Misplaced Pages

Latest revision as of 07:54, 5 December 2024

Jaguar

Jaguar with original controller
Developer	Atari Corporation
Manufacturer	IBM
Type	Home video game console
Generation	Fifth
Release date	NA: November 23, 1993 EU: June 27, 1994 AU: August 1, 1994 DE: September 1994 JP: December 8, 1994 ESP: April 1995
Lifespan	1993–1996
Introductory price	US$249.99 £199.99–299.99 AU$700 DM550–600 JP¥29,800 SPtas39,990
Discontinued	WW: 1996
Units sold	< 150,000
Media	ROM cartridge
CPU	Motorola 68000, 2 custom RISC processors
Memory	2 MB RAM
Storage	Internal RAM, cartridge
Display	Composite, S-Video, RGB, or RF TV out
Graphics	Tom chip (up to 720 × 576 / 720 × 480, 16.8 million colors)
Sound	Jerry chip (16-bit, two DACs, wavetable and AM synthesis)
Best-selling game	Alien vs Predator (85,000)
Predecessor	7800 XEGS Panther (canceled)
Related	Jaguar CD

The Jaguar is a home video game console developed by Atari Corporation and released in North America in November 1993. It is in the fifth generation of video game consoles, and it competed with fourth generation consoles released the same year, including the 16-bit Genesis, the 16-bit Super NES, and the 32-bit 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. Jaguar has a Motorola 68000 CPU and two custom 32-bit coprocessors named Tom and Jerry. Atari marketed it as the world's first 64-bit game system, emphasizing its blitter's 64-bit bus; however, none of its three processors have a 64-bit instruction set, as do later 64-bit consoles such as PlayStation 2 or Nintendo 64. The Jaguar launched with Cybermorph as the pack-in game, which received mixed reviews. The system's library ultimately comprises only 50 licensed games.

Development started in the early 1990s by Flare Technology, which focused on the system after cancellation of the Panther console. The Jaguar was an important system for Atari after discontinuing Atari ST computers in favor of video games. However, game development was complicated by the multi-chip architecture, hardware bugs, and poor programming tools. Underwhelming sales further eroded third-party support.

Atari attempted to extend the lifespan of the system with the Jaguar CD add-on, with an additional 13 games, and emphasizing the Jaguar's price of over US$100 less than its competitors. Jaguar could not compete against the Saturn and PlayStation, both released in 1995. Atari had internally abandoned the system by the end of that year, liquidating its inventory by 1996. The commercial failure of the Jaguar prompted Atari to leave the console market, and restructured itself as a third-party developer. After Hasbro Interactive acquired all Atari Corporation properties, the patents of the Jaguar were released into the public domain, with the console declared an open platform. Since its discontinuation, hobbyists have produced games for the system.

History

Development

Atari Corporation's previous home video game console, the 7800, was released in 1986. It was considered an "also-ran" and far behind rival Nintendo. Around 1989, work began on a new console leveraging technology from Atari ST computers. It was originally named the Super XE, following the XE Game System, and eventually became the Panther using either 16 or 32-bit architecture. A more advanced system codenamed Jaguar also began work.

Both the Jaguar and Panther were developed by the members of Flare Technology, a company formed by Martin Brennan and John Mathieson. The team had claimed that they could not only make a console superior to the Genesis or the Super NES, but they could also be cost-effective. Atari was impressed by Flare's work on the Konix Multisystem, and persuaded them to close Flare and form a new company called Flare II, to be funded by Atari.

Work on the Jaguar design progressed faster than expected, so Atari canceled the Panther project in 1991 to focus on the more promising Jaguar. Rumors were already circulating of a 1992 launch and its 32-bit or even 64-bit architecture. By this time the Atari ST had long been surpassed in popularity by the Amiga, while both Atari and Commodore became victims of Wintel, which became the dominant computer platform. Atari's support for legacy 8-bit products was canceled to fully focus on developing Jaguar, and ST computers were canceled during the Jaguar's release in 1993.

The Jaguar was unveiled in at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in June 1993, calling it a "multi-media entertainment system".

Launch

The Jaguar was launched on November 23, 1993, at US$249.99 (equivalent to $500 in 2023), under a $500 million manufacturing deal with IBM. The system was initially available only in the test markets of New York City and San Francisco, with the slogan "Get bit by Jaguar", claiming superiority over competing 16-bit and 32-bit systems. During this test launch, Atari sold all units hoping it would rally support for the system. A nationwide release followed six months later, in early 1994. The Jaguar struggled to attain a substantial user base. Atari reported shipping 17,000 units as part of the test market in 1993. By the end of 1994, it reported that it had sold approximately 100,000 units.

