Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

7 minutes ago, Intellivision Master said:

I heard Amazon made their own video game.  There's gameplay footage on YouTube.

Amazon launched their own game development software (Lumberyard) and their own game studio (Amazon Game Studios), along with their own current digital access platform (Amazon Gaming), all to very limited results.  AGS stepped in to purchase the rights to create a Lord of the Rings MMO last fall, and they have a handful of new games they've launched for mobile on iOS and Android, along with a few exclusive games they had (have?) for their Amazon Fire tv streaming device.  But their gaming studio has a free shooter/battle royale game recently released on Steam (Crucible), and another sprawling open world player v. player action adventure title (New World) out soon if not already.  Looks pretty.  But that's all before their supposed big focus: Project Tempo, which is supposed to be Amazon's answer to Google's Stadia.  

Amazon is definitely dipping into gaming, but they started making big announcements 5-6 years ago, and have.. very little practical to show for it.  Between their impossibly deep warchest and Google's, it's fair to say they could do most anything they want in gaming.  But they either are content to dabble, or are focused on the cloud and don't want to do conventional gaming.  Amazon and Google are sort of doing this dance of "We know where gaming is going and where people are going to want to be in 3-5 years, and we're aiming for that window now, and the audience will follow" approach.  Reminds me a lot of the hubris in the early 80s as every video game console manufacturer and the whole of the computer industry were dead-set determined to sell the customer on home computers, when just 5-8% of the market were having it.. computers were still too limited and not user-friendly to the casual audience.  They were 10+ years ahead of the curve, they saw the simplicity and elegance of what lay ahead, but were convinced they could drag customers along.  Coleco's ADAM basically gutted their profits and caused them to retreat from video games by the mid 80s.  Mattel weren't burned enough by their keyboard component debacle, they had to go back to that vision with Aquarius and it tanked, and Atari, Commodore, Tandy all price-warred themselves to near bankruptcy trying to usher in a great home computer buying spree that wouldn't materialize for the better part of a decade.  And now these richest companies in the world are off building systems to make gaming a device-neutral service experience managed on giant server farms that you tap into.  Awesome.  But glaring how making fun games just isn't the mission statement for either.

3 minutes ago, RetroAdvisoryBoard said:

 

Amazon launched their own game development software (Lumberyard) and their own game studio (Amazon Game Studios), along with their own current digital access platform (Amazon Gaming), all to very limited results.  AGS stepped in to purchase the rights to create a Lord of the Rings MMO last fall, and they have a handful of new games they've launched for mobile on iOS and Android, along with a few exclusive games they had (have?) for their Amazon Fire tv streaming device.  But their gaming studio has a free shooter/battle royale game recently released on Steam (Crucible), and another sprawling open world player v. player action adventure title (New World) out soon if not already.  Looks pretty.  But that's all before their supposed big focus: Project Tempo, which is supposed to be Amazon's answer to Google's Stadia.  

 

Amazon is definitely dipping into gaming, but they started making big announcements 5-6 years ago, and have.. very little practical to show for it.  Between their impossibly deep warchest and Google's, it's fair to say they could do most anything they want in gaming.  But they either are content to dabble, or are focused on the cloud and don't want to do conventional gaming.  Amazon and Google are sort of doing this dance of "We know where gaming is going and where people are going to want to be in 3-5 years, and we're aiming for that window now, and the audience will follow" approach.  Reminds me a lot of the hubris in the early 80s as every video game console manufacturer and the whole of the computer industry were dead-set determined to sell the customer on home computers, when just 5-8% of the market were having it.. computers were still too limited and not user-friendly to the casual audience.  They were 10+ years ahead of the curve, they saw the simplicity and elegance of what lay ahead, but were convinced they could drag customers along.  Coleco's ADAM basically gutted their profits and caused them to retreat from video games by the mid 80s.  Mattel weren't burned enough by their keyboard component debacle, they had to go back to that vision with Aquarius and it tanked, and Atari, Commodore, Tandy all price-warred themselves to near bankruptcy trying to usher in a great home computer buying spree that wouldn't materialize for the better part of a decade.  And now these richest companies in the world are off building systems to make gaming a device-neutral service experience managed on giant server farms that you tap into.  Awesome.  But glaring how making fun games just isn't the mission statement for either.

