Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

I gotta respectfully disagree on the reception of the original controller. I was in the Radio Shack at the mall almost 4 times a week when they were selling their version of the intellivision which was on demo up front. (I wrote some demos running on the coco up front as well.) It was a commonly accepted refrain that everybody had trouble with the control pads. I think that was a major factor limiting sales at the time cuz folks liked it otherwise. The pads didn't offer any positive feedback or click that suggested you successfully moved in a direction. It was kinda like an early crude touch pad.

 Thing was, they were hardly the only system with "difficult" controls then, and everybody was trying new stuff at the time. The coco free floating pot sticks were horrible, and even Colecovision didn't learn before they released their game pads with the thumb torture device.  It's strange that you can buy genuine arcade quality sticks these days for $8 and $1.50 per button, but when Wico offered their crappy "arcade quality" leaf switch joysticks they were at least $50 as I recall.

I'm actually looking forward to seeing what you do with the new stick. There's a lot of neat opportunity for creative use of the screens on the controllers that the WiiU never really capitalized on. I keep thinking about the old password game with the cards and red window. I'm also really hoping you make that artillery duel game or battleship type stuff with personal targeting and feedback on each players individual view screen. There's something about having access to visuals your opponent can't see when your in the same room. I missed that since everything went online multiplayer.

I think familiarity has everything to do with the original controllers getting a bad rap for so long. With a few minor gripes, I really like the feel of them. Most people when picking one up for the first time don't intuitively know how to wield it. We Intellivision owners quickly figured out what worked. The side buttons indeed were too small and not as responsive as they should have been. I think the Flashback Intellivision controllers are better in this regard. 

Most of us that are seasoned Tarmin/Baseball/Sea Battle players can instinctively and without looking down have the absolute tightest control. That's one thing that worries me about the touchscreen - I like the tactile feel of the keypad 'bubbles' on the original. After really knowing the game, overlays were more of a hindrance. But, the possibilities of hidden information and board game type mechanics that are opened up with a touchscreen hopefully will far outweigh this concern!

None of this applies to the Intellivision II controllers. Ugh, was that a step back.

Intellivision sales were quite good in the early 1980s, considering it was double the price of the Atari and didn't have the arcade licenses that drove sales.

One of the reasons we wanted the Intellivision in 1980 was the controllers.  Yes we tried them in the stores, and yes the Atari joysticks felt awkward and gave me blisters.

Amico's flat touchscreen will be an issue when emulating some of the old Intellivision games.  But the new games will be programmed and optimised specifically for these controllers.  I don't see any complaints except from gamers who always complain about any changes to their controllers.

1 hour ago, mr_me said:

Intellivision sales were quite good in the early 1980s, considering it was double the price of the Atari and didn't have the arcade licenses that drove sales.

 

One of the reasons we wanted the Intellivision in 1980 was the controllers.  Yes we tried them in the stores, and yes the Atari joysticks felt awkward and gave me blisters.

 

Amico's flat touchscreen will be an issue when emulating some of the old Intellivision games.  But the new games will be programmed and optimised specifically for these controllers.  I don't see any complaints except from gamers who always complain about any changes to their controllers.

Yet another person who liked the original Intellivsion controllers. Not perfect but they certainly didn't prevent me from pouring hundreds & hundreds of hour into Intellivision game play and wearing the heck out of those things. The overlays and 12 bubble buttons allowed the Intellvision to add strategy & depth (for the time) in games like Utopia, Sea Battle & B-12 bomber. Plus the disk provide 16 directions instead of 4 which made 'mouse like' movements for pointing games much closer to reality. I was jealous of the Atari Paddle, though, which I imagined would have been smoother than the disk. Overall a lot of innovation and a successful design in that controller - I am looking forwarded to an updated version and seeing what the IE team can pull off.

10 hours ago, mr_me said:

Intellivision sales were quite good in the early 1980s, considering it was double the price of the Atari and didn't have the arcade licenses that drove sales.

 

One of the reasons we wanted the Intellivision in 1980 was the controllers.  Yes we tried them in the stores, and yes the Atari joysticks felt awkward and gave me blisters.

 

Amico's flat touchscreen will be an issue when emulating some of the old Intellivision games.  But the new games will be programmed and optimised specifically for these controllers.  I don't see any complaints except from gamers who always complain about any changes to their controllers.

I don't know where but I think there may have been reference to there being a way to tell where you were on the controller. Maybe not raised buttons like the original but something. Tommy would have to clarify that. 

Picturing the TV commercial: "let's compare Amico with other leading consoles" followed by intercuts of family fun in one scene vs. a gamer glumly staring at firmware and patch update progress bars in the other scene. 

