<s>
The	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
is	O
a	O
home	B-Device
video	I-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
developed	O
and	O
produced	O
by	O
Atari	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Released	O
in	O
September	O
1977	O
,	O
it	O
popularized	O
microprocessor-based	O
hardware	O
and	O
games	O
stored	O
on	O
swappable	O
ROM	B-Protocol
cartridges	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
format	O
first	O
used	O
with	O
the	O
Fairchild	B-Operating_System
Channel	I-Operating_System
F	I-Operating_System
in	O
1976	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Branded	O
as	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
Video	I-General_Concept
Computer	I-General_Concept
System	I-General_Concept
(	O
Atari	B-Application
VCS	I-Application
)	O
from	O
its	O
release	O
until	O
November	O
1982	O
,	O
the	O
VCS	O
was	O
bundled	O
with	O
two	O
joystick	B-Device
controllers	B-Device
,	O
a	O
conjoined	O
pair	O
of	O
paddle	B-Device
controllers	I-Device
,	O
and	O
a	O
game	O
cartridgeinitially	O
Combat	O
and	O
later	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
was	O
successful	O
at	O
creating	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
but	O
their	O
development	O
cost	O
and	O
limited	O
lifespan	O
drove	O
CEO	O
Nolan	O
Bushnell	O
to	O
seek	O
a	O
programmable	O
home	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
inexpensive	O
microprocessors	B-Architecture
from	O
MOS	B-Architecture
Technology	I-Architecture
in	O
late	O
1975	O
made	O
this	O
feasible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Atari	B-Application
VCS	I-Application
launched	O
in	O
1977	O
with	O
nine	O
simple	O
,	O
low-resolution	O
games	O
in	O
2	O
KB	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
system	O
's	O
first	O
killer	O
app	O
was	O
the	O
home	O
conversion	O
of	O
Taito	O
's	O
arcade	O
game	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
in	O
1980	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
its	O
primary	O
lifecycle	O
in	O
1983	O
–	O
84	O
,	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
2600	O
were	O
using	O
more	O
than	O
four	O
times	O
the	O
storage	O
size	O
of	O
the	O
launch	O
games	O
with	O
significantly	O
more	O
advanced	O
visuals	O
and	O
gameplay	O
than	O
the	O
system	O
was	O
designed	O
for	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Activision	O
's	O
Pitfall	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
In	O
1982	O
,	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
was	O
the	O
dominant	O
game	O
system	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
public	O
was	O
an	O
extreme	O
investment	O
into	O
licensed	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
2600	O
,	O
including	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
and	O
E.T.	B-Application
</s>
<s>
Pac-Man	B-Application
became	O
the	O
system	O
's	O
biggest	O
selling	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
conversion	O
's	O
poor	O
quality	O
eroded	O
consumer	O
confidence	O
in	O
the	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
E.T.	B-Application
</s>
<s>
In	O
1986	O
,	O
the	O
new	O
Atari	O
Corporation	O
under	O
Tramiel	O
released	O
a	O
lower-cost	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
2600	O
and	O
the	O
backward-compatible	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
7800	I-General_Concept
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
Nintendo	O
that	O
led	O
the	O
recovery	O
of	O
the	O
industry	O
with	O
its	O
1985	O
launch	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Production	O
of	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
ended	O
on	O
January	O
1	O
,	O
1992	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
estimated	O
30	O
million	O
units	O
sold	O
across	O
its	O
lifetime	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
first	O
major	O
product	O
was	O
Pong	B-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
1972	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
successful	O
coin-operated	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Atari	O
continued	O
to	O
develop	O
new	O
arcade	O
games	O
in	O
following	O
years	O
,	O
Pong	B-Application
gave	O
rise	O
to	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
competitors	O
to	O
the	O
growing	O
arcade	O
game	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1975	O
,	O
Atari	O
had	O
released	O
a	O
Pong	B-Application
home	B-Device
console	I-Device
,	O
competing	O
against	O
Magnavox	O
,	O
the	O
only	O
other	O
major	O
producer	O
of	O
home	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
engineers	O
recognized	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
