Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

10 hours ago, vongruetz said:

I only had the Intellivision II growing up, and as it was what I used every day, I never had any problem with it. You say the controllers were horrible, but seeing as I had nothing else to compare them to, I thought they were great. My only experience with the original console as a kid was at my cousinsfriends' house, and that was only around once or twice a year playing ski and football.  

 

I really liked the smaller design of the II as well as the ability to unplug the controllers. That really came in handy later in its life when one of them started to fail, and my brother and I could swap the good one back and forth. The one thing that did bug me was that there was no dedicated power button/switch. You had to push and hold down the Reset button to turn it off. Sometimes it worked well, sometimes it was a pain in the butt. 

 

As for the original, I wasn't crazy about it when I was a kid. It looked old and a bit too big. I really wasn't into the woodgrain back then, and the white of the II was much more appealing. Now all I have is the original but not working anymore , so I'd like to play on an INTV II again to see if I can tell a difference.

WoW ! It's exactly (almost) the same thing for me !!! 😮 (I made some change to fit my personal life ! 😅) lol

On 11/29/2020 at 10:21 AM, Intellivision Master said:

I know it's not Amico related but I have some sad news.  😢  He's one with the force now.  He will not be forgotten.  

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/david-prowse-darth-vader-actor-132256972.html

RIP David Prowse aka Darth Vadar the Greatest Villain of All Time 🏆

6 hours ago, Silverbot said:

Did you have to pay up front, or do you pay when they dispatch it to you. 👍😀

The usual Amazon pre-order system.  Pay on despatch

11 hours ago, justclaws said:

I saw they will be available from MediaMarkt in Germany, but not available to me in The Netherlands.
https://www.mediamarkt.de/de/product/_amico™-first-edition-sonstige-konsolen-2651349.html
Also Saturn:
https://www.saturn.de/de/product/_intellivision-amico™-first-edition-2651349.html
If they're not for sale in the UK, perhaps you have a friend who can pre-order/get one from Germany?

I saw "Saturn" on your post and I about freaked. I was hoping the link lead to something Sega Saturn related, such as a mini console. 

50 minutes ago, CurlyQ said:

 

RIP David Prowse aka Darth Vadar the Greatest Villain of All Time 🏆

 

 

Hey, even had guys need to take a break from choking people to death to play some Intellivision.

3 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

I came across this video.  Thought it was unique and had to share.

 

This so needs to be in the taco thread.

On 11/29/2020 at 8:44 AM, Tommy Tallarico said:

Brag away my friend!

Isn't that is what Thanksgiving is really all about?  Going over your parents house and getting stuff back from your childhood!

 

 

Did you ever play the original Intellivision?  Or just the Intellivision II? 

 

I feel bad for people who had to endure just the Intellivision II as the controllers were so much worse (keypad & side buttons) than the originals.
 

Although I like the compact design and swap-able controllers, I was never a big fan of INTV II after having played the original for so long.

I'm curious...

 

How many people in here ONLY had Intellivision II growing up?  And if so... do you think the original design isn't as good because you only knew the INTV II and got used to it?

 

 

 

 

I only had an Intellivision II. I didn't have the original Intellivision until I was an adult. My dad worked an extra job at the holidays and he ended up getting the Intellivision II when he worked at Sears for one of those holidays for my older sister. When I was finally old enough to play I remember first being disappointed by not having an NES but we had a system changer and I could play Atari so that worked. The only games we had were ones we got at garage sales or my dad's friends who were selling them. We never had overlays or manuals so we had to guess how to play. 

The one thing I don't like about the Intellivision the most is the hardwired controllers. While I think they are better made than the Intellivision II controllers, I hate that they don't have length. Also, I used the stickler with the INTV II all the time and I had a hard time getting used to the disc sensitivity in the original INTV I bought. 

6 hours ago, nysavant said:

The usual Amazon pre-order system.  Pay on despatch

Ok, thanks, maybe I should order the white one just in case the black one doesn’t appear for preorder. 👍😀

On 11/28/2020 at 3:43 PM, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

Yeah.  That's where their narcissism really kicks in.  Whatever they think and believe is the proper way to think and anyone else with a different opinion on how they like to have fun... is wrong and dumb.

Ironic who the "dumb" ones really are eh?

 

 

 

 

To create online experiences with little to no latency takes teams, budgets and timelines that would double what our current eco-system was built around and is capable of handling.  Both from a technology and budgetary standpoint.  Games would cost $20 and we would need to charge a monthly fee.   Companies like Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo could get away with having their online play free for the first few years because they are all billion dollar companies who could easily invest in the future of online play.  That is not us (yet).  I'd love to be there someday... but that kind of time and money investment doesn't make sense for us currently. 

