Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

11 hours ago, Jake67 said:

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.)

 

 

YES!!!!!   That place was AWESOME!!!

It was located in one of the corners.

Mostly board game type stuff by the end, but was also fun to go in there and see everyone playing and seeing all the statues, figures, etc.

I forgot about that place.  Thanks for the memories!

10 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

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

Yeah!  Some really fun and unique ones this week.

10 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

 

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

Yosemite is cool.  Will be going through pictures and videos this weekend to post on social.

I actually like places in Oregon & Utah better than Yosemite (and a lot less crowded).  

10 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

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

Yes.  We'll have news of something coming by the end of the year for sure.  We want 2 golf games initially.  One a little more serious and then a wacky mini-putt style.  We're talking to a number of different folks right now.

10 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

 

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.  

The name Bump 'n' Jump is not owned by the folks who own the game.  We've been talking to both.  We have the game, but would like to get the name as well (as opposed to the Burnin' Rubber Japanese game).

We haven't started that one yet but is very high on my list for a 2021 release.

10 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

 

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

 

Thanks. 

 

I'm not sure I understand the question.  Can you give me more detail? 

We have the Amico Club app.  That will be the only one we have.  Closer to launch we will add the Amico Controller app directly into Amico Club.  In regards to more demos... we hope to have at least one or two more games in there by the end of the year.

4 hours ago, Talerian said:

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.

Totally agree 100%!

And one step ahead of you my friend.

Actually... about 10 steps ahead.

🏆🚀

1 hour ago, Intellivision Master said:

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?

For sure!!    I was gonna do that one first, but the reality is that the dragon in Thunder Castle (as well as most of the art) looks much cooler in Thunder Castle!

Open to ideas from folks here as to what they would like to see on a Cloudy Mountain shirt.  Maybe keep it simple and just have the Running Man with a bow & arrow pointed at a dragon?

Or maybe there is a funny word or phrase we could add as well?  @CurlyQ any thoughts or ideas??

If I end up using anyone's idea, the least I could do is send you a few shirts and make you an official Amico SHILL!!

🤣🤣🤣

21 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

The name Bump 'n' Jump is not owned by the folks who own the game.  We've been talking to both.  We have the game, but would like to get the name as well (as opposed to the Burnin' Rubber Japanese game).

We haven't started that one yet but is very high on my list for a 2021 release.

The bump n jump trademark was used by atgames and coleco holdings for their flashback but was it  used legally.  Who did they license the game itself from.

4 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Open to ideas from folks here as to what they would like to see on a Cloudy Mountain shirt.  Maybe keep it simple and just have the Running Man with a bow & arrow pointed at a dragon?

Maybe show the Running Man inside a cave or something fighting off snakes and spiders.  Or like you said, keep it simple with Running Man shooting his arrows at the dragon.  It'll be neat to see what CurlyQ comes up with.

1 hour ago, Intellivision Master said:

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.

You guys know me better than that at this point don't you?  

Been working on getting the license with WB for over a year.  
 

The design I have is based entirely on the original movie.  Basically, everything you see in the movie... from trying to get Augustus out of the chocolate river pipe to the crazy Wonkatania boat ride, navigating Charlie & Uncle Joe away from the fan and bubbles with Fizzy Lifting Drink, having to create the perfect Everylasting Gobstopper, to a guitar hero-ish type music mini-games with all the Oompa Loompa segments! 

I actually designed the entire game about 30 years ago and was going to do it on the Sega Genesis & Super Nintendo!  But 2 years ago I did a lot of redesign specifically for the Amico controller and now it's even more unique and amazing!!  Going to be one of my pet projects for sure.  Christmas 2021 would be perfect, although it may take a little longer for this one to create... so maybe Easter of 2022.  That would be a cool release date!

So I guess, what I should really be saying here is...

Wouldn't That Be Something?™

🥰

5 minutes ago, mr_me said:

The bump n jump trademark was used by atgames and coleco holdings for their flashback but was it  used legally.  Who did they license the game itself from.

Yep.  I'm very aware. 

I wouldn't exactly put AT Games at the top of my list for doing things legally and the right way.  I'll just leave it at that.

Yep.  Our VP of Biz Dev Phil is friends with the Coleco folks for the name and the Burgertime folks out of Japan (old Data East) are the ones who own the game rights to Burnin' Rubber. 