limitation	O
of	O
custom	O
logic	B-Language
integrated	O
onto	O
the	O
circuit	O
board	O
,	O
permanently	O
confining	O
the	O
whole	O
console	O
to	O
only	O
one	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
increasing	O
competition	O
increased	O
the	O
risk	O
,	O
as	O
Atari	O
had	O
found	O
with	O
past	O
arcade	O
games	O
and	O
again	O
with	O
dedicated	O
home	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
platforms	O
are	O
built	O
from	O
integrating	O
discrete	O
electro-mechanical	O
components	O
into	O
circuits	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
programmed	O
as	O
on	O
a	O
mainframe	B-Architecture
computer	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Even	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
home	O
version	O
of	O
Pong	B-Application
,	O
Cyan	O
's	O
engineers	O
,	O
led	O
by	O
Mayer	O
and	O
Ron	O
Milner	O
,	O
had	O
envisioned	O
a	O
home	B-Device
console	I-Device
powered	O
by	O
new	O
programmable	O
microprocessors	B-Architecture
capable	O
of	O
playing	O
Atari	O
's	O
current	O
arcade	O
offerings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
programmable	O
microprocessors	B-Architecture
would	O
make	O
a	O
console	O
's	O
design	O
significantly	O
simpler	O
and	O
more	O
powerful	O
than	O
any	O
dedicated	O
single-game	O
unit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
had	O
opened	O
negotiations	O
to	O
use	O
Motorola	O
's	O
new	O
6800	B-Device
in	O
future	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
1975	O
,	O
MOS	B-Architecture
Technology	I-Architecture
debuted	O
the	O
6502	B-General_Concept
microprocessor	I-General_Concept
for	O
at	O
the	O
Wescon	O
trade	O
show	O
in	O
San	O
Francisco	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
proposed	O
using	O
the	O
6502	B-General_Concept
in	O
a	O
game	O
console	O
,	O
and	O
offered	O
to	O
discuss	O
it	O
further	O
at	O
Cyan	O
's	O
facilities	O
after	O
the	O
show	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Over	O
two	O
days	O
,	O
MOS	O
and	O
Cyan	O
engineers	O
sketched	O
out	O
a	O
6502-based	O
console	O
design	O
by	O
Meyer	O
and	O
Milner	O
's	O
specifications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Financial	O
models	O
showed	O
that	O
even	O
at	O
,	O
the	O
6502	B-General_Concept
would	O
be	O
too	O
expensive	O
,	O
and	O
Peddle	O
offered	O
them	O
a	O
planned	O
6507	B-General_Concept
microprocessor	I-General_Concept
,	O
a	O
cost-reduced	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
6502	B-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
MOS	O
's	O
RIOT	B-Device
chip	O
for	O
input/output	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cyan	O
and	O
MOS	O
negotiated	O
the	O
6507	B-General_Concept
and	O
RIOT	B-Device
chips	O
at	O
a	O
pair	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MOS	O
also	O
introduced	O
Cyan	O
to	O
Microcomputer	B-General_Concept
Associates	I-General_Concept
,	O
who	O
had	O
separately	O
developed	O
debugging	O
software	O
and	O
hardware	O
for	O
MOS	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
developed	O
the	O
JOLT	O
Computer	O
for	O
testing	O
the	O
6502	B-General_Concept
,	O
which	O
Peddle	O
suggested	O
would	O
be	O
useful	O
for	O
Atari	O
and	O
Cyan	O
to	O
use	O
while	O
developing	O
their	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Milner	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
demonstrate	O
a	O
proof-of-concept	O
for	O
a	O
programmable	O
console	O
by	O
implementing	O
Tank	B-Application
,	O
an	O
arcade	O
game	O
by	O
Atari	O
's	O
subsidiary	O
Kee	O
Games	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
JOLT	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
deal	O
,	O
Atari	O
wanted	O
a	O
second	B-Application
source	O
of	O
the	O
chipset	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
December	O
1975	O
,	O
Atari	O
hired	O
Joe	O
Decuir	O
,	O
a	O
recent	O
graduate	O
from	O
University	O
of	O
California	O
,	O
Berkeley	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
doing	O
his	O
own	O
testing	O
on	O
the	O
6502	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
second	B-Application
prototype	O
was	O
completed	O
by	O
March	O
1976	O
with	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
Jay	O
Miner	O
,	O
who	O
created	O
a	O
chip	O
called	O
the	O
Television	B-General_Concept
Interface	I-General_Concept
Adaptor	I-General_Concept
(	O
TIA	O
)	O
to	O
send	O
graphics	O
and	O
audio	O
to	O
a	O
television	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	B-Application
prototype	O
included	O
a	O
TIA	O
,	O
a	O
6507	B-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
a	O
ROM	B-Protocol
cartridge	I-Protocol
slot	O
and	O
