Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

5 minutes ago, mr_me said:

Some might be concerned that no downloadable content might hurt the replayability of a game.  But that can be addressed with how the game is designed.

Absolutely. Check out this 25 year old (almost 26!) game in my Mega Drive, which I still play weekly because it's designed well. The game is just that damn good because the designers made a good game that is designed to be fun to replay. Sadly, I think this skill has mostly been lost. I mentioned before, probably in another thread, that lots of modern games are disposable and are not replayed or designed to be replayed. Once the owner is done playing it the first time, it gets tossed in the trash or sold to the local game store for 5 cents or something like that.

Before someone sees my MD profile picture and my Mega Driver custom status and asks me WHERE THE HELL IS YOUR MDCD32X TOWER, tower is disassembled right now because it's a hassle to find enough places to plug it in when there is only one socket in my entire room and I have to sacrifice other things in my surge protectors to do it. Thanks, architect who designed my apartment in the late 1950s!

7 minutes ago, LePionnier said:

Hi Tommy. That's something new I think. Can you elaborate please ? ( And it will help for the new FAQ thread ) ☺️

I thought the 5 games was decided since a long time ago. Is it a question of more time is needed for some of those games ? Hesitation about which kind of game to be included ? Can you confirmed which one is set in stone ? Snafoo, Astrosmash and Skiing ?

 

Thank you very much.

Can't confirm anything except Skiing right now.  That is all we've officially announced. 

More info coming at E3.

Final decisions on launch games and the 5 pre-loaded games will be determined when they are completed and we can ensure they are super fun.  Until then, I don't want to make any promises.  One of the pack-in games isn't going as planned... still time to get it right... but others are becoming more fun so I may change things around.

Here's a cool article I read today and thought some of you may enjoy it as well. 

https://www.inc.com/chris-matyszczyk/a-harvard-student-told-jeff-bezos-something-no-ceo-wants-to-hear-worse-was-way-he-said-it.html
 

9 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Here's a cool article I read today and thought some of you may enjoy it as well. 

 

https://www.inc.com/chris-matyszczyk/a-harvard-student-told-jeff-bezos-something-no-ceo-wants-to-hear-worse-was-way-he-said-it.html
 

"When you have a business based on a vision of the future, rather than the present, understand that the majority of your critics will likely be looking from the perspective of the present.

They see now and they have a certain belief how now will influence the future."

11 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Here's a cool article I read today and thought some of you may enjoy it as well. 

 

https://www.inc.com/chris-matyszczyk/a-harvard-student-told-jeff-bezos-something-no-ceo-wants-to-hear-worse-was-way-he-said-it.html
 

Thanks Tommy.  That was an interesting article.  

In fact, looking at things from the perspective of the present is the biggest problem the world is facing today in any single matter you can name.

By the way, the (evil, "communist") government of my country will be the next to ban loot boxes. This is one of the coolest things about the Amico: everyone pays the same for the game, developers don't take advantage of addicts.

7 minutes ago, IntelliMission said:

In fact, looking at things from the perspective of the present is the biggest problem the world is facing today in any single matter you can name.

 

By the way, the (evil, "communist") government of my country will be the next to ban loot boxes. This is one of the coolest things about the Amico: everyone pays the same for the game, developers don't take advantage of addicts.

Yea I remember when mobile gaming got big and a buddy of mine told me he spent thousands on clash of clans...I was in shock to say the least 😳😆

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

Can't confirm anything except Skiing right now.  That is all we've officially announced. 

 

More info coming at E3.

 

Final decisions on launch games and the 5 pre-loaded games will be determined when they are completed and we can ensure they are super fun.  Until then, I don't want to make any promises.  One of the pack-in games isn't going as planned... still time to get it right... but others are becoming more fun so I may change things around.

Man I am so excited to see "the best idea" (or here, game) "win" and this is just for the pack-in titles! This really shows a commitment to quality because, quite frankly, you say 5 pack ins and most are going to assume these are some pretty lack luster games. The 'just OK' you don' think would sell well on their own or because you felt compelled to provide 'something'. The willingness to change/delay the plan instead of shipping crap is seemingly pretty hard to do for a lot of companies *cough*AnthemFallout76Stadia*cough*, glad to see that isn't' effecting Intellivision.

I call them Lateral Willnots: Never learn from history, never look ahead. Only look from side-to-side.

Another idea that will probably depress most users here (especially one with a red avatar): If the Amico has one new game every 10 days, it will receive 36 per year, which means 7 reimagined classics per year after the initial 5.

Clearly not enough room for every classic, folks... The competition will be brutal. 🤓

6 minutes ago, IntelliMission said:

Another idea that will probably depress most users here (especially one with a red avatar): If the Amico has one new game every 10 days, it will receive 36 per year, which means 7 reimagined classics per year after the initial 5.

 

Clearly not enough room for every classic, folks... The competition will be brutal. 🤓

I'm not worried.  I know we won't get every game re-imagined.  No biggie.  It's better to have a few releases with good quality, then hundreds that don't.  Like with the Nintendo eshop, too many games releasing at once and some are not that great.  

4 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Absolutely. Check out this 25 year old (almost 26!) game in my Mega Drive, which I still play weekly because it's designed well. The game is just that damn good because the designers made a good game that is designed to be fun to replay. Sadly, I think this skill has mostly been lost. I mentioned before, probably in another thread, that lots of modern games are disposable and are not replayed or designed to be replayed. Once the owner is done playing it the first time, it gets tossed in the trash or sold to the local game store for 5 cents or something like that.

