Editing Atari Jaguar (section)

===Launch===
The Jaguar was launched on November 23, 1993, at {{US$|249.99|1993|round=-2}}, under a {{US$|500 million|long=no}} manufacturing deal with [[IBM]]. The system was initially available only in the [[test market]]s of [[New York City]] and [[San Francisco]], with the slogan "Get bit by Jaguar", claiming superiority over competing 16-bit and 32-bit systems.<ref name="Boris Kretzinger">{{Cite book |last=Boris Kretzinger |url=http://archive.org/details/clipped-claws |title=Clipped Claws |date=February 22, 2023}}</ref> During this test launch, Atari sold all units hoping it would rally support for the system.<ref name="auto">blob:https://imgur.com/0b9f824b-6413-4717-9628-8220ceb02910{{dead link|date=September 2021}}</ref> A nationwide release followed six months later, in early 1994.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Letters |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=4|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=April 1995|page=107 |quote=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).}}</ref> The Jaguar struggled to attain a substantial user base. Atari reported shipping 17,000 units as part of the test market in 1993.<ref>Atari Corporation Annual Report, 1993. pp 14.</ref> By the end of 1994, it reported that it had sold approximately 100,000 units.<ref>Atari Corporation Annual Report. pp 11.</ref>

''[[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 Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]]'s "18 month public relations blitz" resulted in "an avalanche of software support".<ref name="cgw199401">{{Cite magazine |last1=Miller |first1=Chuck |last2=Dille |first2=H. E. |last3=Wilson |first3=Johnny L. |date=January 1994 |title=Battle Of The New Machines |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=114 |magazine=Computer Gaming World |pages=64–76 |access-date=November 2, 2017 |archive-date=December 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214005055/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=114 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 (video game)|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 (1993 video game)|Doom]]'', and ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]]''.<ref name="Atari Jaguar History">''[http://www.atariage.com/Jaguar/history.html Atari Jaguar History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513071033/http://www.atariage.com/Jaguar/history.html |date=May 13, 2016 }}''. [[AtariAge]]. Retrieved December 9, 2008.</ref> The most successful game during the Jaguar's first year was ''[[Alien vs Predator (Atari Jaguar game)|Alien vs. Predator]]''.<ref name="ReferenceA">Atari Corporation 1994 annual report, p. 3.</ref> 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."<ref name="ProReview: Alien vs. Predator">{{cite magazine|title=ProReview: Alien vs. Predator|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=75|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=December 1994|pages=180–181}}</ref>  ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|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.<ref name=NGen12/>