Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

Tommy,

Will you be able to put money on your online account in October,  so let say I have some extra money one month, can I put like $25 or $50 on my online Amico Account and then as games come into the store I can spend that money?

So Tommy,

You've collected an all star staff of outstanding people.

Would you consider Intellivision to be the Justice League or the Legion of Doom?

Please dont say Avengers because of your unnatural love of all things Spiderman.   I know, I know. We get it. Number One Spiderman Fan.  We've seen the pictures. 

Lol

🤣😂😆

1 hour ago, Starpaddler said:

Cool!  Clue, Colonel Mustered edition.  Mr. Green edition previously shown earlier in this thread 🤢

I was gonna say Stryper "To Hell With The Devil" Edition!

😆

TJ

Lol OEB Pete's latest video:

"Oh sh..snap."

😂

I love it.

He's so wholesome it hurts.

Pete's the man.

By the way Pete,

What are your thoughts about my Amico channel being named "Amico Oasis " rather than "Amico Army "?

I don't know because army kind of might bring thoughts of fighting and I certainly don't want people to think it's an "us versus them" channel. 

Thoughts?

2 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

Cool!  Clue, Colonel Mustered edition.  Mr. Green edition previously shown earlier in this thread 🤢

The yellow could also be Pikachu edition.  Or Bumblebee edition.  Lol.

10 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

I think when most people think of a 3D game these days they think of Call of Duty, Red Dead Redemption, etc.  True open world 3D.  Easy to get lost in the weeds with all of this and spark many debates.  So I keep it simple and say we focus on 2D and 2.5D. 

yep, sometimes it makes sense to just stay in your lane. 

7 hours ago, AtariSociety said:

Another fun game that I played as a kid... well I played it because my nextdoor neighbor was a cutie pie... was Which Witch.

 

Like Mousetrap you have dice to roll and marbles, well in this case a steel ball you drop down the chimney and if that ball takes the route to the room you are in, boom! in gets you.

 

So many fun ways board games can be used with an Amico controller to roll dice... drop balls down chimney, etc...

 

TJ

 

Crazy how expensive a 100% complete version is these days.  A while back I re purchased all the games from my childhood.  This one and GreenGhost cost a few bucks

1 minute ago, bigdaddygamestudio said:

Crazy how expensive a 100% complete version is these days.  A while back I re purchased all the games from my childhood.  This one and GreenGhost cost a few bucks

Yeh, crazy what some stuff is.  I still own 2 Super Toes... think one was broken or sucked at kicking... haha.  But been decades.  I hope I still have them hidden in the cupboard.  tj

1 hour ago, Michael Garvey said:

So Tommy,

 

You've collected an all star staff of outstanding people.

 

Would you consider Intellivision to be the Justice League or the Legion of Doom?

 

Please dont say Avengers because of your unnatural love of all things Spiderman.   I know, I know. We get it. Number One Spiderman Fan.  We've seen the pictures. 

 

Lol

 

🤣😂😆

Marvel. All day, everyday.

2 minutes ago, YerOut said:

Marvel. All day, everyday.

Ok ok he can use Marvel properties too.

I was trying to limit him to non-spiderman franchises but you can't argue with what they've done with those awesome movies.

Hey speaking of superheroes....anyone remember Alpha Flight?  They were like the Canadian version of X-Men. 

I would love to have a game come out with them in it.

This could be fun to play with motion controls on Amico.

This might work on Amico.

Questions for Tommy (Segment 2):

1) Even though you don't consume alcohol do you know how it feels to be "drunk"?

2) I'm thinking there really isn't issues of 'crunch' with your developers because the games have a shorter turnaround and you decide if they need more time, but are any of the teams you're working with feeling stressed because of the virus which-must-not-be-named?

3) You've discussed the timing of when games will release after launch. Have you nailed down that time and is it every 14 days?

4) Do you carry a towel with you everywhere you go and if so is it not the most useful thing in the "Galaxy"? If not, why not?

5) Tomorrow we will get a new MEET AMICO trailer. Is John Alvarado in it?

6) Of all the games you worked on (beside Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2) which one would you like to see a reimagined version of for the Amico?

7) Will there be more merchandise on the store?  You mention "underroos" on one of your MEET AMICO videos.....

8 ) Any thoughts to a visual novel style game (for kids and not a dating one)?

9) What do you think of some "my first reader" or "learning to read" type of game/title?  You could even have it set up so the parent has one controller and the kid has the other and they work together to finish reading sentences. 

10) Would you ever try to get the Indian Jones license on the Amico?  If so, what kind of game would you think best conveyed that movie (Raiders of the Lost Ark)?

Once again John Alvarado is great and you don't have to answer any questions if you don't want.

Also John Alvarado is the best EVER!!!!

So I looked through both topics on the Amico at the top of the Intellivision forums and used search function incase this has already been discussed but I didn't see it.

Do we know a timeframe when EWJ is coming? Obviously with the pandemic things are crazy, but was it being targeted as a launch title, or not something until 2021 (or later)?

