Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

1 hour ago, squirrelgotdead said:

Hopefully the added time allows for a very impressive and comprehensive launch library. I also thought Burgertime was targeted for launch, but that may have changed and I missed it.

Maybe this is one of the games they want to show the first time with drum rolls !? Same thing for Frogger !?

21 minutes ago, RxScram said:

Third (and this is just a conjecture on my part... I'm not a console gamer (PC hardcore gamer to the extreme though)... what console or PC games have demos? None that I can recall on the PC, and my steam library has 150+ (301 actually!) games on it, not counting the free to play games.)

I am not a modern console gamer and only play PC games occasionally anymore (kids really put the kibosh on that) but I was also trying to remember the last time I've seen a demo for a game.  A couple demo-like scenarios come to mind, though.

1. Free weekends (steam seems to do this fairly often) where the game is free to play for a couple days.  I guess one could consider this a demo.  I'm not a huge gamer anymore but it seems like these free weekend deals tend to be for $40+ games with massive stories or online-multiplayer games.  I don't think the Amico-style games and price-point warrants this type of free-to-play experience, personally.  I think gameplay videos and the like will be sufficient to understand what you will get from a game.
2. Freemium (or whatever you want to call them) games common on mobile where you got a level for free but have to pay to get the rest.  I believe this model is at direct odds with the Amico's promise of no additional expenses.

32 minutes ago, RxScram said:

As always with my answers (unless I say otherwise), these aren't canon Intellivision policy answers, but things I've heard around the watercooler, in team meetings, and in various other discussions. (Plus wild assed guesses on my part, since I'm not involved in the game team meetings.) Possibly hypothetical, but nothing confidential to my knowledge. @Tommy Tallarico can squash me and tell me to shut up if necessary, but I am trying to be careful.

Thank you! I appreciate all your comments and it all makes sense.

I’ll say this on the demo issue... it’s been a while since I fired up my Xbox or Playstation, but I used to always download demos to get a feel for a game. Of course, that was more important when a game could cost you $60... you didn’t want to make a mistake on a purchase.

But one that stands out in my mind was the demo for Trials for the Xbox. We were looking for a new game to buy and downloaded a bunch of demos. The demo for Trials hooked us within the first minute. For us, the demo sold the game... everyone wanted a crack at it once they tried the demo. 

That’s kind of what I was getting at because I do believe a demo can hook people. But I also appreciate what you said about development, and that we haven’t seen everything there is to see yet on this topic.

Again, thanks for your thoughts!

1 hour ago, Jake67 said:

I’ve been all-in with the Amico since I first heard about and there’s no way I’m cancelling my pre-orders. I do have a couple of concerns still. Nothing major in any way, but being that there’s a worldwide pandemic going on and I’ve got a bit of spare time on my hands...

 

1. Lack of game demos

First off, Pete’s interview last night was great... lots of Q&A quick-hits. I’m still not clear on why demos won’t be a part of games. That’s not a deal killer for me because I’m sure YouTubers here and elsewhere will review them quickly, and we’ll probably get official videos with each release.

 

But this idea that we can try games that our friends bring over seems to side-step the reason for demos. Especially starting out, the Amico won’t be in huge supply from what I’m gathering. It’s a nice thought that I’ll have friends upon Amico’s release who will be happy to be the gaming guinea pig and bring over games for me to try, but I don’t think it’s likely, especially in the early days. 

 

I must have missed it, but is there a specific reason that demos aren’t going to be made? If it’s resources (the time it takes to add demo code to a game) I certainly get that. I just don’t feel “have a friend bring it over to play on your system” is a suitable replacement for a demo I can try out whenever I want, and having to hope I have a nearby friend who bought the game already. 

 

Listen, the games are inexpensive, so this is not a huge deal at all. But I cringe a bit when I hear Tommy say that my “demo” experience can be a friend who will supposedly buy the game before I do so I can try it out. That’s certainly an option, but not as easy as being able to play a demo whenever I want without calling on a friend to rush over with his controller.

 

2. Release schedule

I think the release of new games has been stated as every 10-14 days. I do think it’s great that one game gets released at a time and gets the full attention of every gamer. But I would prefer to see a weekly release for two reasons. First, habits are important. If I know a new game is released every Friday before the weekend, I will quickly have that burned into my skull. That’s just me, though.