Yay, Lumberyard. The only game that I know of that uses it is Star Citizen.

Amazon has potential, of course, but it seems that they don't know what they are doing. I'd never heard of this game that they made and apparently already released, which is concerning for them since I'm primarily a PC guy. You can make the best things ever created, but if your customers don't know your thing exists, you're not going to sell any of it. As their intended target customer, and as someone who uses Amazon quite frequently, this is not good for them if this is the level of awareness that they have.

Still, I'm only one dude and can only offer my own perspective, so perhaps maybe more than a handful of people know this game exists. Or maybe not.

I was reviewing my kids' Boy Scout programs and just remembered that there is a game design merit badge.  Maybe Intellivision can do a merit badge day and help the kids (boys and girls now too) design their own games and get their badges.  It would also be cool to see Amico featured in their magazines as a scouting friendly game system.  That is a huge demographic that fits right into Amico's target audience.  All it takes is for the Intellivision team to call up the Boy Scout Orange County Council which is practically next door and become game design merit badge counselors.  Maybe even have an Amico booth at the annual Scout-O-Rama which also happens to be in Irvine, CA.  Just a thought.

Icey (Android, Ios):

Just getting caught up...  All this talk of console #'s..   2600, 2601 etc.

I want 2609  Hands down, no doubt.

19 minutes ago, Stillagamer said:

Icey (Android, Ios):

 

 

Chinese game. Also on Switch and PS4. Apparently it won some awards or something, unless I'm thinking of something else. I've not played it, but I'm planning on it eventually. Might get the PS4 version from Limited Run Games if I remember since there is no physical Switch version.

I wonder how non-Chinese games are viewed in China compared to Chinese games. I don't really know a lot about video games in China aside from the huge market size and the fact that they spend a lot of money on games, but I imagine having a few Chinese games might help for anyone entering the market. There's been a huge barrier to entry for quite a while, so PC was the only way to go for a long time there, although I think the 3DS got released there through iQue or some other company.

It's probably a very interesting market from the view of a foreign games company, I think, as it's relatively untouched by foreign consoles in general to my limited knowledge. Lots of potential in China, I think.

3 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

My CFO Nick has already started doing the math on what it's going to cost the company in my time just to do these! 

 

 

If it takes me 30 seconds to sign and number.  That is 1,300 minutes = over 21 hours!!!

Then I have the 10,000 VIP cards and 2,600 posters! 

😱

 

It’s a good thing you didn’t take pre orders for “5200” or “7800” FE’s 😂 

54 minutes ago, 1980gamer said:

Just getting caught up...  All this talk of console #'s..   2600, 2601 etc.

 

I want 2609  Hands down, no doubt.

 

@Tommy Tallarico, I’m not picky, if I were to get a founders addition with your signature, the number wouldn't be important to me 🤤  🎰, 🍀, 🐖in 💩 

3 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

My CFO Nick has already started doing the math on what it's going to cost the company in my time just to do these! 

 

 

If it takes me 30 seconds to sign and number.  That is 1,300 minutes = over 21 hours!!!

Then I have the 10,000 VIP cards and 2,600 posters! 

😱

 

Hmmm, I feel like if there was a guy who bought say the most of these maybe he could pick a number first. I bet he’s a nice guy. 😜

10 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

Cueing Curly, need to “Amico-fi” (OBE Pete’s term) this.  

How about some "Retro-fi"?

22 minutes ago, CurlyQ said:

How about some "Retro-fi"?

 

The wood makes it looks more like a yakiniku grill than ever before...

10 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

The wood makes it looks more like a yakiniku grill than ever before...

