Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

17 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=earthworm+jim+special+edition&_sacat=0&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1

 

Yep. Slow PAL version goes for less, but ew, 50Hz...

WOW!!!  Insane!

1 minute ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

WOW!!!  Insane!

 

Then there is this crazy dude on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0010KHG4C/ref=dp_olp_used_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Maybe you should put it on the Amico!

10 minutes ago, Atari_Master said:

Oh I know.  There's no rush.  I was just curious on what you thought about it.  It probably would be a hard sell.  But it would be good as a follow up maybe.

Yeah!  As a follow up it would be super cool!

Of course I'd want to do an Italian version!  Meatballs, Spaghetti, Tortellini, Pizza... it would be hilarious!

Parmesan & Red Pepper shakers instead of S&P!

5 minutes ago, xucaen said:

I don't know about anyone else, but everytime I see "IE",  I read Internet Explorer.  🤣😇

Me too actually!

Taco Time is a fast food chain in the Northwest. I bet a license would be needed to call the game that. 

3 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yeah!  As a follow up it would be super cool!

Of course I'd want to do an Italian version!  Meatballs, Spaghetti, Tortellini, Pizza... it would be hilarious!

 

Parmesan & Red Pepper shakers instead of S&P!

 

 

 

Yeah, that would be neat.  The meatballs could an enemy.

I just noticed that exactly one week from now... it will be the 1 year anniversary of this thread! 

I know we have a lot of folks who read but don't post... but it would be cool if everyone came in and gave a Happy Anniversary next Sunday. 

Just now, Blarneo said:

Taco Time is a fast food chain in the Northwest. I bet a license would be needed to call the game that. 

Interesting.  I didn't know that.

1 minute ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

I just noticed that exactly one week from now... it will be the 1 year anniversary of this thread! 

I know we have a lot of folks who read but don't post... but it would be cool if everyone came in and gave a Happy Anniversary next Sunday. 

 

 

I will.

6 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yeah!  As a follow up it would be super cool!

Of course I'd want to do an Italian version!  Meatballs, Spaghetti, Tortellini, Pizza... it would be hilarious!

 

Parmesan & Red Pepper shakers instead of S&P!

 

 

 

All Hail! Bow and praise his noodle appendage! R-Amen!

34 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Hi!,

 

Thanks for your post and questions.

 

One of the things that we decided to put on hold was the "online gaming" aspect.  It's just too much for us to deal with right now.  It drives the budgets of the games up like crazy as well as doubling and sometime tripling the amount of time needed.  It also really doesn't lend itself to our Couch Co-Op message.  It would depress me if all anyone did with the system was sit in their room and play online all the time.  Eventually we may look at this again (after the machine is established) and it would be treated as a "friend to friend" type of experience as opposed to a bunch of strangers online.

The price thing is still a moving target... not only from us upgrading a lot of the components and parts... but also because of the Coronavirus issues that are affecting everyone in manufacturing (especially electronics).  We are already hearing back that some of our parts are now going to be more expensive than originally planned.  I think what you're going to see across the industry this Christmas are higher prices for launches... and then within 6 months (as components become more accessible again) you'll see those prices drop.  Early adapters will pay a little more to be there first.  This has always been the case.  But I think you're going to see a LOT more of it this year than any previous year.  All of the folks who purchased a Founders Edition are looking like the smartest folks in the room right now!!!  They got an AMAZING deal and quite frankly... we'll probably be losing a little money on those... but I don't care... these folks who believe in is so much definitely deserve something super special... which is why we did the entire thing in the first place. 

 

So far the Leaderboards and Trophy's are on track... but they would be one of the first things to be delayed if it would impact our 10/10 release date.  Doing a firmware upgrade a month or so later wouldn't be the end of the world in regards to that.  But again... everything is currently on track.  Hitting 10/10 is our biggest and most important goal.  I wouldn't delay the release just to get in Leaderboards.  Would rather still come out on 10/10 and have the leaderboards come a little later.

We will be announcing a lot of our physical media at E3.  There will be a variety of physical media on launch.  We are shooting for around 20 - 30 games on launch and then 1 new game to follow every 10 - 14 days.  I am hoping to release a list of our launch titles at E3... but really.... we won't know exactly until a month or so before release of the console... because as I've said in the past... if they game isn't 100% ready... then we won't release it, or we'll delay it until its good.