 

But the second reason is related to how often we’ll see a new game in a given genre. Let’s say I’m a parent with young kids and those educational games really appeal to me. How often will I see a game like that... every 5th release? In other words, is there a plan for rotating through the genres? I would think production schedules will be a huge factor... can’t release a game in a certain genre if none are currently ready. And obviously people will have all the launch titles to keep them busy, no matter what type of game they like. 

 

This comes back, though, to a more frequent release schedule where, in theory, a game in a genre I like will come quicker on a weekly schedule than a 10-day or bi-weekly schedule.

 

I also wonder what sort of backlog will be created when you have even more developers making games for the Amico. Is is possible that a finished game doesn’t get released for a year or longer because the pipeline is already filled with completed games? Or is that more managed because Amico is investing in each game and helping in its creation?

 

I don’t bring either of these up thinking I have the insight and info the Amico team has. Decisions are made for various reasons and these two points won’t kill my enjoyment of the Amico. But I figured I’d bring them up for possible discussion... or have it pointed out that I should pick up another hobby while we wait for the planet to reboot.

 

Final thing which isn’t a concern, but more a curiosity... how do older games get promoted? It occurred to me this morning that, as a developer, I’d be a bit torn on being an “early release” title vs. a title that gets released after the first year. I can see the pros and cons either way. If you’re an early release when there’s not many games available (relatively speaking), you have a great shot at a sale. But the installed base of Amicos a year or two after launch will be much higher. If I’m an “early” game, then a year from launch I’m not getting as many eyeballs on my game because it’s not getting promotion on the home screen. 

 

One of the joys of getting an Amico on day one is more easily keeping up with each new release and few games, if any, slipping through the cracks. But later buyers won’t have that advantage. 

 

I guess this points to how good the store will need to be to discover the older titles. This is such a crap experience on some platforms. I hope the Amico team can really nail this one.

 

Again, I want to be very clear... these aren’t complaints, and I’m still 100% excited for the Amico... just thoughts that popped into my head as I’m waiting for our governor to say it’s safe to get a haircut from a professional without condemning the state’s population to certain death from infected combs.

Great questions and well asked. Thanks.

Demo :  Most of the games are short and easy to learn. Bowling, Cornhole.  Some people can play over and over again the same small demo without paying !
Maybe the only thing I can see for this shorter game, will be to have a 5 or 10 minutes demo, and after that you can't do it again !

But for me, I am okay without a demo, and price will be low.

Release Schedule : You bring good points. Tommy said that sometimes they will let the place for games already in stores. At 14 days, yes, maybe we will have to wait 2 months for those who like only one category.

But to remember when a new release is happening, that can be really easy.

Every 14 days, so each first of the month and every 15th of the month.

Every 10 days, let say the 10th, 20th and 30th !  ( Oh my god, what are we going to do in February ! 😉   lol )

Also most of us are already used in life to calculate every two weeks ! I had my pay every two weeks.

I have to fill my unemployment every two weeks.

The bins every two weeks, the other week recycling!

(I admit on this one that sometimes I look at what is already on the street so as not to be mistaken ! Lol 😆)

I am really looking forward for the Amico store. Tommy teases us a lot about it, can't wait to see that in action.

Thank you Jake67, I am also waiting for Tommy's answers, because I know that was not my answers that you were waiting for ! lol 😀

9 minutes ago, Jake67 said:

But one that stands out in my mind was the demo for Trials for the Xbox. We were looking for a new game to buy and downloaded a bunch of demos. The demo for Trials hooked us within the first minute. For us, the demo sold the game... everyone wanted a crack at it once they tried the demo.

Yeah, I like to do that with the switch.

5 minutes ago, Jake67 said:

But one that stands out in my mind was the demo for Trials for the Xbox. We were looking for a new game to buy and downloaded a bunch of demos. The demo for Trials hooked us within the first minute. For us, the demo sold the game... everyone wanted a crack at it once they tried the demo. 

Hope it’s not too strange to quote myself, but after I wrote the prior response, the Trials game brought back some great memories.

Trials is the last game my brother, father, and I played together at my house some years back. They’re both still alive, but we live in different areas and it’s been a long time since we’ve been together, much less payed a video game together.

It was probably the torture the motorcycle rider went through when you crashed, but that just cracked us up. And then it became a challenge to see who could get to the end of a track. I don’t think the version we had was co-op, but I do remember that if we were having trouble at a particular spot on the track, we’d hand the controller on to the next person to see if he could make it. Whoever could beat the course would get some momentary bragging rights. 

