Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

19 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

p.s. Is NO ONE going to mention the fact that I have a big ass Tron statue in my window?

 

 

Well somebody mentioned it haha 

I have a question for Tommy that everyone can also try to answer:

--> I don't really mind violence in video games unless it's pretty disgusting stuff. I like pixelated blood here and there and some low polygon dead bodies on the floor from time to time. The Amico will not be able to display any of that, but I am no expert, so this is my concern: How many classic games would not be able to be ported to the Amico because of their tiny bit of violence? (Doom, Abe's Oddysee, Earthworm Jim, Wolfenstein 3D...) And yes, I know that the Amico will not receive any ports, but I was wondering if guns can kill some characters but blood must be green or what will be the deal, and I was also wondering if pixelated violence in a 1992 game is still considered "non family friendly" these days (I guess it is). Take Wolfenstein 3D, for example: Which elements are non family friendly in 2020? The guns? The swastikas? The pixelated blood?

Here's a really nice discussion about Amico.  Notice how they voice potential concerns but are positive and hope it succeeds.  I like these guys... first time I've heard them.  I subscribed and left a message on the video.
 

By the way, another reason why I'm interested in the Amico is that it will not promote these "120 hours of gameplay doing easy and repetitive tasks" that so many RPGs have been including. You will control the game directly, winning or losing will be based in your ability and the game will not require you to be playing it 2 hours a day for months. This means playing the Amico will be healthier than playing the other consoles, providing more fun being much less time consuming.

Check out this article to know more about this topic: Addicted to fake achievement.

35 minutes ago, IntelliMission said:

I have a question for Tommy that everyone can also try to answer:

 

--> I don't really mind violence in video games unless it's pretty disgusting stuff. I like pixelated blood here and there and some low polygon dead bodies on the floor from time to time. The Amico will not be able to display any of that, but I am no expert, so this is my concern: How many classic games would not be able to be ported to the Amico because of their tiny bit of violence? (Doom, Abe's Oddysee, Earthworm Jim, Wolfenstein 3D...) And yes, I know that the Amico will not receive any ports, but I was wondering if guns can kill some characters but blood must be green or what will be the deal, and I was also wondering if pixelated violence in a 1992 game is still considered "non family friendly" these days (I guess it is). Take Wolfenstein 3D, for example: Which elements are non family friendly in 2020? The guns? The swastikas? The pixelated blood?

Not interested in putting stuff like Doom or Wolfenstein on the system. And pixelated blood is definitely still considered violence.  Here's the unwritten "rule" and guideline about E10+ as opposed to Teen:

"Cartoon violence" doesn't really justify a Teen rating.  Think Warner Bros. cartoons.  That type of stuff is totally okay.  And for the ratings system... destroying vehicles and robots (i.e. not things that are living) is also perfectly okay for an E or E10+ rating.  But even if you "kill" an alien (i.e. something that is living/breathing) it could be classified as violent.  Even if someone is "shot" but there is no blood and they just disappear (i.e. something like Elevator Action) its also totally ok.  It's the way the death or violence is shown that is the factor.  So punching someone in the face and their head flying back would get the Teen rating.

The original Earthworm Jim was not a Teen or Mature rated game.  It was rated GA (General Audiences) same as the E for Everyone rating now (they were called different names back then).

Hope this helps to clarify.

1 minute ago, IntelliMission said:

By the way, another reason why I'm interested in the Amico is that it will not promote these "120 hours of gameplay doing easy and repetitive tasks" that so many RPGs have been including. You will control the game directly, winning or losing will be based in your ability and the game will not require you to be playing it 2 hours a day for months. This means playing the Amico will be healthier than playing the other consoles, providing more fun being much less time consuming.

 

Check out this article to know more about this topic: Addicted to fake achievement.

Totally!!  Agree 100%!  I've done lots of research on certain types of designs and I HATE that one.  Won't be on our system!

45 minutes ago, IntelliMission said:

By the way, another reason why I'm interested in the Amico is that it will not promote these "120 hours of gameplay doing easy and repetitive tasks" that so many RPGs have been including. You will control the game directly, winning or losing will be based in your ability and the game will not require you to be playing it 2 hours a day for months. This means playing the Amico will be healthier than playing the other consoles, providing more fun being much less time consuming.