adapter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
significant	O
limitations	O
in	O
the	O
6507	B-General_Concept
,	O
the	O
TIA	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
components	O
,	O
so	O
the	O
programmers	O
creatively	O
optimized	O
their	O
games	O
to	O
maximize	O
the	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
console	O
lacks	O
a	O
framebuffer	B-Algorithm
and	O
requires	O
games	O
to	O
instruct	O
the	O
system	O
to	O
generate	O
graphics	O
in	O
synchronization	O
with	O
the	O
electron	O
gun	O
in	O
the	O
cathode-ray	B-Device
tube	I-Device
(	O
CRT	O
)	O
as	O
it	O
scans	O
across	O
rows	O
on	O
the	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alongside	O
the	O
electronics	O
development	O
,	O
Bushnell	O
brought	O
in	O
Gene	O
Landrum	O
,	O
a	O
consultant	O
who	O
had	O
just	O
prior	O
consulted	O
for	O
Fairchild	O
Camera	O
and	O
Instrument	O
for	O
its	O
upcoming	O
Channel	B-Operating_System
F	I-Operating_System
,	O
to	O
determine	O
the	O
consumer	O
requirements	O
for	O
the	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
his	O
final	O
report	O
,	O
Landrum	O
suggested	O
a	O
living	O
room	O
aesthetic	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
wood	O
grain	O
finish	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
must	O
be	O
"	O
idiot	O
proof	O
,	O
child	O
proof	O
and	O
effective	O
in	O
resisting	O
potential	O
static	O
 [ electricity ] 	O
problems	O
in	O
a	O
living	O
room	O
environment	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Landrum	O
recommended	O
it	O
include	O
four	O
to	O
five	O
dedicated	O
games	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
,	O
but	O
this	O
was	O
dropped	O
in	O
the	O
final	O
designs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
design	O
was	O
done	O
by	O
James	O
Asher	O
and	O
Douglas	O
Hardy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hardy	O
had	O
been	O
an	O
engineer	O
for	O
Fairchild	O
and	O
helped	O
in	O
the	O
initial	O
design	O
of	O
the	O
Channel	B-Operating_System
F	I-Operating_System
cartridges	B-Protocol
,	O
but	O
he	O
quit	O
to	O
join	O
Atari	O
in	O
1976	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
interior	O
of	O
the	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
that	O
Asher	O
and	O
Hardy	O
designed	O
was	O
sufficiently	O
different	O
to	O
avoid	O
patent	O
conflicts	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
exterior	O
components	O
were	O
directly	O
influenced	O
by	O
the	O
Channel	B-Operating_System
F	I-Operating_System
to	O
help	O
work	O
around	O
the	O
static	O
electricity	O
concerns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
was	O
still	O
recovering	O
from	O
its	O
1974	O
financial	O
woes	O
and	O
needed	O
additional	O
capital	O
to	O
fully	O
enter	O
the	O
home	B-Device
console	I-Device
market	O
,	O
though	O
Bushnell	O
was	O
wary	O
of	O
being	O
beholden	O
to	O
outside	O
financial	O
sources	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Negotiations	O
took	O
place	O
during	O
1976	O
,	O
during	O
which	O
Atari	O
cleared	O
itself	O
of	O
liabilities	O
,	O
including	O
settling	O
a	O
patent	O
infringement	O
lawsuit	O
with	O
Magnavox	O
over	O
Ralph	O
H	O
.	O
Baer	O
's	O
patents	O
that	O
were	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
the	O
Magnavox	B-Device
Odyssey	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
mid-1976	O
,	O
Fairchild	O
announced	O
the	O
Channel	B-Operating_System
F	I-Operating_System
,	O
planned	O
for	O
release	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
beating	O
Atari	O
to	O
the	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1977	O
,	O
development	O
had	O
advanced	O
enough	O
to	O
brand	O
it	O
the	O
"	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
Video	I-General_Concept
Computer	I-General_Concept
System	I-General_Concept
"	O
(	O
VCS	O
)	O
and	O
start	O
developing	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Atari	O
encountered	O
production	O
problems	O
during	O
its	O
first	O
batch	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
testing	O
was	O
complicated	O
by	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Atari	B-Application
VCS	I-Application
was	O
launched	O
in	O
September	O
1977	O
at	O
,	O
with	O
two	O
joysticks	B-Device
and	O
a	O
Combat	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
;	O
eight	O
additional	O
games	O
were	O
sold	O
separately	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
of	O
the	O
launch	O
games	O
were	O
based	O
on	O
arcade	O
games	O
developed	O
by	O
Atari	O
or	O
its	O
subsidiary	O
Kee	O
Games	O
:	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
Combat	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
Kee	O
's	O
Tank	B-Application
