Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

Tommy,

Are you still planning to do something special on 10/10 since Amico got delayed?

8 hours ago, Urlu Berlu said:

Hi @Tommy Tallarico, Just wanna say how impressed I am. Not only are you always answering every single question that is asked of you, but you're also answering very generously and giving a lot of insight on the ins and outs of the video game industry: hardware and software, but also business-related questions as well. And you're even taking the time to answer the more "shady/salty" questions - I know some of them i read were formulated in such a way that they would've got under my skin, but your answers were always respectful and perfect!

And I aint even talking about the different webcasts you and some of your contributors have participated in (Scott was amazing on the Amico All Access podcast this week!)

It's very refreshing to see and don't know of anyone in the business that has been so generous with the community. Thank you so much for this!

I've studied and worked in I.T. for the past 30 years, and I feel I just majored in video games by following this forum in the past months!

 

P.S.: As of now, I'll also be only sleeping 4 hours every night.
 

Cheers!

Yo!,

Thank you for the kind words!  I see you a lot in the live chats always leaving nice and supportive remarks.

I appreciate that you recognize the dedication. 

Thanks!

11 hours ago, The_Analog_Kid said:

Tommy, any Space Spartan plans for the Amico?  You knew I was gonna ask...!  😁

It's definitely on the "to do" list at some point.  Nothing started yet.

10 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

Tommy,

 

I think the way Astrosmash looks on Amico is fine.  I'm not big on graphics, they're overrated.  As long as the game is fun and has good controls, that's all that matters to me.  Also, I hope that musical score is going to be the in game music for Astrosmash that was used during the Amico event.  It sounded so epic.

Yep!  A lot of the music will be in that style!

10 hours ago, The_Analog_Kid said:

I agree with you, Intellivision Master.  I plugged in my "Intelliviison Flashback" and my 9-year old and I were playing a bunch of the original Intellivision games.  At first, my son (who has grown up with an Xbox in the house) looked dubious (me: "Welcome to 1981!"  lol) but 5 minutes later he was cracking up, laying mines and blowing my tanks up in Armor Battle and asking if we could play more games.  3 hours later, and well past his bedtime, we finished up and both had a grand ol' time.  For someone looking to spend quality time with their family, games don't need to look like Red Dead Redemption 2, or anything even close. 

 

It's all about playability and fun.

 

Such a simple concept that certain elitists seem to forget and can't quite wrap their heads around.

9 hours ago, bigdaddygamestudio said:

i agree, The background looks fine and cool to me. The ships and especially the giant asteroids just looked pasted on IMHO.  The layering is just too obvious and it really does look like a game being played over top a background ( which of course it is, but the art of the illusion to make this less obvious to the player is not there since there are almost two art styles being used here)..  The game elements IMHO need to bleed back and become part of the background a little more and take on more of the style of the background.  The background is on point, I just think the foreground and game elements need one or more passes to follow the art direction of the back and to blend better so you have one cohesive and eye pleasing game.  I think its doable.

 

1 other observation. The falling rocks look too big compared to everything else, perhaps shrink them to 75% size and do a quick pass.  The ufos and cannons are ok, the rocks just seem a little too big in relation to everything else on screen. again just my 2 cents

The camera is moved farther out.  We pushed it in for the video so folks could see a little more detail.  But the camera and rocks will be smaller.

11 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Would be easy to do but would worry about the file size (all though movies).

They did compress Dragon's Lair it to a 4MB cartridge for the GBC, which I own.  Also they also compressed it to I think 16MB for the DSiWARE, I believe I still own both.  So I think with good compression and not HD, the movies should be way under 500 MB.  Possibly 2 options for people to download, the HD version or the SD version.  

51 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Chuck Jones lived near us in Orange County!  I met him a bunch of times in the mid 90's at the WB store at South Coast Plaza.  He would do animation cell and book signings.  Got him to sign a bunch of stuff.

Yeah, Im not the star struck kind of guy, but Chuck Jones would have me fanboiing all over him if I met him while he was still here with us.

