Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

They can make their own oof sound, if they haven't done so already.  The issue is compensation for the old oof sound that's been copied so many times.

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Regarding charging Amico controllers, in addition to the controller bays and usb ports on the console I would think you could use any usb wall charger.

16 hours ago, doug0909 said:

I know that the Amico looks awesome and is supposed to be part of the Intellivision family, and that the RCA Studio II is the worst video game system ever made... But they are similarly shaped enough for a Special Edition Amico Studio II... 

 

 

@decle here on these very forums has written an emulator (that runs ON YOUR INTELLIVISION) for the RCA Studio II. I'm too lazy to find the awesome thread that covers it - but it's pretty amazing. There's a closer relationship between the Studio II and the original Intellivision than many may suspect.

EDIT: OK, only too lazy to look up the link before posting. Here is the thread about the emulator.

51 minutes ago, MarioMan88 said:

Top 5 fav console names:

 

1. Gamecube

2. PlayStation

3. Dreamcast 

4. GameBoy

5. Intellivision 

Mine are:

1. Master System

2. Mega Drive

3. PS2

4. PS1

5. N64

... I think.

35 minutes ago, mr_me said:

They can make their own oof sound, if they haven't done so already.  The issue is compensation for the old oof sound that's been copied so many times.

 

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Regarding charging Amico controllers, in addition to the controller bays and usb ports on the console I would think you could use any usb wall charger.

That is my thought on the 'oof' as well. Roblox negotiating to continue using it, or even changing it is not the main issue of discussion between the two parties. How much Tommy is owed by a company that has made billions in no small part from an iconic sound they did not actually have the rights to use is going to be the biggest issue.

I am not a lawyer, but I am pretty sure Roblox does not have much of a defence. 'We thought it was public domain' is not going to get them much slack in court for breaking copyright law and profiting extremely well from it in the process. I suppose the sticking point is going to be if Roblox willingly comes to an agreement over it; or decides to be stubborn and fights it out in court.

As for the Amico controllers, if it is a standard USB port you would think you should be able to charge them from anything equipped with a USB plug or a USB wall adapter.

I once charged my cellphone for a week off the USB plug on the back of a smart TV when I was on vacation and forgot my wall plug!

8 minutes ago, MantaNZ said:

Mine are:

1. Master System

2. Mega Drive

3. PS2

4. PS1

5. N64

 

... I think.

I believe he means favorite sounding name, not favorite consoles. I can understand the first two, the last three, not really ...PS1, PS2,PS3, etc. , basically the same name. 

31 minutes ago, intvsteve said:

@decle here on these very forums has written an emulator (that runs ON YOUR INTELLIVISION) for the RCA Studio II. I'm too lazy to find the awesome thread that covers it - but it's pretty amazing. There's a closer relationship between the Studio II and the original Intellivision than many may suspect.

 

EDIT: OK, only too lazy to look up the link before posting. Here is the thread about the emulator.

Okay, wow. I was not expecting this. 

16 minutes ago, Swami said:

I believe he means favorite sounding name, not favorite consoles. I can understand the first two, the last three, not really ...PS1, PS2,PS3, etc. , basically the same name. 

That'll learn me for reading too quickly.

In that case, in no particular order:

Force 2

Dreamcast

Jaguar

Xbox

Turbografx 16

EDIT: Replace Turbofgrafx 16 with SuperGrafx  and an honourable mention: FM Towns Marty - hahaha.

Hey Tommy,

wishing you the best for your concert tomorrow in Doha, Qatar.

I have been following the news regarding the Coronavirus - there has already been such a sad loss of life and I think it is inevitable that this will only escalate. I totally understand there are more important things in life than video games, and think we should all stop and pause for thought for those who are ill and especially those who have lost loved ones.

In light of this I feel ashamed to ask, but I observe the impact the pandemic is having on China's economy and industry and was wondering if Intellivision has resilience or business continuity plans for this type of pandemic or other natural disaster on the Amico build schedule? 

