Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

19 hours ago, NTV said:

  On 8/29/2020 at 4:20 PM, 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

19 hours ago, NTV said:

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.

The link to the pdf is listed below. I did find this on atariage and the post below was posted by mthompson and not me. Give all credit to him/her.

I thought it might be convent to have all of the game manuals for titles that are on the Flashback in a single document, so I made one. For "unreleased" games (Brickout, Blow Out, etc.) I created some simple manuals from the information that's available. A table of contents lists all 60 games, with the names hyperlinked so you can just click on a game and go straight to its manual without having to hunt for it.

If Intellivisiongames.com sticks with text-only game instructions, at least this manual will give people an easy way to access the full illustrated manuals and get the most out of the games and their shiny new console.

At 744 pages and almost 90 MB, the file is big, so I've uploaded it elsewhere. Here's a link to the file: http://tinyurl.com/qhqd7r6

Hopefully some people find it helpful.

There was a video game console with a Sesame Street license in 1989. It was video (from VHS) based. I found the View-Master Interactive Vision interesting, and it reminded me why I'm glad I'm not a collector, 'cause I'd want one just for the curiosity. It's kinda like the 3rd party Atari 2600 accessory Kid Vid (audio tape sound playback) from Coleco but going to the next level with video tape (with audio tracks too). 

(about the Coleco Kid Vid: https://berenstainbearscollectors.com/2015/07/08/berenstain-bears-video-games-and-computer-software/ )

1 hour ago, NTV said:

 

 

The link to the pdf is listed below. I did find this on atariage and the post below was posted by mthompson and not me. Give all credit to him/her.

 

 

 

I thought it might be convent to have all of the game manuals for titles that are on the Flashback in a single document, so I made one. For "unreleased" games (Brickout, Blow Out, etc.) I created some simple manuals from the information that's available. A table of contents lists all 60 games, with the names hyperlinked so you can just click on a game and go straight to its manual without having to hunt for it.

 

 

If Intellivisiongames.com sticks with text-only game instructions, at least this manual will give people an easy way to access the full illustrated manuals and get the most out of the games and their shiny new console.

 

At 744 pages and almost 90 MB, the file is big, so I've uploaded it elsewhere. Here's a link to the file: http://tinyurl.com/qhqd7r6

 

Hopefully some people find it helpful.

Awesome, THANK YOU!

Downloaded the app and checked out the Moon Patrol demo. 

Is this the same game (art style, game play, controls) that will be on the console, or something different?

How the heck do you get the buggy to start moving in "button" mode?  Works fine with motion controls, but that control scheme kinda blows.

7 minutes ago, Razzie.P said:

Downloaded the app and checked out the Moon Patrol demo. 

 

Is this the same game (art style, game play, controls) that will be on the console, or something different?

 

How the heck do you get the buggy to start moving in "button" mode?  Works fine with motion controls, but that control scheme kinda blows.

 

 

Hitting fire always starts the game. I actually prefer the tilt mode. 

Hans Ippisch at the Scene World Podcast in german but you can translate it with the subtitles function on youtube.

7 hours ago, Swami said:

Hitting fire always starts the game. I actually prefer the tilt mode. 

Thanks.  That doesn't work on my phone, though, so that's a bummer.   Tilt mode works.  The game starts, it plays super smooth, but no luck with the other mode.

11 minutes ago, Razzie.P said:

 

Thanks.  That doesn't work on my phone, though, so that's a bummer.   Tilt mode works.  The game starts, it plays super smooth, but no luck with the other mode.

Strange. I have a way old iPhone 6 Plus. 

1 hour ago, Razzie.P said:

Thanks.  That doesn't work on my phone, though, so that's a bummer.   Tilt mode works.  The game starts, it plays super smooth, but no luck with the other mode.