(	O
1974	O
)	O
and	O
Atari	O
's	O
Jet	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
(	O
1975	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
sold	O
between	O
350,000	O
and	O
400,000	O
Atari	B-Application
VCS	I-Application
units	O
during	O
1977	O
,	O
attributed	O
to	O
the	O
delay	O
in	O
shipping	O
the	O
units	O
and	O
consumers	O
 '	O
unfamiliarity	O
with	O
a	O
swappable-cartridge	O
console	O
that	O
is	O
not	O
dedicated	O
to	O
only	O
one	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
sold	O
1	O
million	O
consoles	O
in	O
1979	O
,	O
particularly	O
during	O
the	O
holiday	O
season	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
was	O
new	O
competition	O
from	O
the	O
Mattel	B-Operating_System
Electronics	I-Operating_System
Intellivision	I-Operating_System
and	O
Magnavox	B-Application
Odyssey²	I-Application
,	O
which	O
also	O
use	O
swappable	O
ROM	B-Protocol
cartridges	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
obtained	O
a	O
license	O
from	O
Taito	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
VCS	O
conversion	O
of	O
its	O
1978	O
arcade	O
hit	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
officially	O
licensed	O
arcade	O
conversion	O
for	O
a	O
home	B-Device
console	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
release	O
in	O
March	O
1980	O
doubled	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
sales	O
for	O
the	O
year	O
to	O
more	O
than	O
2	O
million	O
units	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
considered	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
's	O
killer	O
application	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sales	O
then	O
doubled	O
again	O
for	O
the	O
next	O
two	O
years	O
;	O
by	O
1982	O
,	O
10	O
million	O
consoles	O
had	O
been	O
sold	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
while	O
its	O
best-selling	O
game	O
was	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
at	O
over	O
copies	O
sold	O
by	O
1990	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pac-Man	B-Application
propelled	O
worldwide	O
Atari	B-Application
VCS	I-Application
sales	O
to	O
units	O
during	O
1982	O
,	O
eventually	O
selling	O
consoles	O
worldwide	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Europe	O
,	O
the	O
Atari	B-Application
VCS	I-Application
sold	O
125,000	O
units	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
during	O
1980	O
,	O
and	O
450,000	O
in	O
West	O
Germany	O
by	O
1984	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1982	O
,	O
Atari	O
launched	O
its	O
second	B-Application
programmable	O
console	O
,	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
5200	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
standardize	O
naming	O
,	O
the	O
VCS	O
was	O
renamed	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
Video	B-General_Concept
Computer	I-General_Concept
System	I-General_Concept
"	O
,	O
or	O
"	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
"	O
,	O
derived	O
from	O
the	O
manufacture	O
part	O
number	O
CX2600	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
spent	O
.50	O
to	O
to	O
manufacture	O
each	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
,	O
plus	O
to	O
for	O
advertising	O
,	O
wholesaling	O
for	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaboom	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
(	O
1981	O
)	O
and	O
Pitfall	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
In	O
1980	O
,	O
Atari	O
attempted	O
to	O
block	O
the	O
sale	O
of	O
the	O
Activision	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
,	O
accusing	O
the	O
four	O
of	O
intellectual	O
property	O
infringement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mattel	O
used	O
the	O
M	O
Network	O
brand	O
name	O
for	O
its	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Coleco	O
had	O
a	O
license	O
from	O
Nintendo	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
smash	O
hit	O
arcade	O
game	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
(	O
1981	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
bundled	O
with	O
every	O
Colecovision	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pac-Man	B-Application
has	O
numerous	O
technical	O
and	O
aesthetic	O
flaws	O
,	O
but	O
nevertheless	O
more	O
than	O
7	O
million	O
copies	O
were	O
sold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heading	O
into	O
the	O
1982	O
holiday	O
shopping	O
season	O
,	O
Atari	O
had	O
placed	O
high	O
sales	O
expectations	O
on	O
E.T.	B-Application
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
produced	O
an	O
estimated	O
four	O
million	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
,	O
but	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