Apologies if this sounds callous,

regards

Tony

12 minutes ago, Amico - Tony said:

Hey Tommy,

 

wishing you the best for your concert tomorrow in Doha, Qatar.

 

I have been following the news regarding the Coronavirus - there has already been such a sad loss of life and I think it is inevitable that this will only escalate. I totally understand there are more important things in life than video games, and think we should all stop and pause for thought for those who are ill and especially those who have lost loved ones.

 

In light of this I feel ashamed to ask, but I observe the impact the pandemic is having on China's economy and industry and was wondering if Intellivision has resilience or business continuity plans for this type of pandemic or other natural disaster on the Amico build schedule? 

 

Apologies if this sounds callous,

 

regards

 

Tony

It's already affecting Nintendo Switch production.

34 minutes ago, Tavi said:

That is my thought on the 'oof' as well. Roblox negotiating to continue using it, or even changing it is not the main issue of discussion between the two parties. How much Tommy is owed by a company that has made billions in no small part from an iconic sound they did not actually have the rights to use is going to be the biggest issue.

I am not a lawyer, but I am pretty sure Roblox does not have much of a defence. 'We thought it was public domain' is not going to get them much slack in court for breaking copyright law and profiting extremely well from it in the process. I suppose the sticking point is going to be if Roblox willingly comes to an agreement over it; or decides to be stubborn and fights it out in court.

I'm not familiar with Roblox but how much do you think the oof sound is responsible for their success, a sound that any of us can make.  They are admitting to the infringement, question is calculating damages.  And the guy that's responsible, who made and sold the fraudulent royalty free collection is probably being left alone.  Oof discussion should probably be moved elsewhere.

Another frustrating session of Sniper Elite V2 Remastered on my PS4 last night.  Unintentionally throwing something instead of looking through my binoculars and alerting the enemy to my presence because I pressed the wrong button.  Trying to runaway when I got overwhelmed by enemies but somehow only walking away and getting killed because I didn't press "O" twice before clicking L3.  My character automatically getting up from lying down because I must've moved too close to an unseen object, which once again revealed my hiding spot to the enemy.  Grrrrrrr.  Can't wait for the Amico and simpler gameplay and controls!

25 minutes ago, mr_me said:

I'm not familiar with Roblox but how much do you think the oof sound is responsible for their success, a sound that any of us can make.  They are admitting to the infringement, question is calculating damages.  And the guy that's responsible, who made and sold the fraudulent royalty free collection is probably being left alone.  Oof discussion should probably be moved elsewhere.

I am not terribly familiar with Roblox either (Minecraft seems to be the game of choice with my younger nieces and nephews); but I have heard that the 'oof' sound is the iconic trademark of the game. Also a popular enough sound for them to be marketing real world 'oof'-branded merchandise (shirts and the like).

So I am thinking this is not exactly a penny ante case; but more like if it was discovered The Simpsons never actually owned the rights to use Homer's 'D'oh!' sound.

6 hours ago, Serguei2 said:

How to hold an amico controller?

The disc is in the same location as a keyboard is on a smartphone. So, my guess is you would hold the controller the same way you might hold your phone in one hand while typing with the other hand.

6 hours ago, Serguei2 said:

Probably a stupid or a non-sense question but ...

 

How to hold an amico controller?

Anyway you'd like!

Although some games have a certain way you must hold it.  Most, allow you to hold it any way you want.

4 hours ago, jaybird3rd said:

When I play classic Night Stalker, I usually play it on the Aquarius also.  The original Intellivision version is great, of course, but I've always found it a bit sluggish even on the fastest setting.  The Aquarius version feels just right to me, and I'm pleased to see that the Amico version seems to be paced similarly.  The Aquarius version also solved the problem of not being able to move and shoot at the same time (because the Aquarius hand controllers generate different Gray codes with fewer conflicting values).  The fire buttons do take some getting used to, but with practice, you can actually use both controllers simultaneously, moving with one hand and firing with the other.