If that's the case than Coleco Holdings claim on the trademark is invalid. You should just register it yourself.

2 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

Yeah!  Some really fun and unique ones this week.

 

 

 

Yosemite is cool.  Will be going through pictures and videos this weekend to post on social.

I actually like places in Oregon & Utah better than Yosemite (and a lot less crowded).  

 

 

 

Yes.  We'll have news of something coming by the end of the year for sure.  We want 2 golf games initially.  One a little more serious and then a wacky mini-putt style.  We're talking to a number of different folks right now.

 

 

 

The name Bump 'n' Jump is not owned by the folks who own the game.  We've been talking to both.  We have the game, but would like to get the name as well (as opposed to the Burnin' Rubber Japanese game).

We haven't started that one yet but is very high on my list for a 2021 release.

 

 

I'm not sure I understand the question.  Can you give me more detail? 

 

We have the Amico Club app.  That will be the only one we have.  Closer to launch we will add the Amico Controller app directly into Amico Club.  In regards to more demos... we hope to have at least one or two more games in there by the end of the year.

 

Thanks, yea Utah is beautiful.  Haven't been to Oregon but if anything like Washington, I’d agree with you there as well. We just did Arches, Canyonlands & Bryce National parks while you were in Yosemite, but unfortunately the views were a bit hazy due to the fire in CO.  
 

In one of the interviews when asked on Amico game pricing, believe the comment was that most of the games would be at the higher end of the spectrum with the lower end being more for things like apps. Believe a music visualizer may have been mentioned.
 

Then again, maybe you were just referring to the then unannounced Amico light magnetic tape physical media and the Amico tax prep app 🤣 

Thanks!

41 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

For sure!!    I was gonna do that one first, but the reality is that the dragon in Thunder Castle (as well as most of the art) looks much cooler in Thunder Castle!

 

Open to ideas from folks here as to what they would like to see on a Cloudy Mountain shirt.  Maybe keep it simple and just have the Running Man with a bow & arrow pointed at a dragon?

Or maybe there is a funny word or phrase we could add as well?  @CurlyQ any thoughts or ideas??

 

If I end up using anyone's idea, the least I could do is send you a few shirts and make you an official Amico SHILL!!

 

🤣🤣🤣

I feel the majority of the art (and color) in Cloudy Mountain is in the over-world view. As a kid, when that screen would load, I felt the upcoming adventure. My pick would be from this perspective, and of course would need to include the final mountain with the clouds.

30 minutes ago, Starpaddler said:

I feel the majority of the art (and color) in Cloudy Mountain is in the over-world view. As a kid, when that screen would load, I felt the upcoming adventure. My pick would be from this perspective, and of course would need to include the final mountain with the clouds.

I like that idea of an overhead shot of the whole mountain range. 

I also like the idea of an inside mountain shot being chased by the dragon. That always caused panic for me trying to run while getting some arrows fired off in the right direction. 

The shots I’ve attached wouldn’t be the exact photos I’d use for a shirt... more just a visual of what I was trying to describe. (For the inside shot, I’d want it to have the appearance of both characters running. The screenshot looks like they’re both standing there having a pleasant conversation.)

I’d buy either one of those shirts in a second.

19 minutes ago, Jake67 said:

I like that idea of an overhead shot of the whole mountain range. 

 

I also like the idea of an inside mountain shot being chased by the dragon. That always caused panic for me trying to run while getting some arrows fired off in the right direction. 

 

The shots I’ve attached wouldn’t be the exact photos I’d use for a shirt... more just a visual of what I was trying to describe. (For the inside shot, I’d want it to have the appearance of both characters running. The screenshot looks like they’re both standing there having a pleasant conversation.)

 

I’d buy either one of those shirts in a second.

Same here, but last i knew, a shirt had two sides... 

just sayin

37 minutes ago, Starpaddler said:

Same here, but last i knew, a shirt had two sides... 

 

just sayin

Perhaps on the front of the shirt can be the re-imagined look.  On the back can be the old style look.  Or vice versa.  Another option would be to display the game title on the front of the shirt with an image of that game below it.  There are many possibilities.  Hopefully Tommy will consider them.

42 minutes ago, Intellivision Master said:

Perhaps on the front of the shirt can be the re-imagined look.  On the back can be the old style look.  Or vice versa.  Another option would be to display the game title on the front of the shirt with an image of that game below it.  There are many possibilities.  Hopefully Tommy will consider them.