poorly	O
reviewed	O
,	O
and	O
only	O
about	O
1.5	O
million	O
units	O
were	O
sold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
1983	O
,	O
Atari	O
sent	O
14	O
truckloads	O
of	O
unsold	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
cartridges	B-Protocol
and	O
other	O
equipment	O
to	O
a	O
landfill	O
in	O
the	O
New	O
Mexico	O
desert	O
,	O
later	O
labeled	O
the	O
Atari	O
video	O
game	O
burial	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Long	O
considered	O
an	O
urban	O
legend	O
that	O
claimed	O
the	O
burial	O
contained	O
millions	O
of	O
unsold	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
,	O
the	O
site	O
was	O
excavated	O
in	O
2014	O
,	O
confirming	O
reports	O
from	O
former	O
Atari	O
executives	O
that	O
only	O
about	O
700,000	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
had	O
actually	O
been	O
buried	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
reported	O
a	O
loss	O
for	O
1983	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
,	O
and	O
continued	O
to	O
lose	O
money	O
into	O
1984	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
loss	O
reported	O
in	O
the	O
second	B-Application
quarter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tramiel	O
was	O
a	O
proponent	O
of	O
personal	B-Device
computers	I-Device
,	O
and	O
halted	O
all	O
new	O
2600	O
game	O
development	O
soon	O
after	O
the	O
sale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
a	O
large	O
library	O
of	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
and	O
a	O
low	O
price	O
point	O
,	O
the	O
2600	O
continued	O
to	O
sell	O
into	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
released	O
the	O
last	O
batch	O
of	O
games	O
in	O
1989	O
–	O
90	O
including	O
Secret	B-Application
Quest	I-Application
and	O
Fatal	B-Application
Run	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1986	O
,	O
over	O
Atari	B-Application
VCS	I-Application
units	O
had	O
been	O
sold	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
Atari-licensed	O
release	O
is	O
the	O
PAL-only	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
arcade	O
game	O
KLAX	B-Application
in	O
1990	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
more	O
than	O
14	O
years	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
,	O
the	O
2600	O
line	O
was	O
formally	O
discontinued	O
on	O
January	O
1	O
,	O
1992	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
7800	I-General_Concept
and	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
of	O
home	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
's	O
CPU	O
is	O
the	O
MOS	B-General_Concept
Technology	I-General_Concept
6507	I-General_Concept
,	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
6502	B-General_Concept
,	O
running	O
at	O
1.19	O
MHz	O
in	O
the	O
2600	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
their	O
internal	O
silicon	O
was	O
identical	O
,	O
the	O
6507	B-General_Concept
was	O
cheaper	O
than	O
the	O
6502	B-General_Concept
because	O
its	O
package	O
included	O
fewer	O
memory-address	B-General_Concept
pins	O
—	O
13	O
instead	O
of	O
16	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
designers	O
of	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
selected	O
an	O
inexpensive	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
interface	O
that	O
has	O
one	O
fewer	O
address	O
than	O
the	O
13	O
allowed	O
by	O
the	O
6507	B-General_Concept
,	O
further	O
reducing	O
the	O
already	O
limited	O
addressable	O
memory	O
to	O
4	O
KB	O
(	O
212	O
=	O
4096	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
games	O
circumvented	O
this	O
limitation	O
with	O
bank	B-General_Concept
switching	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
console	O
has	O
128	O
bytes	B-Application
of	O
RAM	B-Architecture
for	O
scratch	O
space	O
,	O
the	O
call	B-General_Concept
stack	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
the	O
state	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
environment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
was	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
cathode-ray	B-Device
tube	I-Device
television	O
sets	O
produced	O
in	O
the	O
late	O
1970s	O
and	O
early	O
1980s	O
,	O
which	O
commonly	O
lack	O
auxiliary	O
video	O
inputs	O
to	O
receive	O
audio	O
and	O
video	O
from	O
another	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Therefore	O
,	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
a	O
TV	O
,	O
the	O
console	O
generates	O
a	O
radio	O
frequency	O
signal	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
regional	O
television	O
standards	O
(	O
NTSC	O
,	O
PAL	B-Language
,	O
or	O
SECAM	O
)	O
,	O
using	O
a	O
special	O
switch	O