That is so strange, the game runs horribly on my ancient android Fire tablet (as you might expect) BUT the the controls are fine. Also fine on my IOS phone, iPad and even an old Nexus android tablet. I am also on team tilt for actually playing but it is a bummer you phone has some weird incompatibility with the button mode.

Send your questions for the coming weeks of "Ask Tommy" to:

[email protected]gmail.com

And here is the show with Tommy Tallarico:

and the gamescom Retro Podcast in English:

Somehow it has flown mostly under the radar that Intellivision has picked up two new sports licenses (announced in the GoGameGo video below). Both described as well known around the world, one serious and one casual (fun).

My two wild guesses are National Hockey League and maybe the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (I had guessed maybe Disc (Frisbee) Golf but it is too new to fit the description below).

Google captions with some minor editing and punctuation:

Quote

 

"yeah is that just this week we picked up two major sports licenses big,

well wait, let me say one of them is super big - everybody in the world knows it and the

other one is sports related but super super fun and everybody in the world knows that license as well,

but it's more of a fun sports license as opposed to like a serious sport. One's a serious sports license

and the other one's a fun sports license that everybody knows and it's something that's been around

for, well i don't want to say it because then that'll give it away, but it's been around a very very long time, let's say

much longer than any of us were alive."

 

3 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

Somehow it has flow mostly under the radar that Intellivision has picked up two new sports licenses (announced in the GoGameGo video below). Both described as well known around the world, one serious and one casual (fun).

My two wild guesses are National Hockey League and maybe the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (I had guessed maybe Disc (Frisbee) Golf but it is too new to fit the description below).

 

Google captions with some minor editing and punctuation:

 

 

 

I like the idea of Frisbee golf as the Frisbee could be easily guided by tilting the controller in all directions.

By the way, how new is new where you are? I recall playing it here in Australia well over 15 years ago and it was a blast!

On 8/29/2020 at 10:10 PM, Urlu Berlu said:

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

Yeah, that's what I thought too, but I kind of forgot since it's been a while...

On 8/29/2020 at 11:21 PM, Tommy Tallarico said:

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.

Yeah, I figured that this would probably happen because I remembered that you guys are going to showcase games upon their release, so if you have more games than originally planned, then you have to figure out how to do that appropriately with how long, etc., for each game instead of just going with your original plan for the original list of games. Still looking forward to seeing what is available at launch and especially spending a lot of time with Breakout. I do believe that you said that Breakout should be available on launch day, so I hope that hasn't changed!

4 hours ago, Utopia said:

I like the idea of Frisbee golf as the Frisbee could be easily guided by tilting the controller in all directions.

By the way, how new is new where you are? I recall playing it here in Australia well over 15 years ago and it was a blast!

Yeah I like the idea of a Frisbee Golf game a lot too but RedditShreddit over on Reddit pointed out it sounded like Tommy was saying the casual game was a very old franchise (I heard it the other way around on first listen). Since Frisbee, much less a Frisbee sports league, wasn’t dramatically older than anyone on the panel I had to backtrack on that guess.

I was also thinking Pickle Ball too (like Wii tennis - but not tennis) For the causal sport but same problem on the age.

Disc golf is something I have been playing on a regular basis now for the last 5 years.  I was very skeptical when I first tried it because I was horrible about throwing a regular frisbee growing up.  Now I can honestly say throwing a disc in disc golf is not the same as throwing a regular frisbee.  There are way more mechanics involved kind of like regular golf.  If you get the right disc (yes there are all different kinds based on the distance you are from the basket/hole), and work on your throwing/release/angle of the disc, you may find yourself enjoying the game.  Since Tommy first mentioned motion controls for the Amico, I have been saying that disc golf would make an excellent addition to the game lineup!  I hope he and the Amico team are seriously considering this as I think it might turn a lot of people onto the sport as well as give us die hard players something to do when the weather is not so good.  Maybe something like this will turn up in 2021/22? 