Computer Gaming World wrote in January 1994 that the Jaguar was "a great machine in search of a developer/customer base", as Atari had to "overcome the stigma of its name (lack of marketing and customer support, as well as poor developer relations in the past)". Atari had "ventured late into third-party software support" for the Jaguar, but competing console 3DO's "18 month public relations blitz" resulted in "an avalanche of software support". The small size and poor quality of the Jaguar's game library became the most commonly cited reason for tepid adoption, because early releases like Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy, Raiden, and Evolution: Dino Dudes also received poor reviews, the latter two for failing to take full advantage of the Jaguar's hardware. Jaguar did eventually earn praise with games such as Tempest 2000, Doom, and Wolfenstein 3D. The most successful game during the Jaguar's first year was Alien vs. Predator. However, these occasional successes were seen as insufficient while the Jaguar's competitors were receiving a continual stream of critically acclaimed software; GamePro concluded its rave review of Alien vs. Predator by remarking "If Atari can turn out a dozen more games like AvP, Jaguar owners could truly rest easy and enjoy their purchase." Next Generation commented that "thus far, Atari has spectacularly failed to deliver on the software side, leaving many to question the actual quality and capability of the hardware. With only one or two exceptions – Tempest 2000 is cited most frequently – there have just been no truly great games for the Jaguar up to now." It further noted that though Atari is well known by older gamers, the company had much less overall brand recognition than Sega, Sony, Nintendo, or even The 3DO Company. However, they argued that with its low price point, the Jaguar might still compete if Atari could improve the software situation.

Bit count controversy

Atari tried to downplay competing consoles by proclaiming the Jaguar was the only "64-bit" system; in its marketing in the American market the company used the tagline do the math!, in reference to the 64 number. This claim is questioned by some, because the Motorola 68000 CPU and the Tom and Jerry coprocessors execute 32-bit instruction sets. Atari's reasoning that the 32-bit Tom and Jerry chips work in tandem to add up to a 64-bit system was ridiculed in a mini-editorial by Electronic Gaming Monthly, which commented that "If Sega did the math for the Sega Saturn the way Atari did the math for their 64-bit Jaguar system, the Sega Saturn would be a 112-bit monster of a machine." Next Generation, in a mostly negative review of the Jaguar, maintained that it is a true 64-bit system, because the data path from the DRAM to the CPU and Tom and Jerry chips is 64 bits wide.

Arrival of Saturn and PlayStation

In early 1995, Atari announced that it had dropped the price of the Jaguar to US$149.99 (equivalent to $300 in 2023), to be more competitive. Atari ran infomercials with enthusiastic salesmen touting the game system for most of 1995, but did not sell the remaining stock.

In 1995, CEO Sam Tramiel declared the Jaguar at least as powerful than the newly launched Saturn, and slightly weaker than the upcoming PlayStation. Next Generation received a deluge of letters in response to Tramiel's comments, particularly his threat to bring Sony to court for price dumping if the PlayStation entered the U.S. market at a retail price below $300. Many readers found this threat hollow and hypocritical, since Tramiel noted in the same interview that Atari was selling the Jaguar at a loss. The editor responded that price dumping does not have to do with a product being priced below cost, but its being priced much lower in one country than another—which, as Tramiel said, is illegal. Tramiel and Next Generation agreed that the PlayStation's Japanese price converts to approximately $500. His remark, that the small number of third party Jaguar games was good for Atari's profitability, angered Jaguar owners already frustrated at the small library.

Atari's 1995 annual report noted:

Jaguar sales were substantially below Atari's expectations, and Atari's business and financial results were materially adversely affected in 1995 as Atari continued to invest heavily in Jaguar game development, entered into arrangements to publish certain licensed titles and reduced the retail price for its Jaguar console unit. Atari attributes the poor performance of Jaguar to a number of factors including (i) extensive delays in development of software for the Jaguar which resulted in reduced orders due to consumer concern as to when titles for the platform would be released and how many titles would ultimately be available, and (ii) the introduction of competing products by Sega and Sony in May 1995 and September 1995, respectively.

In addition, Atari had severely limited financial resources, and so could not create the level of marketing which has historically backed successful gaming consoles.

Decline

Figures from the NPD Group showed that at the end of year 1995, the Jaguar had statistically a share of zero percent of the "sold through" units (which are systems purchased by consumers) in the 32-bit market, which was also lower than the one percent held by its struggling rival 3DO.

By November 1995, mass layoffs and insider statements were fueling journalistic speculation that Atari had ceased both development and manufacturing for the Jaguar and was simply trying to sell off existing stock before exiting the video game industry. Although Atari continued to deny these theories going into 1996, core Jaguar developers such as High Voltage Software and Beyond Games stated that they were no longer receiving communications from Atari regarding future Jaguar projects.

In its 10-K405 SEC Filing, filed April 12, 1996, Atari informed stockholders that its revenues had declined by more than half, from $38.7 million in 1994 to $14.6 million in 1995, then gave them the news on the truly dire nature of the Jaguar:

From the introduction of Jaguar in late 1993 through the end of 1995, Atari sold approximately 125,000 units of Jaguar. As of December 31, 1995, Atari had approximately 100,000 units of Jaguar in inventory.

