Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

1 hour ago, roots.genoa said:

Uh... It's quite common for a gamer these days to own one of the three 'major' current systems, and that doesn't make them fanboys automatically. I own a PS4 and I surely am NOT a Sony fanboy... ^^

History of video games is paved with failures - unfair or not. Companies that succeeded in the past 30 years (Sony, Microsoft, Apple to some extent) were quite big and especially Microsoft spent a lot of money to succeed. So I think it is quite natural to be skeptical every time a new system is announced, especially coming from a smaller company.

 

But maybe by the end of 2020 you will find an Amico or a Playdate in the profiles of the 4 users you mentioned.

Yes, perhaps I didn't express myself too well. The reason why I believe they are fanboys is because news about the Playdate upset them, not because they have other consoles. I wanted to emphasize that fans of very different companies appear to unite in their rage against the new, more original consoles... I'm pretty sure that this message and the 3 upvoters would not be there if the Playdate had been released by Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft... Remember the PocketStation, the Sega VMU and the multiple Nintendo inventions... The big three are treated with respect and their loyal fan base always defend them on the Internet no matter what.

About the Amico magazine, yeah, I was going to say something similar but I was a bit ashamed... But yes, it would be cool to have thousands of Amico fans join forces on the Interwebs to defend Intellivision.... A brand new army to fight against the big three, complete with Amico magazines and dedicated forums. Can you imagine this? And who knows, maybe Sega fans will join us... They surely know what a real video game is. 🧐

On a more upbeat note. 

I am very happy Intellivision has gotten license to re-design some of the classic IREM games. When they were making games, they were my favorite developer & kind of get overlooked because many of their games were marketed by other publishers. They didn't start showing off their name until the PC Engine/Turbografx era. Still, I'm glad somebody at Intellivision is as big a fan of IREM as I am. 

Many of the IREM alumni are still at work at a company called Granzella & they announced a new R-Type Final game for next year. Any talks with them, or any other Japanese developer?

Looking forward to 10 Yard Fight, Kung Fu Master, Lode Runner, Spelunker, Moon Patrol & Especially R-Type! 

Hope you also pick up In The Hunt, Kid Nikki, Dragon Breed (never had a console release), Image Fight and Geostorm. 

This reminds me of another interesting question I had for Tommy:

--> How many of the games will have (offline, of course) multiplayer and how many of these will have 4-8 players modes? I believe this was mentioned earlier, I remember that Tommy said that all of them, but I am not sure... It would be great to have a requirement for all the games to include 4 player offline multiplayer modes.

The Amico will not find much brand association with a younger audience. The majority of the public under the age of 40 have no clue who or what Intellivision is or was. Remakes and more modern takes on old games isn't a new thing. The Intellivision name wouldn't even need be part of this venture to be successful IMO. It's there sure and Tommy is very passionate about it for sure but old INTV owners are not going to make this thing successful.

 The masses don't give a shit about Shark, Shark or really any of the original INTV IP's of old. They will be fun to play I'm sure but the majority of people will not be running with wallets open to play such games based on previous positive enjoyment with those titles. Earthworm Jim? Now your talking. That has the potential to be a system seller. Thing is, Earthworm Jim isn't known to have an association with Intellivision AT ALL. So again, INTV means nothing in that regard. Amico is better off standing on it's own as most people won't have a clue and there will be a fair number who might remember INTV in a negative manor for whatever reason. The main one would be what is often called a horrible controller.  I'm liking a lot of what I've seen in the videos of the Amico, I remember INTV from back in the day, I'm also one of the people who hate the original controller. I look at the new controller and I'm worried about it based soley on my previous use of the original INTV controller. I've seen the game annoucement video and it had me thinking "wow those games look pretty cool. I hope to hell they have a "standard" controller and the one shown isn't the only option."  The controller might be awesome and I'm willing to try it but it could be a deal breaker. Not just for me, but for many.  FWIW, I was a pre-ordered (and still loving to this day) Wii owner. I dove right in when I saw the controller gimmick and early promotion video of games . 

 So I'm interested in the Amico and things are looking better and better as more info comes about, But I still have many concerns and reservations. 

Most people over 40 don't know about Intellivision.  The new Shark Shark and new Night Stalker will just be new video games to most Amico buyers.  And most people don't know Earthworm Jim either.

I think it's important that the controller have an ambidextrous design for non-gamers.  Most Intellivision owners back in the 1980s really liked the controllers, so I don't see why Amico owners shouldn't like these new controllers.  

Maybe it would have been better if the company didn't have Intellivision in its name.  There are some people who mistakenly think this is an Intellivision flashback/classic type device.  But those are just a few people and by October next year everything will be clear.