box	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
the	O
television	O
's	O
antenna	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
developed	O
the	O
Television	B-General_Concept
Interface	I-General_Concept
Adaptor	I-General_Concept
(	O
TIA	O
)	O
chip	O
in	O
the	O
VCS	O
to	O
handle	O
the	O
graphics	O
and	O
conversion	O
to	O
a	O
television	O
signal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
system	O
was	O
designed	O
without	O
a	O
frame	B-Algorithm
buffer	I-Algorithm
to	O
avoid	O
the	O
cost	O
of	O
the	O
associated	O
RAM	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
background	O
and	O
sprites	O
apply	O
to	O
a	O
single	O
scan	B-Algorithm
line	I-Algorithm
,	O
and	O
as	O
the	O
display	O
is	O
output	O
to	O
the	O
television	O
,	O
the	O
program	O
can	O
change	O
colors	O
,	O
sprite	O
positions	O
,	O
and	O
background	O
settings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
careful	O
timing	O
required	O
to	O
sync	O
the	O
code	O
to	O
the	O
screen	O
on	O
the	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
programmer	O
was	O
labeled	O
"	O
racing	O
the	O
beam	O
"	O
;	O
the	O
actual	O
game	O
logic	B-Language
runs	O
when	O
the	O
television	O
beam	O
is	O
outside	O
of	O
the	O
visible	O
area	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
system	O
use	O
the	O
same	O
visuals	O
for	O
pairs	O
of	O
scan	B-Algorithm
lines	I-Algorithm
,	O
giving	O
a	O
lower	O
vertical	O
resolution	O
,	O
to	O
allow	O
more	O
time	O
for	O
the	O
next	O
row	O
of	O
graphics	O
to	O
be	O
prepared	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Pitfall	O
!,	O
change	O
the	O
visuals	O
for	O
each	O
scan	B-Algorithm
line	I-Algorithm
or	O
extend	O
the	O
black	O
areas	O
around	O
the	O
screen	O
to	O
extend	O
the	O
game	O
code	O
's	O
processing	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Regional	O
releases	O
of	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
use	O
modified	O
TIA	O
chips	O
for	O
each	O
region	O
's	O
television	O
formats	O
,	O
which	O
require	O
games	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
separately	O
for	O
each	O
region	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PAL	B-Language
mode	O
provides	O
more	O
vertical	O
scanlines	B-Algorithm
,	O
with	O
228	O
visible	O
lines	O
per	O
screen	O
,	O
but	O
drawn	O
at	O
50Hz	O
and	O
only	O
13	O
colors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
VCS	O
bundle	O
has	O
two	O
types	O
of	O
controllers	B-Device
:	O
a	O
joystick	B-Device
(	O
part	O
number	O
CX10	O
)	O
and	O
pair	O
of	O
rotary	O
paddle	B-Device
controllers	I-Device
(	O
CX30	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Driving	O
controllers	B-Device
,	O
which	O
are	O
similar	O
to	O
paddle	B-Device
controllers	I-Device
but	O
can	O
be	O
continuously	O
rotated	O
,	O
shipped	O
with	O
the	O
Indy	B-Application
500	I-Application
launch	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
less	O
than	O
a	O
year	O
,	O
the	O
CX10	O
joystick	B-Device
was	O
replaced	O
with	O
the	O
CX40	O
model	O
designed	O
by	O
James	O
C	O
.	O
Asher	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	O
Atari	B-Protocol
joystick	I-Protocol
port	I-Protocol
and	O
CX40	B-Device
joystick	I-Device
became	O
industry	O
standards	O
,	O
2600	O
joysticks	B-Device
and	O
some	O
other	O
peripherals	O
work	O
with	O
later	O
systems	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
,	O
Commodore	O
64	O
,	O
Amiga	B-Device
,	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
CX40	B-Device
joystick	I-Device
can	O
be	O
used	O
with	O
the	O
Master	O
System	O
and	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
,	O
but	O
does	O
not	O
provide	O
all	O
the	O
buttons	O
of	O
a	O
native	O
controller	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Third-party	O
controllers	B-Device
include	O
Wico	O
's	O
Command	O
Control	O
joystick	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
the	O
CX42	O
Remote	O
Control	O
Joysticks	B-Device
,	O
similar	O
in	O
appearance	O
but	O
using	O
wireless	O
technology	O
,	O
were	O
released	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
a	O
receiver	O
whose	O
wires	O
could	O
be	O
inserted	O
in	O
the	O
controller	O
jacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
CX22	O
Trak-Ball	O
controller	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
January	O
1983	O
and	O
is	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
were	O
two	O
attempts	O
to	O
turn	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
into	O
a	O
keyboard-equipped	O
home	O
computer	O
:	O
Atari	O
's	O
never-released	O
CX3000	O
"	O
Graduate	O
"	O
keyboard	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
CompuMate	B-Language
keyboard	O
by	O