Cooking meat on the top grill would void the warranty pretty quickly...lol 😅😁

11 minutes ago, CurlyQ said:

 

Cooking meat on the top grill would void the warranty pretty quickly...lol 😅😁

 

Believe me, if it actually worked as a yakiniku grill, I'd buy it without hesitation... I've done some research, and it seems that the original Xbox is almost like the successor to the Dreamcast (which I have only played for 2~3 minutes), so I'm already seriously considering buying one after it gets a bit cheaper, depending on whatever backwards compatibility it has so I don't have to bother getting an original Xbox and figuring out the OSSC settings for it. If it worked as a grill I wouldn't care about the warranty at all! Maybe.

Hey Tommy, here's (another) crazy idea: repeat the interview with Lukas but this time you ask the questions and the kid answers.

You could ask him lots of questions about how did he get into retro gaming, favorite games for each retro console, comparing retro vs modern games...

You could also ask him about his opinion on each and every single feature of both the original Intellivision and the Amico.

I think that video would be really cool. 🤓

5 hours ago, RetroAdvisoryBoard said:

 But glaring how making fun games just isn't the mission statement for either.

Of course not, Google stadia’s primary target audience isn’t (or at least shouldn’t be) the actual gamers, it is people watching others playing video games. 

I posted this in the off-topic section today already, but this happened and it still makes me laugh, 8 hours later. I still can't believe that nobody has posted this in here.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/06/blatant_pokemon_rip-off_appears_on_microsoft_store

How did this get approved for release on the Microsoft store? How did nobody catch this? I kind of wanted to try it, but then I got scared and decided that Youtube would be safer than installing this on my computer. As of this post, it's still there somehow! Any insight on how this might have happened? The funniest part is that it's apparently been there for a few months...

Anyway, I'm guessing that this is the type of thing that you're looking to avoid happening with whatever physical media it is that you're using. Not quite the same, of course, but an interesting and very funny example of some of the crap that people try to do.

7 hours ago, Swami said:

I saw a Youtube comment where someone said they thought Earthworm Jim would be a game to attract hypercasuals, but I've got to be honest. When I think of hypercasuals, it's people who were too busy for consoles and TV in their 20 and 30s, like I was, and never heard of Earthworm Jim or Duke Nukem until I got into retrogaming three years ago and then it was mostly Atari and ColecoVision, which is what I had as a teen. When Lukas talked about his mom's boyfriend in his 40's not playing consoles since the 2600, that was pretty close to what happened with me. Games I played 1999-2004 were one's I could play on my PC at work during lunch or before going home or going out at night. I think I had American McGee's Alice, Doom, a Microsoft Pinball collection and a couple others. 2005-2010 I was working 18 hours a day and didn't game at all. In the 90s when I was poor, I just played the free games like Tetris and Minehunter, except I'd play Mario Kart with my nephew when I'd visit home when he was 8-10.

 

I think those games are a big attraction for gamers and retrogamers and hypercasuals will enjoy them a lot, but I don't know that it will mean much to them. Although, all I hear about in the greater gamer scene regarding the Amico is about Earthworm Jim.

Of the licenses announced so far, Earthworm Jim might be the most significant for the younger millenials that they are targeting. Less so for older millenials.

9 hours ago, Swami said:

I saw a Youtube comment where someone said they thought Earthworm Jim would be a game to attract hypercasuals, but I've got to be honest. When I think of hypercasuals, it's people who were too busy for consoles and TV in their 20 and 30s, like I was, and never heard of Earthworm Jim or Duke Nukem until I got into retrogaming three years ago and then it was mostly Atari and ColecoVision, which is what I had as a teen. When Lukas talked about his mom's boyfriend in his 40's not playing consoles since the 2600, that was pretty close to what happened with me. Games I played 1999-2004 were one's I could play on my PC at work during lunch or before going home or going out at night. I think I had American McGee's Alice, Doom, a Microsoft Pinball collection and a couple others. 2005-2010 I was working 18 hours a day and didn't game at all. In the 90s when I was poor, I just played the free games like Tetris and Minehunter, except I'd play Mario Kart with my nephew when I'd visit home when he was 8-10.

