Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

On 9/6/2020 at 1:53 AM, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

Was that any good?  I was a little disappointed with the trailer.  Cool to see them back together but the trailer didn't sell me on it.

 

Thoughts??

 

 

I really enjoyed it. I was a huge fan of Bill and Ted's Excellent adventure and this was worth it just for the nostalgia. It's not as good as the first film, but definitely better than Bogus Journey. I laughed a lot throughout Face the Music, and it has a really nice touching story that is both funny and sentimental (my wife was laughing and crying throughout the whole film, and she's not as big a fan of the series as I am). I also really liked the message of the film and how music brings people together. It was a great way to end the series. I think you'll enjoy it.

19 hours ago, Jaguar 2000 said:

Wow 30 years! i remember first getting that game on NES- and then seeing the Sega version- which is obviously superior to the NES- bigger sprites, movie-like (for the 90's that is comic inspired cut-scenes] full color and detail backgrounds, lots of new detailing , smooth scrolling gameplay and a rocking sound track. Ringler Studios did the work on that. 

Your work on The Terminator on Sega CD was jaw dropping- i especially loved that track called  'Future Shock'. 
It captures everything that made 80s Heavy metal/glam metal popular- were u fan of bands like RATT? 

it's really a feeling looking at the boxes and playing those games and still remembering the excitement one had when one first laid eyes on it. 
Time still seems to be going quickly- my weekend is almost over and Friday night seems like just 18 hours ago. 
 

Thanks for the kind words!

I wasn't a super huge RATT fan but liked a lot of their tunes.  Van Halen was more my jam and still my favorite.  I personally love both DLR & Hagar eras, both are great for different reasons.  DLR for the rawness and Hagar for the melodies. 

Some others I like and appreciate from that 80's metal/glam era are Poison, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Guns N Roses, Whitesnake & Great White.

 

10 hours ago, Swami said:

"recommend" was the word used. Having it available and recommending it are two separate things. Show me where Nintendo recommends limiting playtime and I'll believe you. 🙂

Sorry recommend. And I already did, have a nice day

20 hours ago, IMBerzerk said:

If you need any advice on the more popular planes that flew in each war, by country and markings, let me know. 

 

I mean, if you're doing it by strength/weakness it will matter what each plane looks like.  Dr.1, Camel, Emil, Thunderbolt...etc.  But if each plane sorta flys the same, then the look won't matter as much, solid colors for each...etc.  By the look of Moon Patrol, I'd say you could and should do a more detailed looking plane set.  That would be amazing to see a neat little Dr.1 (Triplane) vs a similar sized Sopwith Camel.

 

I do hope that the look is somewhat authentic.  Meaning a German WWI biplane will have that look..not all one color.  They were pretty amazing and very colorful vs the British/French/American counter part.  For WWII it's much more toned down, but very distinct in presentation.  Especially invasion stripes (thick black and white stripes). Those always look menacing on a Spitfire or a 'Stang.

 

Looking forward to it either way.

Cool!  I will definitely keep that in mind. 

Yes... I did a bunch of extensive research on WWI planes as I wasn't too familiar with that era.  My knowledge is mostly based on WWII stuff as that is what my dad's passion was and we would always build WWII models when I was a kid.  You may have seen my Flying Tigers hat, watch or various shirts in some of the interviews I do.  The P-40 Warhawk (and the entire AVG Flying Tigers story) is my favorite plane.  Got to ride in one about 20 years ago!  A local plane museum turned a P-40 it into a 2 seater!!  I have many models and pics/posters/paintings around my studio.  I even recrafted the entire control panel of the plane from used parts I bought over Ebay over the years!! 

You'll be noticing lots of Flying Tiger stuff in many Amico games.  Kinda like my own personal easter egg to my dad (and I really love the logos/images).

Yes, the Dr.1 & Sopwith Camel are both in the game.  We definitely aren't going for accuracy in regards to size and color though so you may be disappointed in that regards.  They visually need to be more simple colors so that folks can easily tell them apart (as they don't appear very big on screen).  We also have the smoke trail the same color as the player, which works really cool.  Definitely more of an arcade style looking game.  Putting in great amounts of plane detail doesn't really translate well to the game (we've tried a few versions) as the planes end up being small and the loss of seeing all the intricate polys and colors are lost. 