Edit:

It's already been hinted that Amico will support standard game controllers.  Many Amico games may not work well with a standard controller, however.

3 hours ago, Shawn said:

I hope to hell they have a "standard" controller

I hope they don't. I think it's better to sacrifice the comfort of a few hardcore gamers, who wouldn't be really interested in the console anyway, rather than to sacrifice the core idea of Amico.

1 hour ago, Papy said:

I hope they don't. I think it's better to sacrifice the comfort of a few hardcore gamers, who wouldn't be really interested in the console anyway, rather than to sacrifice the core idea of Amico.

Agreed.  The whole point of the Amico is to offer a completely different gaming experience from the games down to the controller.  That is the only way the system is going to swim, if it is not sunk by the big boys.  I, too, have my reservations, but I think they have a plan and are sticking to it.  Hopefully they are successful and can be an good alternative to what the other, regular competition is doing.

8 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

Yes, perhaps I didn't express myself too well. The reason why I believe they are fanboys is because news about the Playdate upset them, not because they have other consoles. I wanted to emphasize that fans of very different companies appear to unite in their rage against the new, more original consoles... I'm pretty sure that this message and the 3 upvoters would not be there if the Playdate had been released by Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft... Remember the PocketStation, the Sega VMU and the multiple Nintendo inventions... The big three are treated with respect and their loyal fan base always defend them on the Internet no matter what.

 

About the Amico magazine, yeah, I was going to say something similar but I was a bit ashamed... But yes, it would be cool to have thousands of Amico fans join forces on the Interwebs to defend Intellivision.... A brand new army to fight against the big three, complete with Amico magazines and dedicated forums. Can you imagine this? And who knows, maybe Sega fans will join us... They surely know what a real video game is. 🧐

I'm not sure I like the idea of a magazine. The VCS has one of those and it is a joke. Yes yes the Amico has probably shown more to date than the VCS. However, I don't want it to be a pointless and dumb thing if we don't get many updates for awhile.

I was gonna say. Quaint and nostalgic as that or paper manuals may be, we're in a time where the printed page is losing money left and right. I don't know why anyone would invest time and materials into that in this day and age.

5 minutes ago, JBerel said:

I was gonna say. Quaint and nostalgic as that or paper manuals may be, we're in a time where the printed page is losing money left and right. I don't know why anyone would invest time and materials into that in this day and age.

Uhhhrrrrr...  

3 hours ago, Albert said:

Uhhhrrrrr...  

Keep making them Al, they're works of art! 👍🏻😎

1 hour ago, cmart604 said:

Keep making them Al, they're works of art! 👍🏻😎

Hear, hear!

This whole thing is silly.  Pat the Punk and Ian should be ashamed of how they acted.  I'm eagerly awaiting the Amico!

47 minutes ago, sinistermoon said:

This whole thing is silly.  Pat the Punk and Ian should be ashamed of how they acted.  I'm eagerly awaiting the Amico!

i just watched unfortunately and they are acting even worse..i left them a few comments on their youtube channel..but at this point i think they are just trying to get views...they are scared to debate Tommy which tells you all you need to know 

I think passion for whatever console you are rooting for is a good thing.  But if people are going to be super concerned about a few people’s comments on some other site that is obviously fans of the competition than folks it’s gonna be a long year for you

for sure in the case of the two nes fans video, they should be more factual but as we all know they are entertainers so really who cares what they think, especially now 13 months ahead?  The mass media will be showing all the facts we want closer to E3 and the launch and when that happens, no one will remember a second of Pat the nes fan and his opinions on that video.  They’ll be too busy getting accurate info from the press release coverages on the main news sites

- They got several things wrong and used them to bash the console

- They refused to debate the CEO of the company, a well-known person in the industry, to avoid having to apologize and to be able to continue with their "thing"

- And now they just released a fake apology video with a link to this thread

Wow, just wow... Really childish and yes: not surprised about their favorite console manufacturer.

18 hours ago, Shawn said:

The Amico will not find much brand association with a younger audience. The majority of the public under the age of 40 have no clue who or what Intellivision is or was. Remakes and more modern takes on old games isn't a new thing. The Intellivision name wouldn't even need be part of this venture to be successful IMO. It's there sure and Tommy is very passionate about it for sure but old INTV owners are not going to make this thing successful.