Kind of like some Pink Floyd album covers, I prefer there aren’t any titles on the shirts.

I like the picture to either speak for itself (especially when seen by other Intellivision fans... instant bond) or confuse the heck out of people who then will ask what it means.

But like you say... so many possibilities.

2 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

Same here, but last i knew, a shirt had two sides... 

 

just sayin

 

 

If a cavern view is used, I’d like to see a photoshoped graphic that includes some elements that may not visible in the game at the same time.  Things i’d like to see represented would be:

  The running man (running)

  Flying Arrow

  Snake (maybe include a “hiss” cartoon bubble with a cool font that has fun with the “S”’s)

  Smoke from a just vanquished enemy (its funny, writing this one I can hear in my head the sound that makes)

  The Axe

  a bat

If could be accommodated without over-crowding

  a quiver

  Winged dragon

  Complete crown of kings

Maybe some of these elements could be incorporated outside of the cavern view, like having the cavern corridors and associated in-between space graphic be in the overall shape of the crown (and obviously place the elements above strategically located in the graphic areas of the crown). 
 

In case that didn't make any sense

1 - Start with the Crown of Kings

2 - Drop a cavern view under the crown

3 - Delete image of the caverns from where the crown graphic doesn't exist (colors would need to be sufficiently different then the shirt fabric)
4 - place in the game elements above within the remaining cavern/crown graphic

5 - Resulting graphic is the caverns and elements that form the crown

Come to think of it, the over-world view could be done this way as well, leaving those elements as is. 

1 hour ago, Jake67 said:

Kind of like some Pink Floyd album covers, I prefer there aren’t any titles on the shirts.

 

I like the picture to either speak for itself (especially when seen by other Intellivision fans... instant bond) or confuse the heck out of people who then will ask what it means.

 

But like you say... so many possibilities.

Agreed👍 

Anyone know where to download pdf’s of the original Intellivision game manuals?  I had them all on my ipad, but seems pdfs in books are not retained when updating the IOS 

9 minutes ago, Starpaddler said:

Anyone know where to download pdf’s of the original Intellivision game manuals?  I had them all on my ipad, but seems pdfs in books are not retained when updating the IOS 

The site I always used seems to have gone offline, but here is a snapshot from the Wayback Machine:

http://web.archive.org/web/20130924092416/https://kentrepairs.com/General/Intellivision.asp

13 minutes ago, Starpaddler said:

Anyone know where to download pdf’s of the original Intellivision game manuals?  I had them all on my ipad, but seems pdfs in books are not retained when updating the IOS 

You can also try here:

https://annarchive.com/intellivision_manuals.html

1 hour ago, jaybird3rd said:

The site I always used seems to have gone offline, but here is a snapshot from the Wayback Machine:

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20130924092416/https://kentrepairs.com/General/Intellivision.asp

Thanks (@GrudgeQ as well),  same here WRT my past go to being off line.
 

Hoping/guessing the Amico site will make available the original manual PDF’s once the get re-released, and ideally also include reproductions in the re-released games or packs as well. 

2 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

Anyone know where to download pdf’s of the original Intellivision game manuals?  I had them all on my ipad, but seems pdfs in books are not retained when updating the IOS 

Here is a great site for PDF manuals that I use all the time:

http://www.pixelatedarcade.com

I think this be great game 720 skate or die

On 8/29/2020 at 11:07 AM, Tommy Tallarico said:

Open to ideas from folks here as to what they would like to see on a Cloudy Mountain shirt.  Maybe keep it simple and just have the Running Man with a bow & arrow pointed at a dragon?

Or maybe there is a funny word or phrase we could add as well?  @CurlyQ any thoughts or ideas??

 

If I end up using anyone's idea, the least I could do is send you a few shirts and make you an official Amico SHILL!!

 

🤣🤣🤣

IMO simplicity is the way to go just like the other t-shirts in the Amico Store. If you start cramming it full of stuff it's gonna lose it's appeal.

Here's a couple to get the ball rolling...

10 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

Anyone know where to download pdf’s of the original Intellivision game manuals?  I had them all on my ipad, but seems pdfs in books are not retained when updating the IOS 

I have a pdf that contains all of the manuals for the games on the Intellivision Flashback. It's on another tablet so I will try to upload it tomorrow. Not just a text file but actual manuals. I think I found it somewhere here on Atariage.