Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

The only way to judge a video game system is to wait until it released and read/watch reviews.

Actually you can't judge a system when it's still in development.

Many things can be changed.

7 minutes ago, atarifan88 said:

This just proves their level of maturity, or lack thereof! 🙄

I can't believe people in here are still paying attention to them.  I would rather search YouTube earnestly to find what other Amico supporters are saying!

FWIW - This is meant as a completely benign and non-polarizing observation with the intent of simply injecting a little reality into the environment. It's also not begging a lengthy counter argument as it's simply relaying fact, not opinion. (We'll see how it fares.)

It's always a good idea to check oneself to insure you're not straying down a path of delusion, self assurance and confirmation bias just to satisfy a desired outcome. As true as it is that a product can't be judged negatively before you can see it for yourself. It's equally true that a thing also can't be heralded as a success before then also. Everybody is entitled to opinions. Just because anyone is offended by another opinion, does not make them right.  

18 minutes ago, IMBerzerk said:

Here's a racing co-op game suggestion for you. 

 

Great American Cross-country Road Race. Up to 8 players... One controller drives, the other has a map on the controller, because they have no idea where they are going other that the route on the map.  Split the screen for every 2 players, maximum 4 screens if possible.  Using a "3D" style behind the car look like the original game, Turbo, Pole Position, Pit Stop... etc.  Include wrong turns, fuel stops, road obstacles, construction, weather...etc 

 

The Original 1-player Activision game was very popular, no reason why a remake wouldn't be.

 

Then do several other versions... Europe, African, Australian...etc.

 

Or just name it 10,000 Mile Race...etc.

 

 

 

What he said! 😎

2 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

Microsoft shot themselves in the foot on naming last time so obviously their response was to reload and fire again.

 

i kind of like ‘the Box’ styling (can you call a stretched cube styling?) but talk about doubling down on hardcore gamers. That thing is huge and the price is going to be high. Yep they will sell millions because how else are you going to lure that 16 year old out of their lair for 30 minutes at Christmas? I just don’t know how much farther “elite” gaming can go before they start seeing a big drop off in numbers. Just seems like the ante is really getting up there.

 

You right - just going to highlight the difference with the Amico.

My inside sources are telling me that they are going to do 2 different models and the prices are going to be $500 & $600!

Again... good news for us.

1 hour ago, IntelliMission said:

Guys, I'm really sorry to bring up the PS1 again... I saved my weekly allowance for 6 months to buy the thing, it was my first home console and the first time I could play against 1-3 friends, so I have my reasons.

 

Yeah, the machine had 3D games, but I didn't buy it for that. I was 17 and I wanted it to play games, because my friends had it too and well, I wasn't looking for cutting edge graphics. Sure, I enjoyed the most advanced graphics when I saw what the programmers did with Gran Turismo, Spyro, Abe's Oddysee, MGS... even Silent Hill was amazing due to the building textures, taken from real buildings.

 

A few years later, I remember the same approach with the PS2. It had technical issues and many games ran at a lower resolution compared to Dreamcast or other consoles, but I just wanted to play Ico and PES.

 

I miss that approach for home consoles. Machines to play games, not to admire graphics or to use ridiculous controllers. Sure, the X-rated Malcolm X Series XXX boxxx will sell well, but I feel lucky I have lived a different era that allows me to see things in a different (and less expensive) way.

Totally agree.  And we're hearing the same things from the hundreds of people we have spoken to in test/focus groups.

1 hour ago, Blarneo said:

 

 

Well, Pat Baby! $200

 

 

And $2200

I'd say to post that... but the curly haired one actually goes through the posts and deletes the ones that don't agree with him 100%. 

 

1 hour ago, IMBerzerk said:

Here's a racing co-op game suggestion for you. 

 

Great American Cross-country Road Race. Up to 8 players... One controller drives, the other has a map on the controller, because they have no idea where they are going other that the route on the map.  Split the screen for every 2 players, maximum 4 screens if possible.  Using a "3D" style behind the car look like the original game, Turbo, Pole Position, Pit Stop... etc.  Or even make it look like Accolade's Test Drive series.  Include wrong turns, fuel stops, road obstacles, construction, weather...etc ... Police... Etc.  

