Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

4 hours ago, Michael Garvey said:

Oh another question:

 

18) Does Mike Dietz ever make caricatures of folks in the office?

Not yet... but I've seen him do lots of Earthworm Jim's!

Maybe I'll get him to do a John Alvarado caricature and send it to you!

3 hours ago, AtariSociety said:

Hah!  Love all those ideas.

If my internet was not so sucky... I would have done it long ago.

Unfortunately with satellite internet I am quite shackled to what I can do... so no streaming of video... no Skype... no VOIP... non of that.

I will come up with something one day though... and yeh... could include some vegan allergy meds!

hahaha

TJ

I'll be waiting!  Ready when you are!

1 minute ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Not yet... but I've seen him do lots of Earthworm Jim's!

Maybe I'll get him to do a John Alvarado caricature and send it to you!

 

 

But only after Earthworm Jim is out otherwise people will blame me for any delays.

Lol

😅

3 hours ago, mr_me said:

According to the faq on the Amico website, the Amico is capable of 3D.  We're not talking realtime photorealistic 3D modeling but something simpler.  Amico Auto Racing might be 3D.  Amico Night Stalker is not, it's fake 3D but done very well.  Both games have nice looking graphics.  As has been said it's really the gameplay that matters.  And the controllers will be a key part of that experience.

 

For games like cornhole and bowling I don't know if it's easier for programmers to render in 3D or fake it.  Regardless of how it looks, it's most important that the motion control is done right so it's not gimmicky and requires realistic throwing action.  Not quite rocket science but close.

Cornhole, Bowling & Auto Racing might be considered 3D I guess... because it is created in 3D and the car, ball or bag can kinda go anywhere.... but not really... it's still in a controlled field.  None of them are "free-roaming 3D"  That is thing we're really not in to doing.  Not impossible or off the list forever... but certainly not our focus at this time.

4 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

I'll be waiting!  Ready when you are!

 

You know... my specialty is fly fishing... What I should do is get you out on the river this summer and do some fly fishing and interview as we fish.  

Some rock hopping... I am catch & release so even a vegan can do it. 

Of course we will camp too so we can shoot the shit at the campfire and really get to the bottom of what makes you tick.

TJ

1 minute ago, AtariSociety said:

You know... my specialty is fly fishing... What I should do is get you out on the river this summer and do some fly fishing and interview as we fish.  

Some rock hopping... I am catch & release so even a vegan can do it. 

 

TJ

Tommy can catch seaweed. That's vegan right?

😂

So Tommy In terms of 3d power although not important so much  . Where does the hardware stand   wii , wii u , 360  in between any  more ore less than any.  Just out of curiosity.   Again I know you are not doing any open works 3d  atleast not for time being.  Just was curious at where the hardware potentially sits around.  

2 minutes ago, Michael Garvey said:

Tommy can catch seaweed. That's vegan right?

 

😂

No seaWEED where I fish...  It is just my allergies... I tells ya!

TJ

3 hours ago, GrumpyOl'Guy said:

Hi everyone,

 

Been lurking for a while (mainly enjoying the conversation and little bits of information as time goes on), but wanted to pop on and actually say something on the subject.

 

First, thank you all for being so active on the forum, and just keeping the banter going in general. It's been a welcome distraction as things get more stressed daily in the world.

Honestly, it's that sentiment that sort of steers toward why I've been so intrigued by the Amico. Growing up, I just loved gaming. Video games, card games, tabletop... if people were playing, I wanted in. Over time, the combination of work/family/just life in general has eroded a good bit of the time and drive to play, limiting me to focus more on my favorites. Still, as I suppose nostalgia will do, I can't help but think back to those older days...

 

One of my favorite NES title was Blades of Steel (jokingly, I always appreciated that the loser of a fight got sent to the box), but I'm not  a huge hockey fan.

Playing Columns on the Sega Master System was how I enjoyed riding out a spring shower, wanting to get back to the interrupted game of whiffle ball being played outside minutes earlier.

Talking over party strategies for Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord and the first Final Fantasy made for more interesting debate than our rudimentary early Magic: the Gathering decks at school.

