Atari Founder: "Xbox 360 Has the Advantage, PS3 Not Compelling"

Atari Founder: Xbox 360 Has the Advantage, PS3 Not Compelling

Nolan Bushnell (right) has once again criticized Sony's PlayStation business while praising Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360. In the current console race he believes that the 360 has the "clear advantage." More within...

Speaking to our friends in an interview over at gaming blog Joystiq, Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell has once again expressed his disappointment with the PlayStation brand.

Bushnell--who previously had said that the PlayStation's success was an "accident"--reiterated that Sony was simply in the "right place at the right time" with the original PlayStation.

"It wasn't that they had put together an incredible product, they just filled a void that the market had at the time," he said. "Consumers wanted a new gaming system, and Sony was there. There weren't really any other choices as far as the technology available, at the time."

As for the current three-way race, Bushnell believes Microsoft's Xbox 360 has "the clear advantage" because of its games portfolio and popular Xbox Live online service. "It's a software race at this point, the hardware is just secondary. I play the Xbox 360 more than the other systems, although I don't have a PlayStation 3 yet. I'm not sure if I will get one, because there isn't really a compelling reason to own one just yet," he added.

He also claimed that his "engineer friends" said the PS3 is very difficult to program for and "that's keeping a lot of good things from the PlayStation 3, because engineers and developers are shying away from it."

Bushnell isn't just high on the 360, however. He had equally high praise for Nintendo's Wii, noting that the motion sensing controls brought many lapsed gamers back into the fold. "A lot of people had opted out of the video game industry because controls for games had become so complex. The Wii has brought a lot of those people back into the equation," he remarked.

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15857

So it seems Forbes and Mr. Bushnell see the state of the gaming industry differently. What do you think?

PS3 needs games, fast.
Philosoma

Not just games- games you can't play on any other system.

[QUOTE="Philosoma"]PS3 needs games, fast.
Shazenab

Not just games- games you can't play on any other system.

not just games you can't play on any other system...PRICE-JUSTIFYING GAMES you can't play on any other system.  AAA software that says "this can only be done on this system."

ASAP. 

Atari flopped.

/thread 

Just wish the 360 was more stable :?thirstychainsaw

basic extended warranty through someplace like Best Buy = max stability.  But I've seen hide nor hair of stability issue with my 360 since I bought it at launch. 

Atari flopped.

/thread

jsnepo

Atari still makes/publishes great software. 

[QUOTE="jsnepo"]

Atari flopped.

/thread

Dreams-Visions

Atari still makes/publishes great software.

The Atari of today has very little in common with the Atari of the 70's and early 80's. 

[QUOTE="jsnepo"]

Atari flopped.

/thread

Dreams-Visions

Atari still makes/publishes great software. 

it's not the same atari really...

[QUOTE="jsnepo"]

Atari flopped.

/thread

Dreams-Visions

Atari still makes/publishes great software.

Just like Sega is now. 

I think they're right.

Money won't be spent on developing for the PS3 until people actually buy them. 

[QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"][QUOTE="jsnepo"]

Atari flopped.

/thread

ramey70

Atari still makes/publishes great software.

The Atari of today has very little in common with the Atari of the 70's and early 80's. 

[QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"][QUOTE="jsnepo"]

Atari flopped.

/thread

jsnepo

Atari still makes/publishes great software.

Just like Sega is now.

point is it's an ad-hominem fallacy to attempt to invalidate his opinion based on Atari's discontinuation of its hardware division.  He's still very active in the gaming industry on several levels.  You don't have to agree with his opinion, but citing Atari as the reason why his opinion isn't valuable is a false argument at its root.

[QUOTE="jsnepo"][QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"][QUOTE="jsnepo"]

Atari flopped.

/thread

Dreams-Visions

Atari still makes/publishes great software.

Just like Sega is now.

point is it's an ad-hominem fallacy to attempt to invalidate his opinion based on Atari's discontinuation of its hardware division. He's still very active in the gaming industry on several levels. You don't have to agree with his opinion, but citing Atari as the reason why his opinion isn't valuable is a false argument at its root.

Then why did you include his founding of Atari in the topic title?

I mean, he sold Atari to Warner, and years later, fumbled Chuck E Cheese into so much trouble a competitor bought them out. He's now out of the loop, getting really old, and more than likely has no idea what's going on. TekkenMaster606

why do you assume he has no idea what's going on?  and if the first half of your statement is really the premise for your closing opinion, your argument is a fallacy too.

[QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"][QUOTE="jsnepo"][QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"][QUOTE="jsnepo"]

Atari flopped.

/thread

ramey70

Atari still makes/publishes great software.

Just like Sega is now.

point is it's an ad-hominem fallacy to attempt to invalidate his opinion based on Atari's discontinuation of its hardware division. He's still very active in the gaming industry on several levels. You don't have to agree with his opinion, but citing Atari as the reason why his opinion isn't valuable is a false argument at its root.

