Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

The one thing I'm fairly certain was promised regarding the Amico mascot was that @nurmix would be dressed up in some sort of furry suit. The rest of the details are fuzzy....or furry as it were. 🤔

6 hours ago, RxScram said:

No

Edit... oops, sorry, already answered.

Just being thorough, right?

21 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

Hi Tommy, is IE running up against any walls with licensing due specifically to the $10 max target per game (digital download)?  It would be great for all involved to get some huge IP’s like Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark, specifically), Star Wars, etc, but could see those games getting priced out due to licensing negotiations. Would exceptions to the targeted max cost be considered to pull in these types of block buster themed games?

Hi!,

Licensing is typically based around percentages and Minimum Guarantees.  Price point doesn't really matter too much.  Having a small price point of course will typically drive the Minimum Guarantee higher to ensure it makes it worth it for the Licensor.  But MG's don't necessarily need to be paid up front.  One advantage that Intellivision has in regards to MG's is we are only one platform.  Meaning... if a big publisher pays a $1 Million guarantee... that is typically because they are able to put that product on 6 or 7 different platforms (home consoles, PC's, mobile, etc.).  But because we are only looking to do our own platform... our MG's are much more reasonable... and as mentioned... can be spread across a few years.  A typically percentage can run anywhere from 15% - 25% with the averages typically in the 15% - 20% range.

Great question.

In regards to anything Star Wars or Indy related.  EA has the exclusive on all that stuff, so EA would need to make a game for Amico.  We're not there yet as the big publicly traded publishers really only care about money... and they aren't willing to put money into a system that at this point is unproven and literally has ZERO installed base right now.  

No worries!  They'll come knocking when it's a big hit!

Really though... for what we're doing... we don't need a big video game publisher to survive (like the other home consoles do).  We have so much original and independent content that we don't live or die depending on whether or not we have Call of Duty or the next Madden game. 

20 hours ago, Atari_Master said:

That was a good video Tommy.  Thanks for sharing.  You really tried to explain things to Pat & Ian but they just didn't want to hear it.  You can't win for losing.  It's like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.  Perhaps one day Pat & Ian will open up and finally allow an interview.

Thanks.  Let the record show that I did indeed try and that I never once attacked them.

The only way I would ever do an interview with them at this point is if it was live streamed.  After everything they have done and continue to do, I wouldn't be able to trust how they would edit it.

3 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

Thanks.  Let the record show that I did indeed try and that I never once attacked them.

 

The only way I would ever do an interview with them at this point is if it was live streamed.  After everything they have done and continue to do, I wouldn't be able to trust how they would edit it.

You're welcome.  Right, you never once attacked them.  But they saw it as an attack.  Yes, a live stream is a good idea.  Like you said you wouldn't be able to trust them on how they might edit the video if it weren't live.  Maybe you can trick them into doing a live stream.  Lol.

17 hours ago, RetroAdvisoryBoard said:

 

Wanted to chime in as well.  Side-note: Lord Rayken has made a good deal of comments to combat the trashing-for-sport crowd on a recent Let's Watch the Amico Trailer and Kvetch video.  side-side note: also created probably the most thorough and accessible pop history YT video on the video game crash of 1977, unless I'm crossing my Lord Raykens and completely ignorant of some pop culture reference..  **Googles** ... nah, think it's safe to assume he's one and the same.

 

Here's some things I think worth considering.  Keep in mind, I don't have particularly in-depth knowledge of the cost of creating a console, just some observations and things I think we miss when comparing.  I know Pat and Ian fall into a few of these with their analogies and its frustrating that no one can get past their echo chamber to say, "yeah, but did you consider this with your point?"