The filing confirmed that Atari had abandoned the Jaguar in November 1995 and in the subsequent months were concerned chiefly with liquidating its inventory of Jaguar products. On April 8, 1996, Atari Corporation agreed to merge with JTS, Inc. in a reverse takeover, thus forming JTS Corporation. The merger was finalized on July 30.

After the merger, the bulk of Jaguar inventory remained unsold and would be finally moved out to Tiger Software, a private liquidator, on December 23, 1996. On March 13, 1998, JTS sold the Atari name and properties to Hasbro Interactive.

Technical specifications

From the Jaguar Software Reference manual, page 1:

Jaguar is a custom chip set primarily intended to be the heart of a very high-performance games/leisure computer. It may also be used as a graphics accelerator in more complex systems, and applied to workstation and business uses. As well as a general purpose CPU, Jaguar contains four processing units. These are the Object Processor, Graphics Processor, Blitter, and Digital Sound Processor. Jaguar provides these blocks with a 64-bit data path to external memory devices, and is capable of a very high data transfer rate into external dynamic RAM.

Design specs for the console allude to the GPU or DSP being capable of acting as a CPU, leaving the Motorola 68000 to read controller inputs. Atari's Leonard Tramiel also specifically suggested that the 68000 not be used by developers. In practice, however, many developers use the Motorola 68000 to drive gameplay logic due to the greater developer familiarity of the 68000 and the adequacy of the 68000 for certain types of games. Most critically, a flaw in the memory controller means that certain obscure conventions must be followed for the RISC chips to be able to execute code from RAM.

The system was notoriously difficult to program for, because its multi-processor design is complex, development tools were released in an unfinished state, and the hardware had crippling bugs.

Processors

• Tom chip, 26.59 MHz
  • Graphics processing unit (GPU) – 32-bit RISC architecture, 4 KB internal RAM, all graphical effects are software-based, with additional instructions intended for 3D operations
  • Object Processor – 64-bit fixed-function video processor, converts display lists to video output at scan time.
  • Blitter – 64-bit high speed logic operations, z-buffering and Gouraud shading, with 64-bit internal registers.
  • DRAM controller, 8-, 16-, 32- and 64-bit memory management
• Jerry chip, 26.59 MHz
  • Digital Signal Processor – 32-bit RISC architecture, 8 KB internal RAM
    • Similar RISC core as the GPU, additional instructions intended for audio operations
  • CD-quality sound (16-bit stereo)
    • Number of sound channels limited by software
    • Two DACs (stereo) convert digital data to analog sound signals
    • Full stereo capabilities
  • Wavetable synthesis and AM synthesis
  • A clock control block, incorporating timers, and a UART
  • Joystick control
• Motorola 68000 - system processor "used as a manager".
  • General purpose 16-/32-bit control processor, 13.295 MHz

Other features

• RAM: 2 MB on a 64-bit bus using 4 16-bit fast-page-mode DRAMs (80 ns)
• Storage: ROM cartridges – up to 6 MB
• DSP-port (JagLink)
• Monitor-port (composite/S-Video/RGB)
• Antenna-port (UHF/VHF) - fixed at 591 MHz in Europe; not present on French model
• Support for ComLynx I/O
• NTSC/PAL machines can be identified by their power LED colour, Red: NTSC; Green: PAL.

COJAG arcade games

Atari Games licensed the Jaguar's chipset for use in its arcade games. The system, named CoJag (for "Coin-Op Jaguar"), replaced the 68000 with a 68020 or MIPS R3000-based CPU (depending on the board version), added more RAM, a full 64-bit wide ROM bus (Jaguar ROM bus is 32-bit), and optionally a hard drive (some games such as Freeze are ROM only). It runs the lightgun games Area 51 and Maximum Force, which were released as dedicated cabinets or as the Area 51 and Maximum Force combo machine. Other games were developed but never released: 3 On 3 Basketball, Fishin' Frenzy, Freeze, and Vicious Circle.

Peripherals

Prior to the launch of the console in November 1993, Atari had announced a variety of peripherals to be released over the console's lifespan. This included a CD-ROM-based console, dial-up Internet access with support for online games, a virtual reality headset, and an MPEG-2 video card. However, due to the poor sales and eventual commercial failure of the Jaguar, most of the peripherals in development were canceled. The only peripherals and add-ons released by Atari for the Jaguar are a redesigned controller, an adapter for four players, a CD console add-on, and a link cable for local area network (LAN) gaming.