It's also a huge determent to families with kids as they absolutely hate the idea of their kids locked in a room talking to strangers online in such a toxic environment that they can't really control or watch-over.

 

 

 

Yep.  No problem.

 

 

About 90% of the games currently on Amico are done in Unity.

 

 

Completely 100% free.  Our developers become part of our family and our team.  Very different mindset than what others are doing.

 

 

 

We help to make and produce every game.  Sometimes we supply the audio, art, code optimization, etc.  All depends on what the developer needs (or not).  We are there every single step of the way from concept to Gold Master.

 

 

 

Potential developers can reach out to our production team here:  https://www.intellivisionamico.com/contact

 

From there we would sign a mutual NDA so we could see what ideas you were interested in creating with us.

 

 

 

When we make a deal with a developer they get access to our backend developers forum set up where tons of people are talking and sharing info.  It's really great and super helpful for everyone.

 

 

Please feel free!

 

Thanks!

 

 

That all sounds great, Unity is my engine of choice! It definitely sounds like something I'd like to be a part of. I don't want to leave anything to chance though, so feel like I should have all my ducks in a row before I get in touch. I've been working on a violent game that uses/supports raytracing, volumetrics etc that obviously wouldn't be the right fit for the Amico. That game is likely to take a while since I'm trying to target AAA level graphics etc, so I'd definitely be interested in making one or more games that are more simple and less graphically intense in the mean time.

I haven't released a game yet though since I only want to make great games that I can be proud of, so I'm concerned that this would count against me since I can't point to any finished games to show what I can do, plus I don't feel quite ready to start showing off the game I've been working on. So I was thinking I'd prototype something suitable for the Amico and then pitch a vertical slice of that to your production team. Or maybe I'm over thinking things and should just reach out to them! What do you think?

On 11/29/2020 at 7:53 AM, martianman2012 said:

Haha thanks. Yep that is true and now that I collect retro I want it all back!

 

As far as the Int II it's funny because it's all I've ever known. I knew one other kid with one and it looked cooler. There was some reason my dad got us the II, but not sure.. was it compatibility for voice? Funny enough when I powered it up it ran great run I cleaned the carts with rubbing alcohol, but I did notice the player 1 controller drifts to the right (ok for he-man and bad for trigger and burger time). I am thinking I should keep this on the shelf, but buy another that works better. Should I make it a Int I? Also does that work for all games and voice?

Yes!  I would highly recommend getting one of the older style Intellivisions.  I personally like the Tandy models the best.  @cmart604 or @nurmix or @Lathe26 may have more data, but I've always found the Tandy's to work better and last longer for some reason (although maybe it's just me).  I also like the all woodgrain look to them!

There is currently one on Ebay for around $200 including shipping... but that seems a little high to me (it does come with 10 games though).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Radioshack-Tandyvision-One-Intellivision-Bundle-with-10-Games-TESTED-WORKING/203013855357?hash=item2f4491987d:g:XhUAAOSwdTRe2oqx

But there are a lot of the original ones that are working and are a lot cheaper:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=intellivision+console&_sacat=0

On 11/29/2020 at 8:16 AM, Pac in Blac said:

Tommy, I apologize if this was discussed before but what are your feelings on Pilotwings and would you ever consider developing something similar for Amico? You could probably even make individual games of each minigame...couch co-op skydiving anyone?

 

I feel like the vibes of that game, the music, the intuitive gameplay, and just the overall atmosphere would make for a really cool experience on Amico.

I always loved Pilotwings.  Of course... probably like everyone... aside from Super Mario World, it was one of the first games I played on the Super Nintendo.

That would be a good one with motion controls as well!

Hey Tommy, when will the Amico be available on Amazon for pre-order in the U.S. now that it's up on Amazon for the UK?

On 11/29/2020 at 8:45 AM, Silverbot said:

Hi Tommy,

 

Did you ever find out if the black Amico will be available for preorder on Amazon UK?. Cheers. 👍😀

I'm sure it will be at some point.  Just not sure when.  I know we're waiting til the Christmas/Holiday season is over to start announcing some things.

The black one will definitely be coming to the UK so no worries.

On 11/29/2020 at 2:33 PM, nysavant said:

Not been this up for a new console release since the original Playstation!

Wow!  That's a great compliment!

Thanks!

On 11/29/2020 at 3:26 PM, GD Mof said:

Tommy,

 

Just remembered something I wanted to ask you about. Is the Finnegan Fox game connected to the Finnegan Fox from Save A Fox? Good stuff if so, it's one of my favourite Youtube channels, if not maybe you could do some kind of deal with them? They have over a million subscribers and are very much family friendly, so could be a good match for the Amico. Assuming you haven't already done a deal with them of course!