 

I'm amazed at what I've seen so far of the Amico version of Night Stalker, and I especially love the multiplayer mode!  I'm looking forward to trying it!

Yeah! It's super cool and there are different ways to control it and fire which is super unique and cool. 

All will be revealed in the summer.  I think folks will be impressed at what we've done.

3 hours ago, LePionnier said:

Questions about the many tests you have probably done on batteries.

 

1) To maintain the best possible lifespan, is it preferable that the battery is completely discharged before charging it ?

 

2) How long does it take to get a full charge ?

 

3) Does the controller charge faster while Amico is turned on, or is it the same as if Amico remains in standby mode ?

 

For my part, it is certain that I will buy all the different colors of controllers ! No one will use their cellphone to play at my house ! 😉

 

Thank you.

 

1.  No.

2.  We don't know yet.  Still haven't chosen the exact battery.

3.  Just as fast.  Doesn't matter if it's on or off... as long as it's plugged in.

3 hours ago, 1001lives said:

TonyTGD has agreed to make an account on here and post his grievances with Tommy and the Amico Youtube. 

 

Hopefully Tommy can lay his issues to rest personally. 

 

This should be good... 🤡🤡

Get ready Jaybird.  I have a feeling this might not end well. 

2 hours ago, 1001lives said:

Lithium-ion batteries last many years if they are properly stored. Usually, a Lithium-ion battery does fine near full charge or down to 50% charge if stored long term. 

 

NEVER discharge a lithium ion battery completely. It is incredibly bad for the battery and can kill it completely. In laymen's terms, Li-ion depends on charge moving back and forth in the battery. With no charge, the ions can freeze and never be restarted moving again. 

 

The Amico controllers will last you 4, 5, or 6 years if they are standard li-ions. Everything on the Amico is probably going to be standard parts. I have PlayStation 3 controllers that are still fine because I have used them frequently.

 

If they are standard li-ions in the 2200-4400mah range we're talking 5-6 hours with screen brightness on full and I'm sure the controllers will charge at the same rate if the console is turned on or in standby. 

 

And finally I am assuming (if standard battery in the 2000-4000mah range) it'll take a few hours to fully charge them on the system or plugged in.

Your numbers are approximately what we are seeing as well.

2 hours ago, MantaNZ said:

I'm 43. I'd stay at an Atari hotel. Not because of any nostalgia - I never had an Atari as a kid - but because I'm into anything game related. I think they fail to see this. I mean how many folk wear Atari t-shirts and caps? And not one of them is "old".

 

These two fail to realise that not everyone is like them. Sadly a lot of these YouTube "celebrities" seem to think the world revolves around them. 

Yeah... I mean think about it... what if you could stay in a hotel that had standup arcade cabs like Asteroids, Tempest, etc. and all the wallpaper was themed like classic games.  And there was a ton of fun family type gaming activities to do.  Why the heck wouldn't you want to stay there instead of a Howard Johnson's or whatever? 

Now I'm sure they would go ABSOLUTELY NUTS if there was a Nintendo hotel though.  And again... this is the problem with these folks.  They only know what they know and if you think differently then they do then you are old or dumb or can't take criticism. 

2 hours ago, MinerWilly said:

Thats right, no cellphones here either. That leads to my next question: is there going to be additional charging docks available if I need to recharge more than two controllers at the same time? I suppose other options are usb-cords or just switch controllers when first ones are fully charged.

Yep! 

2 hours ago, Serguei2 said:

Yeah. I heard Roblox will remove the OOF sound.

 

Here my topic Tommy was talking about.

 

A big deal between our companies is being worked out.  It will be very beneficial for me in the long run. 

2 hours ago, Alpha82 said:

2 of the 3 USB ports on the system can also be used for charging so 4 controllers can charge from system 

And... it's USB 3 so really... you could charge them anywhere.