 

Android TVs and the many tv-top Android-like boxes are going to be necessarily cheaper.  There are vastly more of them doing a committed few functions, and the tech isn't revolutionary or standout.  They all do the same thing.  Some premiere do more, are a little costlier, but they compete directly with the cheaper units so can't be so much a Cadillac in a new market.  Maybe a better example, since we're kind of throwing in cheap electronics hooking into your tv and managing a few resources, including accessing mobile game storefronts, is to think of all the old Pong clone units, or the super cheap Chinese "retro" handhelds.  They all basically do the same thing.  While they have different sourced manufacturers, maybe slightly different chip sets on one of six stock PCBs, different variations of simple menu selection screens, they're essentially a minimum cost clone unit repurposing hardware that usually has been discontinued from a more successful product.  They're cheap because they're abundant, because they're dated, and because there really isn't such a demand at any higher pricepoint.  They sit on shelves above $70.  At $40, people take a chance on them and a quarter won't ever open the box - purely throw-away impulse buy.

 

That is the base example our gaming crowd pivots back to.  Those are cheap.  Why wouldn't Amico or the VCS or any new system be similarly cheap?

 

Because, there is proprietary design involved.  Intellivision isn't going after a cheap Chinese pre-packaged plug and play or a mass-produced, similarly cheap TV box that has an Android interface (Android being a several billion dollar project by the way, paying dividends through longtime adoption through phones).  They want to create a unique gaming experience and a console has needs.

 

It needs to be able to process and interact with eight players simulataneously, without dropping signal, without interference, without a lot of hiccups.  It has to work properly as a communication between eight controllers (or controller devices), the system, the internet and relay that on TV with next-to-no noticeable lag.  That rules out stock Android TV boxes. 

 

It needs to be something that is a fairly closed system, they're launching a company, if the system is so ridiculously cheap with stock everything that it is easy to recreate, they'll have knock-off competitors in a matter of months eating their lunch in overseas market, within a year or so domestically.  In order to be fairly closed and proprietary, they can't really copy/paste what is being done elsewhere.  Nintendo has a smashing success with the Switch, and we see some knock-off attempts.  But far more knock-offs of the PSP and Vita since those had surplus components, are no longer sourcing components to Sony for manufacture, and the architecture by now is pretty well understood how to strip down and recreate for an 80% PSP experience. 

 

Intellivision wants an eco-system that is both family-friendly and easy to pick-up, not intimidating to a large market that doesn't consider a video game purchase.  The core of the pitch is that people who play games on phones would play on another medium (television), if the games were approachable and entertaining, and the controller itself less intimidating.  So it has the proprietary controllers built-in with lots of features.  They may be completely wrong with the assumption.  Perhaps that appeal of mobile/tablet device gaming is largely the appeal of being out and about, a device is in your pocket, or you're sitting on the couch and less interested in what a significant other is watching, and you turn to effortless mobile play.  Those mobile numbers could burn Intellivision in the end if that market really doesn't exist.  I think it does, they've done the market research, so it's just sort of wait and see from here.

 

Now, the numbers on paper are probably far lower than $249.99 we're seeing floated with the VIP package.  Six months ago the official word was still dead-set committed to $149.99 - $179.99 or as near as they could get it.  The early planning and research and review that produced that target price-point, with a healthy retailer cut and good ROI for investors at necessarily smaller manufacture numbers, certainly had the production of a unit with two controllers much lower, closer to $100-$130 if I had to guess before retailer/investor profit above cost.  Maybe cheaper, maybe a little more.  Cost-creep is notorious for any consumer good, and evidently everybody - Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, even Atari and NVidea, have had to make some adjustments or withhold pricing.  And assuming some of these trade-offs, some of what we haven't seen in the still scheduled half year of metered reveals, is going to showcase some of what is being done with the system. 