Unwinding with the family (my parents & brother) playing games like Anticipation on a Friday evening was the best way to start the weekend (ok, maybe not the BEST, I was slow at inputting the letters)

 

I can honestly say, partially due to my own devices, and partially due to changing times, gaming just isn't like that for me anymore. I do my thing, the Mrs. does hers. Playing Pokemon with my son has its moments, but I truly treasure the times he wants to play Galaga (an arcade cabinet that I'd probably fed a house's down-payment's worth of quarters into. Thank goodness I've got it on console now). Humble brag, my boy's 5 and can set up a chess board. I also enjoy that, though he tends to get mad if I take his knights.

 

Sorry, got lost in my own ramble. What I mean to say is that, when I'd first heard of the Amico, I was vaguely intrigued. I remember a friend of mine's dad picking up the Intellivision Lives compilation for PS2, and we played that one weekend while working on a D&D campaign. For the record, the complexity of play in Thunder Castle, combined with its well styled fantasy setting, made me an instant fan. Probably played that for most of my turns that weekend. The Arthurian legend geek in me just couldn't put it down. So, I started paying a bit more attention as time went on, and the things that have resonated with me have less to do with any tangible aspect of the console or the games themselves, but rather that it hearkens back to a time where gaming culture felt like an extended family. A time where there was always time to play. Where a person might have a 'favorite' game, but playing a different game with others was no big deal, because they were all fun. You just showed up, got to gaming, and loved every second.

 

As a final question, I wanted to ask something about the upcoming baseball title. Using another old favorite of mine, R.B.I. 2, as reference on this. I always felt like that game (and R.B.I. 3) hit about the sweet spot for me as far as options go - default lineups played well enough, but taking a few seconds to optimize a lineup could make all the difference (like holding back an infielder with 15 HR to pinch hit when the opposing pitcher looked to be tiring, for example). I also enjoyed the fact that playing opponents in the same league would just move you to random opponents after each game (like a mini-season), but and inter-league match up would take you to a best-of-seven series (I'm a Pirates fan: it's the only way I was going to see the Series!)

 

What kind of features might we expect to see from the upcoming Intellivision Baseball? I'm curious to know where it will land on the arcade/sim gauge, and am personally very excited to play!

Thank you all for enduring this post. Off to ice my fingers now...

Hi!,

Thanks so much for joining the conversation.  Happy 1st post!  Hopefully some more to come.  Welcome to the Q&A thread.

I totally feel ya in regards to modern gaming.  Exactly the reason I started this journey in the first place (aside from imagining and pretended I was the president of Intellivision when I was 11 years old). 

I haven't really spoken too much about Intellivision Baseball so thanks for asking.  It will be a lot like the original and World Championship Baseball (so more arcade fun than anything) yet will have a LOT of additional animations, teams, colors and added "fun" features (Homerun celebrations, etc.).  We have a big announcement about it coming in a few months that I think will blow a lot of folks away and really drive home how unique our marketing is and how we'll be getting to millions of families across the U.S.  

Thanks again for the post and the support!!!

3 hours ago, RxScram said:

For the longest time, I dreamt about doing just that... but, what kid doesn't dream of going into space? In my adult life, not so much.

 

Why would I want to do the office space printer scene on the rover? They have all been some of the most incredible, durable, and amazing machines ever built by man. Spirit and Opportunity had 90 day mission warranty. They made 6 and 14 years, respectively. Well above the call of duty.

 

The curiosity rover had a 2 year warranty, and is still going very strong 8 years after landing. More than likely, its wheel treads will breakdown before anything else.

 

The mars 2020 rover (officially named Perseverance now) is essentially using the Curiosity chassis, and was scheduled to launch summer of this year. I imagine that may change and be delayed a couple of years until the next launch window, given Covid-19. This is the rover I worked on.

You see here folks...

THIS is the caliber of amazing triple A talent we have working with us at Intellivision!!!!!!!!

I wonder how many folks at Atari have sent shit to Mars?

