Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

I wonder how the current crisis will affect the Amico.

An euphoric state of mind after lifting the quarantine could help consumers buy more toys and consoles. 👍

The economic crisis could point consumers to the Amico instead of the more expensive consoles. 👍

But, as RetroAdvisoryBoard pointed out (even if he was kidding), I'm not sure if people will be too keen about spending "more time playing with their family" after months and months trapped in their houses with them. 👎

I hope touching things is legal again by October 10 so people can try the machine without wearing special equipment. 🤞

Let's be real. The Atari VCS was getting delayed, COVID-19 or not.

11 hours ago, squirrelgotdead said:

PBA Bowling Challenge by Concrete is an incredible game. I play it on my Kindle all the time. Unfortunately, though, they stopped developing the Kindle version, but it still plays well.

 

Each tournament has its unique challenges, and there are a series of bonus circuits in fun settings such as a beach, a graveyard, Jurassic period (where the pins are inside a dinosaurs mouth) and others tied into popular culture (Frozen, Game of Thrones, etc.), unique balls such as a pumpkin.

 

But gameplay itself is probably the most amazing element. . .while getting better bowling balls definitely helps progress through the game, some events and tournaments are next to impossible unless you find the right ball to use, and sometimes in the later events, that can be a weaker ball from earlier in the game.

Yeah!  It's really amazing and simple/fun to play with a ton of unlockables.  That's why I wanted to get them for our bowling game!

Now... imagine all of that with couch co-op, motion controls, more unlockables, more modes... AND no in app ads, microtransactions, waiting for tickets to build up again, etc.

Folks who think we're doing the same thing as mobile just don't understand what we're doing and the value it brings.  Mostly... because they are hardcore elitists and don't even play mobile anyway.

7 hours ago, S.R.Trautman said:

I was thinking about Moonpatrol and multiplayer. How is it going to work.. one is driving and one is shooting? That would be awesome. It looks like there is no room for two vehicles on the ground.

I remember Silk Worm which had helicopter and jeep, great co-op game on C64 and Amiga. Maybe Moonpatrol has also a flying vehicle? 

Up to 4 in co-op!

1 driving, 1 shooting up, 1 shooting forward, 1 jumping.

Versus is still my favorite though!

Everyone takes a turn to control the vehicle to see who gets the farthests... while everyone else are the enemy ships trying to stop you!

Great yet simple fun!

4 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

 

Wouldn't that be something™ if we had both?

 

hahahha!  Okay... we gotta start adding the TM now.

Yes.  Yes it would.

4 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

I wouldn't be surprised if the camera zoomed out a little to add extra vehicles.

Not in this first version.  Maybe the next.  We have a ton of really great things planned with the franchise.

3 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

Tommy shows up about 35 minutes into the video.  There's a bad echo when Tommy first comes on.  It stops after 5 minutes.

This was a good interview.  It has some funny moments.  By the way Tommy mentions that the Moon Patrol demo will get a full level at the end of this month.  I hope I heard him correctly on that.

We are hoping!  Game is coming along GREAT.  Don't want to pull the team in a different direction for a week... but will know a lot more when we get the next build!

2 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

Tommy,

 

I thought the 25% off coupon for the FE & VIP was going to be for when the console launched. Then we used the coupon in the online store on Amico to buy a digital game at a discount.  But since we'll have the gift card, that helps too.  Anyway, it's all good.  I just wasn't sure how you were going to do the 25% off discount at first.  Originally it was only for the VIP.  Then you added it to the FE which was very nice of you.  I can't wait to see what new merchandise you add to the IE shop.

25% off coupon is just for the online merchandise store and ends at the of this month.

2 hours ago, vongruetz said:

I'm going to hold out and hope the Night Stalker shirt shows up soon.

On it's way!!
 

9 minutes ago, 1001lives said:

Let's be real. The Atari VCS was getting delayed, COVID-19 or not.

I hadn't been following their progress for about a year, so I was surprised it still hadn't come out.  In reading their last update, they mentioned they had enough components to make around 500 units, but that most of those would be used as dev kits.  What? They're just now making dev kits? I thought this thing was supposed to have shipped in mass by now. COVID-19 or not, this thing should have been manufactured long ago.  There's just all kinds of wrong seemingly going on with that thing.

5 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

Folks who think we're doing the same thing as mobile just don't understand what we're doing and the value it brings.  Mostly... because they are hardcore elitists and don't even play mobile anyway.

 

 

I had never even heard of this game but it looks really good.  I can imagine that with motion controls, it will be really fun.

2 hours ago, vongruetz said:

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-03-tin-giant-sues-atari-for-unpaid-work-on-vcs-console

 

Just FYI, if you're waiting for your Atari VCS, apparently it's delayed due to COVID-19.  If not for this pandemic, we would have seen this console everywhere this month.

Whoopsie!

Here's the one I read yesterday...

https://venturebeat.com/2020/04/02/xbox-co-creator-rob-wyatt-sues-atari-for-failing-to-pay-him-for-design-of-vcs-console/

1 hour ago, Saldo said:

Well if you put out a bowling game (which I believe you said would be coming) and Yahtzee she will be all in.  When we go camping she is the “Yahtzee Nazi”!  Any hint of rain in the forecast and the Yahtzee game has to come out!  Using the controller to roll the dice to the screen is a no brainer, just like Farkle.  Didn’t quit see it in the Farkle trailer, but it would be cool to see the dice on your controller screen being shaken up and then thrown to the screen.  If you do release Yahtzee then I will need to put a TV in the camper to bring Amico along.  It doesn’t have one now because we camp to unplug, eat, read,.....drink!  Oh yeah, and hang out with each other, the dogs, and the kids when they make an appearance.

