Atari Ships $250 Jaguar System (Nov.12,1993)










From: Atari SIG (xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)

Date: 02/20/94-01:32:14 AM Z









From: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Atari SIG)
Subject: Atari Ships $250 Jaguar System (Nov.12,1993)
Date: Sun Feb 20 01:32:14 1994


                            SILICON TIMES REPORT
                            ====================
   November 12, 1993                                             No. 9.46
   ======================================================================

                   ** Atari Ships $250 Jaguar System **

    Last week, Atari Corp. formally launched its $250 64-bit games mach-
 ine, the Jaguar.  Computergram International said the machines will go
 on sale in New York and San Francisco in the next few weeks, in the rest
 of the U.S. early next year, and in Europe later next year.  Atari says
 that next year it will offer a $200 CD-ROM drive add-on to play audio
 compact disks and disk-based games.  The Jaguar systems are being made
 for Atari by IBM's Charlotte, N.C., operations.

    Atari chief Sam Tramiel has told reporters he expects the company to
 sell 40,000 to 50,000 Jaguars before Christmas and at least 500,000 in
 1994.  "The critical requirement," comments CI, "is for successful soft-
 ware, and there will only be four games this year, and perhaps two dozen
 next year; the games will cost $40 to $50."  The Jaguar ships with one
 game cartridge included.

    In a related story, this week, Atari Corp. and Accolade Inc., a nota-
 ble publisher and developer of Sega and Nintendo video games, jointly
 announced a licensing agreement that will enable Atari to bring five
 proven, hot titles from Accolade to consumers on the new 64-bit Jaguar
 Interactive Multimedia System by Fall 1994.

    Commenting on the company's decision to work with Atari, Accolade's
 chairman, Alan R. Miller stated, "That Atari Jaguar is definitely cool,
 new technology that is being introduced at a price point attractive to
 consumers. We think Atari has a real shot at establishing Jaguar as a
 successful system, and we want be part of that effort." The Accolade
 titles for Jaguar include:

    Al Michaels Announces HardBall III; Brett Hull Hockey, Bubsy in:
 Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind; Charles Barkley Basketball; Jack
 Nicklaus' Power Challenge Golf.

    "Accolade's list of titles adds significantly to the Jaguar product
 line," said Sam Tramiel, president and chief executive officer of Atari.

    "Accolade's proven titles enhanced by the 64-bit power of Jaguar will
 enrich the Jaguar player's library of video games with life-like sports
 adventures and real-time 3D animated characters that speak. The Accolade
 titles help us to attain our goal of delivering a high quality selection
 of Jaguar titles that will entertain all age groups."


                ** 3DO Posts $7 Million Quarterly Loss **

    3DO Co., reported a fourth- quarter loss of $7 million for its second
 quarter ended Sept. 30.  This compared to a loss of $2.1 million for the
 prior-year quarter.  3DO posted quarterly revenues of $2.6 million from
 development systems shipments to its software licensees. It had no reve-
 nues in the year-ago quarter.

    3DO has started selling its $700 Interactive Multiplayer, a device
 that merges capabilities of the video-cassette recorder, the personal
 computer and the video-game player.

    3DO unveiled a prototype player, dubbed Opera, at the winter Consumer
 Electronics Show last January in Las Vegas, Nev. The company's backers
 include American Telephone & Telegraph Co., Time Warner Inc., Matsushita
 Electric Industrial, venture capitalist Kleiner Perkins Caufied & Byers
 and Electronic Arts, one of the key developers of video-game software.

    Early reviews of the system, powered by a 32-bit computer chip and
 playing compact disks, have been generally positive although some anal-
 ysts think its price tag may be too high for many consumers. But backers
 believe the machine will catch on with trend-setting buyers and will
 take hold because it can be used with both adults and children.

    3DO will face competition from Atari Corp.'s Jaguar video-game
 player, due in some stores before the end of the year. Analysts have
 been impressed with early reports about the $250 Jaguar, which runs on a
 64-bit chip will sell for about twice the price of Nintendo's and Sega's
 16-bit machines but considerably less than 3DO's $700 player.









-----------------------------------------
Return to message index