2 hours ago, Swami said:

 

Somehow these posts led me to find this: 

 

 

It made me think about a possible type of photography/exploration/STEM game kids might like. They could travel to a planet in another galaxy and explore it in a rover or drone.  Maybe have 1-5 different devices as controllers. Take pictures of landscape, life-forms, storms, etc. Might be some hostile plants or goo they have to knock out with the flash on the camera or a sleep spray. Sampling items, like with an arcade crane machine, using a controller. Might have to avoid or navigate storms with another controller. Manage solar charging, etc. Get scores for how good each one does. There could be four or five regions of the planet to explore.

 

Also, you could also having different players operate different parts of the crane/claw to cooperate together. That might even be a game in itself.

Mount some guns on that sucker and give it a JUMP button and you gets you some MOON PATROL!!!

Just now, Tommy Tallarico said:

Mount some guns on that sucker and give it a JUMP button and you gets you some MOON PATROL!!!

 

 

Will the eventual sequel to Moon Patrol be Mars Patrol?

1 minute ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Mount some guns on that sucker and give it a JUMP button and you gets you some MOON PATROL!!!

 

 

Yeah, I realized if I added a game with a lot of scares to blast through, I’d be recreating your moon Patrol. 😆. 

1 hour ago, Alpha82 said:

this video from what I clipped from it has some bad information and I was hoping to engage him in discussion but sadly comments are turned off and he uses discord for that which I don’t have maybe someone else could at least let him know education games will be coming but as mass marketing hasn’t started yet those have not been shown 

So sad that he isn't aware that 20% of our launch titles are Edutainment/Kids and we literally have THE BIGGEST children's educational license IN THE WORLD (that others don't have).  Please try to get a hold of him and let him know.  Also let him know I'm more than happy to speak to him about it if he'd like to do an interview or have a private phone conversation.

I actually had a cut of the trailer with a few of the kids stuff in there... but not a lot of folks liked it in there as it didn't fit with the rest of the stuff shown... so we took it out.

This is exactly how misinformation gets out there.  And the title of his video is off as well.  This is the kind of false bullshit that those 2 negative lying haters spawn.  Shame on them.  I hope their community finally starts to see the phonies they truly are.

Thanks.

Tommy has the right idea when it comes to haters.  He wants to communicate and open a friendly dialogue and engage them in conversation. 

I wish more people in the world would view negative people as opportunities for real connections. 

We all could learn a lot more if we faced challenges like Tommy. 

That's not fanboy talk. That's an honest answer about a guy who has done nothing but help people and remain positive for 50 years (hope I got your age right Tommy)

And if you want fanboy talk I'll be starting a John Alvarado forum in the near future.  No Amico talk just all about John all the time.

🙂

P.S. I'm not calling this specific YouTube video a hater but we all know some haters that lately have been talked about in this forum and I like to not mention names because i dont like to say bad things or negative things. 

1 hour ago, haplo13 said:

Inspired by OEB_Pete's video, I've decided to post my interest/excitement ranking for each game in the latest gameplay trailer.  I'm using a 0-5 scale where 
0 = not interested at all
1 = looks ok but probably would only purchase if it goes on sale
2 = I'm interested and may purchase but probably after the others
3 = A likely purchase
4 = A definite purchase
5 = Reserved for the few I'm most interested/excited in

 

Ecco: 4 - never played the original but could see this being a fun game to play with the kids.

SafeCracker: 3 - never played the original but the idea seems interesting.

Pool: 2 - For me, this game really comes down to how good the controls are.

Auto Racing: 4 - looks fun.  again controls will be key

Shark Shark: 4 - my family plays this on the flashback.  I'm hoping the karma engine helps even up the chances when I play with the kids.

Cornhole: 5 - This game looks fantastic and fun to play. Our family really loves motion control games.

Breakout: 3 - I've always been a bit indifferent to breakout games but this does look fun and I think the kids will like it.

Astrosmash: 3 - I like the original but wasn't fanatical about it.  I lump this into a similar bucket as breakout.  

