Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

1 hour ago, TestaOn said:

Tommy,

 

Is there a marketing benefit for the Amico in seeing the original Intellivision in popular retro settings? Why I’m thinking this is that I keep hoping for a prominent product placement in the gigantic ‘Stranger Things’ series. The boys are often setting up or playing Dungeons & Dragons and I just sit there hoping Mike might say, “Can we play D&D on Intellivision tonight, guys?”

 

Unfortunately, season 1 and 2 were set in 1983 & 1984, which might have been more perfect timing. Season 4 might be set in the year of the Nintendo.

 

Also, I’m only on Season 3, Ep. 3 so maybe it’s still to come this year. 

We were a little too late for Stranger Things unfortunately.  We had the exact idea... but it only would have made sense in the first season.

That being said...  How about Ready Player Two!!!   Wouldn't that be amazing. 

 

Interesting to me that they see No DLC, Loot Boxes or In-App purchases as a NEGATIVE and "backwards".  I guess hardcores have gotten so used to it that they see any other way is being "wrong".  A lot of this was comparing us to the Coleco Chameleon.  Looking forward to showing them what the game industry was like before they were born. 

 

They picked the best-case scenario for DLC--an inexpensive expansion pack--and declared not allowing DLC is a bad thing.  

That idea ignores all the games where DLC is essentially required for the base game, any "pay2play" DLC, the gambling aspect of loot boxes, and the simple idea parents may like the idea of not getting nagged to buy the latest cool character skin or outfit.

But sure, inexpensive expansion packs that add to a complete game can be fun.  It may also be a moot point, since we don't have a list of games yet.

What they ask (pack of 1000 more questions) can still be done with this model, Tommy already suggested this before:

game:  80's Video game master

add 1000 new questions

game:  80's Video game master... 2

Really, its not freaking rocket science guys.  If the COD were going to be released on this, I get the need for map packs but that's not the type of games I see on the console. At least AMICO won't be charging me $70 a year for what amounts to more or less bloody roster updates LOL

I'm fine with one segment of the gaming industry having their DLC or Loot or season packs but hell yes there's room for a system like this that is free of these

3 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Interesting to me that they see No DLC, Loot Boxes or In-App purchases as a NEGATIVE and "backwards".  I guess hardcores have gotten so used to it that they see any other way is being "wrong".  A lot of this was comparing us to the Coleco Chameleon.  Looking forward to showing them what the game industry was like before they were born. 

 

 

 

I saw that video yesterday too such an odd thing to get hung up on I thought 

the idea that anyone would compare amico to the chameleon is laughable. 

1 hour ago, Loafer said:

What they ask (pack of 1000 more questions) can still be done with this model, Tommy already suggested this before:

 

game:  80's Video game master

add 1000 new questions

game:  80's Video game master... 2

 

Really, its not freaking rocket science guys.  If the COD were going to be released on this, I get the need for map packs but that's not the type of games I see on the console. At least AMICO won't be charging me $70 a year for what amounts to more or less bloody roster updates LOL

 

I'm fine with one segment of the gaming industry having their DLC or Loot or season packs but hell yes there's room for a system like this that is free of these

Your right - what is the difference between selling "Ecco the Dolphin" and then a DLC or just "Ecco 2 The Next Wave" - especially at Amico prices. Also with low priced items you actually run up against credit card processing fee bases - that is why your local donut shop has a $5 minimum for credit card use. So as a business do you really want to do $2 or $3 DLCs much less potentially alienate parents by trying to 'upsell' them in a game to the DLC?

According to one of the sources of this forum (Intymike), we could have access very soon to the new video of Intellivision Entertainment. He did not seem very certain, but he thinks the date will be July 13th. Only a few more days to see if he was right! Another source (Alpha 82) believes that it will be the 22nd. We'll see. But most of our sources think it will be at the end of July.

We'll see if any of these sources will be added to my Amico friend list ! lol  

Tommy, are you nervous ( a little ! )to see our reaction after we will see this trailer. ( I know you're confident, but it's probably still stressful !? )

What no July 27.... My source (m-crew ) thinks its going to be July 27   For some reason I going with that source... lmao !!! can't wait to see the next trailer that's for sure. What ever that date may be.

4 hours ago, m-crew said:

What no July 27.... My source (m-crew ) thinks its going to be July 27   For some reason I going with that source... lmao !!! can't wait to see the next trailer that's for sure. What ever that date may be.

Yes of course. I just mentioned the first two dates.

But if you insist ... 

