Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

On 7/20/2020 at 4:27 PM, Battlefish said:

This was really fun to watch. If this is any indicator of the full event, then I'm ULTRA hype.

A few humorous moments for the August 4th event... but more about games, fun, passion, developers, announcements, surprises AND... meeting a lot more of the Intellivision team for updates!

Who knows... we may even show the finished pre-testing production console being turned on and start playing a game IMMEDIATELY with an Amico controller. 

Wouldn't That Be Something?™

In regards to more humorous moments though.  Did anyone notice that the video from earlier this week was called Announcement #1?

#2 hitting next week.  Same "testing" type video.... but this time... with a little twist.

On 7/20/2020 at 5:53 PM, Steven Pendleton said:

Well, that certainly was interesting to watch.

 

I signed up for the event because why not. How long is it going to be? It's going to be at 0200 for me and sleep is nice, but I don't have work on that day so it's still fine.

We originally planned for around 40 minutes.  Might be closer to an hour though as we are adding lots of cool stuff.  Starting to edit with my team this weekend.  I'm assuming it will be somewhere between 45 - 60 mins tops.

On 7/20/2020 at 5:58 PM, CurlyQ said:

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!!

On 7/20/2020 at 6:05 PM, nightmonkeyii said:

The marsh mellow test at the end, that was hilarious. Were both destructive fuckers! Love how you just casually place a lithium ion battery into the fire. Im that guy too. Love it! 

Actually... truth be told... we filmed the day after July 4th and filled it with leftover bottle rocket fuel.   And YES... that was a real explosion!  We didn't add a single visual effect to that scene!

I'm going to try and do a "making of" video for my personal YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/TommyTallarico77

On 7/20/2020 at 7:46 PM, intvsteve said:

Holy moly! What a birthday present! Thanks, TT!

Happy BELATED Birthday!!

On 7/20/2020 at 10:18 PM, Starpaddler said:

Happy Birthday intvsteve! We apparently share more than just an interest in Amico 🤫

Double Happy BELATED Birthday!!!

On 7/21/2020 at 12:16 PM, oelli said:

 

Tommy

SENSATION

 

I overwhelm as I approach you
Make your lungs hold breath inside!
Lovers break caresses for me
Love enhanced when I've gone by

You'll feel me coming
A new vibration
From afar you'll see me
I'm a sensation
I'm a sensation

They worship me and all I touch
Hazy eyed they catch my glance
Pleasant shudders shake their senses
My warm momentum throws their stance

You'll feel me coming
A new vibration
From afar you'll see me
I'm a sensation
I'm a sensation

Soon you'll see me, can't you feel me
I'm coming
Send your troubles dancing, I know the answer
I'm coming
I'm coming
I'm a sensation

I leave a trail of rooted people
Mesmerized by just the sight
The few I touched now are disciples
Love as One I Am the Light

 

I am a pinball wizard y'know!

Fun fact:  Pete Townsend started writing the rock opera Tommy about a pinball wizard on Feb. 18, 1968.  The exact day I was born.

🏆

On 7/21/2020 at 6:38 PM, Alpha82 said:

I think that might be the son of the lawn mowing  man

Correct!  It's John Alvardo's son, who also works for us as a Programmer!

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

So less than 2 weeks for August 4th, where we should have a lot of information about Amico and the games.

Tommy has already said that we will not know everything, that some secrets will be kept, but we should have a lot to talk about for sometime !

 

So in the meantime, here are 10 personal pieces of information that I can't wait to know !

 

1- How Intellivision Entertainment will present the special event.

Talking heads, gameplay footage, studios from around the world and of course... showing the console!

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

2- Will we have developers like Mike Mika talking about their games.

Yep!

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

3- Did Intellivision Entertainment will have find a place where they can show people playing together and having fun.

We did a few "family" scenarios.  We wanted to do a lot more... but COVID restrictions did not allow it.  Even filming the thing was very difficult as COVID enforcing had to be done.  Everyone with masks in the studio (not on camera though) and everyone 6 ft. apart.  Challenging for sure.

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

4- I can't wait to see Horse Racing ...

Won't be showing that one.

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

5- Ski cross play from Skiing ...

Check.

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

6- Burger Time ...

Not yet.

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

7- Frogger ...

Too early.

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

8- Listen to the sounds of Astrosmash.

Yep.

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

9- Baseball gameplay

Gotta save some stuff for later!

On 7/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, LePionnier said:

10- Will we know the new launch date

August 4th will give a lot of info.