Hotwheels type game: 5 - I'm really intrigued by this game.  I think it looks like it could be loads of fun.  Definitely want to see more.

Armor Battle: 2 - For me this game comes down to how well it evens out the skill level and what fun/unique weapons it has.  The more I see, the higher this score could go.

Bomberman clone: 3 - Never played Bomberman.  The clip looked a bit chaotic but I can see potential for this to be a good couch co-op game.

Pong: 2 - Probably a game my kids will enjoy more than me.

Recording game: 5 - Party games will likely be a big hit in our household.  The sillier the better for my kids.

Missile Command: 3 - Again, never played the original. On par with Breakout and Astrosmash for me.

Evel Knievel: 4 - This games looks like it could be a lot of fun.  No one in my family is going to care that it is a mobile port.

Farkle/Dice: 3 - We like playing the real version of Farkle.  Will the Amico version be enough to make us go digital?

Skiing: 4 - Looks like a lot of fun.  I can see this one getting a lot of playtime for our family.

Biplanes: 4 - Absolutely loved the original biplanes so that alone has me really excited for this.  I can't wait to see more!

Emoji guessing game: 5 - Another party game so will be a hit with us.

Asteroids: 3 - Another on par with Breakout, Astrosmash, and Missile Command.

AD&D: 5 - Loved the original.  New one looks like it stayed pretty faithful to the gameplay.  Can't wait!

Moon Patrol: 3 - Liked this game as a kid.  Really wanting to see the co-op modes before I give it a higher score.

Night Stalker: 5 - I think I am most excited for Night Stalker (well, maybe tied with AD&D).  Couch co-op looks like a ton of fun on this.
 

Wow!  Nice to see so many 3's, 4's & 5's!!

I think Pong & Armor Battle will eventually get up to 3 on your list when you see more modes and gameplay. 

Pool is pool... ain't gonna lie!  But it is one of the MOST POPULAR casual games in the world!  And our controls are going to be pretty fun.  But it won't be for everyone.

58 minutes ago, The Wren said:

Actually I never have seen either the Evel Knievel game or the Emoji charades before. If they are ports great...its allowed as long as they are Amico friendly/special. They weren't my favorites in the trailer...HOWEVER...they were my wife and daughter's favorites! Skiing as well for all of us!

 

Tommy I know you said you were looking at things like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Any chance of a Family Feud game as well? Any chance they could be made to use the microphone to give answers in voice?

 

Cheers  

Exactly!!  It's interesting... when we polled a huge group of females on the trailer they said their favorites were PONG, Evel Knievel, Safe Cracker, Emoji Charades and Shark! Shark!

Quite hilarious that those were most of the games that Pat & Ian hated the most.  Kinda gives ya the sense that maybe they don't have too much female interactions in their daily lives?  Not joking. 

A previous poster mentioned how angry they get when they talk about anything "family" related.  Why is that?  Maybe because they don't have their own family units to relate to.  And that's okay.  They aren't our target market so I know they'll dislike it.  It's the lying, misinformation and inability to understand how mobile games operate that is the perplexing part. 

30 minutes ago, Nolagamer said:

So Tommy In terms of 3d power although not important so much  . Where does the hardware stand   wii , wii u , 360  in between any  more ore less than any.  Just out of curiosity.   Again I know you are not doing any open works 3d  atleast not for time being.  Just was curious at where the hardware potentially sits around.  

Not sure.  Not something we really test for or against. 

I  am going to be totally honest. I watched that 8 minute video about everybody hates intellivision and all I could think was "what is in those boxes?"

I mean what a tease.  To show two big boxes in the background and not even acknowledge them.

OWB Pete would never do such a thing.

He'd open those boxes and show what's inside.

13 minutes ago, Michael Garvey said:

Tommy has the right idea when it comes to haters.  He wants to communicate and open a friendly dialogue and engage them in conversation. 

 

I wish more people in the world would view negative people as opportunities for real connections. 

 

We all could learn a lot more if we faced challenges like Tommy. 