I haven't been paying a lot of attention recently, but how many games will be available at launch now? I forget how many it was before, but now that the release date has changed, I suppose it's possible that the number of games might have changed.

3 hours ago, Zoyous said:

I highly recommend Chuck Jones's memoir, Chuck Amuck, if you want to read a lot of great stories about how they made those cartoons!

will do, I love his art etc Im just not rich enough to really collect his stuff in a way I would want, so Im a 50-60s and 70s Hanna Barbera collector, I had to show my wife about 6 pieces recently and told her, these 6 or so need to go to a museum if I drop over.  I have some of Ed Benedicts earliest stuff in the creation of some of the most iconic characters of all time. 5 were used/shown in various Hanna Barbera historical books.  My wife had no clue.  

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

I met him a bunch of times in the mid 90's at the WB store at South Coast Plaza.

If memory serves, South Coast Plaza used to have a great gaming store around that time. Maybe it was called the Gamesmanship, or something like that?

Used to visit the game store there in that mall when I’d go down to visit my mom. Loved that store! It’s where I first found Computer Gaming World magazine. Also bought Might & Magic 1 there. 

Strange what odd bits of info float around in the brain cells.

Edit: Answered my own question:  (And I’m now requesting every game on that list be retro-reimagined. I think you’ve already mentioned Archon. Only 59 more to go.)

Hi Tommy. Great couple of interviews this week. Thanks!

Looks like you had a good time in Yosemite.  Love it up there. 
 

I haven't heard anything about a golf remake. Anything in work or on the list?  

Also, anything new on a Bump’n Jump game?   When the originals start to get re-released is there anything preventing B’nJ from being included (i.e., licensing)?  I played the heck out of that game when I was a kid.  

Last question (for now), anything you can share WRT AMICO apps that may be in work?

Thanks. 

1 hour ago, Steven Pendleton said:

I haven't been paying a lot of attention recently, but how many games will be available at launch now? I forget how many it was before, but now that the release date has changed, I suppose it's possible that the number of games might have changed.

Tommy mentioned this a few pages ago:

14 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

We are mostly sticking to our original plan of having around 30 or so games at launch.  But that could change (i.e. we could do more). 

Yes... more games will now be "stock piled" for release... but if anything, we consider that a good thing and gives even more time to polish any games that would have been close to being done on 10.10.

 

3 minutes ago, GrudgeQ said:

 

 

Tommy mentioned this a few pages ago:

 

Great, thanks! I definitely missed that!

14 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Incredible competition, but nice to be nominated!

 

Please vote for us!

 

1) Go on www.gamescom.global

2) Activate bot (down right corner)

3) Click on "Select an option"

4) Select "gamescom awards"

5) Type "voting"

6) Enter your email address

7) Select "Category Most Wanted"

8. Click to see picture with nominees

9) Type 18 for Intellivision Amico

 

 

 

Left my vote

Hi Tommy,

I am interested to hear how you think physical media can contribute to the success of the amico and want to share some thoughts on this topic.

In my home country (Germany) a small start up reached enormous success with a closed system to sell audio books/radioplays for children only tied to a toy miniature similar to Nintendos amibos and now even reaches out for the US market (https://us.tonies.com). In very few years they sold 1.5 million base stations and turned over 100 million Euros alone in 2019. The base station ( basically loudspeaker + NFC Reader I would say) costs around 75,- and every "tonie" loaded with a single 50 minute audiobook can be bought for around 15,-.

Seems pretty pricey in the age of stuff like audible but guess what - most families with small children we know (including ouselves) own this system and the children love it. They have very big content partners like Disney, Peppa Pig and so on on board. I think most of their success comes from recommendations from one family to another.

Grantparents, Aunts/Uncles also love to bring a tonie as a small gift. There are already about 300 different ones.

So concerning Amico - aside from any collector's interest on games on attractive physical media - wouldn't it make sense to make every Amico software specifically dedicated to children (like Sesame Street stuff) also available as tied to a plastic miniature toy? Making your games also available as possible gifts from Grandpa, Auntie and so? No one really wants to bring a card with a download code when he comes for visit I would think.