Thanks for the questions.

 

 

That is such a phenomenally straightforward and open response. You've always been open and honest, but seeing a glimpse into the mindset and priorities of the team is fascinating. I'd be excited for the system on many levels without you in the spokesman role, but your efforts really keep my excitement level high day after day. While I've been in at launch of nearly every system dating back to Intellivision, I can't recall enjoying daily news on a system like this before and I think that's all down to you and your efforts. A very sincere thanks for all you do! 

11 minutes ago, xucaen said:

... Internet Explorer.  🤣😇

Please watch your language in this forum 🤪

24 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yes!  It's called HATER BAN.

You play as an AA mod trying to delete and ban as many negative douche-bag drama whores as possible.  You gotta hurry before the thread gets derailed and the haters take over leaving all the sensible people to flee in horror.

What do ya think @jaybird3rd & @CPUWIZ... wanna help me design it?

 

🤩

I can totally see that as the reimagining of Maze-a-Tron! Lol!! 

Tommy, any potential for a revival on Amico of the parent/child Intellivision Videochallenge?  Would likely need to wait till year 2 or beyond, but fantastic fit to the message and target audience of the Amico. 

14 minutes ago, BiffMan said:

That is such a phenomenally straightforward and open response. You've always been open and honest, but seeing a glimpse into the mindset and priorities of the team is fascinating. I'd be excited for the system on many levels without you in the spokesman role, but your efforts really keep my excitement level high day after day. While I've been in at launch of nearly every system dating back to Intellivision, I can't recall enjoying daily news on a system like this before and I think that's all down to you and your efforts. A very sincere thanks for all you do! 

Thank-you so much for your kind words.  It really means a lot.

This is exactly the reason why I sometimes get upset when folks will come in here and call me a liar or that the system is a scam, etc.  I've been trying to be as completely open and honest and forthcoming as possible on as many things as possible.  So for folks to just lazily assume I'm something I'm not gets really frustrating sometimes.  But messages and comments like yours makes it all worth while!

Thank you!

6 minutes ago, BiffMan said:

Tommy, any potential for a revival on Amico of the parent/child Intellivision Videochallenge?  Would likely need to wait till year 2 or beyond, but fantastic fit to the message and target audience of the Amico. 

 

 

LOVE THIS!!!

We have something very similar in the works!

2 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

LOVE THIS!!!

We have something very similar in the works!

 

 

AWESOME!  I would really get a kick out of participating as a parent just as I did as a kid. What better way to show the generational bridge, eh? 😁

1 minute ago, BiffMan said:

AWESOME!  I would really get a kick out of participating as a parent just as I did as a kid. What better way to show the generational bridge, eh? 😁

Exactly!

Just think... E-Sports... but casual and for the entire family!

24 minutes ago, BiffMan said:

That is such a phenomenally straightforward and open response. You've always been open and honest, but seeing a glimpse into the mindset and priorities of the team is fascinating. I'd be excited for the system on many levels without you in the spokesman role, but your efforts really keep my excitement level high day after day. While I've been in at launch of nearly every system dating back to Intellivision, I can't recall enjoying daily news on a system like this before and I think that's all down to you and your efforts. A very sincere thanks for all you do! 

My thoughts exactly.  I can't believe that the CEO for a video game company is up at this hour and answering questions so openly and honestly on a retro-gaming forum.  Not holding anything back, and actually appreciative of the questions.  To me, it's how you build something better than a great gaming machine.  It's how you build a community that feels vested and part of the process.  Maybe that's why so many people in here are so passionate about Amico.

For what it's worth, I asked Sony's Shuhei Yoshida a similar question before the PS4 was launched.  His reply was to ban me on Twitter. I really like that Tommy comes in here and lays out all the cards (except for what's being announced at E3). Not all the news is good, but a lot of it is. And when he does podcasts with so many different people on youtube, he always says something he's never said before. It's so refreshing. Amico is knocking down a lot of the walls I see wrong with video games. Graphics over fun. Online stores that aren't currated. And he is also knocking down a lot of this walled-garden secrecy that is so abundant in the industry. Everything is a secret and everything announced is a "spoiler." Tommy came out super early and said, "Here's what the console looks like.  Here are what the games look like.  Here's the controller."  Hell, he even showed off the controller's circuit board. Of course things changed, and when they did, he showed off the new controller or said that the games were actually better now than what he showed. He also announced the launch date super early, and I like that they're making that a top priority. 

Tommy, my hat is off to you and the entire team.  Keep doing what you're doing. 

57 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Another piece of useless trivia...

 

There was a popular game called "Super Meat Boy" about 10 years ago.  As a joke and parody... PETA did a similar game called "Super Tofu Boy".  Guess who donated the music?

 

❤️ 🐄🐑🐷🐓🐣❤️   

 

 

🥰

 

 

https://www.mobygames.com/game/super-tofu-boy

Interesting I'll take a look... always liked the flash versions of games like Super Meat Boy the best.

Looks like Super Tofu Boy is in the recently released compilation of every flash game ever made... https://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/downloads/

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yes!  It's called HATER BAN.

You play as an AA mod trying to delete and ban as many negative douche-bag drama whores as possible.  You gotta hurry before the thread gets derailed and the haters take over leaving all the sensible people to flee in horror.

What do ya think @jaybird3rd & @CPUWIZ... wanna help me design it?

 

🤩

Ok, "Spikeyhair McLookatmeplease"-

Am I doing the Hating thing right?  I'm never quite sure.

4 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Hahahaha!   Maybe.

 

I'm only going to release 2 copies of certain physical media.  I'll keep one for myself... and the other ones so I can trade you for one of your PlayCables!!

😜

Lol! That feels like you might be taking advantage of my love for all things Inty. By the way it was 7, not 6. 😎

3 hours ago, vongruetz said:

My thoughts exactly.  I can't believe that the CEO for a video game company is up at this hour and answering questions so openly and honestly on a retro-gaming forum.  Not holding anything back, and actually appreciative of the questions.  To me, it's how you build something better than a great gaming machine.  It's how you build a community that feels vested and part of the process.  Maybe that's why so many people in here are so passionate about Amico.

 

For what it's worth, I asked Sony's Shuhei Yoshida a similar question before the PS4 was launched.  His reply was to ban me on Twitter. I really like that Tommy comes in here and lays out all the cards (except for what's being announced at E3). Not all the news is good, but a lot of it is. And when he does podcasts with so many different people on youtube, he always says something he's never said before. It's so refreshing. Amico is knocking down a lot of the walls I see wrong with video games. Graphics over fun. Online stores that aren't currated. And he is also knocking down a lot of this walled-garden secrecy that is so abundant in the industry. Everything is a secret and everything announced is a "spoiler." Tommy came out super early and said, "Here's what the console looks like.  Here are what the games look like.  Here's the controller."  Hell, he even showed off the controller's circuit board. Of course things changed, and when they did, he showed off the new controller or said that the games were actually better now than what he showed. He also announced the launch date super early, and I like that they're making that a top priority. 

 

Tommy, my hat is off to you and the entire team.  Keep doing what you're doing. 

I completely 100% agree. Tommy's openness and willingness to communicate directly shows that he is not only a passionate creator, he's a passionate gamer. All games. Not just the ones he's making. You don't need to know anything about him to know the kind of person he is just by the way he posts and the way he posts is not like any other game developer. 

It must come from his musical background - the musicians in gaming are always super passionate, open and talkative it feels like (especially Grant Kirkhope).

That's one of the major reasons I get annoyed when people try to say he's not "professional" by engaging people on the forums. I guess they'd prefer developers that give no communication, banning on twitter, and hush hush "no spoiler" talk. 

26 minutes ago, 1001lives said:

That's one of the major reasons I get annoyed when people try to say he's not "professional" by engaging people on the forums. I guess they'd prefer developers that give no communication, banning on twitter, and hush hush "no spoiler" talk. 

The next few months would definitely be vastly less interesting without Tommy drip-feeding us the occasional hint, bit of news, or just simply responding at all. Definitely makes the waiting more fun! 

10 minutes ago, BiffMan said:

The next few months would definitely be vastly less interesting without Tommy drip-feeding us the occasional hint, bit of news, or just simply responding at all. Definitely makes the waiting more fun! 

He's keeping it alive with his passion and enthusiasm, for sure. And that good will spreads and makes others interested.