ataribox be a hit like Nintendo's SNES Classic mini was? Or will it fizzle out like many other living room PCs that came before it, despite the retro trappings? The price will clearly be an issue -- even if it's technically a PC, it could winding up costing as much as some versions of the Xbox One or PlayStation 4, not to mention that many potential buyers would only want it to play the old Atari games. We'll get a better idea starting on December 14, as the Indiegogo campaign kicks off and Atari will see how just many people will rush to open their wallets to grab an Ataribox.

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