 

 The masses don't give a shit about Shark, Shark or really any of the original INTV IP's of old. They will be fun to play I'm sure but the majority of people will not be running with wallets open to play such games based on previous positive enjoyment with those titles. Earthworm Jim? Now your talking. That has the potential to be a system seller. Thing is, Earthworm Jim isn't known to have an association with Intellivision AT ALL. So again, INTV means nothing in that regard. Amico is better off standing on it's own as most people won't have a clue and there will be a fair number who might remember INTV in a negative manor for whatever reason. The main one would be what is often called a horrible controller.  I'm liking a lot of what I've seen in the videos of the Amico, I remember INTV from back in the day, I'm also one of the people who hate the original controller. I look at the new controller and I'm worried about it based soley on my previous use of the original INTV controller. I've seen the game annoucement video and it had me thinking "wow those games look pretty cool. I hope to hell they have a "standard" controller and the one shown isn't the only option."  The controller might be awesome and I'm willing to try it but it could be a deal breaker. Not just for me, but for many.  FWIW, I was a pre-ordered (and still loving to this day) Wii owner. I dove right in when I saw the controller gimmick and early promotion video of games . 

 

 So I'm interested in the Amico and things are looking better and better as more info comes about, But I still have many concerns and reservations. 

I don’t think Tommy is looking at Shark! Shark! and is thinking “wow there is some name recognition for the console”, he is thinking “there is a fun game we can modernize and make even better”. The whole retro part is fun for us older fans but the real value is that they are great games that can get better with some modern polish. I saw a lot of game play trailer posts where people didn’t even recognize the games but said they look “cool” and that is all the Amico needs. Notice they didn’t title any of the games in the trailer - you either like the game or you didn’t. 

If you listen to top 40 radio you are going to hear people covering songs from the 50’s on up - they aren't singing those for name recognition, they know it was a great song maybe even from an obscure artist. In fact it is one of the few perks of parents having to listening to their kids music is pointing out that current new “original” hit is actually from the 60’s. Tommy is mining gold here - game play gold, not name recognition gold necessary.

As far as worrying about if an IP is associated with Intellivision that is basically nullified by what you are also worried about - no name recognition for Intellivision. Joe Consumer doesn’t care if the Amico is from Intellivision or Acme Anvils Inc - except that at least some do know that Intellivision is a console company and that many of the old hands are still onboard so it helps for people more serious and looking into it.

As far as the controller this modernized one is so different I wouldn’t judge it ahead of time. I mean look at the Wii controller - it was a mis-shapen stick with an option string that ran to a mini joystick thingie. If you erase your pleasant memories of the Wii and just look at a photo of that controller system you will mentally say WTF. The way they worked with motion controls was great but the design looks like a bad dream. Again worried about old impressions of the OG Intellivision controller? First a lot of people did like it or at least didn’t mind it (the Internet is the definition of “vocal minority” and not reality) and going back to “Intellivision who are they?” Soccer Mom Susan is going to look at it and say “ooh a screen and a single button plus you can swing it around and play bowling - that looks easy & fun”. Not trying to discount your dislike of the OG controller but that wasn’t a universal experience and again the Amico is a nod to retro gamers but it really isn’t targeted at us.

I just saw the apology video and as my comment on the video mentioned, i had no idea there was animosity between the 2 parties. I hope the folks here werent making ad hominem attacks toward pat and ian. it does nothing to further the discussion and just makes the person saying it seem immature and their further input irrelevant. I also hope pat and ian dont devolve into similar behavior as it will do nothing to help mend fences either but the sarcastic nature of their latest video was disappointing.

Having said that the best thing now is to have them interview tommy and hopefully clear the air and address any concerns they have. Im personally on the fence about the amico but i am following it with interest.

Firstly, while I did come over via Pat's link, I don't want to see a console fail. I do want something like this to succeed. We do need more competition in the industry. Now that's out of the way, I do have some criticisms.

My first console, as a 4 or 5 year old, was an Intellivision plug-n-play device. I don't know if it was officially licensed or not, but it did come with Intellivision style controllers. And I do think people forget just how small kids hands are at that age. I did enjoy the games, but the controller was too big for my hands and the buttons on the side were difficult to press. Even though the PS2 controller isn't suited to playing Intellivision games, it was a lot more easier and fun to play, at least until my hands got bigger.

I'm not sure a screen on the controller is a good idea. I work in a phone repair shop - You won't believe the amount of smartphones that come in, with the screen smashed, because the parents young child dropped it. Now you're adding motion controls for things like bowling to the mix? The wiimote was thin. I'm guessing this thing is as wide as a smartphone. Try swinging that around - If you think kids aren't going to lose control of that and it's not going to fly into the TV, I don't know what to say. It already happened with the Wiimote - Nintendo had lawsuits against it.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/3725869/Nintendo-sued-over-dangerous-Wii-controllers.html

Quote

The class-action lawsuit, filed by Molly Elvig, a mother from Littleton, Colarado in the United States, claims that the wrist strap attached to the controller is "ineffective". Mrs Elvig decided to file the $5 million (£3 million) claim after alleging that her 52in Samsung television was damaged by a Wii controller that flew out of her son's hand as he played a game of virtual bowling.