 

I also think we are comparing apples to oranges a bit, because we're looking at 1) systems that are standard tv set boxes with fairly uniform design by this point, 2) cheap knock-off systems that have 5% design cost (mostly, "How'd they do this one, let's do ours like this" level of research, 3) home consoles that have hundreds of millions baked into the R&D and are apparently 30%-75% more expensive to manufacture initially than their MSRP, so comparing a $249 Amico to a $399 PS4 Pro that likely cost $750 to manufacture when it was new, Sony was willing to eat the cost, just as Microsoft was, just as we know Nintendo did on the Wii U (refusing to lower the price because its tablet was so expensive).. the cost comparison isn't totally even - the big guys have been able to spread their costs and use economies of scale to bring eventual cost down, making each console sold late in its life profitable too.  Finally, we're comparing these to 4) apps on smart phones/tablets.. again, extremely expensive devices ($1000 phones with costs spread across contract plans, tablets whose prices have come down through sales in the tens or hundreds of millions of units), whose only chance of success is a free-to-play model with in-app purchases or ads, or an under $5 impulse buy with an audience of 3 billion mobile app games players.   None of those avenues are really open to Intellivision to adjust its costs.  It can't leverage those economies of scale.  Can't eat the cost to keep the retail under $150 or under $75 to keep casual observers happy without investors balking at the business plan.  I think there is some truth about the expectations of a system showing up on shelves under $100.  We'd be suspect that the thing is junk like all the rest.  My company also prices products up to avoid the odd psychological issue of consumers seeing no value in free or low-cost goods/services.  We've lost state contract RFPs because we priced products at/near what our cost was rather than what the perceived value was, considering the bad experiences of state departments with costly systems offering little value.  Perceived junk status isn't a price-point to aim for.

 

 

... Games.  These were some of the best Android games, and they surely had larger budgets than Intellivision's games.  Even tiny "This War of Mine", built by Polish studio 11 Bit Studios, cost about $750,000 to produce, and a Polish programmer is a fourth the cost of a Canadian studio or a sixth the cost of a US studio.. so in fairness, that'd be a $3-4 million dollar game.  Same for Dead Trigger 2, made by Czech dev studio Madfinger Games.  Cost of production is a little higher, but overall dev cost would've been much cheaper for the studio being based in Brno.  And these are games that are basically at par with home console expectations re: graphics and storyline.  They just rely on catching notoriety on a platform used by billions, garnishing revenues through benign in-app purchases and microtransactions, and can put more money up front than Intellivision's model can achieve at its budget game price point.

Amico's doing this from the ground-up.  Building the games, building an install-base, porting and pouring resources into a handful of mobile gems, but I think the trade-off is graphics aren't going to be the masterpiece that draws in sales.  They'll be pretty.  But not the prom queen.  Which sounds a little insulting - but you look at the millions budgeted for some of the smaller, more obscure on that 15 greatest Android TV list, you see the hundreds of millions AAA titles are putting into the most polished graphics, and you realize they aren't going to have that graphic fidelity and applause.  They are aiming for a sweet spot of graphics that look charming or visually enjoyable, without dumping excess into graphics.  Because there isn't a limit into how much you could pour.  

 

Will this sell at $249? (or $209 or 229, we don't know what that launch price will absolutely be yet - I think we all hear a range and take the largest number or jump up a bit, but this really is not quite final, launch price may be a little higher for the first year too)... we'll see. Don't think anything's comparable out there.  If the games are really fun and some of us are getting these for extended families, and it's a hit when friends are over, they won't bat an eye to go pick up a $250 machine.  That's a day trip.  That's a spa day.  That's a a hundred dollars less than an Ancestry.com subscription or a GreatCourses subscription, and those things have tens of millions of subscribers and suprisingly few heavy users as percentage of total customer base.  Amazon's Echo was original $230 and nobody knew what it could do that was that much more useful than calling up Siri or Hey Google on your phone.  And the thing sold without consumers even blinking.  A talking cylinder?  TAKE MY MONEY!!!!.   It's really not so out of a general consumer's price point.. a higher ask than we originally thought, but, if the experience delivers, it's still a bargain for the need it is trying to fill.   

 

Another epic post.  I really hope you end up making a YouTube channel someday!  I have a feeling I'd watch every one of your videos over and over and over again!  Your insight and knowledge on these forums are second to none!

Yes... I've seen Lord Rayken defend Amico on YouTube videos as well.  And as I mentioned in my response, I have no problem with his question at all and he is always respectful and truly wants Amico to succeed!  