The redesigned second controller, the ProController by Atari, added three more face buttons and two triggers. It was created in response to the criticism of the original controller, said to lack enough buttons for fighting games in particular. It was never bundled with the system. The Team Tap multitap adds 4-controller support, compatible only with the optionally bundled White Men Can't Jump and NBA Jam Tournament Edition. Eight player gameplay with two Team Taps is possible but unsupported by those games. For LAN multiplayer support, the Jaglink Interface links two Jaguar consoles through a modular extension and a UTP phone cable. It is compatible with three games: AirCars, BattleSphere, and Doom.

In 1994 at the CES, Atari announced that it had partnered with Phylon, Inc. to create the Jaguar Voice/Data Communicator. The unit was delayed and an estimated 100 units were produced, but eventually in 1995 was canceled. The Jaguar Voice Modem or JVM utilizes a 19.9 kbit/s dial up modem to answer incoming phone calls and store up to 18 phone numbers. Players directly dial each other for online play, only compatible with Ultra Vortek.

Jaguar CD

The Jaguar CD is a CD-ROM peripheral for games. It was released in September 1995, two years after the Jaguar's launch. Thirteen CD games were released during its manufacturing lifetime, with more being made later by homebrew developers. Each Jaguar CD unit has a Virtual Light Machine, which displays light patterns corresponding to music, if the user inserts an audio CD into the console. It was developed by Jeff Minter, after experimenting with graphics during the development of Tempest 2000. The program was deemed a spiritual successor to the Atari Video Music, a visualizer released in 1976.

The Memory Track is a cartridge accessory for the Jaguar CD, providing Jaguar CD games with 128 K EEPROM for persistent storage of data such as preferences and saved games. The Jaguar Duo (codenamed Jaguar III) was a proposal to integrate the Jaguar CD to make a new console, a concept similar to the TurboDuo and Genesis CDX. A prototype, described by journalists as resembling a bathroom scale, was unveiled at the 1995 Winter Consumer Electronics Show, but the console was canceled before production.

Jaguar VR

A virtual reality headset compatible with the console, tentatively titled the Jaguar VR, was unveiled by Atari at the 1995 Winter Consumer Electronics Show. The development of the peripheral was a response to Nintendo's virtual reality console, the Virtual Boy, which had been announced the previous year. The headset was developed in cooperation with Virtuality, which had previously created many virtual reality arcade systems, and was already developing a similar headset for practical purposes, named Project Elysium, for IBM. The peripheral was targeted for a commercial release before Christmas 1995. However, the deal with Virtuality was abandoned in October 1995. After Atari's merger with JTS in 1996, all prototypes of the headset were allegedly destroyed. However, two working units, one low-resolution prototype with red and grey-colored graphics and one high-resolution prototype with blue and grey-colored graphics, have since been recovered, and are regularly showcased at retrogaming-themed conventions and festivals. Only one game was developed for the Jaguar VR prototype: a 3D-rendered version of the 1980 arcade game Missile Command, titled Missile Command 3D, and a demo of Virtuality's Zone Hunter was created.

Unlicensed peripherals

An unofficial expansion peripheral for the Jaguar dubbed the "Catbox" was released by the Rockford, Illinois company ICD. It was originally slated to be released early in the Jaguar's life, in the second quarter of 1994, but was not actually released until mid-1995. The ICD CatBox plugs directly into the AV/DSP connectors located in the rear of the Jaguar console and provides three main functions. These are audio, video, and communications. It features six output formats, three for audio (Line level stereo, RGB monitor, headphone jack with volume control) and three for video (composite, S-Video, and RGB analog component video) making the Jaguar compatible with multiple high quality monitor systems and multiple monitors at the same time. It is capable of communications methods known as CatNet and RS-232 and DSP pass through, allowing the user to connect two or more Jaguars together for multiplayer games either directly or with modems. The ICD CatBox features a polished stainless steel casing and red LEDs in the jaguar's eyes on the logo that indicate communications activity. An IBM AT-type null modem cable may be used to connect two Jaguars together. The CatBox is also compatible with Atari's Jaglink Interface peripheral.

Game library

Reception

Reviewing the Jaguar just a few weeks prior to its launch, GamePro gave it a "thumbs sideways". They praised the power of the hardware but criticized the controller, and were dubious of how the software lineup would turn out, commenting that Atari's failure to secure support from key third party publishers such as Capcom was a bad sign. They concluded that "Like the 3DO, the Jaguar is a risky investment – just not quite as expensive."

The Jaguar won GameFan's "Best New System" award for 1993.