No.  But I know the YouTube channel you are talking about and I love it!  The way that fox laughs is hilarious!

It's spelled different as well (we spell ours with two i's in Finnigan). 

I had gone through all the boy names beginning with the letter "F" (an old Stan Lee trick he told me once and taught me!) and I narrowed it down to about 2 or 3.  I remember Finneas Fox was another contender.  I just kept going back to Finnigan Fox or Finn Fox for short and just felt like it rolled off the tongue the best.  The name "Finnigan" is spelled with an "i" or an "e".  The two "i's" look better from a font & logo standpoint (which we created in-house). 

It was only when I was searching Google after our August 5th event that I saw there was a YouTube channel with a real fox named (and spelled) Finnegan.  It's a great channel that folks should check out and the whole Save A Fox rescue is a great cause.  I immediately donated.  If anyone else is interested, you can do so here:  https://www.saveafox.org/donate

Here's the ABOUT section of the website:  https://www.saveafox.org/rescues

And here's the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/spookelliot

At some point I'd like to reach out to the organization so we can help to promote their rescue.  Maybe put some info about it on the menu screen and/or final credits.

Here's the logo btw...  Atari Age exclusive!

A little Indiana Jones adventure vibe on the "F's".

🦊💗

🦊

On 11/29/2020 at 7:28 PM, CurlyQ said:

Brilliant!

On 11/30/2020 at 4:51 AM, vongruetz said:

I only had the Intellivision II growing up, and as it was what I used every day, I never had any problem with it. You say the controllers were horrible, but seeing as I had nothing else to compare them to, I thought they were great. My only experience with the original console as a kid was at my cousins' house, and that was only around once a year.  

 

I really liked the smaller design of the II as well as the ability to unplug the controllers. That really came in handy later in its life when one of them started to fail, and my brother and I could swap the good one back and forth. The one thing that did bug me was that there was no dedicated power button/switch. You had to push and hold down the Reset button to turn it off. Sometimes it worked well, sometimes it was a pain in the butt. 

 

As for the original, I wasn't crazy about it when I was a kid. It looked old and a bit too big. I really wasn't into the woodgrain back then, and the white of the II was much more appealing. Now all I have is the original, so I'd like to play on an INTV II again to see if I can tell a difference.

Your points about the design (long and older looking) totally make sense.  I agree.  I love the shape design and colors (black, white & red) of the INTV II.  The black disc is awesome.  It was just the controller side buttons and non-bubble keypad the I didn't like about them.  But yes... the ability to switch out controllers is a great one.

On 11/30/2020 at 5:43 AM, atarifan88 said:

I only had the Intellivision II growing up and my hands paid for it with those side buttons.  After getting a couple Intellivision Flashbacks and turning one into an Ultimate Intellivision Flashback with a Raspberry Pi, I have come to love those Flashback controllers as the side buttons are soft as toilet paper! 😄  I just hope the Amico controller buttons are soft so my 50 year old hands will survive!

The Amico side buttons aren't soft, but are oversized compared to other video game controller buttons and they shape perfectly to your fingers and are easy to press (and you can feel and hear a slight "click" when press down).  People really love them.

We must have went through a hundred different tweaks and designs before we landed on what we currently have.  A LOT of thought, time and energy went into perfecting the feel of the controller and it's really paid off as all of our focus group testing (especially kids and non-gamers) REALLY love it!
 

16 hours ago, CurlyQ said:

 

RIP David Prowse aka Darth Vadar the Greatest Villain of All Time 🏆

 

 

Long live Lord Vader!!! 

Don't interrupt him when he's breaking his PB on Astrosmash!

https://youtu.be/Rl6OjLH7W5k

2 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yes!  I would highly recommend getting one of the older style Intellivisions.  I personally like the Tandy models the best.  @cmart604 or @nurmix or @Lathe26 may have more data, but I've always found the Tandy's to work better and last longer for some reason (although maybe it's just me).  I also like the all woodgrain look to them!

 

 

There is currently one on Ebay for around $200 including shipping... but that seems a little high to me (it does come with 10 games though).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Radioshack-Tandyvision-One-Intellivision-Bundle-with-10-Games-TESTED-WORKING/203013855357?hash=item2f4491987d:g:XhUAAOSwdTRe2oqx

 

But there are a lot of the original ones that are working and are a lot cheaper:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=intellivision+console&_sacat=0

 

 

 

The best looking Intellivision version imo.  So much woodgrain that oozes the 70s with every fiber of its being.

... and of course the classic of all classics... Eddie Izzard does Vader at the Deathstar canteen!

https://youtu.be/Sv5iEK-IEzw

22 hours ago, bigdaddygamestudio said:

 

Good news for the amico going forward, we old farts are gaming more and spending more than ever.

