Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

Tommy,

Is Elevator Action coming to Amico at some point?

1 hour ago, save2600 said:

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

 

Can't find a clear picture, but I think the earliest example was the Atari 5200 with Super Breakout vs ColecoVision with Donkey Kong. So obsessed with showing off the analog controllers, Atari picked a much less popular pack-in to do it.

2 hours ago, save2600 said:

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

 

Yep, I was going to post this one in case someone else missed it! I have not actually played this game yet. Maybe I will plug in my PC Engine today and try it. I've heard it's actually not a bad game, but given this or the relatively good (for the time) port of Altered Beast were the only things on the market at the time for that generation's pack-in games...

You know what they should have done for TurboGrafx-16's pack-in? R-Type. That was already out in Japan before the TG-16 launched. That would have impressed the hell out of everyone for sure.

5 hours ago, AtariSociety said:

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

Yup... We all had our "in trouble" names.

Lol.  

Tommy, any chance of getting a fast, vector-style shooter like the Geometry Wars series (check Youtube for gameplay if you aren't familiar with it). Gemoetry Wars 3 Dimensions Evolved is amazing but I don't know if the Amico would be able to handle graphics like that?

And speaking of Japan, any chance of getting a Pachinko-style game? I guess not too many people in the US (or anywhere outside of Japan) know what Pachinko is. I own 3 machines and they're a blast.

15 hours ago, Swami said:

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 missed this part somehow.

I think that these types of quality titles have largely been replaced by disposable games that get sold or deleted after the player is done collecting all of the trophies, and partially because of that very system, as I mentioned earlier.

That said, these types of games do still exist, but there are few of them. Examples = Sonic Mania, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Shin Megami Tensei IV, and AM2R, which is probably the single best game released in the past decade, and it doesn't have much competition aside from the aforementioned Fire Emblem, SMT IV, and Sonic Mania. Let's not talk about the horrible abomination that is SMT IV FINAL, though...

Hopefully SMT V is of the same level of quality of SMT IV and tosses out all of the stuff that made FINAL a pile of trash.

https://www.ibtimes.com/foxconn-says-china-factories-operating-50-over-virus-outbreak-2932870

Well, there's the latest on Foxconn as of 57 minutes ago at the time I post this. Hopefully this whole situation doesn't affect Amico production, although I don't know what company is actually making them.

16 hours ago, Atari_Master said:

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?  

Currently not at this time.  But that could change in the future.

15 hours ago, Michael Garvey said:

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.

Hi Michael!

Welcome to the forum and the Q&A thread!  Hope you'll stick around!

I think you are going to be VERY excited with what we will be offering in the "edutainment" space.  The kinds of things you have mentioned are exactly the kinds of things we're doing!

We were at the Sesame Street main HQ's in NYC last week.  We have a fantastic relationship with them and hopefully some BIG NEWS coming in June during E3!

13 hours ago, OEB_Pete said:

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

Yep!  For sure!!

12 hours ago, AtariSociety said:

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

Similar to you probably.

My real name is Thomas Andrew Tallarico.  Everyone called me Tommy growing up and I never let it go.  When my parents would get made they would typically yell TOM!!!!  That's when I knew I was in trouble.  But at school (all Catholic school from K to 12) the nuns would call me Thomas.  And I was typically always in trouble.  

FUN FACT:  The very first game I ever did the music for was the original Prince of Persia.  It came out in 1991 (I was a game tester before that).  In the opening credits I was listed as Tom Tallarico (Music by...) no idea why they put me in as Tom... but I was so new and it was my first music credit that I didn't want to complain or seem ungrateful.  The first and only time I was credited as Tom.

10 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

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

 

Exactly!!!

People sometimes forget that the original Genesis sold with Altered Beast and the sales weren't great!  Sonic propelled the Genesis/Mega Drive into stardom.

Still one of my favorite systems of all time.  Right up there with PS2 and Intellivision for me.

8 hours ago, Atari_Master said:

Tommy,

 

Is Elevator Action coming to Amico at some point?

Lets hope so!!!!!!!!

3 hours ago, fiudr said:

Tommy, any chance of getting a fast, vector-style shooter like the Geometry Wars series (check Youtube for gameplay if you aren't familiar with it). Gemoetry Wars 3 Dimensions Evolved is amazing but I don't know if the Amico would be able to handle graphics like that?

 

And speaking of Japan, any chance of getting a Pachinko-style game? I guess not too many people in the US (or anywhere outside of Japan) know what Pachinko is. I own 3 machines and they're a blast.

 

 

Yeah... I'm very familiar with Geometry Wars.  Not sure how that would do on our chip.  Would be interesting to find out. 

Nothing Pachinko-style yet... but if and when we release in Japan... it will be mandatory I think! 