We were going to feature Biplanes as one of the games during our Amico Special Event, but decided to hold it back a bit and include it in a future trailer.  I'm sure by the end of the year you'll be seeing it. 

Good to know I have an expert I can go to though!!  I'm sure I'll be hitting you up at some point!

Question:  What is your favorite plane from WWI and WWII? 

You know my WWII one and if you know the story of how Ferrari got its logo, you could probably guess my favorite WWI.

25 minutes ago, Juice said:

Sorry recommend. And I already did, have a nice day

Unless there is a update I never seen a recommendation for this app on my switch. Ill have to go look and see. But if I have to go find it, then its hardly a recommendation to use this app. 

17 hours ago, A Concerned said:

 

@Tommy Tallarico

 

Sorry to be pushy, but I have seen you answer a few questions and address many comments, but I have not seen an answer to my two questions. Perhaps they have been addressed and I missed it?

 

Thank to you @mr_me for a candid, unofficial take on my questions, and for expressing some shared concerns with the sentiments behind my questions.

 

However, I believe that my questions warrant an official response, unless one has been given elsewhere. 

 

Speaking anecdotally, when I talk to the parents of young children, their number one concern with entertainment technology is the technology itself. Certainly, they care about content (for instance, games being family-friendly) to some degree, but they absolutely refuse to purchase technology that they believe will cause eye and finger issues for children. The two concerns they present are too much screen time (an issue compounded by multiple screens) and touch screen interaction (that involves quick, repeated presses). I should note that, for at least one family member with kids, these are families with no video game console. 

 

Presuming that these concerns are not completely idiosyncratic, I imagine that they must have come up during R&D testing and focus group testing. Yet, to my knowledge, nothing about the mechanics of game creation and console development seem to address them, except perhaps for the games being intended for relatively brief interaction (where, to my knowledge, a uniform sense of ‘brief’ has yet to be established). 

Hi,

Sorry if I missed your question.  I thought I got through them all, but sometimes difficult when I get 20+ pages behind.  

Our testing has not shown any degree of eye and finger issues for children so I think we're good there.  In fact, the entire "couch co-op" approach is really great as it promotes communication (i.e. not turning kids into zombies) and kids not staring at just one screen but always looking all over the room.  Not a lot of our games would be considered "button mashers", yeah we have a few classic 2D shooters (Astrosmash, Rigid Force Redux Enhanced) but even those games could have an Auto Fire mode (like the original Astrosmash) if needed.

Hope that helps to answer your question.

Thanks!

13 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

If you read this article carefully you will find nothing is said about switching views between displays. Looking at the actual information presented by the The Vision Council quoted in this article:

 

“What we’re finding is that Millennials especially are very comfortable working on multiple screens and multiple devices,” says Justin Bazan, an optometrist and medical adviser to The Vision Council. If you use your smartphone as an alarm clock, for example, “you have a digital device the second your eyes are open”—far before you even flip open a laptop screen.

(refers to total screen time, not switching)

and

Several factors contribute to digital eye strain, including how close you are to your screen. People typically hold small devices 8-12 inches away from their faces, a closeness that decreases blinking rates, the report says. “Blinking is crucial to keeping the ocular surface well protected from environmental assaults and our eyes from drying out,” Bazan says. “They’ll become dry and irritated, and vision will become blurry as well.” That’s where the urge to rub your eyes at the end of a long workday comes from.

(extended, close screen play can limit blinking and cause eye irritation - best to mostly play on a larger TV for example and not a phone, tablet or portable Switch)

 

That is it - nothing about switching between display as being inherently bad. By "multiple screens" they simply mean excessive use of multiple devices with screens (PC, laptop, phone, e-reader, etc) which in total mean a screen is presented to your eyes much more than you may realize.

 

Fortunately when playing Amico multiplayer games you often will be looking at the other players and interacting with others in the room, providing non-screen time for your eyes. In addition although you may occasionally look at the controller screens, it isn't the main way you play the game (unlike a phone or tablet) so you won't be in a prolonged 8 to 12 inches way position which causes the most issues.