So now we’re back to family gaming and how special that really is to be able to play with people in the same room, on a game where young(ish) and old feel they have an equal chance of competing and/or winning.

8 minutes ago, LePionnier said:

Thank you Jake67, I am also waiting for Tommy's answers, because I know that was not my answers that you were waiting for ! lol 😀

You raise a great point on the demos... some games are pretty easy to grasp without having to play a demo.

As I was answering @RxScram, I did begin to wonder if demos have become a thing of the past on consoles. It’s been a while since I turned on my consoles, much less bought a new game. Maybe in the past few years demos have faded away and I’m just harping on something no one else cares about anymore. I know they were always important to me in the past and helped sell some games, while also helping me avoid some. (Don’t tell anyone, but I’m pretty sure I’ll end up being the type who buys every new Amico game no matter what, demo or no demo.)

I regret that I’ll have to reject your proposed 10- or 14-day schedules. I don’t want to wait that long!! I really want weekly to get some of the mentioned non-launch games as soon as possible. 😁 (And oh the pain if Cloudy Mountain doesn’t make launch and it takes more time to get on the release schedule.)

First things first, I suppose... let’s just get the Amico into our hands.

Watched the latest video from OEB. Loads of cool stuff. Lots of purchases I see in the future. Both Digital and Physical.

Will we see a mah jongg type game during the launch window?

Hi Tommy.

Can you tell us if you have had discussions with Colectorvision ?

They have rights on some really good Exidy games. ( Mouse Trap that girls really liked ! Venture, Pepper II etc. )

Thank you.

35 minutes ago, Jake67 said:

I regret that I’ll have to reject your proposed 10- or 14-day schedules. I don’t want to wait that long!! I really want weekly to get some of the mentioned non-launch games as soon as possible. 😁 (And oh the pain if Cloudy Mountain doesn’t make launch and it takes more time to get on the release schedule.)

I understand ! Especially if the reimagined category is at the end of the cycle ! lol 😆🤣😂😮😪

18 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

Good interview Michael.  😃

Thanks. I had a lot of fun interviewing and although it was long it didn't feel long in the moment.

I'm needing more people to interview.

Anyone in the forum know of anyone?

It could be yourselves or some you know or just someone you think would give an interesting take on the Amico (good or bad).

I'm trying to keep the doors open for all comers. 

25 minutes ago, Michael Garvey said:

I'm needing more people to interview.

 

Anyone in the forum know of anyone?

 

It could be yourselves or some you know or just someone you think would give an interesting take on the Amico (good or bad).

 

I'm trying to keep the doors open for all comers. 

Mike Mika
RxScram

Mr J Allard

1 hour ago, Jake67 said:

You raise a great point on the demos... some games are pretty easy to grasp without having to play a demo.

 

As I was answering @RxScram, I did begin to wonder if demos have become a thing of the past on consoles. It’s been a while since I turned on my consoles, much less bought a new game. Maybe in the past few years demos have faded away and I’m just harping on something no one else cares about anymore. I know they were always important to me in the past and helped sell some games, while also helping me avoid some. (Don’t tell anyone, but I’m pretty sure I’ll end up being the type who buys every new Amico game no matter what, demo or no demo.)

 

I regret that I’ll have to reject your proposed 10- or 14-day schedules. I don’t want to wait that long!! I really want weekly to get some of the mentioned non-launch games as soon as possible. 😁 (And oh the pain if Cloudy Mountain doesn’t make launch and it takes more time to get on the release schedule.)

 

First things first, I suppose... let’s just get the Amico into our hands.

 

Demos for games seems to have faded out a lot over the years.  I remember when they were hyped as features for game consoles, but now demos for games are few and far between.  I seem to remember reading somewhere awhile back that game developers/publishers discovered that there was really no good data pointing to them leading to sales. Now people just look up the game on YouTube and watch it to see if it looks like something they'd enjoy.  I'm sure that with Amico games being both shorter in scope and cheaper in price, the idea of a demo doesn't make much sense.  

6 hours ago, LePionnier said:

Another interesting point from yesterday that Tommy was talking about, it's the good relationship with Warner Bros.

If I am not mistaking, they have the rights for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), a movie that Tommy really like !

 

Same thing for Looney Tunes ...

And I don't remember if he was talking about them when he said that they have the rights for :

JOUST

DEFENDER

ROBOTRON

 

Really cool stuff ahead ! 😀

 

From Wiki :

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment purchased most of Midway's assets, including Joust, with the intent to develop movie adaptations.