 

That's not fanboy talk. That's an honest answer about a guy who has done nothing but help people and remain positive for 50 years (hope I got your age right Tommy)

 

And if you want fanboy talk I'll be starting a John Alvarado forum in the near future.  No Amico talk just all about John all the time.

 

🙂

 

P.S. I'm not calling this specific YouTube video a hater but we all know some haters that lately have been talked about in this forum and I like to not mention names because i dont like to say bad things or negative things. 

Yeah... I don't think he is a hater at all.  He has made positive videos about Amico in the past.  He just received bad info from the PU Podcast and he didn't read our FAQ. 

It's not obvious... so I don't blame him... I just wish he could have reached out before making a video... or at least have the COMMENTS turned on the video so we could have commented and let him know.

I left a few messages on some of his recent Instagram pics in hopes that he sees them or reaches out.

1 minute ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yeah... I don't think he is a hater at all.  He has made positive videos about Amico in the past.  He just received bad info from the PU Podcast and he didn't read our FAQ. 

It's not obvious... so I don't blame him... I just wish he could have reached out before making a video... or at least have the COMMENTS turned on the video so we could have commented and let him know.

 

I left a few messages on some of his recent Instagram pics in hopes that he sees them or reaches out.

 

 

You're one nice fellow Mr. Tallarico. 

I mean you're no John Alvarado but you're close enough. 

Will pool be a stand alone game or will it be a multi game  like with another basic yet full game or 2?  Or ate you undecided yet still. 

7 hours ago, vongruetz said:

Close.  The correct answer is "Joust."  But thanks for playing.

 

Also would have accepted FIFA '98 or God of War II.

 

And BurgerTime.  Actually, you had some great games.  I never had an SNES (as I was a Genesis kid) but I totally respect this list... except for Metal Gear. Earth Worm Jim is much better  

 

Thanks for sharing.  

That's interesting, because I find FIFA 98 is the most overrated soccer game I've ever played. Spanish magazines gave it 9/10 and I didn't understand it. Goal Storm 97 (the American version of Winning Eleven 97, known in Europe as International Supestar Soccer Pro), released a year before in Japan, blew that game out of the water, and ISS 98, released at the same time than FIFA 98, was even better. Even International Superstar Soccer/Jikkyō World Soccer (1994), for the Genesis/SNES, was a much more playable game than FIFA 98 and offered a great balance between passing/dribbling and attack/defence.

I'm not saying FIFA 98 is the worst soccer game ever made: It's certainly better than the FIFA games before it (97 was abysmal) and it had a great 3D engine. But I didn't like it even as an arcade soccer game (ISS Deluxe/Pro were simulation, but by 1997 there were several great arcade soccer game in the arcades, such as Tecmo World Soccer '96, Goal! Goal! Goal!, Soccer Brawl or Versus Net Soccer).

By the way, a few weeks ago I asked Tommy the same question specifying that he could only choose one single game and he answered Super Mario Bros. 🤓

1 hour ago, Michael Garvey said:

Tommy can catch seaweed. That's vegan right?

 

😂

Catching seaweed sucks as a kid. "Awe yeah, I've caught me a big one. Oh crap..."

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Exactly!!  It's interesting... when we polled a huge group of females on the trailer they said their favorites were PONG, Evel Knievel, Safe Cracker, Emoji Charades and Shark! Shark!

There's definitely something special about "Shark! Shark!".  A quick story: at my university, I decided to kick off this semester with a retro gaming party, hosted through our Computer Science Club.  One of the systems in the exhibit (all from my own collection) was an Intellivision, complete with a full ECS setup.  The Music Synthesizer keyboard and Melody Blaster definitely got the most attention, since the students had never seen anything like them, but I also wanted to find something less intimidating that non-gamers could enjoy.  There was one Chinese student in particular who had never played anything other than Pokémon, so I showed her "Shark! Shark!" and explained the rules in the form of the proverb that the game was based on: "big fish eat little fish."  She got the idea right away and was excited to try it, and a short explanation of the controls (less than a minute) was all that she needed; we took turns playing it for the next twenty minutes and she got a really good score!  If that experience is any indication, I'm sure that a new version on the Amico would do very well.