Were we still getting info on the GTO Red console in April? I saw you post back in January saying you'd know more in April (about the red and purple console) but that post was made in January well before this crazy-ness started. The black one is growing on me though, ill have to debate if I wanna try for a black one on March 31 or wait it out for a red one. Were all colors being planned for launch or is it possible they're coming later? (especially with the pandemic going on)

5 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

Below is my understanding of video game dimensions (with some further granularity), as well as some of my thoughts on all this. Feel free to argue (or flat out correct me) if anyone feels different on any of the below. I am not in the industry and would not be considered a “gamer” by anyone who is, but would like to try and confirm/understand things from a common frame of reference (pun intended). 

 

Purely 2D (8 bit/4KB) - No 3rd dimension interaction or out of plane cues (i.e., no inclusion of vantage point art style)

     - Top down - original Night Stalker, Pong, Pac-Man

     - Side view/Scroller - original Astrosmash, Pitfall, Burgertime

 

2D (16 bit/4-16KB) - No 3rd dimension interaction but could have some 3D visual queues 

     - Top down - Armor Battle, Auto Racing (i.e., house roofs)

     - Side view/Scroller - Tron Deadly Discs, Space Battle (alien ships appear to advance and retreat but is still purely on a 2D plane as you do not miss a shot based based on their perceived distance)

 

2.25D (16 bit/16KB) - very limited 3rd dimension interaction

     - Top down - Golf (ball gets bigger/brighter to represent height in order to clear trees), Baseball (fielder cannot catch ball when ball is bigger/brighter), Bump and Jump

 

2.5D (16 bit thru modern computing) - isometric view (i.e., 2D representation of 3D space) or simulated movement toward vantage point

     - Top down - new Night Stalker

     - First or third person perspective - take your pick of any early 3rd person auto racing game

 

3D - 3rd person fixed, non-player controlled camera (modern computing) - Avatar can move in all 3 planes but camera cannot be manipulated by user to change vantage angle (but could include multiple views, like behind car, closer behind car, or in car) - I’d like to point out that this is where serious issues start with non-turn-based, single screen local multi player.  This is also the start of where real video/processor computing power starts to be required and associated game development time (and therefore money) starts to go up exponentially

     - Some of the mid-series Tomb Raider and racing games come to mind

 

3D - 1st person, player-controlled camera (modern advanced computing) - 1st person view perspective, with many titles that include 3rd person player controlled camera. This is where computing horsepower really gets crazy and all but kills true single screen, local multi player game play (just due to the perspective alone).  Also requires separate directional input for camera controls and secondary toggle input for 1st person movement in the 3rd dimension (i.e., strafe).

 

 

I may not have things 100% accurate and i’m sure others could have included better examples, but believe I am close to the mark from the 1,000 foot level. 

 

So to bring in some relevancy, given the above and assuming you’re mission was to bring back affordable, single (main) screen local multi-player, what point of the dimensional and hardware spectrum would you focus on?

 

As I said before, gaming became less important to me about the time the original Doom came out. I loved that game, but after a while it became too much solitary time for me, and while the FPS only got better (graphically) they are too singularly focused and too similar in game style to hold my attention (or money).

 

There are some great advantages to going back a bit on the gaming continuum; cost (HW & SW), game mechanic simplicity, multi-player, and my personal belief, a wider range of games that can be made. 

 

IE is more about retro style gaming (2.5D) than being a system that just plays old games, and while I understand Tommy’s reasons and decision to delay the old titles, I feel there is adequate retail space and consumer understanding to include the original games closer to Amico launch. Those titles could be in a different e-store location that could adequately differentiate the “vintage” titles. With the difference in tv screen ratios between then and now, those games could also include a cool side banner to further differentiate them. I would also love to see original old school non-intellivision titles as well, as the current generation may not have other hardware that plays them faithfully.  One last idea is to include the vintage versions with each remake so everyone has access to play the originals from which the new games are being re-made.

As far as the memory goes, I've seen 8-bit games on the 7800 from bitd that were over 140kB and NES games, which are 8-bit, of several hundred kB. So, the scale of memory is a lot off there. I've seen 2D games where characters can move in all three dimensions and even have movement and perspective. My very basic, but possibly a little off, understanding of the basic definition of 3D games has to do with how the images are generated using 3D polygons or wire-frame models that can be programmed to expand and shrink rather than 2D sprites, mainly as a result of higher power graphics cards/chips. Late 80s and early 90s, 2D graphics could "fake" 3D better than true 3D programming, using the powerful graphics capability and this sometimes is called 2.5D, which is an informal term. 3D graphics eventually beat out 2D graphics for realism because objects could be rendered with millions of polygons with dozens of sides, to make perfect looking spheres and cones and more complex shapes. As far as why polygons became better than sprites, I have no idea. Maybe they use memory better, because everything is still 2D, because it's on a screen, and, theoretically, everything that is done with modern 3D programming could be done with 2D programming but it would practically impossible due to difficulty.