On 7/22/2020 at 11:41 AM, Intellivision Master said:

 

Loved this!  Haven't seen him before.  Looking forward to hopefully hearing more though!

On 7/22/2020 at 12:37 PM, jaybird3rd said:

Since you posted this here in the Q&A thread, is there anything in particular that you wanted to say or ask about it?

 

Setting aside for the moment my other issues with "Atari" (their multiple delays, their lack of communication, their involvement in multiple lawsuits and other shady business dealings, etc.), one of my main problems with the "VCS" is that they seem to be relying heavily on an amalgamation of existing third-party services and offerings—Antstream, AirConsole, Game Jolt, etc.—to fill out their game library and their feature list.  As others have pointed out, all of these services are already available for a multitude of other platforms and devices, so their inclusion with the "VCS" does nothing to differentiate it.  The core components of the "VCS", such as its commodity PC hardware and its Linux-based OS, are similarly generic and "off-the-shelf."  About all that is unique about it is the plastic case—which others seem excited about, though I never particularly liked it—and the controllers, and even these were the work of outside contractors.

 

This whole approach strikes me as haphazard and lazy.  "Atari" is doing as little of the engineering work themselves as possible, and because they went the crowdfunding route, they don't even have to do it entirely with their own money.  Their approach also strikes me as unfocused, since they don't appear to have a clearly-defined vision of who their target audience is.  The result is a "platform" that is not really a coherent platform in its own right; it's a loose collection of borrowed bits and pieces "flying in formation," aimed at everybody in general and nobody in particular.  Other than serving as a minimal effort to fulfill their obligations to their backers, I see no reason for the "VCS" to exist.  If "Atari" were to ship their controllers in a decorative box, along with a self-booting USB flash drive that has the exact same distro of Linux and the exact same collection of third-party applications already installed, their users could get the same experience with the PCs they already have in their homes.  (It would probably be a better experience, since even an inexpensive consumer PC would likely be cheaper and a better performer than the low-end hardware that the "VCS" is using.)

Hope we get an answer to your question @jaybird3rd!

I can honestly say that aside from the fact that we are both "retro" named companies... there is literally nothing I can think of that makes us similar to the AtariVCS in any way.

ESPECIALLY this one... 

They are crowdfunded... we are not.
 

😱🤣

💩🤡

😇

On 7/22/2020 at 4:27 PM, SEGA128bits said:

Tommy is the new Reggie Fils-Aimé, that is awesome, I love watching you in videos and I have to say "wouldn't that be something" is almost as good as "my body is ready". Tommy gives me that nostalgic nintendo feel, back when Mr Iwata and Reggie were the faces of Nintendo. Very excited to see more amico news! 

I appreciate the kind words!

Now that Reggie is consulting for GameStop... I'll need to get him to do a video for us at some point. 

On 7/22/2020 at 6:04 PM, Intellivision Master said:

I heard Pete mention in tonight's podcast that the 8/4 event for Amico is 30 minutes long.  I was hoping it would be an hour.  Lol.  But I'll take 30 minutes.  8/4 can't come soon enough.

 

Also, Pete said he'll be doing 2 podcasts.  One on 8/4 and one on 8/5.  Both at 8pm ET.

Closer to 45 minutes.  Could be up to an hour.  Will know a lot more mid next week as our first pass editing is done.

On 7/22/2020 at 6:24 PM, IMBerzerk said:

@Tommy Tallarico

 

Found a few Easter Eggs in the video... Thanks for the nod to the Sears SVA!  

 

 

You can't really see it, but behind that Sears Intellivision was Dave Chandlers Keyboard Component!

The popcorn machine is a 3D printer. 

On 7/22/2020 at 10:17 PM, Starpaddler said:

My thoughts on what may be the biggest Easter Egg (which may not really be one at all), but am surprised no one else mentioned this; the video was titled ANNOUNCEMENT #1.  
 

Does this mean were are getting at least one more video before the 4th?

Wouldn't That Be Something?™

On 7/23/2020 at 5:54 AM, Zee said:

Tommy must be super busy. Haven't seen him post much or jump onto the Amico All Access podcast for a bit.  Things are gearing up!!

Understatement!

On 7/23/2020 at 5:58 AM, Intellivision Master said:

It's sad, we miss him.  Hopefully he stops by the Q&A today.  Where are you Tommy?  Must say his name 3 times.  Tommy, Tommy, Tommy.  

Literally pulling 20 hour days with the entire team.  Lots of cool things happening and preparing for August 4th!