 

Check out this article to know more about this topic: Addicted to fake achievement.

First, great article - going to send to my psychology major daughter. Much like you I am fed up with predatory practices in the gaming industry - forced grinding, loot boxes, ads, micro transactions, contact lists exploitation, etc. We know there is a different way because we remember the days before all of this but I fear the current generation just assumes this is “normal”. We aren’t playing the games, the gaming industry is playing us.

We really need systems like the Amico to provide an island of safety and sanity for our children when we first expose them to gaming. People think we are homering for the Amico because we are Intellivision fan boys but forget Intellivision. The philosophy behind the console is what is important - no matter who is making it. I care about the Amico because I care about the future of gaming in our society.

I caught the button arraignment in the video as was.  Larger/Wider / and more centralized. Can’t wait to try them.  

13 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

1.  Yes!  Every game has a single player mode AND an offline multiplayer couch co-op mode.  EVERY game.  I don't think any company has ever done that before.  At least not in modern times (i.e. past 40 years).

Thanks for sticking around and sharing your valuable time with the masses here. . .

Here's a question tied into this: Will the game play be functionally different between single-player and multi-player modes on games?

On 9/7/2019 at 10:36 PM, Tommy Tallarico said:

The funniest part to me of Pats comment about press releases is that was exactly what his entire first video of Amico was last year.  Him reading every line of our entire press release. 

That line almost confused me as much as the "I'm more famous on YouTube than Tommy is". 

Yikes!  Someone isn't very familiar with my career with Electric Playground/Reviews On The Run/Judgement Day (all on YouTube), the tens of millions of YouTube views of Video Games Live or any of my music and sound design on YouTube.  Someone should have forwarded him this: https://www.tallarico.com/bio

In fact, the latest single I released on YouTube 4 months ago (Pokemon remix) has more views than their entire podcast does this year.  I didn't want to say anything back to him about that as I really do want him to hopefully see that I'm not trying to attack them.  But that comment was a bit cringy.  Note... when you start a statement with "I'm not trying to be arrogant or anything..."  the WARNING lights and alarm should go off.

Enjoy the tune! 

 

 

Tommy had a dream yesterday. He heard this song, he was singing but he replaced the word "Pokemon" with "Casuals Gamers".

Got to catch them all!  Really cool! lol

Great music by the way, and thank you to stick with us! 

Tommy, you announced a good selection of Irem games for the Amico. 

Do you plan on licensing any more from them? They are my favorite game designers. 

I'm just hijacking this thread to state that Tommy Tallarico is a kick ass name

Just rolls off the tongue

The Amico will save us from becoming this girl:

That's a new idea from the modern Nintendo, by the way. They are on fire this week!

Tommy,

Can we get any more info on the list of Intellivision games that will be reimagined besides the ones announced in the press release?  More specifically I am hoping these will be added and was wondering if you could confirm:

Beamrider

Bump N Jump

Commando

NFL Football

NHL Hockey

Space Battle

Space Spartans

Treasure of Tarmin

1 hour ago, atarifan88 said:

Tommy,

 

Can we get any more info on the list of Intellivision games that will be reimagined besides the ones announced in the press release?  More specifically I am hoping these will be added and was wondering if you could confirm:

 

Beamrider

Bump N Jump

Commando

NFL Football

NHL Hockey

Space Battle

Space Spartans

Treasure of Tarmin

If I remember right beamrider was an Activision title and I know Tommy has said in the past he’s hoping to work out a deal to get those games like Pitfall but a company as big as Activision will wait a few months or longer to see if the system catches on before they offer up any of their catalog 

8 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

First, great article - going to send to my psychology major daughter. Much like you I am fed up with predatory practices in the gaming industry - forced grinding, loot boxes, ads, micro transactions, contact lists exploitation, etc. We know there is a different way because we remember the days before all of this but I fear the current generation just assumes this is “normal”. We aren’t playing the games, the gaming industry is playing us.

 

We really need systems like the Amico to provide an island of safety and sanity for our children when we first expose them to gaming. People think we are homering for the Amico because we are Intellivision fan boys but forget Intellivision. The philosophy behind the console is what is important - no matter who is making it. I care about the Amico because I care about the future of gaming in our society.

