Atari to Release an Official Atari Arcade Joystick for iPad

Atari has recently updated their Atari's Greatest Hits iOS app to include support for an upcoming "Atari Arcade -- Duo Powered" joystick. The description links to this image and desciption:

Relive the fast-action excitement of all your arcade favorites, like Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command.

Simply connect your iPad to Atari's Greatest Hits app for Duo, and you're ready to share the fun with family and friends anywhere!

The device appears to be very similar to well received iCade from ThinkGeek.

Technabob speculates that this new iPad-compatible joystick's simpler design may be cheaper than the iCade which is priced at $99. The iCade carries a mini arcade cabinet design while the Atari Arcade Joystick offers a more open layout.

The design appears to support both landscape and portrait orientations. No details are provided, but it's likely the device also uses Bluetooth rather than going straight into the dock connector. This is how the iCade works as well, by emulating a Bluetooth keyboard. This system also makes it easier for 3rd party developers to build in support for the accessories.

Atari's Greatest Hits offers 100 classic Atari games for the iPad and iPhone. It was the first app to provide support for the iCade with several others following. No word on when Atari's joystick will be available, just "soon".

Update: DVICE reports that the ATARI Joystick uses the dock connector (not bluetooth) and will be available for $60 on October 2nd. at Target.

Top Rated Comments

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lilcosco08

110 months ago

Umm it's a touch screen device, with a physical joystick add on....:confused:

Exactly. Tactile feedback+ precise control. Touch input just doesn't cut it for these types of games (See street fighter)

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Too bad the games suck. This controller would be cool for good games.

Without these games that "suck", we wouldn't have the "cool" games

Rating: 6 Votes

dhrlove

110 months ago

I know what I'm getting for Christmas.

Rating: 4 Votes

striker33

110 months ago

These will only ever take off if Apple releases its own controller and makes it a standard for all new iOS games.

Rating: 3 Votes

APlotdevice

110 months ago

Games like Centipede and Missile Command need a trackball.

Unfortunately a trackball would be pretty hard to implement with the current workaround. (ie. behaving as BT keyboard)

Nintendo should really be worried about stuff about this.
It's really going to take market share from the DS and similar things.

This thing, which you couldn't even call a "handheld" by any stretch of the imagination, is way to niche to take any significant market share from the DS. Or even its fledgling successor, the 3DS.

A gamepad attachment for the iPhone and iPod touch would be a more plausible threat. Though only if it was an official Apple product. Otherwise it just won't get enough support to really matter.

Rating: 2 Votes