Here it is :

July 13th Intymike

July 22nd Alpha 82

July 25th Le Pionnier ( I hope somebody else win, because I don't want to be friend of myself ! lol )

July 27th M-crew

July 30th Atarifan88

July 31st Amico Tommy ( I must confess that I was fearful with this date that it may mean that it may be in August ... But it is also possible that he put the farthest date in July to give us a chance! )  lol

So, 6 sources.  Do we have a chance to see a winner ?

5 hours ago, LePionnier said:

According to one of the sources of this forum (Intymike), we could have access very soon to the new video of Intellivision Entertainment. He did not seem very certain, but he thinks the date will be July 13th. Only a few more days to see if he was right! Another source (Alpha 82) believes that it will be the 22nd. We'll see. But most of our sources think it will be at the end of July.

We'll see if any of these sources will be added to my Amico friend list ! lol  

 

Tommy, are you nervous ( a little ! )to see our reaction after we will see this trailer. ( I know you're confident, but it's probably still stressful !? )

 

I'm not nervous about anything ever.

Especially this.

14 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Hi!,

 

We have a few great slogans lined up (we haven't picked the final one yet) and will be using them once our marketing kicks in.  They are based around the things you've mentioned in yours.  We feel we'll have multiple ones depending on the audience we're marketing to as well.

One thing I'd like to bring up in case anyone is interested.  We never refer to it as "The" Amico.  We always just say Amico.  I want it to feel like it's a part of the family and someone close to you.  Not The Friend... but My Friend.  More about this will be revealed next year.  

There are definitely some "hard" games!  Especially the 25% arcade style games we're doing.  All of our focus group testing shows that hardcore gamers really like the games targeted at them and they love the fact that they can play with or against their friends in a same room.  It's that Super Smash Bros. vibe they get (playing together in a room)... but with a more simple feel where others can join in.

 

How about TV advertising? How about Martha Plimpton doing the commercials!

2 hours ago, LePionnier said:

 

Yes of course. I just mentioned the first two dates.

But if you insist ... 

Here it is :

July 13th Intymike

July 22nd Alpha 82

July 25th Le Pionnier ( I hope somebody else win, because I don't want to be friend of myself ! lol )

July 27th M-crew

July 30th Atarifan88

July 31st Amico Tommy ( I must confess that I was fearful with this date that it may mean that it may be in August ... But it is also possible that he put the farthest date in July to give us a chance! )  lol

 

So, 6 sources.  Do we have a chance to see a winner ?

 

I said the 27th as well but I will change mine to the 23rd and take that spot.

I'll take the 29th, last Monday of the month so many days of interviews with the press possible for the rest of the week.

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

I'm not nervous about anything ever.

Especially this.

 

 

Jose Cuervo, you are a friend of mine.😂

15 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

We were a little too late for Stranger Things unfortunately.  We had the exact idea... but it only would have made sense in the first season.

 

That being said...  How about Ready Player Two!!!   Wouldn't that be amazing. 

 

I'd like to see a Stranger Things game on the Amico... much like that 8-bit game Netflix put out for download to smartphones, but better.  It was very retro and a lot of fun to play.

As for a cameo in Ready Player One, the Intellivision made a cameo in it.  When Halliday was in his room looking for the egg, he reached under his computer desk with the TRS-80 on it, and you can see the Inty on the very left side of the table legs.  But that's it...

Once again.. the A2600 stole the show.  

Yeah... I picked that movie apart.  I was kinda pissed about it being so different than the book, but it was still really good. 

PS... I prefer to say "height challenged" rather than short... I'm barely 5'8" .. lol.

Forgot about Pickleball. My kid and his friends love it.

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/pickleball-fastest-growing-sport-you-ve-never-heard-ncna992106

12 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

I'm not nervous about anything ever.
Especially this.

 

Love it. #1 best feature of the Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico

I got my neighbor excited for the Amico last night.  He kept asking when is it coming out.

We chatted last night and it looks like his 11 year old son talked the mom into buying Grand Theft Auto a week ago.  The dad had heard bits about the game and wasn't sure it was appropriate for the son.  A few days later, dad and son sat down to play together and after a few minutes the dad said "Sorry, but this game isn't appropriate for you" and had to take the game away.

Queue the Amico sales pitch and the dad's now interested.

Side note: the dad complained about the XBox 360 being for technical people with all the account and configuring you have to do.  They've avoided upgrading to the XBox One because of that.

6 hours ago, boxpressed said:

Forgot about Pickleball. My kid and his friends love it.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/pickleball-fastest-growing-sport-you-ve-never-heard-ncna992106

Oh wow!  I had never heard of it, but now understand why the park down the street from me has these courts!  I thought it was for midget tennis or something. 
 

T.T.
 

3 hours ago, Lathe26 said:

I got my neighbor excited for the Amico last night.  He kept asking when is it coming out.