 

I think those games are a big attraction for gamers and retrogamers and hypercasuals will enjoy them a lot, but I don't know that it will mean much to them. Although, all I hear about in the greater gamer scene regarding the Amico is about Earthworm Jim.

Agreed.  Earthworm Jim is a great game.  However it did not enter the general zeitgeist like a Pac-Man or Space Invaders or Tetris or Candy Crush though.  That casual audience has never heard of him... "so, you're a worm?  Do you just squirm through the dirt?  Is it like Dig Dug?"  EWJ is definitely a double-take for the gaming crowd though, and cause for them to weigh a new system for its beloved exclusives on IPs THEY hold dear.  "They got.. they got Earthworm Jim as an EXCLUSIVE???"  A handful of those titles will convince some segment of the retro gaming community that they HAVE to pick up an Amico, just as a Gears of War and Halo convince audiences that a new Xbox is worth their coin.   

https://www.engadget.com/valorant-console-prototype-riot-games-205911681.html

11 hours ago, Stillagamer said:

Hey Tommy, here are some games i think would be fantastic on the Amico let me know what you think

 

Shellshock Live:

 

 

Heave Ho:

 

 

Knights and Bikes:

 

 

Hyperdot:

 

 

Monument Valley 2:

 

 

Duet:

 

 

Some cool stuff in there.  Will have my team check them out.

11 hours ago, Swami said:

I saw a Youtube comment where someone said they thought Earthworm Jim would be a game to attract hypercasuals, but I've got to be honest. When I think of hypercasuals, it's people who were too busy for consoles and TV in their 20 and 30s, like I was, and never heard of Earthworm Jim or Duke Nukem until I got into retrogaming three years ago and then it was mostly Atari and ColecoVision, which is what I had as a teen. When Lukas talked about his mom's boyfriend in his 40's not playing consoles since the 2600, that was pretty close to what happened with me. Games I played 1999-2004 were one's I could play on my PC at work during lunch or before going home or going out at night. I think I had American McGee's Alice, Doom, a Microsoft Pinball collection and a couple others. 2005-2010 I was working 18 hours a day and didn't game at all. In the 90s when I was poor, I just played the free games like Tetris and Minehunter, except I'd play Mario Kart with my nephew when I'd visit home when he was 8-10.

 

I think those games are a big attraction for gamers and retrogamers and hypercasuals will enjoy them a lot, but I don't know that it will mean much to them. Although, all I hear about in the greater gamer scene regarding the Amico is about Earthworm Jim.

Yeah, I wouldn't agree that Earthworm Jim is a game to attract hyper casuals.  It does hold a little weight outside of your typical 90's gamer as their was a Saturday morning cartoon and toy line.  My wife for example never played the games, but watched the cartoon.

That being said, Farkle, card games, party games, word games, matching games, casual recreational sports... those are the ones that will attract the hyper-casual.

Earthworm Jim... not so much.

 

10 hours ago, RetroAdvisoryBoard said:

 

Amazon launched their own game development software (Lumberyard) and their own game studio (Amazon Game Studios), along with their own current digital access platform (Amazon Gaming), all to very limited results.  AGS stepped in to purchase the rights to create a Lord of the Rings MMO last fall, and they have a handful of new games they've launched for mobile on iOS and Android, along with a few exclusive games they had (have?) for their Amazon Fire tv streaming device.  But their gaming studio has a free shooter/battle royale game recently released on Steam (Crucible), and another sprawling open world player v. player action adventure title (New World) out soon if not already.  Looks pretty.  But that's all before their supposed big focus: Project Tempo, which is supposed to be Amazon's answer to Google's Stadia.  