The small size and poor quality of the Jaguar's game library became the most commonly cited reason for its failure in the marketplace. The pack-in game Cybermorph was one of the first polygon-based games for consoles, but was criticized for design flaws and a weak color palette, and compared unfavorably with the SNES's Star Fox. Other early releases like Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy, Raiden, and Evolution: Dino Dudes also received poor reviews, the latter two for failing to take full advantage of the Jaguar's hardware. Jaguar did eventually earn praise with games such as Tempest 2000, Doom, and Wolfenstein 3D. The most successful title during the Jaguar's first year was Alien vs. Predator. However, these occasional successes were seen as insufficient while the Jaguar's competitors were receiving a continual stream of critically acclaimed software; GamePro concluded their rave review of Alien vs. Predator by remarking "If Atari can turn out a dozen more games like AvP, Jaguar owners could truly rest easy and enjoy their purchase." In late 1995 reviews of the Jaguar, Game Players remarked, "The Jaguar suffers from several problems, most importantly the lack of good software." and Next Generation likewise commented that "thus far, Atari has spectacularly failed to deliver on the software side, leaving many to question the actual quality and capability of the hardware. With only one or two exceptions – Tempest 2000 is cited most frequently – there have just been no truly great games for the Jaguar up to now." They further noted that though Atari is well known by older gamers, the company had much less overall brand recognition than Sega, Sony, Nintendo, or even The 3DO Company. However, they argued that with its low price point, the Jaguar might still compete if Atari could improve the software situation. They gave the system two out of five stars. Game Players also stated though it is 64-bit, the Jaguar is much less powerful than the 3DO, Saturn, and PlayStation, even when supplemented with the Jaguar CD. With such a small library of games to challenge the incumbent 16-bit game consoles, Jaguar's appeal never grew beyond a small gaming audience. Digital Spy commented: "Like many failed hardware ventures, it still maintains something of a cult following but can only be considered a misstep for Atari."

In 2006, IGN editor Craig Harris rated the original Jaguar controller as the worst game controller ever, criticizing the unwarranted recycling of the 1980s "phone keypad" format and the small number of action buttons, which he found particularly unwise given that Atari was actively trying to court fighting game fans to the system. Ed Semrad of Electronic Gaming Monthly commented that many Jaguar games gratuitously used all of the controller's phone keypad buttons, making the controls much more difficult than they needed to be. GamePro's The Watch Dog remarked, "The controller usually doesn't use the keypad, and for games that use the keypad extensively (Alien vs. Predator, Doom), a keypad overlay is used to minimize confusion. But yes, it is a lot of buttons for nuttin'." Atari added more action buttons for its Pro Controller, to improve performance in fighting games in particular.

Legacy

Telegames continued to publish games for the Jaguar after it was discontinued, and for a time was the only company to do so. On May 14, 1999, Hasbro Interactive announced that it had released all patents to the Jaguar, declaring it an open platform, and enabling extensive homebrew development. Following the announcement, Songbird Productions joined Telegames in releasing unfinished Jaguar games alongside new games to satisfy the cult following. Hasbro Interactive, along with all the Atari properties, was sold to Infogrames on January 29, 2001.

In the United Kingdom in 2001, Telegames and retailer Game made a deal to bring the Jaguar to Game's retail outlets. It was initially sold for £29.99 new and software ranged between £9.99 for more common games such as Doom and Ruiner Pinball and £39.99 for rarer releases such as Defender 2000 and Checkered Flag. The machine had a presence in the stores until 2007, when remaining consoles were sold off for £9.99 and games were sold for as low as 97p.

In 2022, the compilation Atari 50 was released with a collection of Jaguar games, as one of the first instances of Jaguar software being officially rereleased by Atari. Due to the unique design of the original Jaguar controller, the games feature reworked control layouts to allow them to work with modern hardware.

Molds

In 1997, Imagin Systems, a manufacturer of dental imaging equipment, purchased the Jaguar cartridge and console molds, including the molds for the CD add-on, from JTS. With minor modification, they fit its HotRod camera, and the cartridge molds were reused to create an optional memory expansion card. In a retrospective, Imagin founder Steve Mortenson praised the design, but admitted that their device came at the time of the dental industry's transition to USB, and apart from a few prototypes, the molds went unused.

In December 2014, the molds were purchased from Imagin Systems by Mike Kennedy, owner of the Kickstarter funded Retro Videogame Magazine, to propose a new crowdfunded video game console, the Retro VGS, later rebranded the Coleco Chameleon with a licensing agreement with Coleco. The purchase of the molds was far cheaper than designing and manufacturing entirely new molds, and Kennedy described their acquisition as "the entire reason is possible". However, the project was terminated in March 2016 following criticism of Kennedy and doubts regarding demand for the proposed console. Two "prototypes" were discovered to be fakes and Coleco withdrew from the project. After the project's termination, the molds were sold to Albert Yarusso, the founder of the AtariAge website.

See also

• Contiki, portable operating system, including a port for the Jaguar with GUI, TCP/IP, and web browser support.