7 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

Yeah I like the idea of a Frisbee Golf game a lot too but RedditShreddit over on Reddit pointed out it sounded like Tommy was saying the casual game was a very old franchise (I heard it the other way around on first listen). Since Frisbee, much less a Frisbee sports league, wasn’t dramatically older than anyone on the panel I had to backtrack on that guess.

 

I was also thinking Pickle Ball too (like Wii tennis - but not tennis) For the causal sport but same problem on the age.

Just because disc golf might not be the license they're talking about doesn't mean there won't be a disc golf game.  And by old, talking about the age of the association, not the game, 1960s or older was mentioned.  Disc golf is not an easy game.  You have a bag of different discs like a bag of golf clubs.  These aren't frisbees either.  Takes lots of practice and will make a good amico game.

25 minutes ago, mr_me said:

Just because disc golf might not be the license they're talking about doesn't mean there won't be a disc golf game.  And by old, talking about the age of the association, not the game, 1960s or older was mentioned.  Disc golf is not an easy game.  You have a bag of different discs like a bag of golf clubs.  These aren't frisbees either.  Takes lots of practice and will make a good amico game.

Second that - really would be a nicely different spin (sorry) on a traditional golf game. Yeah I only said 'Frisbee' so people would know what I was talking about, never played but I read an couple of articles/news items - it seems to be getting more & more popular. Really cool to hear from an actual player. Seems like a great sport and I would love the Amico to be the 'alternative sports platform' for all of these popular, but non mainstream games.

Somewhat local to me a lady last year won her 5th world championship:

https://www.fox4news.com/video/624577

Just further proof of why it sucks to be an indie developer and why the secured development cost model of Amico is so helpful to establish stability in the industry. One of Amico's developers Eshan Mathur just got the rug pulled out from under his main software product with just one week notice. Hopefully Intellivision has more projects in the pipeline they can throw his way.

On 8/28/2020 at 10:31 PM, GrudgeQ 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.

I was thinking about the amount of launch games and the Amico's approach to releasing them. While I always want more choice, I can see the logic in keeping it to 30. In those 30 you should have a representation or three of each of the top 10 groups of games.  Like: adventure, arcade, driving/racing, edutainment etc.  Nothing gets drowned out by the others. Then slowly trickle the games out.

As we go down the road, I would not argue with releasing two to three games every two weeks. I think that you can still give each game some time in the spotlight. I'm hoping that when we go the Amico Emporium (Remember it's not just a simple shop) we get to see not only previews of the game in action, but maybe a little of the developer introduction. So we can learn more about them as well as the games. I know that depends on bandwidth. Maybe give us a choice of "Low bandwidth" Amico Shop. Basic online shopping. Or go to the "High Bandwidth" Emporium. With all the bells and whistles. Videos playing like: Tommy's head zooming at you until you go into his eye. Only to have Tommy's head zooming at you. Rinse and repeat. Imagine being able to dress your shop to your theme? Like 80's arcade. 70's Record Store. 90's Software Etc.  Truly make it personal.

my guess on the two new sports titles are Golf, and..... badminton.  Playing badminton with the controller would be so much fun

Well known pseudo sport more for fun with well known license and extremely old ... I would guess professional bowling association. It was big as a televised sport in the 70s and 80s with celebrity bowling as well as professionals. Apparently, they were bowling in ancient Egypt. 

The big license I will guess is hockey or basketball. There’s also soccer. I’ll go that order. 

9 minutes ago, bigdaddygamestudio said:

my guess on the two new sports titles are Golf, and..... badminton.  Playing badminton with the controller would be so much fun

 

 

Both great Amico choices! Outstanding. 👍😃

2 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

Just further proof of why it sucks to be an indie developer and why the secured development cost model of Amico is so helpful to establish stability in the industry. One of Amico's developers Eshan Mathur just got the rug pulled out from under his main software product with just one week notice. Hopefully Intellivision has more projects in the pipeline they can throw his way.

 

 

Who was his partner?