 

The Original 1-player Activision game was very popular, no reason why a remake wouldn't be.

 

Then do several other versions... Europe, African, Australian...etc.

 

Several cars.. American Muscle Cars (65 Sport Fury...Lol)... European Cars (drive your Ferrari).. Japanese... You get the idea.

 

Or just name it 10,000 Mile Race...etc.

 

 

 

Very cool!  Wasn't familiar with that one!

Thanks for the heads up and idea!

1 hour ago, atarifan88 said:

This coming from the same company who started out as the Xbox, then became Xbox 360, the Xbox one, now Xbox X or ten?!  It's obvious they have a serious issue with numerical order! 😄

You need an EXCEL spreadsheet to keep up!   

1 hour ago, JBerel said:

FWIW - This is meant as a completely benign and non-polarizing observation with the intent of simply injecting a little reality into the environment. It's also not begging a lengthy counter argument as it's simply relaying fact, not opinion. (We'll see how it fares.)

 

It's always a good idea to check oneself to insure you're not straying down a path of delusion, self assurance and confirmation bias just to satisfy a desired outcome. As true as it is that a product can't be judged negatively before you can see it for yourself. It's equally true that a thing also can't be heralded as a success before then also. Everybody is entitled to opinions. Just because anyone is offended by another opinion, does not make them right.  

 

ech·o cham·ber

/ˈekō ˌCHāmbər/

noun

 

1. an enclosed space where sound reverberates.

   "purpose-built echo chambers allow the addition of natural-sounding reverberation to the recordings"

    
2. an environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered.

   "people are living in partisan and ideological echo chambers"

You are right however you also have to realize that Pat has an * entertainment * show where he magnifies his opinions to make it entertaining and get clicks. It's his job - literally. Quite frankly he also basks in the confirmation basis of those who are entertained by his (purposely) overblown opinions. I have no problem with "Amico has a tough marketing job ahead" or "the casual market is unproven" or "does the Wii market still exist or have they gone to mobile". Those are all valid questions worthy of DEBATE and not "there I said it so it's right" - no matter which side you are on. I wouldn't respect Pat's opinion on the Amico if he was for it - because again it is an entertainment show of extremes to get clicks. So I don't tie not respecting an entertainment show's opinion as hiding my head in the sand - after all Rick & Morty said szechuan sauce was the best too. Just another YouTuber dancing monkey show - sometimes he dances, sometimes he throws poop. If you enjoy watching fine, but reality it ain't.

2 minutes ago, GrudgeQ said:

because again it is an entertainment show of extremes to get clicks.

Since when is 2 dudes sitting behind their laptops pontificating, entertaining?

1 minute ago, Blarneo said:

Since when is 2 dudes sitting behind their laptops pontificating, entertaining?

It's fun to bag on Pat the Punk because they are just a mindless, polarizing opinion show - but quite frankly that is a large chunk of the entertainment industry and 99.9% of politics. I don't begrudge Pat his followers, I am sure they find his antics amusing and good on him to find a niche he is successful at. I am actually more concerned that his followers believe this crap. I mean I like & watch all sort of "Reality TV" but the only "reality" part of that is that it is on TV (and even that is not true with phones, laptops & monitors). Pat isn't 100% wrong - the Amico faces challenges - like any new product. But he certainly isn't 100% right either and doesn't care (nor is it in his best self interest) to have a more balanced opinion. Black & white positions sells clicks - facts are complicated, boring and halfway here & there - much harder to get clicks. Money talks and the monkey keeps dancing.

Xbox series x shape: Xbox and PlayStation have been looking more and more like just a pc - some people had been saying since the beginning the xboxes are just PCs with their own OS. So, might as well. Of the big three, Nintendo has been the only one to keep a little originality to the appearance. 

Personally, I am intrigued by the new Xbox console.  I personally look forward to seeing what Microsoft is going to do with their next gen machine and what exactly the "series" exactly entails and to what degree they try and tap into PC areas.  Also, while I do think Pat and Ian can offer some pretty insightful and interesting viewpoints, definitely you can tell that they definitely (now) have something against the Amico.  I do believe that some of their view are valid and I myself wonder how the Amico will actually do.  However, I still think what the Amico is about and what is trying to do in the video game market is valid and I wish Tommy and rest of the company good luck.  I am looking forward to learning more and more about the Amico as more is revealed.  However, I am also very much look forward to the next Xbox console and what all it is going to offer as well.  After all, gaming is gaming and no one should shame others for wanting to game in different ways.  It is all good and kosher in my book.