I am very interested in knowing his thoughts after our responses as I feel we brought up some interesting points that I feel really differentiate us from Android and/or Apple TV.

Lord Rayken?  What say you?  Have your mind or opinion slightly changed with the answers given?  Or do you still have concerns?  Lets discuss more if interested.

Thanks to both of you for creating a great dialogue.  

Tommy,

I saw your interview with Dorkalicious.  It was very good and they asked some good questions.  I'm still looking forward to the interview you did with Review Tech USA.  

17 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

Might have been asked before, so sorry if it has been.

 

Amico going to have an VR? Or VR games?

Zero plans for VR games now or in the future.  Putting on a VR headset defeats our Together Again messaging.  It's kinda the exact opposite in fact.  Locking yourself away from everyone to enter your own world.  Also... our chip would be incapable of doing anything super cool because in VR you need to output 2 video signals at once (left & right eyes).  

That being said... we do have a really FUNNY VR type of segment in a certain game staring a certain funny character.  That's all I'll say for now. 

17 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

...or Voice Recognition.

 

🤡🤡

If you meant Voice Recognition instead of Virtual Reality then the answer is yes.  But limited to certain games and not a huge vocabulary.  Meaning... you may need to say certain things into the microphone controllers to do or trigger something in the game.  In fact... that certain funny character has some of this in a certain funny game that will be coming out in a few years. 

18 hours ago, IMBerzerk said:

Tommy... all I can say is that you really are a man of great character and poise.  Nice job.. although I admit, I lasted 10 min.... but I got the point quick.

 

If that were me... the video would be about 30 seconds, and would end in typical New York fashion.  So sorry.. I could never qualify for any Customer Service rep for your company... unless you do business Cosa Nostra style.. lol.

Hahahhaa!!  You must be an east coast Italian like me then. 

Yeah... that video went way too long... but I did want to go over every tweet and the timeline of each one in order to 100% prove my point and leave no room for interpretation.  

I think it really says a lot about their true character when a response video like that was made... and instead of calling a truce or wanting to discuss... they instead doubled down on everything and make fun of me because I made that video.  Of course everyone knowing that the reality is they didn't want to acknowledge it because they know I'm right and it proves that they lied.  Watching Ian in that last video was very telling about how personal they are trying to make this and how pissed off he is that we dare try to put out a video game system.  He doesn't get it... and he probably never will.  Neither of them have wives, families of their own so they don't understand the big appeal of what we're doing.  The very obvious and simple mistakes they make are the following.

1.  They don't understand or grasp that (aside from Jackbox) people are not able to play mobile games with each other in the same room.  They truly have zero concept of this most basic knowledge.  I'm assuming it's because they never play mobile games... but even if you don't, you would think you would be able to grasp the idea that mobile gaming is solitary.

2.  They actually think that the Nintendo Switch is a very accessible and easy machine to play and that all families are already playing it.  How many times have you heard Ian try to mock us by saying "FAMILY!, FAMILY!, FAMILIES!" over and over again.  He mocks up because of our family message and actually thinks that Nintendo has already captured this audience and no one else should dare try.  How dare we try to do something different in that market!  It upsets him greatly to the point of ranting and getting all red in the face. His awkward on camera hand and finger moments start to shake even harder.  Really bud?  It bothers you that much?  Lets be honest... you lied about me from the beginning saying that I attacked you,  you refused to speak with me so I could give you more info on what we're doing (they still don't understand!), I proved you were lying from the start and now your ego can't handle it so you feel the need to double down on everything.  

3.  Graphics - They can't grasp the concept that non-gamers and casuals care nothing about graphics.  It's more about the FUN and PLAYABILITY.  Again... very simple concept that is shameful that self-proclaimed retro enthusiasts don't comprehend.

So yeah... just remember all of this the next time you listen to them.  Keep in mind... when they were discussing Amico they admitted that they made a lot of money when they were bashing the Coleco Chameleon "it was the height of our channel!" they gleefully spouted.  Yeah... we get it.  The more you lie and bash us... the more money you make.  And how much is YouTube paying these days for your views?  About 10,000 views on average... hmm... that's almost $10!!  Good job fellas!  Hope it's worth selling out the passion of the retro community for the extra $100 in your pocket this year.  Shame on you.