 

Before someone sees my MD profile picture and my Mega Driver custom status and asks me WHERE THE HELL IS YOUR MDCD32X TOWER, tower is disassembled right now because it's a hassle to find enough places to plug it in when there is only one socket in my entire room and I have to sacrifice other things in my surge protectors to do it. Thanks, architect who designed my apartment in the late 1950s!

It's true as a retro-gamer. I remember a conversation about why people don't mind digital download movies but don't like digital download games and I said one reason was that games have more replay value than movies and some guy said he mostly played a game once and never again and that whole idea seemed crazy to me. 

I know people have been renting physical copies of games for many years, especially when they still had the video rental stores. But I imagine some of the games are fun enough people then buy them or repeatedly rent them. Maybe this guy’s just weird or are there no donkey kongs, burger times or super Mario worlds these days and games have gone from treasured to disposable?

Here's a recent podcast I did:

2 hours ago, squirrelgotdead said:

I call them Lateral Willnots: Never learn from history, never look ahead. Only look from side-to-side.

I'd say that history repeats itself. Usually, but not always, look at the past if you want to predict the future. Humans seem to follow a fairly similar routine, even when we were living in antiquity.

But hopefully we can make some ""new"" history that isn't so repetitive down the line. Hard to break free of that mold.

Tommy,

Will there be see through color versions of the Amico console/controllers like how the N64 did it?  That would be so cool.  Maybe even a glow in the dark version?  

Tommy Tallarico,

I am new to this forum (and forums in general) but I'm really excited about your product.

The main excitement I have steams from the field of edutainment. 

Imagine with me Sesame Street's Elmo (or any of the Nickelodeon characters) summarizing up a lesson on colors.  Elmo says:

"Today we learned the colors blue, yellow and red."

While he says this the console and controller lights up with the corresponding colors. 

This would blow my mind.

Image still a picture on the T.V. with shapes (maybe even just actual items that have shapes in them like a car has circles or rectangles to make up the picture)

Elmo would say:
"What is the shape of the wheels?:
The wheels highlight on the T.V.
The on the controller screen there like 4 choices with shapes and the names of the shapes under them.  Elmo would prompt the child to press the circle on the controller.  The child presses the correct answer and the circle grows on the controller until it's the only picture and then shoots off the controller and lands on the T.V. screen on top of the two wheels on the car.  All the while Elmo is saying the word circle on the T.V. and on the controller.  Elmo could even ask the child to say the word into the controller. 
 
The idea could grow from there and could be used for all sorts of learning from colors and shapes to countries and languages.

The possibilities are endless because your machine has the ability to use written, verbal and tactile methods to teach.

This is what gets me the most excited about your console and one of the main reasons I will buy it day one.

6 hours ago, RetroAdvisoryBoard said:

Where do you store the Allen wrench to change a tire?

You flip the car on it's side... It's stored on the underside..  near the spare.  You can also use that Big USB 2 port on the side (with an adapter) to charge your phone. 

3 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Here's a recent podcast I did:

 

 

 

That was a very good podcast Tommy.  There were a lot of funny parts.  I especially enjoyed the one about the concert with the fireworks story.  That was hilarious.  🤣

Hey Tommy,

One of my viewers asked me a great question, so since I have no clue if you answered this before, or I forgot(due to 47 year old brain) Will there be a way to have local high scores that save to to the console with our initials there?

Peace out,

Pete

Just curious @Tommy Tallarico is your real name Tommy or that is what you go by.... 

  and... if you were in trouble with mom.... did she call you Tommy still?  😋

My real name is Thomas... go by TJ or Tommy, but if I was in trouble.... different names blurted from my mom's mouth... and non I can mention here!

😆

TJ

16 hours ago, mr_me said:

It will be temporary.

a year is still a long time to wait for a vaccine to become available

6 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Here's a recent podcast I did:

 

 

 

This was so fun to listen to.  Some very funny stories.  Thanks for sharing 

7 hours ago, Swami said:

It's true as a retro-gamer. I remember a conversation about why people don't mind digital download movies but don't like digital download games and I said one reason was that games have more replay value than movies and some guy said he mostly played a game once and never again and that whole idea seemed crazy to me. 

 

I know people have been renting physical copies of games for many years, especially when they still had the video rental stores. But I imagine some of the games are fun enough people then buy them or repeatedly rent them. Maybe this guy’s just weird or are there no donkey kongs, burger times or super Mario worlds these days and games have gone from treasured to disposable?

 

I think this came about partially, but not entirely, due to the trophy/achievement system. Once you have all of the trophies, there is apparently no reason to play the game anymore because you did everything and you should get rid of it and play something else to get those trophies instead. I have even seen people say this about games where you can get all of the trophies without beating the game, because that's apparently possible.

9 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

Can't confirm anything except Skiing right now.  That is all we've officially announced. 

 

More info coming at E3.

 

Final decisions on launch games and the 5 pre-loaded games will be determined when they are completed and we can ensure they are super fun.  Until then, I don't want to make any promises.  One of the pack-in games isn't going as planned... still time to get it right... but others are becoming more fun so I may change things around.

 

 

 

8 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

Man I am so excited to see "the best idea" (or here, game) "win" and this is just for the pack-in titles! This really shows a commitment to quality because, quite frankly, you say 5 pack ins and most are going to assume these are some pretty lack luster games. The 'just OK' you don' think would sell well on their own or because you felt compelled to provide 'something'. The willingness to change/delay the plan instead of shipping crap is seemingly pretty hard to do for a lot of companies *cough*AnthemFallout76Stadia*cough*, glad to see that isn't' effecting Intellivision.

A good pack-in game can and will change the fate of your system. Proof:

Further proof of a pack-in deciding the fate of a system:    🤣