Then why did you include his founding of Atari in the topic title?

did you click the link yet? oh...right... 

:lol: Atari, nothing more then a dead beat company who keeps rehashing games that sucked 20 years ago. We dont need another 3D Pac Man game and crap like that. I really dont care what some idiot from Atari has to say about the PS3, its not our fault his company is too poor and too stupid to make a great amazing game for the PS3.

[QUOTE="ramey70"][QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"][QUOTE="jsnepo"][QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"][QUOTE="jsnepo"]

Atari flopped.

/thread

Dreams-Visions

Atari still makes/publishes great software.

Just like Sega is now.

point is it's an ad-hominem fallacy to attempt to invalidate his opinion based on Atari's discontinuation of its hardware division. He's still very active in the gaming industry on several levels. You don't have to agree with his opinion, but citing Atari as the reason why his opinion isn't valuable is a false argument at its root.

Then why did you include his founding of Atari in the topic title?

did you click the link yet? oh...right...

Actually I did.  Being 30 years old, the 2600 was my first real system (I don't count Pong because it only played one game).  I'm quite familiar with Nolan Bushnell's contributions to gaming.  And yes I fully understand the topic title was the title of the article in question.  

He has a serious case of underdog syndrome if you ask me. He watched a company he created get beat up in the coin-op business by Namco, Nintendo, Midway and eventually, while he was no longer associated with Atari, he probably sat around and wished that the 7800 and the Jaguar would succeed against the competition. Nolan Bushnell's problem was he had too much going on, threw too many ideas around, and tried to get up in every flavor of Kool-Aid possible. Sounds a lot like Sony. 

Maybe instead of opening up pizza stores, he should have thought about buying a movie studio or a record company.  

He has a serious case of underdog syndrome if you ask me. He watched a company he created get beat up in the coin-op business by Namco, Nintendo, Midway and eventually, while he was no longer associated with Atari, he probably sat around and wished that the 7800 and the Jaguar would succeed against the competition. Nolan Bushnell's problem was he had too much going on, threw too many ideas around, and tried to get up in every flavor of Kool-Aid possible. Sounds a lot like Sony.

 

Maybe instead of opening up pizza stores, he should have thought about buying a movie studio or a record company.

TekkenMaster606

could very well be. 

Like Atari's games are going to be the difference makers this gen anyway, lol. That's a real hoot coming from them, considering they are nearly broke, and their development team flat out SUCKS. They are just upset because they lack the resources, AND THE TALENT necessary to develop for the PS3. Not to mention that Sony probably wants NOTHING to do with them. Compare to TEAM NINJA, and what they have said about the PS3. Who are you going to listen to, Atari, or TN?;) 

I really think that Sony could give a sh!t less about Atari, myself. Besides, the PS3 will be just fine without games like Bullet Witch, I am sure, lol.

I see where he's coming from, but I just feel like he's that type of guy that'll root for whoever is the underdog. I bet he loved the Buffalo Bills during the 90s. :lol: TekkenMaster606

:lol: DA BILLS!  :lol:

Jim Kelly, where is your God now?  :lol: 

Like Atari's games are going to be the difference makers this gen anyway, lol. That's a real hoot coming from them, considering they are nearly broke, and their development team flat out SUCKS. They are just upset because they lack the resources, AND THE TALENT necessary to develop for the PS3. Not to mention that Sony probably wants NOTHING to do with them. Compare to TEAM NINJA, and what they have said about the PS3. Who are you going to listen to, Atari, or TN?;)

I really think that Sony could give a sh!t less about Atari, myself. Besides, the PS3 will be just fine without games like Bullet Witch, I am sure, lol.

outcasthero

The Atari today has nothing to do with Bushnell's Atari. The company split in the 1980s and both divisions basically went under. WAY after Nolan's departure. The Atari Games we know today started out as GT Interactive, and simply bought the name.  

Just wish the 360 was more stable :?thirstychainsaw

So obviously we're back to the way ir akways is, say anything positive about PS3 you're the voice of the whole industry say anything negative you don't know anything.

Sorry herd but Bushnell is one of the most credible influenteal voices in the industry. The early succes of the industry existed because of him. The likes of Namco,Sega and Nintendi would have never even tried to produce arcade games or entered the industry if it wasn't for Atari. Most of the factors that caused the crash were from the sale to WB and the choices made by WB. Tell me what company in the industry now hasn't made a poor business choice? As far as dissing on the 7800 and Jaguar, the 7800 innovated B/C which Sony claimed and copied and the Jaguar started the Retro craze with Tempest 2000. There was nothing actually wrong with the 7800, it just couldn't compete with the NES.

So please. while slamming Atari and Bushnell, keep in mind the majority of you won't influence any job or industry to the extent he has, so maybe you should STFU until you do....

DXGreat1_HGL

+1

thanks for the insight.