16 hours ago, OEB_Pete said:

I am down for having you come on the Countdown, let me know when? I just need to get skype installed, haven't used that in a decade.  UPDATE>>> Got it working did a mock interview for 2 minutes with my wife, she was mocking my interview skills!

LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!!!

 

16 hours ago, BiffMan said:

Tommy, any games of the "co-op panic" variety under development?  Things along the lines of Spaceteam or the boardgame Space Alert?  I've always found the simultaneous, but somewhat frantic nature of both to be pretty fun and the Amico controller would be exceptional for that type of game. 

 

Alternatively, would also make a hell of an AD&D dungeon crawler if everyone had their own job/character to control.  Maybe that's how to turn Tarmin into a multiplayer game?  Think Dungeon Master, but real-time with the play centered around controller mini-game inputs to do your attacks/spells/trap disarm/etc.  

Absolutely!!  Love games like Spaceteam!  And really showcases team work stuff.  We will have elements of that in Safe Cracker!  Some others as well that I can't really announce just yet.

Yes to your 2nd question as well.  That is why I showed the 4 dolphins at the beginning of the newest trailer. 

16 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

LOL, wives take every opportunity, don't they?  Planning on balancing the ledger a bit by turning off the Karma engine 😂

 

Hahahha!  You get the best line of the day award!

23 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

So here's a question for you and everyone else here!

 

In regards to Cloudy Mountain.  Would you like to see MORE action or keep it more of a searching around type of game (like the original).  I thought it would be a cool mixture to have some caves/mountains/map areas be more arcade style... meaning... lots of things to shoot and not having to worry about arrow count, etc.  But in other areas... it's more of a searching around type of experience and hearing the horrifying dragon breathing off screen.  I feel a nice mix of both would be welcoming.  I would be concerned if the entire game was too much like the original (more searching than fighting).

What is everyone's thoughts?  Try to think for the masses (not just your personal opinions... although I would be interested to hear that as well).

 

 

I loved the original AD&D, would  personally simply refresh it in graphics and sound.

Thinking wider, maybe mixing searching and fighting, as you suggest, could help with new audience. But definitely not too much fighting, it would not be AD&D.😉

16 hours ago, The Wren said:

Hey Tommy,

 

A quick question about the microphone on the Controllers. Do they register words or sounds? I'm uncertain how it works, if its something that is purely a software or a hardware thing? If you say something into the controller is it recognizing the words or just able to record the sound? Or is that more taken care of by the game rather than the hardware?

 

Cheers  

Yep!  

(answered above in a little more detail).

14 hours ago, Michael Garvey said:

I don't have any inside knowledge about these mysterious features we haven't been told about but the new logo and the little kid's voice saying Amico had me thinking.

 

Tommy also said the Amico means friend and he wants the console to have personality. 

 

What if it HAD A personality?

 

What if you turn it on and the controller has two eyes and a mouth and says "hello"

 

What if it asks you if you'd like to play.

 

What if you turn it on a week later and it says it misses you cause you didn't play for a while.

 

It could even recommend turning it off if you are playing too long. "Let's take a break friend.  We can have fun together tomorrow. "

 

It could literally walk you through the menu and how to select games.

 

Maybe you could change the voice to 3 or 4 presets. 

 

Just a thought.

You're going to remember this post.   

14 hours ago, Atari_Master said:

Also I like the little kid's voice saying Amico.

Thanks!  I wasn't sure how folks were going to react to that.  I kept it out of the first time I revealed the animated logo figuring people would just attack it and say it's too much for kids, etc.  But everyone who heard it kept telling me I should put it back in.  So I did.  

My idea is that depending on the game... you could have a different voice say Amico in the logo.  So, if it's Night Stalker (for example) it could be a dark robotic voice.  If it was Shuffleboard it could be a grandparents voice, etc.  