Spectravideo	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1983	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1982	O
Atari	O
rebranded	O
the	O
console	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
"	O
,	O
a	O
name	O
first	O
used	O
on	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
four-switch	O
model	O
without	O
woodgrain	O
,	O
giving	O
it	O
an	O
all-black	O
appearance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
continued	O
its	O
OEM	O
relationship	O
with	O
Sears	O
under	O
the	O
latter	O
's	O
Tele-Games	O
brand	O
,	O
which	O
started	O
in	O
1975	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
Pong	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
unrelated	O
to	O
the	O
company	O
Telegames	O
,	O
which	O
later	O
produced	O
2600	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
games	O
were	O
produced	O
by	O
Atari	O
for	O
Sears	O
as	O
exclusive	O
releases	O
:	O
Steeplechase	B-Application
,	O
Stellar	O
Track	O
,	O
and	O
Submarine	O
Commander	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sears	O
previously	O
released	O
the	O
2800	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
during	O
late	O
1982	O
as	O
the	O
Sears	O
Video	O
Arcade	O
II	O
,	O
which	O
came	O
packaged	O
with	O
two	O
controllers	B-Device
and	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
controllers	B-Device
are	O
an	O
all-in	O
one	O
design	O
using	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
an	O
8-direction	O
digital	O
joystick	B-Device
and	O
a	O
270-degree	O
paddle	B-Device
,	O
designed	O
by	O
John	O
Amber	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
case	O
style	O
is	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
7800	I-General_Concept
,	O
which	O
was	O
redesigned	O
for	O
the	O
7800	O
by	O
Barney	O
Huang	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1977	O
,	O
nine	O
games	O
were	O
released	O
on	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
to	O
accompany	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
:	O
Air-Sea	O
Battle	O
,	O
Basic	B-Application
Math	I-Application
,	O
Blackjack	B-Application
,	O
Combat	O
,	O
Indy	B-Application
500	I-Application
,	O
Star	O
Ship	O
,	O
Street	O
Racer	O
,	O
Surround	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Video	B-Application
Olympics	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Indy	B-Application
500	I-Application
shipped	O
with	O
special	O
"	O
driving	O
controllers	B-Device
"	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
like	O
paddles	B-Device
but	O
rotate	O
freely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Street	O
Racer	O
and	O
Video	B-Application
Olympics	I-Application
use	O
the	O
standard	O
paddle	B-Device
controllers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Spohn	O
and	O
Hendricks	O
were	O
the	O
largest	O
contributors	O
to	O
the	O
covers	O
in	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
library	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ralph	O
McQuarrie	O
,	O
a	O
concept	O
artist	O
on	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
series	O
,	O
was	O
commissioned	O
for	O
one	O
cover	O
,	O
the	O
arcade	O
conversion	O
of	O
Vanguard	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
Atari	B-Application
VCS	I-Application
port	O
of	O
the	O
Breakout	B-Application
arcade	O
game	O
appeared	O
in	O
1978	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1980	O
,	O
Atari	O
released	O
Adventure	B-Application
,	O
the	O
first	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
home	O
game	O
with	O
a	O
hidden	O
Easter	O
egg	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rick	O
Maurer	O
's	O
port	O
of	O
Taito	O
's	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
1980	O
,	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
VCS	O
game	O
to	O
have	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
million	O
copies	O
sold	O
—	O
eventually	O
doubling	O
that	O
within	O
a	O
year	O
and	O
totaling	O
more	O
than	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
by	O
1983	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Versions	O
of	O
Atari	O
's	O
own	O
Asteroids	B-Application
and	O
Missile	B-Application
Command	I-Application
arcade	O
games	O
,	O
released	O
in	O
1981	O
,	O
were	O
also	O
major	O
hits	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
games	O
like	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
,	O
have	O
4K	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
VCS	O
port	O
of	O
Asteroids	B-Application
(	O
1981	O
)	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
system	O
to	O
use	O
8K	O
via	O
a	O
bank	B-General_Concept
switching	I-General_Concept
technique	O
