THE ATARI GAMES BOSS

Ex-Atari Games boss Mike Katz on the 2600’s revival

What was your earliest encounter with the 2600, and what are your earliest memories of the system?

The 2600 was a phenomenal success. I was in Mattel from 1975 to 1979 working in new product categories, and I was always impressed when a new product came out that filled a need or was something totally new. I thought a home videogame system that allowed you to play arcade hits – more modestly – was a great idea. So my hat was off to Nolan Bushnell and Atari.

What attracted you to running Atari’s videogames division?

I liked turnarounds. we started the handhelds at Mattel, which led to the Intellivision. Coleco was almost bankrupt and succeeded [partly] thanks to Colecovision. I was hired by epyx, and we made it profitable, but I wanted to get back into hardware. So I was approached by Jack Tramiel. he wanted to rejuvenate the 2600 and the 7800, and he asked if I’d run Atari’s videogames division.

How did you make the 2600 competitive against the nes?

There were people who couldn’t afford $120 for a games system and $29 for software – that’s what the price of Nintendo was. So we reduced the cost and size of the 2600 and introduced it at $49.95 with cartridges under $15. It provided a lot of sales and profits. But everything for Jack was strictly low budget, so we had to be extremely imaginative – we even shot our own commercials on videotape.

Why was the ‘Atari software development group’ set up?

There was a guy called Larry Siegel. Jack loved him, and he claimed that he could put together a development group and solve the problem of not having software for the 2600 and the 7800. So he got funding from Jack for an independent development group, out of Chicago, which worked on games. They didn’t succeed, but they were trying, I guess.

What would you attribute the 2600’s long-term popularity to?

It had the hot arcade games of the times – Pac-man, especially. And it was inexpensive compared to the newer games systems that came out. In the last five to ten years, whoever has the rights has reintroduced them at a low of $19.95 with games built in. It’s all about nostalgia, and it’s about being able to pay very little for a lot of fun and enjoyment.