2 hours ago, Michael Garvey said:

I thought the buttons on the controllers had lights which could change color so it would be more about "hit the red button to fire" sort iof thing.  Which button is the red button? Any of them could be it.  Holding it horizontally to the right the ones at the top could be lit up red.  Horizontally to the left would have those top buttons red. Vertically could be the touchscreen lighting up red. Vertically upside down maybe the disk lights up red.

 

I could be wrong but that is how I imagine it will be.

 

Oh and any game could change any color at any time.

 

I maybe totally wrong but that's what I thought.

Yes, that's what I thought.

I was looking for controller pictures to support this point, but I found nothing.

But that's what my memories remember !  lol

But in less than 24 hours, maybe we will have answers with "Meet Amico Missile Commands " !?

EDIT :   Yes, here it is !!!  We can see where the colors of the buttons will be !

Just now, LePionnier said:

Yes, that's what I thought.

I was looking for controller pictures to support this point, but I found nothing.

But that's what my memories remember !  lol

But in less than 24 hours, maybe we will have answers with "Meet Amico Missile Commands " !?

I can't wait.

Everytime Tommy mentions another video is coming out I feel like a kid again. 

There's just something about this console that's like lightning in a bottle or pure magic. 

It's new and fresh and full of such potential.

Why did I think of this when I wrote lightning in a bottle????

🤔

21 minutes ago, Pink said:

So I looked through both topics on the Amico at the top of the Intellivision forums and used search function incase this has already been discussed but I didn't see it.

 

Do we know a timeframe when EWJ is coming? Obviously with the pandemic things are crazy, but was it being targeted as a launch title, or not something until 2021 (or later)?

 

Were we still getting info on the GTO Red console in April? I saw you post back in January saying you'd know more in April (about the red and purple console) but that post was made in January well before this crazy-ness started. The black one is growing on me though, ill have to debate if I wanna try for a black one on March 31 or wait it out for a red one. Were all colors being planned for launch or is it possible they're coming later? (especially with the pandemic going on)

I'm sure Tommy will chime in, but I want to say I heard/read somewhere that EWJ won't be until next year.  I also want to say I heard some of the EWJ team is currently working on other titles (Astrosmash?), which would explain the delay.

Alrighty cool thanks!

2 hours ago, mr_me said:

Yeah, shark shark looks like it has at least three layers of 2d background bitmap/tile graphics.  Not sure where that animation in the trailer might be used. The driving scene in safecracker looks 3d but is probably 2d tricks.

 

For me 3D is 3D modelling and graphics.  You could do a bowling game where every pin is a 3D model so the physics is accurate.  That's a 3D game.  Or you could fake it with 2D graphics.  Amico cornhole looks 3D but maybe it's faked with 2d animation.  Amico skiing is another that could be real 3D.

 

The fake 3d in night stalker is impressive and convincing.  If I didn't see the interview I would never have known.

2D, 3D or 36D, who cares, as long as it's fun to play.

3 hours ago, Michael Garvey said:

I thought the buttons on the controllers had lights which could change color so it would be more about "hit the red button to fire" sort iof thing.  Which button is the red button? Any of them could be it.  Holding it horizontally to the right the ones at the top could be lit up red.  Horizontally to the left would have those top buttons red. Vertically could be the touchscreen lighting up red. Vertically upside down maybe the disk lights up red.

 

I could be wrong but that is how I imagine it will be.

 

Oh and any game could change any color at any time.

 

I maybe totally wrong but that's what I thought.

Yep, exactly! To pretty much all of it!

6 minutes ago, RxScram said:

Yep, exactly! To pretty much all of it!

If you were a Star Wars character which one would you be?

What is the predecessor to the Amico? Also, is this the "Intelivision Amico" or the "Intellivision Entertainment Amico"?

Back to the first question: "Intellivision console", "Intellivision Master Component", "Intellivision Super Pro System"? Apparently a few of the "Super Pro Systems" were, in fact, Tutorvisions.

You could not really call it the "Mattel Intellivision" because it was manufactured by two or three different entities.

4 hours ago, Michael Garvey said:

Lol OEB Pete's latest video:

 

"Oh sh..snap."

 

😂

 

I love it.

 

He's so wholesome it hurts.

 

Pete's the man.

 

By the way Pete,

 

What are your thoughts about my Amico channel being named "Amico Oasis " rather than "Amico Army "?

 

I don't know because army kind of might bring thoughts of fighting and I certainly don't want people to think it's an "us versus them" channel. 

 

Thoughts?

I like the term Oasis, why? Well, because there are retro gamers, current gamers and gamers of the past that are stuck in quicksand! They are lost in a desert of over designed, technically daunting and over priced gaming behemoths! THEY NEED and Oasis an WE ALL NEED an Oasis, a gaming Oasis to reignite OUR love of games, we all need an Amico Oasis!