May not see me again til next weekend... but I'll try.

On 7/23/2020 at 8:17 AM, Swift Justice said:

Sooo...when does the Keyboard Component come out? 

(ducks) 😁

1981!  You're too late!  You missed it!

On 7/23/2020 at 10:26 AM, LePionnier said:

 

I prefer 30 minutes of real Amico gameplay to 1 hour of Xbox movies ... Nothing was impressive.

Everyone's just talking about power, graphics, guessing what the game would be. (Because we've seen a lot of games that only partially explain the story!)

 

With Intellivision Entertainment, we will have gameplay, gameplay and gameplay. (With a few surprises!)

30 minutes will be enough, and if it's more, it will be a bonus for our eyes and ears! 🙂

 

I will be on vacation on August 4th. I have already spoken to the family and we will stop our road trip at 1PM Eastern Time, and everyone will be watching the special event.

Our vacation this year will be forever associated with the Intellivision Entertainment's special event! 😃

 

 

Holy CRAP!!

You are HARDCORE!!!!!!!!!

LOVE IT!

On 7/23/2020 at 10:41 AM, GrudgeQ said:

I am with you - a good, tight 30 minute presentation is perfect. Maybe an overview of the finalized system, a few special guests, lots of game play, a few surprises thrown in here & there - done. Short & impactful.

😀

This is EXACTLY our goal!

Been feeling like all these other game announcements have been a little too long and not as passionate, interesting or FUN as they should be.  One thing you WON'T see on August 4th...  cinematics over gameplay!

On 7/23/2020 at 12:16 PM, Relicgamer said:

New question for you Tommy. Just watched the interview/discussion on Comicon. I was intrigued with what Valerie Vacante with (LiveArea//Collabsco) she was discussing a game with augmented reality with pieces you put on a table to form a track.  

So my questions are this are you working on games to have this ability?  Using a cellphone camera? 

And are you in any agreements or discussions with Tommy Palm or Valerie to do game development for the Amico.  

We have a few things potentially in the works.  Having an Android/Linux based OS has a lot of advantages to it and a lot of "built in" things that we are able to utilize to create some really different experiences!

Look for these types of things in year two though.

Yes... working with Valerie on some potential things.  And Tommy Palm is great.  Candy Crush, Angry Birds... to say he's had a few hits is quite the understatement!

We are keeping in touch.

In fact, the 3 of us just did an interview for CNN today!  Will post the link when I get it!

On 7/23/2020 at 12:36 PM, vongruetz said:

So then, who was in the NASA t-shirt, and did it have a purpose?

Mike Kosco.  He's one of our hardware engineers along with @RxScram!!

The last project Mike worked on was the Blackhawk Helicopter.  Not as cool as the Mars Rover that @RxScram worked on! 

Absolutely amazing and incredible talent in-house at Intellivison!

On 7/23/2020 at 12:40 PM, RxScram said:

That was Mike Kosko, one of the other electrical engineers. I think he just wanted to show his admiration of me. 🤣

Boom!  That must have been it!!

1 hour ago, CurlyQ said:

An interesting video about Japanese Retro Gaming Centers. Makes me wonder if @Steven Pendleton ever pays any of these places a visit?

 

 

Actually I stop by the arcade on 5F in Super Potato in Akiba sometimes. They have some Neo Geo MVS systems up there with stuff like Metal Slug X and a few other 90s cabinets as well. There's also a big statue of MGS3 Snake in there, but someone broke his gun several years ago. He's also wearing a Mario hat for whatever reason.

It's really cool to go to a 90s arcade with real Neo Geo cabinets and play Metal Slug with my friends. Now that I realized what I've just typed without thinking about it, I suppose that's just more proof for Tommy that playing games with your friends in the same room is the best way to play multiplayer games.

Still, Japanese arcade machines generally eat a lot of your cash very quickly due to the high prices, so I don't do it often. I recently bought my own Neo Geo to celebrate its 30th anniversary (as well as my own 30th birthday; I'm exactly 19 days older than the Neo Geo is!), so I don't think I'll be going to the arcades much after I get a ROM cart for it, but even then, the MVS in an arcade is really a totally different experience from the AES at home.

On 7/23/2020 at 1:08 PM, Albert said:

Do you work at NASA?  I'm a huge fan of NASA and spaceflight in general, and I was in Florida for the CRS-11 launch in June 2017 for a #NASASocial.  Great experience, and look forward to doing it again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awesome pics!!!!!!!

@RxScram worked on the Mars Rover for NASA before working at Intellivision!