But we are going to do a docking base for our 2 controller pack that will look like and match Amico.

1 hour ago, Amico - Tony said:

Hey Tommy,

 

wishing you the best for your concert tomorrow in Doha, Qatar.

 

I have been following the news regarding the Coronavirus - there has already been such a sad loss of life and I think it is inevitable that this will only escalate. I totally understand there are more important things in life than video games, and think we should all stop and pause for thought for those who are ill and especially those who have lost loved ones.

 

In light of this I feel ashamed to ask, but I observe the impact the pandemic is having on China's economy and industry and was wondering if Intellivision has resilience or business continuity plans for this type of pandemic or other natural disaster on the Amico build schedule? 

 

Apologies if this sounds callous,

 

regards

 

Tony

Hi Tony,

I actually have 2 different friends from Wuhan and one of them is outside the city and his family in trapped there.  I've played Wuhan 4 times over the past 18 years of touring.  It's a horrible situation and my friends there are telling me that it is a LOT worse than the Chinese government is telling people.  They are telling me that hundreds of people are dying every day and the hospitals are over crowded and he told me the spookiest thing was that you can see people walking the streets looking like the Zombie Apocalypse. 

But he also told me they are trying out a new vaccine on animals right now in hopes for a cure. 

Our manufacturing is done in the northeastern part of China on the coastline.  Wuhan is right in the middle of China... so it's far away... although it could quickly spread and get out of hand if not contained quickly (which is why they've shut down Wuhan and no one can leave or go in, etc. 

We're not sure if this will affect our production.  We probably won't know until March.  Will need to see how it effects everything.  Tons of places have been going out of business... especially food places.  It could end of having an impact on all electronics this year.  The thing that a lot of people may not know (I didn't until this whole process) is that a lot of electronics are not made anywhere except China!  So even if the machine was $1000 and I wanted to make it in Texas (for example)... I couldn't!  Most of the parts are only made in China... so you don't really have a choice.

Crazy.

9 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Hi Tony,

 

I actually have 2 different friends from Wuhan and one of them is outside the city and his family in trapped there.  I've played Wuhan 4 times over the past 18 years of touring.  It's a horrible situation and my friends there are telling me that it is a LOT worse than the Chinese government is telling people.  They are telling me that hundreds of people are dying every day and the hospitals are over crowded and he told me the spookiest thing was that you can see people walking the streets looking like the Zombie Apocalypse. 

But he also told me they are trying out a new vaccine on animals right now in hopes for a cure. 

Our manufacturing is done in the northeastern part of China on the coastline.  Wuhan is right in the middle of China... so it's far away... although it could quickly spread and get out of hand if not contained quickly (which is why they've shut down Wuhan and no one can leave or go in, etc. 

We're not sure if this will affect our production.  We probably won't know until March.  Will need to see how it effects everything.  Tons of places have been going out of business... especially food places.  It could end of having an impact on all electronics this year.  The thing that a lot of people may not know (I didn't until this whole process) is that a lot of electronics are not made anywhere except China!  So even if the machine was $1000 and I wanted to make it in Texas (for example)... I couldn't!  Most of the parts are only made in China... so you don't really have a choice.

Crazy.

Really a scary thing. That's crazy to hear but I already suspected you could not fully trust the government to tell the truth about the numbers or the catastrophic meltdown that could be happening. 

It's also showing the danger of over reliance on China. One natural disaster or catastrophe like this can shut down the world if it hits China in the worst ways like this.

36 minutes ago, xucaen said:

The disc is in the same location as a keyboard is on a smartphone. So, my guess is you would hold the controller the same way you might hold your phone in one hand while typing with the other hand.

Believe me or not but ...

I don't have a smart phone.

The only thing i have with a disc is my ...

New Nintendo 3DS.

I had played colecovision with its original controller long time ago.

I still prefer modern gamepads.