References

1. ^ "Atari Ships Jaguar For New York And San Francisco Markets; World's First 64-bit Interactive Multimedia Home Entertainment System Available". PR Newswire. November 23, 1993. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
2. Humphreys, Andrew (August 1994). "Jaguar - Reality Bites?". Hyper. No. 9. Next Media Pty Ltd. pp. 20–25. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
3. ^ Euer Video Games Team (September 1994). "Warpzone - Jaguar - Jaguar in Deutschland!". Video Games. No. 34. Future-Verlag. p. 38.
4. "Scene - Next Generation Battle - Japan". Mega Fun. No. 30. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. March 1995. p. 28. Archived from the original on July 13, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
5. ^ "¿Qué Consola Comprar?". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 51. Axel Springer SE. December 1995. pp. 36–37.
6. "CVG News - Get Your Jaguars Now, Folks - The Cat Set Free At Last". Computer and Video Games. No. 152. Future plc. July 1994. p. 9. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023.
7. "Letters - Jag & 3DO Queries". Hyper. No. 11. Next Media Pty Ltd. October 1994. p. 81. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
8. "Jaguar: Coup De Griffe Sur Le Japan!". Consoles +. No. 39. M.E.R.7. January 1995. pp. 26–27. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
9. ^ Item 7. Management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations. Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K (Report). Atari Corporation. April 12, 1996. p. 8. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
10. "Jaguar: mass market machine". Edge. No. 22 Supplementary. Future plc. July 1995. p. 5. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
11. ^ "AtariAge - Atari Jaguar History". www.atariage.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
12. "Clunky". Next Generation. No. 4. Imagine Media. April 1995. p. 41.
13. "Once and Future Kings". GamePro. No. 80. IDG. May 1995. pp. 28–30.
14. ^ "Stop Press: Ashes to Ashes...". Next Generation. No. 19. Imagine Media. July 1996. p. 17.
15. ^ Johnston, Chris (April 8, 2000). "Atari Goes to Hasbro". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
16. ^ "Hasbro Releases Jaguar Publishing Rights". Hasbro Interactive. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2008. Beverly, MA (May 14, 1999) – Leading entertainment software publisher, Hasbro Interactive announced today it has released all rights that it may have to the vintage Atari hardware platform, the Jaguar.
17. ^ Goss, Patrick. "Redundant gadgets (Atari Jaguar entry)". Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
18. ^ Atari: From Boom to Bust and Back Again. Imagine Publishing. 2012.
19. "Atari Explorer, Z*Net, & ST Report: Atari Explorer Online: 16-Jan-95 #0401". www.atariarchives.org. Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
20. "TheOne Magazine". TheOne Magazine. No. 36. September 1991. p. 26.
21. "The Jaguar Rules Atari's Jungle". GamePro. No. 30. January 1992. p. 20.
22. "VC&G | » the First Atari Jaguar Press Release (1993)". Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
23. "COMPANY NEWS; I.B.M. TO MANUFACTURE NEW ATARI ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM (Published 1993)". The New York Times. June 29, 1993. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023.
24. "Atari: From Boom to Bust and Back Again". Next Generation. No. 4. Imagine Media. April 1995. p. 39.
25. ^ Boris Kretzinger (February 22, 2023). Clipped Claws.
26. blob:https://imgur.com/0b9f824b-6413-4717-9628-8220ceb02910
27. "Letters". Next Generation. No. 4. Imagine Media. April 1995. p. 107. The fact is that occasionally products do launch in some 'test' markets before making it national. Atari's Jaguar is a prime example (it was available in San Francisco and New York six months before anywhere else).
28. Atari Corporation Annual Report, 1993. pp 14.
29. Atari Corporation Annual Report. pp 11.
30. Miller, Chuck; Dille, H. E.; Wilson, Johnny L. (January 1994). "Battle Of The New Machines". Computer Gaming World. pp. 64–76. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
31. ^ Atari Jaguar History Archived May 13, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. AtariAge. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
32. ^ Atari Corporation 1994 annual report, p. 3.
33. ^ "ProReview: Alien vs. Predator". GamePro. No. 75. IDG. December 1994. pp. 180–181.
34. ^ "Which Game System is the Best!?". Next Generation. No. 12. Imagine Media. December 1995. pp. 36–85.
35. "The Video Game Critic's Atari Jaguar System Review". Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
36. "The Hot Number: 112". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 71. Sendai Publishing. June 1995. p. 30.
37. ^ Thomas, Don (December 1996). "Atari's Historic Road to Nowhere". Next Generation. No. 24. Imagine Media. pp. 97–104.
38. "Atari's President Talks Back". Next Generation. No. 7. July 1995. pp. 6–12.
39. "Letters". Next Generation. No. 10. Imagine Media. October 1995. p. 140.
40. Atari Corporation Annual Report, 1993 Archived July 6, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. pp 3.
41. "Just who is winning the 32-bit war?" (PDF). Next Generation. Vol. 2, no. 5. May 1996. p. 22 – via Internet Archive.
42. "Atari Drops Jaguar?". Next Generation. No. 13. Imagine Media. January 1996. p. 21. Then in November, UK newspaper The Sunday Times ... put forward that Atari plans to give up on the Jaguar in favor of PC development ... The Sunday Times article is not the only piece of speculation regarding Atari's commitment to hardware to have appeared in the media over the last two weeks.
43. "Atari Teeters on Grave's Edge". GamePro. No. 91. IDG. April 1996. p. 16.
44. "Crumbling Atari Still Defiant". Next Generation. No. 16. Imagine Media. April 1996. pp. 16–17.
45. "Atari and JT Storage Reorganisation Plan". One Cle. Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved November 25, 2006.
46. "Video Game Timeline". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 102. Ziff Davis. January 1998. p. 137.
47. "A History of JT Storage / JTS (including the Atari division)". mcurrent.name. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
48. Atari Corp. (1995). Jaguar Software Reference Manual - Version 2.4 (PDF). Atari Corp. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 15, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
49. Joe Venor (2009). "What's this "Lay off the 68k" and "GPU in Main" Malarkey? (TECHNICAL)". The Owl Project. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
50. ATARI JAGUAR Archived September 6, 2015, at the Wayback Machine by Retro Gamer Team, November 27, 2014
51. Atari Jaguar Software Reference Manual, Atari Corp. 1995, Pg 2
52. Atari Jaguar Order, Atari, 1994
53. "Atari's 64-bit Jaguar Stalks the Competition". GamePro. No. 51. IDG. October 1993. pp. 16–17.