 

So yes, I think I quote him right ! 😊

Joust is the one game I would LOVE to see on Amico.  It's probably my favorite game of all time, and I enjoy it so much, my wife went and got me the Arcade1Up Joust cabinet for the living room.  Probably a frivolous purchase, but it's just so good.

I would love to see it get re-imagined, but not changed drastically.  The simplicity in it is its genius.  It would be cool if there were some more features though, like in between levels you could purchase upgrades that would roll into the next round. Like you could spend 5000 points to purchase armor that would allow your character to take an extra hit, but it would also make your bird fly with a bit more eight.  You could buy a longer lance that would so that in scenarios where it would normally be a tie and you'd bounce off each other, you'd win the joust.  Just little things like that.  Or maybe change something with the eggs so that you could drop them as traps or something (and you'd lose points for letting them go).  

You could also throw in a mini story as well.  Something like the evil Warlord Zog has taken over the realm, and every stage you win, you win back a piece of the map.  Then if you are able to clear the whole map, he comes back with an even stronger army, and you start at the beginning but have much tougher opponents to face.  

Even if it's just the regular Joust with no changes, I'll be happy.  Four player competitive Joust would be fun. 8 player?  .... Damn.  Now I want this.

26 minutes ago, vongruetz said:

Even if it's just the regular Joust with no changes, I'll be happy.  Four player competitive Joust would be fun. 8 player?  .... Damn.  Now I want this.

...  and if someone actually does a Joust movie adaptation, I just hope it has a scene like this ...

Well one silver lining if the launch is pushed back to say 02 21 2021  or there abouts, there should be even more launch titles available at that date and/or some games will have a little more time to bake in the oven ( which is usually a good thing).  COVID sucks on so many levels but you gotta find the good in all the bad.

4 minutes ago, jaybird3rd said:

...  and if someone actually does a Joust movie adaptation, I just hope it has a scene like this ...

 

 

Wow!  I had never seen that before.  That was wild!

4 minutes ago, haplo13 said:

Wow!  I had never seen that before.  That was wild!

I never did either.  It was cool.

13 minutes ago, jaybird3rd said:

...  and if someone actually does a Joust movie adaptation, I just hope it has a scene like this ...

 

 

This is going to give me nightmares for years to come.  Thank you...

7 minutes ago, Intellivision Master said:

I never did either.  It was cool.

we certainly had imaginations back then. That game with such simplistic graphics gave rise to that type of commercial .. wow.

1 hour ago, Michael Garvey said:

I'm needing more people to interview.

 

Anyone in the forum know of anyone?

 

It could be yourselves or some you know or just someone you think would give an interesting take on the Amico (good or bad).

 

I'm trying to keep the doors open for all comers. 

John Alvarado. You made him the first phenomenon of the forum (judging from the time I started popping in). Seems like a good fit for an interview.

25 minutes ago, jaybird3rd said:

...  and if someone actually does a Joust movie adaptation, I just hope it has a scene like this ...

 

 

ATARI was king back in the day, must have been a blast to work there in the early days (we've heard the stories) but commercials like THIS you'd likely never see today 😆😆

I mean, I LOVE IT but the ending especially did kind of make me go WTF? 😜😆 Nothing was too insane or out there back in the day, would love to have been a fly on the wall during these marketing pitches! Bless'em, I MISS those days! 

1 hour ago, vongruetz said:

Demos for games seems to have faded out a lot over the years.  I remember when they were hyped as features for game consoles, but now demos for games are few and far between.  I seem to remember reading somewhere awhile back that game developers/publishers discovered that there was really no good data pointing to them leading to sales. Now people just look up the game on YouTube and watch it to see if it looks like something they'd enjoy.  I'm sure that with Amico games being both shorter in scope and cheaper in price, the idea of a demo doesn't make much sense.  

So it’s becoming apparent I’m a relic of another age... even if the age was only a few years ago. 

Very interesting about the whether demos were actually helping or hurting sales. I can see it from both sides. I always appreciated them, but that’s just me.

I’m glad I brought this up for input because now I can mentally put it to rest. It wasn’t a huge issue to begin with, but it had been rattling around a bit in the brain cells when the topic would come up during interviews. 

1 hour ago, jaybird3rd said:

...  and if someone actually does a Joust movie adaptation, I just hope it has a scene like this ...

That's a great commercial 😁👍 ...reminds of Strafe on Kickstarter.