22 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

https://www.ibtimes.com/foxconn-says-china-factories-operating-50-over-virus-outbreak-2932870

 

Well, there's the latest on Foxconn as of 57 minutes ago at the time I post this. Hopefully this whole situation doesn't affect Amico production, although I don't know what company is actually making them.

It's a company that is just as big and well known.  We spoke to Foxconn earlier last year and they were on the list of possibilities.  The company we have manufactures for Sony (PS3, 4 & 5) as well as the Nintendo Wii! 

Coronavirus will definitely be affecting us and everyone else doing electronics this year.  Machines will be scare on all fronts.  Founder Edition folks are looking like the smartest people in the world right now.  They'll be getting their machines before any retailer! 

Thinking about doing another round of pre-orders.  So many people have been disappointed they weren't able to get in on the Founders Edition.  Maybe do another pre-order that isn't as good as the Founder Editions.  More like a "VIP" edition.  Not signed, no pin or patch.  Maybe the poster, the Vintage Woodgrain and the gift card.  $279.   Thoughts??

37 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

https://www.ibtimes.com/foxconn-says-china-factories-operating-50-over-virus-outbreak-2932870

 

Well, there's the latest on Foxconn as of 57 minutes ago at the time I post this. Hopefully this whole situation doesn't affect Amico production, although I don't know what company is actually making them.

The article also says that they are expecting normal production by the end of march.  China is doing an amazing job containing the virus.

31 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Exactly!!!

People sometimes forget that the original Genesis sold with Altered Beast and the sales weren't great!  Sonic propelled the Genesis/Mega Drive into stardom.

 

Still one of my favorite systems of all time.  Right up there with PS2 and Intellivision for me.

 

Finally, someone with some sense outside the Genesis/PC Engine section (although that's almost entirely high scores and not discussion)!

Joking aside, Altered Beast was impressive at the time from what I have heard (was born 8 months later and pack-in Altered Beast was long gone by the time I had my Genesis), but if you play it for the first time in a post-Sonic world like I did your response is probably going to be a hesitant

".....okay......"

at best. Sonic really made a huge difference and was probably one of the single best marketing strategies the industry has ever seen. Want the most anticipated game of the year but don't own the system? Well, no problem because you get the game for free when you buy the system! I'm pretty sure we don't even get pack-in games at launch now except Face Raiders (lol) and the 5 games on the Amico.

Meanwhile, poor TurboGrafx-16 with Keith. That's probably one of the only times that I can think of that the pack-in game helped kill one of the best systems ever made (outside Japan, anyway, where it survived and also kicked ass!). I read that (really excellent) article Stalled Engine on Gamasutra today and one of the guys who was working at NEC at the time of the US launch said the same thing I did earlier (and I wrote it before I read the article!): R-Type should have been the pack-in game. Here it is in case anyone who cares about the PC Engine wants to read it:

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/225466/stalled_engine_the_turbografx16_.php

I think I'm going to play my PC Engine now to make it feel better about totally failing outside Japan. I also think I'm going to play Keith Courage for the first time to see exactly what the deal with this game is. I've heard it's not bad and actually kind of good, but opinions vary and I'll see for myself very shortly.

48 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

It's a company that is just as big and well known.  We spoke to Foxconn earlier last year and they were on the list of possibilities.  The company we have manufactures for Sony (PS3, 4 & 5) as well as the Nintendo Wii! 

Coronavirus will definitely be affecting us and everyone else doing electronics this year.  Machines will be scare on all fronts.  Founder Edition folks are looking like the smartest people in the world right now.  They'll be getting their machines before any retailer! 

 

Thinking about doing another round of pre-orders.  So many people have been disappointed they weren't able to get in on the Founders Edition.  Maybe do another pre-order that isn't as good as the Founder Editions.  More like a "VIP" edition.  Not signed, no pin or patch.  Maybe the poster, the Vintage Woodgrain and the gift card.  $279.   Thoughts??

 

 

I believe doing another pre-order is a good idea. But I have no idea how to determine proper timing of that.

Tommy, what is the ratio that Intellivision Entertainment plans to produce for additional controller versus the number of consoles ?

Let's say 100,000 consoles, it will therefore be necessary to produce 200,000 controllers (2 included per console).

But as Amico will be a console based on playing together, I imagine that an average of 4 controllers per console will have to be produced, even if it will be possible to use a phone as an additional controller !?

Thank you.

Okay, so I apparently just got halfway through Keith Courage in Alpha Zones before I died and quit and yes, this game is bad. Enemies everywhere constantly spawning in your face, music that sounds like a damn siren blaring (I wish I was joking), a translation that reads super awkwardly, pits of fire that you have no choice but to walk through since they are as long as the screen and you can't jump over them... at least the graphics don't make my eyes bleed. Now I think I understand why the TurboGrafx-16 insta-failed in the USA. At least Altered Beast resembles being enjoyable and has multiplayer.