And maybe this is just the European in me, but please have a soccer game available. FIFA and Pro Evo were the two main games my family - and everyone else I know - played on the PS2. Not sure if that would break the violence policy (because tackling), but we need some soccer game that doesn't have in-app purchases.

Despite the title it's not an apology video, so don't go in expecting one.  Skip to about 3:35:

I found this to be a human reaction to ad hominem attacks but still petty and disappointing.  @Albert chastised the personal attacks here from a moral standpoint, whereas I tried to from a more logical aspect; i.e. arguing someone looks funny or that they are just fanboys just opens us up to being likewise attacked.  Most of this video is ad hominem attacks from Ian and Pat and even wrongly expanded to the AA community writ large.   

If you must argue, then argue the facts.  

It's clear the RetroVGS/Chameleon scandals still weigh heavily on their minds.  I personally feel the comparisons aren't fair, as this is a VC-funded project and not trying to deceive fans via crowdfunding.  But clearly, not everyone has gotten my memo. 

I also wouldn't expect @pxlsicle (Ian's dead(?) account) and Pat to know this thread is a largely criticism-free one because a couple users were haranguing @Tommy Tallarico.  I find being able to see his enthusiasm and interact with him much more interesting than being overly critical and possibly running him off.  It'll be a real product and will sink or swim when it's released.  

BTW, I'm no debate expert.  I just learned this from years of political "discussions" with a bunch of smelly poopooheads.

My advice to tommy (and he sure doesn’t need to follow it) is ignore these two entertainers.  Stick to the plan, the “Amico response” will be when you end up unveiling everything to the people you need do, when the time is right 

I saw that apolotantrum last night & was going to post about it, but then decided I'm too new here, so let others have a say.

1 hour ago, PlaysWithWolves said:

Despite the title it's not an apology video, so don't go in expecting one.  Skip to about 3:35:

 

 

 

I found this to be a human reaction to ad hominem attacks but still petty and disappointing.  @Albert chastised the personal attacks here from a moral standpoint, whereas I tried to from a more logical aspect; i.e. arguing someone looks funny or that they are just fanboys just opens us up to being likewise attacked.  Most of this video is ad hominem attacks from Ian and Pat and even wrongly expanded to the AA community writ large.   

 

If you must argue, then argue the facts.  

 

It's clear the RetroVGS/Chameleon scandals still weigh heavily on their minds.  I personally feel the comparisons aren't fair, as this is a VC-funded project and not trying to deceive fans via crowdfunding.  But clearly, not everyone has gotten my memo. 

 

I also wouldn't expect @pxlsicle (Ian's dead(?) account) and Pat to know this thread is a largely criticism-free one because a couple users were haranguing @Tommy Tallarico.  I find being able to see his enthusiasm and interact with him much more interesting than being overly critical and possibly running him off.  It'll be a real product and will sink or swim when it's released.  

 

 

BTW, I'm no debate expert.  I just learned this from years of political "discussions" with a bunch of smelly poopooheads.

listened to the podcast... those guys do not understand what amico is... amico is NOT competing with ps4 and xbox... otherwise there would be no reason to exist at all..... the amico concept is almost the OPPOSITE of what a ps4 offer.... and off corse will attract far less users.... amico does not need 50 millions buyers to be a working business....

3 hours ago, TIGHazard said:

And maybe this is just the European in me, but please have a soccer game available. FIFA and Pro Evo were the two main games my family - and everyone else I know - played on the PS2. Not sure if that would break the violence policy (because tackling), but we need some soccer game that doesn't have in-app purchases. 

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and I'm sure the Amico will receive several soccer games.

By the way, if you love PES and the PS2, I believe the best soccer game ever released in any system is a PS2 Japanese exclusive called Winning Eleven 5 Final Evolution. It is an improved version of the first PES with much better gameplay. You should try it, it has the best tiki taka of any soccer game I have ever played... and trust me, I have played a lot. The game is in japanese, but there is an English translation patch here.

I think many older folks are disproportionately dazzled by the old brand names. 

Intellivision came out in 1979 and was propped up by a major toy company. The Amico project has some of the design cues and some of the spirit, but it's not like the industry resembles the old day in any important way. Tommy was 11 in 1979. He seems to be making all the right moves, but he's his own person. 

See also "Atari" which is little more than a trademark and legal department now. Ascribing any classic status in them is ridiculous, just like when they say things like "simple fun is in our DNA."

Any "console wars" between these things exist only in the eye of the beholder.