I have problems with those commandments:

Quote

5 - Each game must cost less $10.

I agree with most games are $60-$80, asking developers to make games under $10 might limit their creation.

$20-$40 for a game seems to be a decent price.

Quote

8 - Each game must be an Intellivision exclusive.

Even if many consoles have exclusive games, having only exclusive games might hurt Amico selling.

If I were a developer, I won't make special edition games just for Amico. For that matter, I would release them on other systems instead.

5 minutes ago, Serguei2 said:

I have problems with those commandments:

 

 

 

I agree with most games are $60-$80, asking developers to make games under $10 might limit their creation.

 

$20-$40 for a game seems to be a decent price.

 

 

Even if many consoles have exclusive games, having only exclusive games might hurt Amico selling.

 

If I were a developer, I won't make special edition games just for Amico. For that matter, I would release them on other systems instead.

Keep in mind that $10 max price games is for digital releases, the physical releases will be more expensive because of manufacturing costs.  
 

The exclusive titles on the consoles are why you buy one system over another, so a system of all exclusive titles is a bonus selling point as it’s the only way to get those games.  With the price point Intellivision is aiming for for the system it can be a hardcore gamers second system and would you really buy the same game on both consoles?  Exclusive games help separate Intellivision from the others 

Making games for Amico is not a financial risk for the companies developing as Intellivision pays for developing games up front and assumes all the risk if the game doesn’t sell.  Because of the 2D focus of the system it is hundreds of thousands of dollars and months to develop a game instead of tens of millions and years to complete a game.

Also in terms of games developing Intellivision has systems in place to make sure your game is highlighted on the stores top spot for 10 days with no other games released during they window so your development team gets all eyes on them something no other platform offers as far as I’m aware 

so there would be a lot to think about before declaring I won’t make an exclusive game for this system I would think for most developers 

5 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yes.  1080p.  No 4K.

You should do Pit Stop! 

 

Haha it's not Pit Stop. But I think you'll like it

2 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Very cool!  Wasn't familiar with that one!

Thanks for the heads up and idea!

 

 

Wut...  Tommy I’m disappointed ;).  Great American cross country road race is full of awesome sauce, played the Apple II version to death, thought i was gonna wear out the floppy lol.  I do like the ideas suggested too

On the issue of exclusive I think people are over complicating it a bit.  Having a game on Amico doesn’t mean that same title can’t be on other consoles, it just means the Amico version has to have some exclusive features.  So technically speaking unless a full exclusive was signed, moon patrol could come out on mobile, Xbox, PlayStation, etc but the Amico version needs to be unique so those couch multiplayer modes ?  That’s exclusive to Amico version.  I know there has been talk of the funding model means initial $$$ is by intellivision but I didn’t think it meant ALL games have to be done that way?  Just initially to kickstart development (a brilliant concept)

so if my interpretation is correct, that would allow a developer to still maximize their development costs if they see fit to expand on the release as long as the Amico version stays unique compared to others, no?

@Tommy Tallarico  comments?  Am I totally off the track?

19 minutes ago, Loafer said:

On the issue of exclusive I think people are over complicating it a bit.  Having a game on Amico doesn’t mean that same title can’t be on other consoles, it just means the Amico version has to have some exclusive features.  So technically speaking unless a full exclusive was signed, moon patrol could come out on mobile, Xbox, PlayStation, etc but the Amico version needs to be unique so those couch multiplayer modes ?  That’s exclusive to Amico version.  I know there has been talk of the funding model means initial $$$ is by intellivision but I didn’t think it meant ALL games have to be done that way?  Just initially to kickstart development (a brilliant concept)

 

so if my interpretation is correct, that would allow a developer to still maximize their development costs if they see fit to expand on the release as long as the Amico version stays unique compared to others, no?

 

@Tommy Tallarico  comments?  Am I totally off the track?

I think you are pretty spot on. For instance if JackBox wants to do a family friendly version of their trivia series then the deal is the Intellivision money is for least partial exclusivity and they get a large percentage of store sales. It would be would be totally different than, say, Intellivision getting the Moon Patrol license and then basically hiring a firm to make it with the dev getting a small, 'if it sells well' percentage to encourage good work. Another common option is probably you have a great idea for a game & maybe some coding done (but no proven, existing IP) but use Intellivision for funding & maybe help with coding, graphics or sound - probably you get a bit more from the store than a purely hired gun. Basically it depends on how much you bring to the table. As far as I know however I think Intellivision is partnering in a large way or small on every project.

I These games are 99 cents on a phone!

But their not couch-co-op.

Then put them on the switch!

But then they’re like $20 a piece instead of $5.

Then buy them on mobile for 99 cents!

There are no face buttons!

You can use the screen as two large buttons.

Why use a disk instead of a dpad?!

The disk is the same as a dpad except it spins.

That must be insider information.

It was in a video a couple months ago.

You expect me to remember that?!

You could have asked Tommy. 

I’m not gonna be some corporate pansy!

Suit yourself. 

Why not just use a phone as a controller?!

There may not be enough phones to go around and the controllers are more comfortable.

But they don’t have face buttons or a dpad!

Just to be clear the moon patrol I mentioned above is just an example. Obviously my interpretation does not apply to titles developed by Intellivision or done on a “Hired gun” basis

hired guns... Amiga Classic, now there’s a title that would support couch coop, though the rpg aspect are probably considered too complex for Amico... Initially anyway 

On 12/12/2019 at 7:57 AM, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yeah!!  Once again brought a huge AAA talent to the team.  It made the headlines and major gaming news in Germany!  And the best part is that because of this... other major heads of divisions in Germany have been reaching out to Hans in hopes of joining the team.  People in the industry are really responding positively to what we're doing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And each purchaser will only be required to host one 'migrant' family in exchange...

Any dress-up games on Amico?

7 hours ago, IMBerzerk said:

Here's a racing co-op game suggestion for you. 

 

Great American Cross-country Road Race. Up to 8 players... One controller drives, the other has a map on the controller, because they have no idea where they are going other that the route on the map.  Split the screen for every 2 players, maximum 4 screens if possible.  Using a "3D" style behind the car look like the original game, Turbo, Pole Position, Pit Stop... etc.  Or even make it look like Accolade's Test Drive series.  Include wrong turns, fuel stops, road obstacles, construction, weather...etc ... Police... Etc.  

 

The Original 1-player Activision game was very popular, no reason why a remake wouldn't be.

 

Then do several other versions... Europe, African, Australian...etc.

 

Several cars.. American Muscle Cars (65 Sport Fury...Lol)... European Cars (drive your Ferrari).. Japanese... You get the idea.

 

Or just name it 10,000 Mile Race...etc.

 

 

 

The C64 had a weird color palette... and I just found out the reason:

"I'm afraid that not nearly as much effort went into the color selection as you think. Since we had total control over hue, saturation and luminance, we picked colors that we liked. In order to save space on the chip, though, many of the colors were simply the opposite side of the color wheel from ones that we picked. This allowed us to reuse the existing resistor values, rather than having a completely unique set for each color. "

But then again this was one of the coolest things in the 80s. Most PC games used CGA, the ZX Spectrum had only 8 colors that got mixed up when you used too many of them in a 8x8 square (or somehing like that), the NES had strange colors too... I believe the Apple II colors are also a bit "unique". I was lucky to have an Amstrad CPC as a kid (16 colors in low-res), but many of the games used the high-res 4 color mode and some of the developers were not particularly inspired in their color choices.

Wow!  A thread with 143 pages in just over 9 months, 2nd only to the Intellivision Ebay Roundup with 482 pages (which took just over 9 years to accumulate).  I need to post at least once in this.

Tommy, unreal that you post in this thread so often. It amazes me.  Any chance with 10/10 2020 under 40 weeks away and also with all of your free time that you would do a weekly or bi-weekly "screen shot of the day" sort of thing?  I don't necessarily mean actual game footage but maybe the new splash screen or options screen for one of the originals that are being reimagined and yes Cloudy Mountain comes to mind.  Asking for a friend.