41 minutes ago, JeffVav said:

Picturing the TV commercial: "let's compare Amico with other leading consoles" followed by intercuts of family fun in one scene vs. a gamer glumly staring at firmware and patch update progress bars in the other scene. 

Yeah, when I hadn't played my xbox 360 for 8 months, I had to wait half the day for it to update and, in fact, wait till the next date since I started in the afternoon. It's like, dust off the console and power up the day before you have friends coming over. 

How is the Switch with updates, as I don't own one?

45 minutes ago, Swami said:

Yeah, when I hadn't played my xbox 360 for 8 months, I had to wait half the day for it to update and, in fact, wait till the next date since I started in the afternoon. It's like, dust off the console and power up the day before you have friends coming over. 

 

How is the Switch with updates, as I don't own one?

Like on the Wii U, they mostly happen in sleep mode, so you almost never have to wait for anything (except for a quick reboot for a OS update).

19 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

I agree.

I also find that the people who hate the original Intellivision controller either never played it... or had an Atari.  It's hard to find folks who actually owned an Intellivision who hated the controllers.  I know there are some out there of course (mainly because they had an Intellivision II)... but it certainly wasn't the majority in my own personal experience.

 

And I personally much preferred the original Intellivision controllers to the stiff Atari stick or the horrible Coleco ones.  Although I did LOVE the sports grip Super Action joystick controller for Coleco.
 

I remember using the super action joystick for the first and only time on... c64!! playing fort apocalypse !! 

I feel like I need to be going through a Christmas Wish Sears Catalogue and  wishing for the Amico like I did for the intellivision back in the day..  And I know what my Christmas gift will be in 2020..    BTW Brought up the Amico with my wifes early 30 something's brother and friends and let me tell you they are so excited for this new consol.. First time they heard anything about the Amico and now cant wait for its release.  ..

17 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

Yet another person who liked the original Intellivsion controllers. Not perfect but they certainly didn't prevent me from pouring hundreds & hundreds of hour into Intellivision game play and wearing the heck out of those things. The overlays and 12 bubble buttons allowed the Intellvision to add strategy & depth (for the time) in games like Utopia, Sea Battle & B-12 bomber. Plus the disk provide 16 directions instead of 4 which made 'mouse like' movements for pointing games much closer to reality. I was jealous of the Atari Paddle, though, which I imagined would have been smoother than the disk. Overall a lot of innovation and a successful design in that controller - I am looking forwarded to an updated version and seeing what the IE team can pull off.

Despite what many argued against about the original controller, it was well designed for what it was intended for.  The only major issue it had was sore thumb or "disc thumb" as we all called it.   That was because the disc compressed into the housing, which made the thumbnail ride on the lip abs pull away from the skin.  From what the pics show, the new controller rides ABOVE the housing and hopefully will not compress lower than the lip, thus avoiding disc thumb.  

Back in the day, my Dad purchased a set of Stickler, which once installed, completely cured any further issues.  The controller was actually made better!

Many of the games were well designed to make use of the controller.  Bomb Squad, Space Spartans, Space Battle, Deadly Discs, Utopia, etc... could never have been as good as the were with just a joystick.

Sure, it was at times a pain in the ass to get the exact spot, but it was far more accurate and durable than any other joystick/controller on the market at the time.   My friends with A2600s and 5200s were constantly replace theirs and the Colecovision controller was just crap... clumsy, inaccurate and poorly made.

So, looking forward, looks like our thumbs will survive.  My only hope is the thing will be easy on the arthritis in my hands.  After playing Football in HS, and years of working on heavy jets, cars, motorcycles, my house ... my hands are shot. ☹

On 7/11/2019 at 10:58 PM, Swami said:

...

 

I do have to admit I dislike the Intellivision, ColecoVision and 5200 button setups and prefer something like the Famicom or Super Famicom NTT Data controller for the disc, 4-button and keypad design, which could also be fairly rotatable. I have heard rumors an alternative controller is under consideration. I see the ColecoVision community is making a new ColecoVision controller that is reminiscent of the Famicom NTT controller.

I did think that a horizontal orientation with three face buttons in a narrow triangle to the side of the touchscreen might work.  The touchscreen would have to be comfortably accessible with the non disc thumb.  And it would still be reversible/ambidextrous.  But we were advised they tried it and it didn't work.  Vertical orientation is still comfortable but there's positives and negatives to side/shoulder buttons vs face buttons.

With the layout of the NTT controller I couldn't play Intellivision Deadly Discs, Night Stalker, AD&D, NBA Basketball, Baseball, Bomb Squad, ...

If anyone gets pain using the original intellivision disc, they are pressing too hard.

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Quote

I don't know where but I think there may have been reference to there being a way to tell where you were on the controller. Maybe not raised buttons like the original but something. Tommy would have to clarify that. 

