The Atari Cosmos was a failed attempt by Atari to release a tabletop video game system that would utilize holography and LEDs to create a unique gaming experience. The Cosmos was created by Atari engineers Allan Alcorn, Harry Jenkins and Roger Hector. Work on the Cosmos began in 1978. Atari purchased most of the rights to holographic items so that they could make this system. The Cosmos was to have 9 released games, but all of the actual games were in the Cosmos itself (the cartridges only contained the holographic images and a notch to identify what game it was). This technically made the Cosmos a dedicated console, but Atari didn't publicize this fact. In ads made for the system before the Cosmos' cancellation, Atari claimed that the holographic images were life like and 3D. While this may have been true, the images didn't influence the actual gameplay at all. There were only 2 images to a game, though they did enhance each game's appearance. The system was intended to run off of an AC adaptor, not batteries. The Cosmos would have supported up to 2 players. For the concept Atari (当たり) in the board game of Go, see Atari (go term). ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Holography (from the Greek, Όλος-holos whole + γραφή-graphe writing) is the science of producing holograms, an advanced form of photography that allows an image to be recorded in three dimensions. ... External links LEd Category: TeX ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Dedicated consoles are video game consoles that are dedicated to a built in game or games, and are not equipped for additional games, via cartridge or other media. ... The rewrite of this article is being devised at Talk:3D computer graphics/Temp. ... An electronic power supply, often referred to somewhat incorrectly as an AC adaptor, is an electronic device that produces direct current of a particular voltage and current from a source of electricity such as a battery or wall-socket power. ...

In 1981, the Cosmos was exhibited at the 1981 New York Toy Fair. Reviewers were extremely critical of the system, but Atari stood by it and managed to obtain 8,000 pre-orders at the show alone. They initially had a trial of 250 units to be sent out first, but it's unclear if they were all produced. Many ads were produced, and the system's boxes were manufactured. Everything seemed ready to go, but Atari pulled the plug by the end of 1981. It was speculated that Atari felt the Cosmos was too much of a risk in the face of the criticism it had received. 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Only 5 Cosmos units are known to exist today, and only 2 of the units are fully functional. One is owned by the Atari Historical Society, while the other is owned by a former Atari employee. Cosmos units can go for over $10,000 on eBay, when and if they are put up for auction. eBay Inc. ...

Games

• Asteroids
• Basketball
• Dodge Em
• Football
• Outlaw
• Road Runner
• Sea Battle
• Space Invaders
• Superman

Asteroids is a popular vector-based video arcade game released in 1979 by Atari. ... A roadrunner is: in zoology, A roadrunner is one of two species of bird in the genus Geococcyx of the cuckoo family Cuculidae, order Cuculiformes, native to North and Central America. ... Space Invaders was a very popular arcade video game designed by Toshihiro Nishikado. ... Superman, nicknamed The Man of Steel, is a fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938 and eventually became a popular and well-known comic book icon. ...

Specifications

• CPU - COPS411
• Graphic Modes - Holographic backgrounds and programmable LEDs

External links

• The Atari Historical Society's page about the Cosmos