 

We chatted last night and it looks like his 11 year old son talked the mom into buying Grand Theft Auto a week ago.  The dad had heard bits about the game and wasn't sure it was appropriate for the son.  A few days later, dad and son sat down to play together and after a few minutes the dad said "Sorry, but this game isn't appropriate for you" and had to take the game away.

 

Queue the Amico sales pitch and the dad's now interested.

 

Side note: the dad complained about the XBox 360 being for technical people with all the account and configuring you have to do.  They've avoided upgrading to the XBox One because of that.

Thanks for sharing your story... and for informing him about Amico!  

We've heard this same type of story over and over and over again.  This has become the majority at this point.  More and more people getting totally disenfranchised with gaming systems.  Too complex, too mature, huge learning curve, takes too much time to learn and play a new game... etc., etc., etc...

This is exactly why I scratch my head when "hardcores" will come in here (or on YouTube) and say I'm crazy and that no one is going to buy the system and it doesn't have an audience.  They literally have no idea what they're talking about and can't see past their own biases and lives.  

That's okay though... if it was easy then everyone would be doing it and we all wouldn't be here today talking about the return of Intellivision. 

Thanks again for sharing and for helping to spread the word!  Looking forward to a time where MILLIONS of people from around the globe are sharing their Amico experiences with all their friends!  Word of mouth is going to be a HUGE factor in our success.  Which is why it's so important to get it 100% right out of the box on launch.

This Neo Geo game I've been playing lately are the exact types of games I'd like to see on the Amico...and before the game starts there's even a message "suitable for all ages"

20 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

We've heard this same type of story over and over and over again.  This has become the majority at this point.  More and more people getting totally disenfranchised with gaming systems.  Too complex, too mature, huge learning curve, takes too much time to learn and play a new game... etc., etc., etc...

This really hits home when I look at my actual gaming habits. I have a gaming PC (custom loop, RGB glowy goodness - the works) but in the living room I have a "media center PC". In the evenings I hardly ever watch media on it, instead I play games. It isn't the most powerful machine in the world but it can play Doom, Just Cause 3 or Hitman 2 if you crank the settings down/way down. However that isn't what I play because I am usually looking to relax after work or do something low key because everyone is asleep. My recent playlist look like this:

• Slay the Spire
• Kingdom New Lands
• Forager
• Overcooked
• Don't Starve
• Bridge Constructor
• Back To Bed
• Little Nightmares
• Slime Rancher
• Clustertruck

Those are basically all Amico friendly games (not to say those specific games might fit 100% - but definitely games like them). In fact I my #1 hours of gaming booked on Steam has been in Slay The Spire (a turned based, rogue like deck building game). Literally a game where can leave for dinner in the middle of a combat - without pausing the game - and come back and pick up the fight again. I think a lot of gamers out of the school/college situation where you can play 12 hours of Fortnight a day fall more into my situation. Occasionally tackling a AAA game but actually usually playing low key indies.

On 7/9/2019 at 8:52 AM, Tommy Tallarico said:

Interesting to me that they see No DLC, Loot Boxes or In-App purchases as a NEGATIVE and "backwards".  I guess hardcores have gotten so used to it that they see any other way is being "wrong".  A lot of this was comparing us to the Coleco Chameleon.  Looking forward to showing them what the game industry was like before they were born. 

 

 

 

I seems these guys are reviewing the amico through the subjective lens of gamers, despite IE not having much investment there. That is understandable given their audience. I am curious if all the E3 closed preview attendees were from the gamer focused press. Are the any such reviews from attendees that are more focused on the casual/non-gamer audience? I know they can’t talk specifics, but I am wondering if they were represented as the few videos I’ve seen are all gamer-focused. Maybe only gamers go, but that would seem an odd choice of marketing focus. 

1 hour ago, Swami said:

I seems these guys are reviewing the amico through the subjective lens of gamers, despite IE not having much investment there. That is understandable given their audience. I am curious if all the E3 closed preview attendees were from the gamer focused press. Are the any such reviews from attendees that are more focused on the casual/non-gamer audience? I know they can’t talk specifics, but I am wondering if they were represented as the few videos I’ve seen are all gamer-focused. Maybe only gamers go, but that would seem an odd choice of marketing focus. 

Yes.  E3 is more for the hardcore gamers.  But that wasn't the real reason we went.  The reason is that E3 is the place where all of the big box retailers and distributors from around the world gather to do deals for 2020.  That was our main focus.  Showing a few of the top industry journalists and analyst was a bonus... and the hardcores all loved it... which is a GREAT sign considering they aren't even our initial target market.