From Atari (Remember It?), a New Console With Old Games
“I became a computer engineer because I fell in love with technology through
Atari,” said Curt Vendel, a most devoted Atari buff and a computer engineer.
The console, known as the Flashback, was one of the best-selling items in early November at Dollar General, one of the nation’s largest chains.
“Atari was what you said to your opponent if you put their stones in jeopardy, kind of like check in chess,” Mr. Bushnell explained in an interview.
He was running something called the Atari Historical Society, a virtual archive built on a voluminous personal collection spanning Atari coffee mugs
and a couple Androbots, which were clunky robots built by a different company backed by Mr. Bushnell.
“Atari shaped my life,” said Mr. Vendel, who consulted with Atari for a few years afterward.
Frédéric Chesnais, the chief executive, summed up the appeal: “It’s simple, it’s addictive, you can have a fun experience in a couple of minutes.”
The Atari I bought at Bed Bath & Beyond is the first one I’ve ever owned.
A working paper put out this summer by the National Bureau of Economic Research cited video games as a reason young men are working fewer hours.