between	O
two	O
4K	O
segments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
later	O
releases	O
,	O
including	O
Atari	O
's	O
ports	O
of	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
and	O
Crystal	B-Application
Castles	I-Application
,	O
are	O
16K	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
final	O
games	O
,	O
Fatal	B-Application
Run	I-Application
(	O
1990	O
)	O
,	O
doubled	O
this	O
to	O
32K	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
Atari-published	O
games	O
,	O
both	O
from	O
the	O
system	O
's	O
peak	O
in	O
1982	O
,	O
E.T.	B-Application
</s>
<s>
the	O
Extra-Terrestrial	O
and	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
,	O
are	O
cited	O
as	O
factors	O
in	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
crash	O
of	O
1983	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
notorious	O
,	O
Custer	B-Application
's	I-Application
Revenge	I-Application
,	O
was	O
protested	O
by	O
women	O
's	O
and	O
Native	O
American	O
groups	O
because	O
it	O
depicted	O
General	O
George	O
Armstrong	O
Custer	O
raping	O
a	O
bound	O
Native	O
American	O
woman	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jay	O
Miner	O
directed	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
the	O
successors	O
to	O
the	O
2600	O
's	O
TIA	O
chip	O
—	O
CTIA	B-General_Concept
and	O
ANTIC	B-General_Concept
—	O
which	O
are	O
central	O
to	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
computers	I-Device
released	O
in	O
1979	O
and	O
later	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
5200	I-General_Concept
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
was	O
inducted	O
into	O
the	O
National	O
Toy	O
Hall	O
of	O
Fame	O
at	O
The	O
Strong	O
in	O
Rochester	O
,	O
New	O
York	O
,	O
in	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
was	O
named	O
the	O
number	O
two	O
console	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
by	O
IGN	O
,	O
which	O
cited	O
its	O
remarkable	O
role	O
behind	O
both	O
the	O
first	O
video	O
game	O
boom	O
and	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
crash	O
of	O
1983	O
,	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
console	O
that	O
our	O
entire	O
industry	O
is	O
built	O
upon	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Modern	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
clones	O
remain	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Atari	O
Classics	O
10-in-1	O
TV	O
Game	O
,	O
manufactured	O
by	O
Jakks	O
Pacific	O
,	O
emulates	O
the	O
2600	O
with	O
ten	O
games	O
inside	O
a	O
Atari-style	O
joystick	B-Device
with	O
composite-video	O
output	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
TV	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
includes	O
127	O
games	O
in	O
an	O
enlarged	O
joypad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
console	O
implements	O
the	O
original	O
2600	O
architecture	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
modified	O
to	O
play	O
original	O
2600	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
by	O
adding	O
a	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
port	O
;	O
it	O
is	O
also	O
compatible	O
with	O
original	O
2600	O
controllers	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
,	O
Hyperkin	O
announced	O
the	O
RetroN	O
77	O
,	O
a	O
clone	O
of	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
that	O
plays	O
original	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
instead	O
of	O
preinstalled	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Atari	B-Application
VCS	I-Application
microconsole	I-Application
was	O
released	O
by	O
Atari	O
Interactive	O
in	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2700	I-General_Concept
is	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
2600	O
using	O
wireless	B-Device
controllers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
variant	O
,	O
known	O
by	O
its	O
production	O
code	O
"	O
CX2000	O
"	O
and	O
nickname	O
"	O
Val	O
"	O
,	O
was	O
found	O
as	O
two	O
1982	O
prototypes	O
at	O
the	O
New	O
York	O
and	O
Sunnyvale	O
Atari	O
facilities	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
design	O
,	O
with	O
two	O
integrated	O
joystick	B-Device
controllers	B-Device
,	O
is	O
the	O
result	O
of	O
human	O
factor	O
analysis	O
by	O
Henry	O
Dreyfuss	O
Associates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
compatible	O
with	O
2600	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
was	O
rumored	O
to	O
be	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
10-bit	O
processor	O
,	O
although	O
design	O
documents	O
show	O
it	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
8-bit	O
6502	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