In addition to this maybe you should also consider to expand the Amico entertainment opportunities by making favorite family movies (Disney, Pixar,...) tied to a toy miniature as physical media available for use with the Amico as well. Similar to the toniebox concept this could also allow smaller kids to change their games/movies played by the amico by just putting the other miniature on the reader without needing their parents help navigating any kind of menu.

10 hours ago, Kiwi said:

They did compress Dragon's Lair it to a 4MB cartridge for the GBC, which I own.  Also they also compressed it to I think 16MB for the DSiWARE, I believe I still own both.  So I think with good compression and not HD, the movies should be way under 500 MB.  Possibly 2 options for people to download, the HD version or the SD version.  

They must've used Pied Piper's middle-out compression algorithm

Tommy,

I'm wearing my Thunder Castle T-shirt today.  I like it, you did a great job on the design.  Any chance of there being a Cloudy Mountain T-shirt?

10 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

I haven't been paying a lot of attention recently, but how many games will be available at launch now? I forget how many it was before, but now that the release date has changed, I suppose it's possible that the number of games might have changed.

30 to 40 I believe is the number that was said.

16 hours ago, The_Analog_Kid said:

Those old Saturday morning Warner Bros/Chuck Jones cartoons were the greatest.  Every time I come across one it still makes me crack up. 

 

Duck Season!  Wabbit Season!

 

Here ya go! 🤣

Tommy,

I know you like Willy Wonka.  What about a Willy Wonka game on Amico?  It could be like Burger Time, where you run around trying to make chocolate bars instead of burgers.  The objective is to reach a bowl in order to pour out the chocolate which then fills up the bar below it.  There could be 4 bowls to pour with a time limit.  All the while you're being chased by the oompa loompas who are trying to stop you, lol.  Also, you can stun the enemies by whacking them with your cane.  Or you can throw your hat like a boomerang to knock out the enemy.

11 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

Tommy,

 

Are you still planning to do something special on 10/10 since Amico got delayed?

Yeah... gotta do something.  Not sure what exactly.  I had a big idea but it looks like COVID is going to screw that up.

So we've been thinking about other things we could do (that doesn't involved people getting together). 

Welcome to hear ideas if anyone here has them.  A few new hardware and controller videos are coming.  Could have another free demo on the Amico Club app by then.

Any other thoughts?

11 hours ago, Kiwi said:

They did compress Dragon's Lair it to a 4MB cartridge for the GBC, which I own.  Also they also compressed it to I think 16MB for the DSiWARE, I believe I still own both.  So I think with good compression and not HD, the movies should be way under 500 MB.  Possibly 2 options for people to download, the HD version or the SD version.  

I'll check it out and reach out to them.

It would be cool to play the original game but add in the interactive lights on the console base and controllers!  Along with "rumble", sounds on the controller and maybe a way to include the microphone or motion controls!

2 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Welcome to hear ideas if anyone here has them.  A few new hardware and controller videos are coming.  Could have another free demo on the Amico Club app by then.

Maybe on 10/10 you could show a video of you playing some Amico games?  Good to hear about new videos coming for hardware & the controller.  And the possibility of another free demo.  Hopefully it's Breakout or something we haven't seen yet.

11 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

I haven't been paying a lot of attention recently, but how many games will be available at launch now? I forget how many it was before, but now that the release date has changed, I suppose it's possible that the number of games might have changed.

Currently we're still sticking to the original plan of around 30.  However that number could go up (it won't go down).  One of the reasons being that we need to be able to HIGHLIGHT new games each week or two.  So if we put out 50 at launch and then highlight a brand new game every two weeks or so... then those 20 games that were supposed to be highlighted, wouldn't get the spotlight for a longer time, etc.

We have a very specific plan and release schedule for timing and spotlighting so we feel it's best to stick to our original plan and just have more games "stockpiled" til the end of the year.