 

Amazon is definitely dipping into gaming, but they started making big announcements 5-6 years ago, and have.. very little practical to show for it.  Between their impossibly deep warchest and Google's, it's fair to say they could do most anything they want in gaming.  But they either are content to dabble, or are focused on the cloud and don't want to do conventional gaming.  Amazon and Google are sort of doing this dance of "We know where gaming is going and where people are going to want to be in 3-5 years, and we're aiming for that window now, and the audience will follow" approach.  Reminds me a lot of the hubris in the early 80s as every video game console manufacturer and the whole of the computer industry were dead-set determined to sell the customer on home computers, when just 5-8% of the market were having it.. computers were still too limited and not user-friendly to the casual audience.  They were 10+ years ahead of the curve, they saw the simplicity and elegance of what lay ahead, but were convinced they could drag customers along.  Coleco's ADAM basically gutted their profits and caused them to retreat from video games by the mid 80s.  Mattel weren't burned enough by their keyboard component debacle, they had to go back to that vision with Aquarius and it tanked, and Atari, Commodore, Tandy all price-warred themselves to near bankruptcy trying to usher in a great home computer buying spree that wouldn't materialize for the better part of a decade.  And now these richest companies in the world are off building systems to make gaming a device-neutral service experience managed on giant server farms that you tap into.  Awesome.  But glaring how making fun games just isn't the mission statement for either.

Spot on.

So much I could say in response but...

🤐

11 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

If such a thing was to happen, that would be quite interesting. I wonder how the haters would respond if such a thing was to happen.

 

Speaking of Amazon, I thought they were making their own console or something a while ago. Not sure what happened with that, though.

Actually I think Tommy’s scenario is way more likely than likely than any other scenario including some other company barging in - the reason is the skill sets. Look at the IP of Intellivision - not only the hardware of a unique, casual friendly console but also they are hands on in the totally curated games collection. Think about putting together both a good game design talent and hardware team if you are coming out of left field. Management inexperience is what sunk Ouya and it looks like Stadia, even with a bunch of industry veterans, is about to burn, or at least be a decade long slow ramp. Business people look at these examples and get very afraid.

Even if you are in the industry you probably are more in tune with CoD guys than family friendly indies that you need to keep costs down and design the type of games you need. Also even if, say, Amazon decides to wade in - their competitors are always looking to stick it to them and Walmart would likely jump on the already running Amico horse, pumping them full of marketing dollars to hype them in the market and blow a competitor out of the market before the design got off the drawing board.
 

Finally look at synergy deals from people like Disney or Mattel - Amico is a perfect market extension of their family friendly, kid friendly brands. Even Walmart considers itself family friendly and has failed at their other ongoing revenue stream venture like movies and music. What about buying into a successful games console with those sweet ongoing eStore sales?

He y just wanted to say that recently ive had some nice conversations with 2 people on YouTube that were generally negative on the Amico and turned the discussions to a positive one. 

On another note if you are not aware that a particular individual on YouTube has posted a comment on Lukas video I would take as bullying a 14 year old.  I personally reported him. Please do the same. You have to find him in newest 1st tab setting  James c is his name. I can take it when I have a debate or just disagreements but not this, never

10 hours ago, LinemanDoc said:

I was reviewing my kids' Boy Scout programs and just remembered that there is a game design merit badge.  Maybe Intellivision can do a merit badge day and help the kids (boys and girls now too) design their own games and get their badges.  It would also be cool to see Amico featured in their magazines as a scouting friendly game system.  That is a huge demographic that fits right into Amico's target audience.  All it takes is for the Intellivision team to call up the Boy Scout Orange County Council which is practically next door and become game design merit badge counselors.  Maybe even have an Amico booth at the annual Scout-O-Rama which also happens to be in Irvine, CA.  Just a thought.

Love this idea!

I did something similar with my Video Games Live show for many years.  Whenever we would go to a city in the U.S. I would tell the local promoter or symphony or venue (whoever was putting on the show) to give a big discount to Boy & Girl Scouts and then I would do a special Q&A and Meet & Greet with them before the show and they would ask me questions.  Typically would get around 50 - 100 people per show.  All the kids who attended received their video game patch!  We even made our own Video Games Live patch and gave that to them as well.  It was pretty cool.