54. "Atari Jaguar Unveiled—Stalks 3DO". Computer Gaming World. November 1993. pp. 10–11. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
55. ^ "Feline Friends". GamePro. No. 89. IDG. February 1996. p. 22.
56. ^ "Atari Team Tap Multi-Player Adapter". The Centre for Computing History. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
57. "NBA Jam Tournament Edition (Jaguar) - Manual". AtariAge. . February 1995. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
58. Vinciguerra, Robert. "A Complete History of Online Console Gaming in the United States". The Rev. Rob Times. RevRob.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
59. Minter, Jeff. "VLM - History". Llamasoft. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
60. Wolf, Mark J. P. (2003). "Abstraction in the Video Game" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
61. Tech Talk: Atari Releases a Product!!!, GI Magazine, August 2024 , p. 60, retrieved August 18, 2024
62. "Atari Memory Track - User Manual" (PDF). Atari Corporation. 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
63. Todd, Mowatt (May 1995). "Atari to Unleash New Jaguar CD and Jaguar III". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 70. Ziff Davis. p. 28.
64. "WCES: The Calm Before the Storm". Next Generation. No. 3. Imagine Media. March 1995. p. 19.
65. Edwards, Benj (May 14, 2011). "10 Unreleased Video Game Consoles - Atari Jaguar Duo (1995) - Slideshow from". PC Magazine. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
66. Iida, Keita; Goldberg, Marty. "Atari Jaguar VR Headset". AGH Museum. Atari Gaming Headquarters. Archived from the original on April 18, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
67. "Nintendo introduces video game players to three-dimensional worlds with new virtual reality video game system". Business Wire / Planet Virtual Boy. November 14, 1994. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
68. Dye, Lee (February 22, 1995). "The Cutting Edge: COMPUTING / TECHNOLOGY / INNOVATION : Virtual Reality Applications Expand : Imaging: Technology is finding important places in medicine, engineering and many other realms". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
69. Quartermann (May 1995). "Gaming Gossip". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 70. Ziff Davis. p. 54.
70. "1995: The Calm Before the Storm?". Next Generation. No. 13. Imagine Media. January 1996. p. 56.
71. ^ Thompson, Clint. "Jaguar VR". JagCube. Atari.org. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
72. "Incredibly Rare Working Prototype 'Atari Jaguar Virtual Reality Headset' Hardware Surfaces On eBay". RetroCollect. January 23, 2015. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
73. Plafke, James (January 23, 2013). "Atari Jaguar had a VR headset?! One of the two left intact is up for auction". Geek.com. Ziff Davis Media. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
74. "Jaguar's Cat Box". GamePro. No. 69. IDG. June 1994. pp. 184–186.
75. ^ "No Litterbox". GamePro. No. 83. IDG. August 1995. p. 108.
76. Official CatBox Manual - Final Version 1.01c - May 8, 1996
77. "System Shopper". GamePro. No. 63. IDG. December 1993. pp. 46–49.
78. "GameFan's 2nd Annual Megawards". GameFan. Vol. 2, no. 2. Shinno Media. January 1994. p. 58. Best New System: Winner: The Atari Jaguar
79. ^ "System Analysis: Jaguar / Jaguar CD". Game Players. No. 79. Signal Research. 1995. p. 68.
80. Greg Orlando (May 15, 2007). "Console Portraits: A 40-Year Pictorial History of Gaming". Wired News. Condé Nast Publications. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved March 23, 2008.
81. Mark Langshaw. "Atari retrospective: The rise and fall of a gaming giant Archived June 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine". Digital Spy, January 27, 2013.
82. "Top 10 Tuesday: Worst Game Controllers". IGN. February 21, 2006. Archived from the original on January 14, 2007. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
83. "Review Crew: Syndicate". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 69. Sendai Publishing. April 1995. p. 38.
84. "Buyers Beware". GamePro. No. 89. IDG. February 1996. p. 14.
85. Bruiser (April 4, 2012). "5 Reasons Why the Atari Jaguar Isn't So Bad". Leftover Culture Review. LOCR. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
86. Clarke, Bruce (February 18, 2007). "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story". The Atari Times. TAT. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
87. "Tidbits...". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 94. Ziff Davis. May 1997. p. 24. Atari Jaguar game maker Telegames refuses to desert loyal owners of the 64-Bit machine ... and remains the lone third-party publisher. The company has six new games in the works, according to its online site ...
88. "Infogrames to Acquire Hasbro Interactive". IGN. December 6, 2000. Archived from the original on November 19, 2001. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
89. "Infogrames completes Hasbro Interactive acquisition". GameSpot. January 29, 2001. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
90. "Atari News: Atari Jaguar". MyAtari. No. 14. December 2001. Archived from the original on February 22, 2002. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
91. "News: Atari consoles going cheap!". MyAtari. No. 15. January 2002. Archived from the original on August 27, 2002. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
92. "Features: GAME, set, match!". MyAtari. No. 15. February 2002. Archived from the original on August 25, 2002. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
93. "Atari 50: the Anniversary Celebration". Atari. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
94. "Atari Jaguar Revived As Dental Camera". 1UP. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
95. "HotRod" (PDF). Imagin. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 17, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
96. "How the Atari Jaguar Became Dental Equipment (Mini-Doc) - Adam Koralik". YouTube. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
97. "Home". July 3, 2015. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
98. "Home". January 14, 2016. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
99. "Retro VGS #1". Archived from the original on July 29, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
100. Purchese, Robert (April 5, 2016). "Coleco Chameleon boss: "I am officially tabling the console venture for good"". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
101. "Coleco Removes Its Name From The Chameleon Console, But Aims To Produce "New Products" In The Future". Nintendo Life. March 9, 2016. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
102. "Coleco Chameleon .... hardware speculations? - Page 318 - Modern Gaming". AtariAge Forums. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2016.