So yeah, looking forward to the definitely not-Keith Courage in Alpha Zones pack-ins on the Amico, Tommy! Actually, now I think I need to go play something like Dracula X so my PC Engine forgives me for making it run this game...

Hey Tommy,

I'm an FE backer and I'm just wondering when I'll be able to pay off the rest.

Thanks

Jon

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

It's a company that is just as big and well known.  We spoke to Foxconn earlier last year and they were on the list of possibilities.  The company we have manufactures for Sony (PS3, 4 & 5) as well as the Nintendo Wii! 

Coronavirus will definitely be affecting us and everyone else doing electronics this year.  Machines will be scare on all fronts.  Founder Edition folks are looking like the smartest people in the world right now.  They'll be getting their machines before any retailer! 

 

Thinking about doing another round of pre-orders.  So many people have been disappointed they weren't able to get in on the Founders Edition.  Maybe do another pre-order that isn't as good as the Founder Editions.  More like a "VIP" edition.  Not signed, no pin or patch.  Maybe the poster, the Vintage Woodgrain and the gift card.  $279.   Thoughts??

 

 

I forgot to respond to this, somehow. Looks like it's a good thing I got the Founders Edition. I don't see any harm in doing another special edition system, though. I saw a few people that wanted the Founders Edition but it sold out before they were able to get it, so they'd be happy. Like I said over in the kevtris FPGA system thread, there is always someone who doesn't get something they want because they are hospitalized, on a military deployment, email was in the spam folder, they forgot to check their email, got distracted by important life events, business trips, etc., so no harm that I can see.

Hopefully it doesn't have too much of an effect, but I mentioned (maybe in the other thread) that I read an article saying that there is a Switch hardware shortage here in Japan right now or something because of it. It's definitely already happening.

32 minutes ago, jcalder8 said:

Hey Tommy,

 

I'm an FE backer and I'm just wondering when I'll be able to pay off the rest.

 

Thanks

Jon

I believe Tommy has said they will bill you when the product is about to ship. 

1 hour ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Finally, someone with some sense outside the Genesis/PC Engine section (although that's almost entirely high scores and not discussion)!

 

Joking aside, Altered Beast was impressive at the time from what I have heard (was born 8 months later and pack-in Altered Beast was long gone by the time I had my Genesis), but if you play it for the first time in a post-Sonic world like I did your response is probably going to be a hesitant

 

".....okay......"

 

at best. Sonic really made a huge difference and was probably one of the single best marketing strategies the industry has ever seen. Want the most anticipated game of the year but don't own the system? Well, no problem because you get the game for free when you buy the system! I'm pretty sure we don't even get pack-in games at launch now except Face Raiders (lol) and the 5 games on the Amico.

 

Meanwhile, poor TurboGrafx-16 with Keith. That's probably one of the only times that I can think of that the pack-in game helped kill one of the best systems ever made (outside Japan, anyway, where it survived and also kicked ass!). I read that (really excellent) article Stalled Engine on Gamasutra today and one of the guys who was working at NEC at the time of the US launch said the same thing I did earlier (and I wrote it before I read the article!): R-Type should have been the pack-in game. Here it is in case anyone who cares about the PC Engine wants to read it:

 

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/225466/stalled_engine_the_turbografx16_.php

 

I think I'm going to play my PC Engine now to make it feel better about totally failing outside Japan. I also think I'm going to play Keith Courage for the first time to see exactly what the deal with this game is. I've heard it's not bad and actually kind of good, but opinions vary and I'll see for myself very shortly.

I read the article.  It was very interesting.  Did you know that the TurboGrafx-16 mini is coming out?  It's being sold exclusively through Amazon and it releases March 19, 2020.

There's a PC Engine mini & PC Engine CoreGrafx mini too.  The mini consoles are plug and play.  They have about 60 games built-in.  I pre-ordered the TurboGrafx-16 mini.  I never had this console growing up and it will be cool to have something different besides Nintendo & Sega.

Just now, Atari_Master said:

I read the article.  It was very interesting.  Did you know that the TurboGrafx-16 mini is coming out?  It's being sold exclusively through Amazon and it releases March 19, 2020.

There's a PC Engine mini & PC Engine CoreGrafx mini too.  The mini consoles are plug and play.  They have about 60 games built-in.  I pre-ordered the TurboGrafx-16 mini.  I never had this console growing up and it will be cool to have something different besides Nintendo & Sega.

Yeah, I've played the PC Engine Mini already at Tokyo Game Show, and mine will be here on launch day on the 19th. I really hope I am not at work when it arrives and I have to wait to get it later...

It's okay. It's got some input lag, but seems usable and better than my Mega Drive Mini, although it's nowhere near as visually appealing as a full recreation of the MDCD32X tower scaled down to fit in your hand. I wrote my thoughts on it over in the PC Engine/TG-16 Mini thread here: