A while back, while repairing my 5200, something occurred to me- that with each new system, Atari fell further and further behind.

When they came out with the 2600, Atari was all but unbeatable. NOTHING matched the 2600 in sales; it wasn't even close. This included the technically superior Intellivision a couple of years later, even with initial games like Auto Racing- which was about as good as any racing arcade game back in 1979.

Now, one could point out timing, the lack of good competition at that point (the era of the programmable was just starting, remember), or the fact that the 2600 was backed by more arcade games- Atari was also producing popular arcade games at that point- but the fact remained that the 2600 was on top then.


Then, in 1982, the year of the ColecoVision, there was the 5200.

For the first time, Atari found itself in second place. 5200 sales never matched CV sales; this is one reason why it is easier to find CVs and games out there.

There could be a number of reasons for this: the CV had a number of popular and good "sleeper" arcade titles to match Atari's; it had an all-important head start of a few months (arcade games had advanced greatly, and a home system to deal with this was anticipated very much); or, very likely, Atari already had the 2600, most 5200 games were versions already found on the 2600, and Atari was still supporting the 2600- as were many third-party companies. The CV stood alone at that point.

But the 5200 was second to the CV. It was not a very distant second, though, so it was still a strong contender.


Things get tricky with the 7800. For years, rumors have persisted that it was the 7800, not the 5200, that was supposed to have been Atari's next system, but the release of the CV forced Atari's hand, and they rushed out the 5200- an Atari 400 without the keyboard. This has never been proven, although the timing- the late 1982 release of the 5200, and its abandonment in early 1984, with the 7800 being announced- which meant it was developed at least in 1983- does lend some credibility to it.

But the break-up of Atari in 1984, and the Baby-Boomer marketer created crash of 1984, stalled the 7800.

But let's say the crash had not happened, Atari had not broken apart, and Coleco stayed with the CV and not gone with the ADAM- what would have happened?

As someone who was there, and who knew a number of 5200 owners, before the true Internet age, I can say this for a fact: 5200 owners were disgusted and furious at being dumped by Atari after just 1 1/2 years- if. Even video game magazines from that time said as much.

So it's highly unlikely that the 7800 would have even done as well as the 5200 did- why would 5200 owners dump their 5200s for games (mostly) they already had? Maybe twice over! If those games did not sway CV owners the first time, it would not have worked that time, so that was a dead end. I will maintain to this day that Atari should have stuck with the 5200, and abandoned the 7800- as it was at that point- altogether. When the time came for a new system, then one superior to the 7800 could have been released.

But the crash did happen, Atari did break up, and Coleco- if not the CV- was gone.

By the time the Tramiels (Grrr- puh puh!) released the 7800, the NES was holding over 85% of the market, and it was the big name. The 7800 limped along with some good titles from the past, but access to current arcade games was too limited, third party support was weak at best, and unlike the days of the 2600 and 5200, an "Atari" arcade game no longer was something an Atari home system owner could count on as being brought home to his system.

So the poor 7800 just hobbled along, left behind by Nintendo and Sega, a joke in the industry.

It was third- only because there wasn't a fourth.


By the time the Jaguar came out, Atari was a bad joke, it had no credibility, and were reduced to that truly rotten infomercial. How different things were from when 2600 owners were thrilled by that commercial of the Atari Olympics, announcing...SPACE INVADERS for the 2600- and it did not disappoint! Or the bright promise of 5200 Ms. Pac-Man, or Berzerk.

Was Atari just lucky with the 2600, I wonder, or did something else happen to it over the years?