External links

• Atari Jaguar review, 1994 Archived January 28, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
• Atari Corp. press released related to Jaguar, 1993-1997 (archived)

v t e Atari
Corporations	Primary Atari, Inc. (1972–1992) Atari Corporation (1984–1996) Atari SA Subsidiaries and spin-offs Atari Games Atari Interactive AtariAge Chuck E. Cheese (1977–1980) Cyan Engineering Digital Eclipse Kee Games MobyGames Nightdive Studios Tengen
Arcades games and amusements	Anti-Aircraft Asteroids Asteroids Deluxe Atari Basketball Atari Football Avalanche Battlezone Black Widow Breakout Canyon Bomber Centipede Cloak & Dagger Crash 'N Score Crystal Castles Destroyer Dominos Fire Truck Firefox Food Fight Gotcha Gran Trak 10 Gran Trak 20 Gravitar Hi-way I, Robot Indy 4 Indy 800 Jet Fighter LeMans Liberator Lunar Lander Major Havoc Millipede Missile Command Night Driver Outlaw Pin-Pong Pong Pong Doubles Pursuit Quadrapong Quantum Quiz Show Qwak! Rebound Red Baron Return of the Jedi Shark Jaws Sky Diver Space Duel Space Race Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Star Wars Starship 1 Steeplechase Stunt Cycle Super Breakout Super Bug Super Pong Tank Tank 8 Tempest Tournament Table Triple Hunt Ultra Tank Video Pinball Warlords Prototypes Tank II
Software and utilities	Atari BASIC Atari Calculator Atari DOS
Video game consoles	Home Pong Stunt Cycle Atari Video Music Video Pinball 2600 2800 5200 7800 XEGS Lynx Jaguar CD VCS (2021) 2600+ Prototypes Game Brain Cosmos 2700 Atari Mindlink Panther Sierra
Personal computers	Atari 8-bit computers Atari ST MEGA STE TT030 Transputer Workstation Falcon Portables STacy ST Book Portfolio Prototypes Sierra
Peripherals	Printers 825 80-Column Printer 1020 Color Printer Gaming devices CX40 joystick Atari joystick port XG-1 light gun
Other	Atari Flashback Intellivision Atari Democrat

• Products introduced in 1993
• Products and services discontinued in 1996
• Atari consoles
• Home video game consoles
• Fifth-generation video game consoles
• 1990s toys
• 68k-based game consoles
• Discontinued video game consoles
• Regionless game consoles