The original Amico prototype controller that was shown last October had a raised dot in the middle of the touch screen to help people find the center without looking.  It also had an edge/border around the touchscreen.

Speaking of the original Intellivision controllers... someone just posted this review on YouTube yesterday. 

Prepare yourself for the most awkward and uncomfortable to watch hand gesture video you've ever seen!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLHvtM8aZ6Q

21 hours ago, JBerel said:

I gotta respectfully disagree on the reception of the original controller. I was in the Radio Shack at the mall almost 4 times a week when they were selling their version of the intellivision which was on demo up front. (I wrote some demos running on the coco up front as well.) It was a commonly accepted refrain that everybody had trouble with the control pads. I think that was a major factor limiting sales at the time cuz folks liked it otherwise. The pads didn't offer any positive feedback or click that suggested you successfully moved in a direction. It was kinda like an early crude touch pad.

 

 Thing was, they were hardly the only system with "difficult" controls then, and everybody was trying new stuff at the time. The coco free floating pot sticks were horrible, and even Colecovision didn't learn before they released their game pads with the thumb torture device.  It's strange that you can buy genuine arcade quality sticks these days for $8 and $1.50 per button, but when Wico offered their crappy "arcade quality" leaf switch joysticks they were at least $50 as I recall.

 

I'm actually looking forward to seeing what you do with the new stick. There's a lot of neat opportunity for creative use of the screens on the controllers that the WiiU never really capitalized on. I keep thinking about the old password game with the cards and red window. I'm also really hoping you make that artillery duel game or battleship type stuff with personal targeting and feedback on each players individual view screen. There's something about having access to visuals your opponent can't see when your in the same room. I missed that since everything went online multiplayer.

I totally respect that you had a different experience growing up with the controller.  Mine was different, and I'm sure there were tons of folks who were used to arcade joysticks or the 2600 that couldn't deal with it.

I would like to mention one thing about your experience though... you said you were at a Radio Shack and that people who walked up to the machine didn't like it.  Which I totally understand.  But my point was that the people who actually owned the system and played it a ton didn't mind it at all.  The majority of folks back then only really knew joysticks (or a spinning knob/paddle for PONG rip-offs) as a controller.  So anything so different would naturally turn folks off at first.  But when folks gave it a chance and saw how it was utilized with the games... it all made a lot more sense and you couldn't imagine playing those games any other way.  Baseball is a perfect example.  I STILL don't like the way modern baseball games control with modern analog controllers.

Anyway... thanks for sharing your experience.  I remember initial dislike of the controller from a lot of my friends also when they first saw it (they mostly didn't like the size of the buttons)... but once you play it... it all starts to make sense.  Same thing can be said about Amico. 

10 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

I don't know where but I think there may have been reference to there being a way to tell where you were on the controller. Maybe not raised buttons like the original but something. Tommy would have to clarify that. 

We have a few different things in that regards.  One is the "dimple" that was mentioned.  But the other we have yet to reveal. 

9 hours ago, JeffVav said:

Picturing the TV commercial: "let's compare Amico with other leading consoles" followed by intercuts of family fun in one scene vs. a gamer glumly staring at firmware and patch update progress bars in the other scene. 

OH YES!  I've already storyboarded it out!  Going to do it a little George Plimpton style as well.

"This Christmas you'll have a few choices for your family when purchasing a new video game console.  You can purchase an XBOX or PS with 3 additional controllers and 1 game for over $900 (show kid in dark room with headphones on playing a violent game and looking sickly, dressed all in black and not speaking to anyone with a distant look in his eyes) OR... you can purchase the new Intellivision Amico... that comes with 5 games, 2 controllers, ability to hook up to 8 mobile devices, no violence, simple games for the entire family to play together... all for $179."  (Show same kid from the dark room but now it a white sunlight lit room with mom & dad, kids, grandparents... then people in the teens/20's early 30's all playing as friends.  Show a bunch of great gameplay and say...

"You decide!"

Plimpton would be proud. 

2 hours ago, m-crew said:

I feel like I need to be going through a Christmas Wish Sears Catalogue and  wishing for the Amico like I did for the intellivision back in the day..  And I know what my Christmas gift will be in 2020..    BTW Brought up the Amico with my wifes early 30 something's brother and friends and let me tell you they are so excited for this new consol.. First time they heard anything about the Amico and now cant wait for its release.  ..

Awesome!  Thanks for sharing and helping me continue to spread the word!!

Yet another perfect example of the way the world will really be reacting to Amico!  Our market research and focus testing tells us the same exact thing.