You are so right! 

So easy (and lazy) to dismiss people who like the concept as "fanboys" and butt-kissers.

 

2 hours ago, Blarneo said:

Tommy, you announced a good selection of Irem games for the Amico. 

Do you plan on licensing any more from them? They are my favorite game designers. 

Our main focus right now is on the ones we've announced (mainly Moon Patrol as the lead)... but we plan on working with them well into the future as we know how much of a huge success Moon Patrol is going to be! 

 

2 hours ago, atarifan88 said:

Tommy,

 

Can we get any more info on the list of Intellivision games that will be reimagined besides the ones announced in the press release?  More specifically I am hoping these will be added and was wondering if you could confirm:

 

Beamrider

Bump N Jump

Commando

NFL Football

NHL Hockey

Space Battle

Space Spartans

Treasure of Tarmin

From that list... the ones we are focusing on right now are...

Bump N Jump

Football
Hockey
D&D (but not ToT right now)

3 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

 

From that list... the ones we are focusing on right now are...

Bump N Jump

Football
Hockey
D&D (but not ToT right now)

 

 

Football and Bump N Jump are fine and all but...

D&D!!  Yes!  I knew something would be in the works but I have to admit....

HOCKEY!!!!!  As a crazy Canadian, hockey is the best!  I can not wait to see what you guys have planned for some puck action!  I know it will look good but I wonder what kind of depth will be featured??  Seasons, multiple teams, stats?  Nothing too in depth but enough features to promote long term single player play... and of course some wonderful couch co-op or couch versus?

HOCKEY!!!!!  Woo Hoo!!  Yes... you could say this has me excited... just a little bit!   

Hockey:  It's not going to need a combination of 15 different buttons that's for sure.  LOL. In saying that, I'd be in heaven if you somehow Channel either NHL 94 or the NHL HITZ series.  Obviously I'm a big fan of NHL 94 (who isn't?) but just was good was NHL Hitz 2003 with it's over the top arcade action and multiplayer (both coop or competitive) gameplay.

Although I suspect an arcade style approach I do also hope there is some sort of season mode and playoffs in the game for those like me who want more than just playing one game arcade style.

What’s with all the Switch hate in this thread? A great product can stand on its own without needing to go after the competition. And I like what I’ve seen of Amico so far.

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

 

From that list... the ones we are focusing on right now are...

Bump N Jump

Football
Hockey
D&D (but not ToT right now)

 

 

Four great titles. I'm hoping "not ToT" automatically means Cloudy Mountain. 😎

And as for Hockey, I'm still smarting from Paul beating me 1-0 on a PP goal last time I was down there to visit him. I look forward to gaining my revenge on the new system. 😎😂

30 minutes ago, The Strangest said:

What’s with all the Switch hate in this thread? A great product can stand on its own without needing to go after the competition. And I like what I’ve seen of Amico so far.

I haven't seen much actual Switch hate except some people made fun of the ring exercise device and also pointed out that they show a group of people excitedly watching one person squeeze some plastic (not very realistic but that is how it is marketed). People here talk about the Switch because that is what most people see as the default 'easy & family friendly' console. The post above for the VR patent is about how isolating that is, while the Amico is all about couch coop with family & friends. There have also been posts about how complex the controllers can be for games (I posted one of those). For me it is meant to point out the differences between the Switch & the Amico. I got my daughter a Switch and she loves it and I have been eyeing getting one too. It is hands down a great device, just different than what the Amico is trying to do so we are trying to exhibit the differences.

9 minutes ago, cmart604 said:

Four great titles. I'm hoping "not ToT" automatically means Cloudy Mountain. 😎

And as for Hockey, I'm still smarting from Paul beating me 1-0 on a PP goal last time I was down there to visit him. I look forward to gaining my revenge on the new system. 😎😂

Cmart, make sure you make the push to Paul and or Tommy on the Intellivisionaries Podcast to get those corner boards in the new Amico hockey game curved instead of the mistake they made in Slap Shot Super Pro Hockey.  Thanks!

2 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

D&D (but not ToT right now)

I have only one word to say: YES!!!

(for ToT I'll waill patiently...  )