Yep!  You can shake the controller and see the dice moving.  In fact EVERYONE can do it... even when it's not your turn.  The sound even comes out of the controller while you're doing it. 

#CantDoThatOnSwitch

1 hour ago, Starpaddler said:

Sounds great (literally)!

 

I’ve heard lack of sleep is detrimental; and I can confirm, your lack of sleep is detrimental...  to my wallet.  Do you spend every waking moment coming up with different ways to get into my bank account?  

But seriously, think this is going to be some of the best money I’ve spent in a long time (again, literally). Thanks for bringing some corporate credibility back to the gaming industry and working so hard to bring us what is looking to be an awesome system (and by system I mean the entire system: HW, SW, retail concepts, developer partnering, family focus, etc.).

 

 

Thank-you!  Appreciate it.  Trying to do a lot of things differently to shake up the industry!
 

32 minutes ago, CurlyQ said:

These just keep getting better and better!!   Hahahahhaa!!!!!!!!!

I like the "TOGETHER AGAIN" as well.

Brilliant.   Absolutely brilliant.

16 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

25% off coupon is just for the online merchandise store and ends at the of this month.

 

 

Okay.  For some reason I thought/hoped it was for the digital games on the Amico.  Anyway thanks again for giving the FE/VIP this bonus.  It really means a lot.  

18 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Not in this first version.  Maybe the next.  We have a ton of really great things planned with the franchise.

 

 

Already planning sequels? Interesting. You guys have lots of stuff going on, though, so I don't expect to see it for a while.

54 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yeah... we've started e-mailing back and forth!

I posted here a while back about them.. I'm glad they reached out and that you guys ste talking . Best thing about most wrestlers is they are active in social media and excellent self promoters.   They will promote the crap out of a game  good way to reach fans that might be more hardcore ps5 xbox  but not fully elitist 

48 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Up to 4 in co-op!

1 driving, 1 shooting up, 1 shooting forward, 1 jumping.

 

 

Versus is still my favorite though!

 

Everyone takes a turn to control the vehicle to see who gets the farthests... while everyone else are the enemy ships trying to stop you!

 

Great yet simple fun!

 

 

That sound so fun !!! I love it 😀.....How will the local high score board work for that game mode ? Room for 2-4 names depending how many players are playing ? 
 

And how will the high scores work in versus mode ? 

3 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

Tommy shows up about 35 minutes into the video.  There's a bad echo when Tommy first comes on.  It stops after 5 minutes.

This was a good interview.  It has some funny moments.  By the way Tommy mentions that the Moon Patrol demo will get a full level at the end of this month.  I hope I heard him correctly on that.

Really enjoyed watching this.  Thanks for sharing!

54 minutes ago, Intellivision Master said:

Tommy,

 

For the IE shop, we need a T-Shirt and mug that says "Wouldn't That Be Something".  🤣

Wouldn't that be something... 

56 minutes ago, IntelliMission said:

I wonder how the current crisis will affect the Amico.

 

An euphoric state of mind after lifting the quarantine could help consumers buy more toys and consoles. 👍

 

The economic crisis could point consumers to the Amico instead of the more expensive consoles. 👍

 

But, as RetroAdvisoryBoard pointed out (even if he was kidding), I'm not sure if people will be too keen about spending "more time playing with their family" after months and months trapped in their houses with them. 👎

 

I hope touching things is legal again by October 10 so people can try the machine without wearing special equipment. 🤞

Intellivision has to get the message in front of hundreds of millions.  Just need a lot of sunlight.  We all come from various vintage-era gaming interests and bought in, some less Intellivionistas than others.  

They only need low adoption numbers in the hundreds of thousands.  They know the product can work, investors bought the vision - so it's execution.. market reaction of course, which could be fickle, but I think enough will take.  The world's a changing place, and despite all we think, good products still flop.  But it's hard to see this not reaching those lowest sales targets.  We're all evangelists, right?  I mean, shills.  I mean, Kool-aid bingers.  Whatever.. the system has a lot of ways to thrive.

Even if people are like "yeeeeaaaah, I really don't want to spend more time with these people than I'm legally obligated to by state laws and child protective statutes.", this [virus] is going to be with us a while.  We're going to be on edge as outbreaks happen, we're a way from a vaccine.  

Could just be, as we're all thinking now, come October, November, the marketing comes out and they're all "God, that woulda been perfect, where were they in March/April?  I'm planning ahead, not going to be stuck exploring the gloop at the bottom of the Netflix bucket, not again."

49 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Up to 4 in co-op!

1 driving, 1 shooting up, 1 shooting forward, 1 jumping.

 

 

Versus is still my favorite though!

 

Everyone takes a turn to control the vehicle to see who gets the farthests... while everyone else are the enemy ships trying to stop you!

 

Great yet simple fun!

 

 

21 minutes ago, BiffMan said:

Wouldn't that be something... 

Imagine that

24 minutes ago, RetroAdvisoryBoard said:

Could just be, as we're all thinking now, come October, November, the marketing comes out and they're all "God, that woulda been perfect, where were they in March/April?  I'm planning ahead, not going to be stuck exploring the gloop at the bottom of the Netflix bucket, not again."

My fear is that the 10/10 release is going to be all too perfect when we've all been cooped up for 7 months by then with no end in sight. I do very much hope to be wrong about that. 

1 hour ago, haplo13 said:

Really enjoyed watching this.  Thanks for sharing!

There’s a joke in here somewhere on the question about 1 handed play and the lack of content on Amico that would necessitate that - but I just can’t seem to pull it out... 🤔