From: aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys)
Newsgroups: alt.games.lynx
Subject: Re: lets face it
Date: 12 Jan 1993 16:57:05 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, vcsc1090@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu (Dionicio Lazo) says:

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>To begin, I own a Lynx and am throughly satisfied with it. From
>reading what others have posted in this news group, I find that
>people are amazed stores do not carry Lynx or will discontinue to
>sell Lynx cartridges. The fault is not with Toys R Us but with
>Atari itself. Let me make my case :
>
>1. Atari does not advertise. When was the last time you saw an
>advertisement for the Lynx or its cartridges (bessides Batman)?
>I am sure you haven't.  Sega and SNES advertise on the radio and
>television all the time and the result-> stores will sell their
>products.

In response to Atari not advertising, I want you to consider this.

Each Toys'R'Us in my area WAS either sold-out of the Lynx or only carried
four systems in stock.

Let's say that Atari spends $50,000 in my area on advertisements for the
Lynx.

Since each Toys'R'Us store only carries at most four Lynx systems,
Atari may sell thirty-two systems total.  They would make around $1,600.

Let's say that other retailers are taken into account.  One-hundred
Lynx systems are sold.  Atari would make around $5,000.

Atari LOSES money by advertising.

And what happens when Atari sells out of the Lynx, the stores for one
reason or another reorders the same amount tha they had before.

Meanwhile, Toys'R'Us has around one-hundred GameBoys in stock.

All of this seems REAL FISHY to me folks.  And that is why I recommend
everyone to write Toys'R'Us.

If we write and Toys'R'Us decides to order 16 Lynx systems for each store,
and Atari advertised, they would make money.

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>2. Atari is living in the past. 99.9% of Atari games are
>translations form its video game. Simply put, if we played joust or
>road blasters at the arcade, why would we want to play them at
>home? You would get tired of them very fast!  This leads to:

I like old arcade games.  I also like new games too!

But, Atari has been producing some originals, more than I can say for
the GameGear.  Every game on the GameGear is either on the Genesis or you
can find it in the arcade under the Sega name.

>3. Atari does not make any new or intersting games that people want
>to play! Look at gameboy which has Megaman, Terminator 2, etc.
>Atari does not even have a Role playing game out onthe market.
>What Atari needs to do is to get 3rd party programmers to develop
>new games with imagination.
>

THIS is what I don't understand either.  I am sure that game companies
will develop
at least ONE game for the Lynx.  But I honestly believe that Atari
wants to sell the games that they OWN so they can enjoy the sales of
Lynx games alone.

ATARI'S FAULT.  I agree.
>4. Atari does not release enough games. Each month, Atari releases
>1 game or 2! Thats it!! Compare that with Lameboy or Game Gear
>which release 6 or more a month.  Atari's first RPG, Guardians,
>Storm Over Doria was given a release date of Nov-December of 1992
>and they still have not finished it!  What are we supposed to do,
>just sit and wait!

I agree as well.  Atari could get more third-party developers to
make games for the Lynx, but they don't.

I don't know why.
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>In conclusion, what you should be doing is writing Atari and tell
>them to get their act together. Tell them to advertise more on tv
>and radio, develop more RPG's and shooters, use the 16 bit to its
>fullest potential, and come up with its own magazine! 
>I love my Lynx but if things keep on going as they are, then I fear
>the Lynx will follw the path of the 2600.         
>What do you think?

I'm sorry, but I don't believe that capitalism is solely at work here.

I think major retailers are being FORCED to carry only a couple Lynx systems
in stock by Nintendo and Sega.

The Lynx is a threat in the portable video game market and these companies
know it.

If you want to see Atari advertising more, you have to help get these
retailers to carry more Lynx systems.

I believe ATARI is party at fault, but not completely.

Len
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Newsgroups: alt.games.lynx,rec.games.video