Note:  The kids voice is my brothers son Mikey.  He's my only blood nephew (and I don't have any nieces) and I'm his "godfather" (cue mandolin music please).

14 hours ago, Michael Garvey said:

 

That would be so cool.

 

Imagine going over your friends house and having your controller say " Hi friend" to the other Amico.  And then the other controller saying "welcome what games to you bring for us to play?"

That would be cool wouldn't it.  I wonder if kids would like that as well.    

As long as it's not overdone and super cheesy.  

Remember that ANNOYING "Clippy" thing from Microsoft.  Yikes!!!

1 minute ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Thanks!  I wasn't sure how folks were going to react to that.  I kept it out of the first time I revealed the animated logo figuring people would just attack it and say it's too much for kids, etc.  But everyone who heard it kept telling me I should put it back in.  So I did.  

My idea is that depending on the game... you could have a different voice say Amico in the logo.  So, if it's Night Stalker (for example) it could be a dark robotic voice.  If it was Shuffleboard it could be a grandparents voice, etc.  

Note:  The kids voice is my brothers son Mikey.  He's my only blood nephew (and I don't have any nieces) and I'm his "godfather" (cue mandolin music please).

 

 

Yeah, I thought the voice was added.  Because it wasn't there in the first reveal. I thought it was a nice touch. It would be cool to have different voices when playing certain games.  Go Mikey!  😃

4 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Note:  The kids voice is my brothers son Mikey.  He's my only blood nephew (and I don't have any nieces) and I'm his "godfather" (cue mandolin music please).

 

 

Tommy...for being the official voice of Amico...Did you make him an offer he couldn't refuse? (cue the groans)

14 hours ago, Michael Garvey said:

@Swami

 

I can imagine a persona like game where instead of getting girlfriends and fighting demons you just make friends with people and maybe even dont fight anything.   Or you "fight" mean things with kind words or fight an animal who has a cold with tissues, orange juice and a thermometer.   Fight a cloudy monster with Ray's of sunshine and combat its attacks with umbrellas. Fight the night with flashlights and candles.

 

Games dont have to be violent to be fun and introducing young kids to the wonders of rpgs would really help the future of the genre. 

EXACTLY!!!!!!

Why does it seem everything is always about FIGHTING in video games when it comes to games like this.  As you mentioned... even Pokemon is about battling, fighting, defeating.   We are looking for something like this to add to our "to do" list.  If anyone knows of an RPG like this... please post YouTube or Steam or Mobile links.

Hi Tommy ! I have yet another question about high scores. You have already answered and said there would be local high scores with place to enter your name /initials. I had a thought about multi player games, for example Astrosmash. Would it be possible to have a place for 2 names or 2 initials when it’s multiplayer coop ? If I have a high score with my daughter or a high score with my wife, it would be super cool to be able to enter 2 names for a coop team game !!  Same if there was a game with 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 .....thoughts ?

13 hours ago, LePionnier said:

 

Thanks for posting!  A few nuggets revealed in this one. 

17 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

My idea is that depending on the game... you could have a different voice say Amico in the logo.  So, if it's Night Stalker (for example) it could be a dark robotic voice.  If it was Shuffleboard it could be a grandparents voice, etc.  

I totally agree !

17 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Note:  The kids voice is my brothers son Mikey.  He's my only blood nephew (and I don't have any nieces) and I'm his "godfather" (cue mandolin music please).

Really nice voice with the logo. That was one of my question to know who have done it. Great !

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Zero plans for VR games now or in the future.  Putting on a VR headset defeats our Together Again messaging.  It's kinda the exact opposite in fact.  Locking yourself away from everyone to enter your own world.  Also... our chip would be incapable of doing anything super cool because in VR you need to output 2 video signals at once (left & right eyes).  

 

That being said... we do have a really FUNNY VR type of segment in a certain game staring a certain funny character.  That's all I'll say for now. 

 

 

Yup didn't think about it in terms of the separation aspect.