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it... the only folks we encounter who are the naysayers and doubters and who think the concept is going to fail miserably... are only looking at it through their own personal lenses (and without ever playing it).  It's actually pretty obvious that a system like this is needed for the living room.  Anyone making the argument that "mobile" is already filling the gap we are trying to fill is just plain ignorant.  With the exception of Jackbox and a few others.  99.9% of all mobile games are solitary, don't involve groups in a room playing together, always ask you for money, don't have tactile controls and ZERO curation (i.e. MOST of the software being made is total crap).

Can't wait for 2020!!!!!!!

2 hours ago, IMBerzerk said:

Many of the games were well designed to make use of the controller.  Bomb Squad, Space Spartans, Space Battle, Deadly Discs, Utopia, etc... could never have been as good as the were with just a joystick.

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my point exactly.  Folks looking at our controller and thinking... how am I going to play Call of Duty on this??

EVERY game for Amico is being designed especially for the controller... and it's really great and like the games you mentioned above for the original... the games on Amico could not be played properly with other controllers/machines.

Lots to look forward to and discover!

39 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

VERY game for Amico is being designed especially for the controller... and it's really great and like the games you mentioned above for the original... the games on Amico could not be played properly with other controllers/machines.

 

Lots to look forward to and discover!

 

 

Music for the ears of a passionate Intv fan from 1983...👍

Amico will be a dream coming true for me.

Can a second dream can happen ? Quantic Dream is one of my favorite creator team !

They like to do innovative things. You have to add them and making a game for Amico !

3 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Speaking of the original Intellivision controllers... someone just posted this review on YouTube yesterday. 

Prepare yourself for the most awkward and uncomfortable to watch hand gesture video you've ever seen!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLHvtM8aZ6Q

When someone decides "Oh yeah Vanna White - you ain't got nothing on me!"

3 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Speaking of the original Intellivision controllers... someone just posted this review on YouTube yesterday. 

Prepare yourself for the most awkward and uncomfortable to watch hand gesture video you've ever seen!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLHvtM8aZ6Q

WTF... was this guy prepping for a freakin' magic show??   I lasted all of 47 sec into the core presentation and had to stop as I fell out of my chair from the dizziness I was experiencing... I'm suing for $736.21 million.

3 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This is my point exactly.  Folks looking at our controller and thinking... how am I going to play Call of Duty on this??

EVERY game for Amico is being designed especially for the controller... and it's really great and like the games you mentioned above for the original... the games on Amico could not be played properly with other controllers/machines.

 

Lots to look forward to and discover!

 

 

I have to say you might have an uphill battle with the core of the die-hard 700 button per controller Call of Duty/HALO nuts... BUT... many of the kids that have/play a switch will fall right into the Amico and really enjoy it. 

To hep support this.. my daughter is a Sophomore at U of Florida and has two friends staying for the weekend, plus her small crowd of HS friends and cousins that are constantly in and out of my house.  They ALL play Nintendo based fun games, have made drinking games out of many of them and really enjoy the simplicity of the games like Carnival Games, Overcooked (1 and 2), Mario Cart, Sports Party.. etc..  I've been talking to them about the Amico and what it will bring and they're all pretty keen on the idea of just having a lot of fun with fun 'stressful' games like the ones I mentioned.

If it's already in the works to develop similar type games, it WILL be a big hit with the College crowd and a hit with families.  ANYTHING these modern college kids can make a freakin' drinking game out of is a huge seller (Can Jam??? WOW, why didn't I think of that?).  LOL.

4 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

EVERY game for Amico is being designed especially for the controller... and it's really great and like the games you mentioned above for the original... the games on Amico could not be played properly with other controllers/machines.

 

This reminds me of the Internet's reaction to the Steam Controller. You would think that Valve was evicting an orphan for every controller shipped because it was pretty much universally panned by the 'experts' (i.e. self appointed gamer snobs) because of it's unconventional design. Now that some time has passed you are seeing some videos like the long term review by Linus Tech Tips and Tech Summit's revisit where they end up saying "you know it isn't very good at some games, is OK in a lot and is actually better than a regular controller in games X, Y and Z".

However the Amico controller is different than the Steam Controller (and not just in the hardware way). One of the strengths often touted by the Console Master Race (the PC Master Race's just as evil twin brother) is you can optimize the games to just one set of graphics hardware. Totally true, but just is true you can lean into the strengths of a specialized controller. Just like happened with the Wii motion controls and their never followed up on bowling and tennis. Of course all the same caveats apply, the games have to be fun, the controller work well, etc. etc. but a unique controller can be as much a part of the strength of a console as the single set of hardware for the graphics.

The funny thing about the super hard core crowd is that they think everything is about them.  Many of them don't even seem to realize there are entire industries built around casual players who never touch an xbox or ps4.