 

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-11-30-survey-finds-gaming-by-us-adults-over-45-has-spiked-in-2020

Such a great article and statistic that matches to our research and focus group testing as well. 

All GREAT news for Amico as we have a lot of data that shows which new game system people in this age group are most interesting in playing.  

22 hours ago, Cranker said:

I’m one of those old farts ! I’m ready to

spend more than ever when I get my hands on the Amico !! 😂

BINGO!

2 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yes!  I would highly recommend getting one of the older style Intellivisions.  I personally like the Tandy models the best.  @cmart604 or @nurmix or @Lathe26 may have more data, but I've always found the Tandy's to work better and last longer for some reason (although maybe it's just me).  I also like the all woodgrain look to them!

 

 

There is currently one on Ebay for around $200 including shipping... but that seems a little high to me (it does come with 10 games though).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Radioshack-Tandyvision-One-Intellivision-Bundle-with-10-Games-TESTED-WORKING/203013855357?hash=item2f4491987d:g:XhUAAOSwdTRe2oqx

 

But there are a lot of the original ones that are working and are a lot cheaper:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=intellivision+console&_sacat=0

 

 

 

The Tandy is the better looking 2609.  I don't think it's as nice as the Sears unit, but that's my personal opinion.  

Best way to get one is to look for one that's "not working", but clean.  Then swap the guys with a good working 2609.  The color is the same, the controllers are the same... It's all there.  Same board as well.  Will save you a lot of $$$ because for whatever reason, people jack the price of this one because they claim it's rare.  It is, but not worth over $200 in that condition. 

Same for the Sylvania/GTE.  

You can't do this with the Sears because of the chip differences... I'm singing to the Priest now aren't I... Lol. 

Anyway .. pass on it for $200...that's nuts 

22 hours ago, Silverbot said:

Thanks, for the information, it’s really annoying that I can seem to order it in the UK. 😩

Oh trust me... we understand your frustration too!  It's just the reality of manufacturing electronics during the pandemic.  We already have so many pre-orders and purchase orders that it's already challenging to manufacture the first 100,000 that we have orders for.  We could easily get over 200,000, but needed to put a lot of places and retail on hold while we figure out exact manufacturing numbers. We've had to cut back on taking purchase orders from retailers for now.  A GREAT problem to have btw!!  But the last thing you want to do is promise a retailer a certain number of units... and then not deliver.  Especially when you're the new kids on the block.  Better to over deliver and still have them all sell out.

Consider this... if Sony & Microsoft can't manufacture enough (and they have the money, power, infrastructure, experience & influence), imagine the challenges we face from week to week.  Some component companies are still backed up 20 - 30 weeks!

The little guys (i.e. lesser quantities) will always get pushed down the line in regards to component manufacturing... which is something totally out of our control and the control of our manufacturer.  We started putting in our long lead time component orders over a month ago.  Literally millions and millions of dollars already spent.

When it's tough for the biggest companies out there still... you can imagine the challenges that the smaller folks are having as well.  We literally have over 1,000 separate parts and hundreds of components.  If just one of those components isn't available or backed up... it throws everything off.  And at this stage, it's not like you can just pick a different component to replace things as then you would need to restart all of the compliance testing as well.

These are just a few of the things our incredible internal team have been working on and focusing on for over 2 years.  When creating an electronic driven machine such as ours, it becomes so important to use certain components that you think are the best quality for the best price AND that will be available for the next 7 - 10 years by more than one plant (and that the plant and company is reliable).  Imagine the thousands upon thousands of hours that our team has done in research to ensure we have the best possible chance of success.  And now with COVID... a lot of initial plans at the beginning of 2020 started to change and adjust due to factories going out of business or being backed way up.  We didn't know until the end of summer whether or not the components would be available in time for an October release.  There are still things in flux for 2021 in regards to component lead time, but the good news is that we still have another month to get the news we're all hoping to hear (i.e. ALL components have been secured and ready to send to the factory).

Interesting, fun and exciting stuff... but also a little stressful when you're the little guy and under timelines and budgets.

Quality, trust and value will always be our most important things.  One of the reasons Ouya failed was not only because of the software and messaging, but also because it was a $99 product... and it looked and felt that way.  Controllers were breaking down and paint rubbing off after only a few weeks.  With Amico, the quality of everything you do is immediately felt the second you put the controller in your hand.  It makes a big difference!  I can't wait for everyone to experience it for themselves.  Hard to do when you can only see it on video though.  Time will tell... but knowing what we know... and seeing what we're seeing...  we absolutely love our chances for success!

💗