 

As far as excessive touch screen presses, fortunately the Amico controller is designed with 4 buttons and the disc for physical controls (plus motion controls for broader inputs). The reason these were put on the device over a simple touch screen (that would have been a lot cheaper) is not only to prevent repetitive motion injuries through tapping on a hard surface forcefully & repeatably but to provide the tactile feedback that makes gaming dramatically more pleasurable than on a phone. Although buttons can be represented on the Amico screen, you will find the most repetitive input task Tommy has mentioned with the screen is not button pressing but sliding along the surface like a trackpad. When on screen buttons would be used in, say Utopia (a strategy game) or Spades (a card game), you would be making rather considered and few choices (i.e. few and slow). This is compatible to selecting apps or scrolling on your cell phone. For games which might use screen buttons more frequently (perhaps like the original Intellvision games being emulated) Intelivision has already mentioned there will be a rubberized overlay which will help orient the fingers and provide a pad for actual finger presses too. So even then, a big step up over the traditional glass cell phone screen for finger ergonomics.

 

However this article is a good warning for people who do excessive phone gaming for quick reflex shooters - buy a control pad or play on a different device. Buttons play better and are better for you.

 

From the research I have read it is a good idea to limit children's screen time. Fortunately Amico games are designed mostly for 'pick up and play' which allows quick sessions of gaming without requiring prolonged game play to progress. This is perfect to limited a child's exposure to gaming screen time. Also placing the game playing device on a TV (which is often centrally located) will help moms & dads keep an eye on their children's usage rather than finding them curled up with a phone or tablet in their room after many, many hours.

 

In multiple interviews Tommy has mentioned that they are the only video game console company that actually recommends limiting child play time and actually go outside and playing between sessions. This is a very refreshing stance in an industry that has turned to gambling mechanics and predatory loot box/pay to win sales directed towards anyone playing, including children. Designed for shorter game play sessions, social interaction with group game play, centralized play for easier parental monitoring, no loot boxes, ads or in app purchases and a 100% family friendly game play stance - the Amico is by far the best system for young children.

 

These are all accurate and fair points.  I agree with everything said (and is all accurate).

12 hours ago, A Concerned said:

@GrudgeQ

 

Oh dear. I hadn’t thought of the possibility that a developer for a game on this console would expect the player to keep both the television and the controller screen in one’s field of vision *at the same time*. That would be the worst case scenario. I imagined circumstances where the player would be expected to saccade between the television and controller screen quickly, akin to cases where one might be checking two monitors quickly or copying text from a tablet to a computer. Something like this sort of issue is represented in this video: 

There is never a case where someone would need to look at the controller screen AND the TV screen at exactly the same time.

12 hours ago, A Concerned said:

 

It is good to hear that no games are being designed that require the player to have the screen anywhere close to their eyes, unless I am misunderstanding your claims. 

That is correct.  No difference than anyone reading a book.

12 hours ago, A Concerned said:

 

It is also good to hear that the controllers will come packed with some sort of mediator pad for the screen. If any games are designed around quick presses to the screen, this mediator pad will prove useful. I hadn’t heard this, but, of course, this is the reason why I posed my questions here. 

 

It sounds like a good idea to keep all pressing on the dedicated buttons on the side of the controller or the wheel button on the controller. Has Intellivision required this of all developers (except perhaps in cases where it is expected that the players use the included mediator pad)?

Every game is designed and controlled differently so lots and lots of possibilities.  In fact, out of the 50+ games we have in development right now, I honestly can't think of 2 games that use the controls the exact same way.  I'm sure there are probably a few that I'm not thinking of right now, but basically, each way to control the games is a unique experience... which is pretty cool.

12 hours ago, A Concerned said:

 

As I heard before, I would like to know more about how the console regulates playtime. Will it have some sort of lock-down mode where the game stops after about 15-30 minutes? 

Eventually we will allow parents to limit time via the Amico Club app... but also... REWARD time to kids when they complete chores, get good grades, etc.  Setting positive goals for kids and using positive reinforcement is something extremely important to teach at a young age.  The ability to help parents achieve this learning through video games is something I am very passionate about.

12 hours ago, A Concerned said:

 

As I mentioned in my second post here on the forum, that the Amico is better than other consoles doesn’t affect my concerns about it. I have in mind a set of families who own no console and generally prohibit their children’s use of tablets and phones. A better comparison would be this console and something like Candyland. 

I agree.  I've always said that our biggest competitor isn't the Switch or XBOX or PS... it's board games, a puzzle and card games... i.e. FAMILY GAME NIGHT as it's referred to.  Look at how much the board game industry has skyrocketed in the past 5 years.  I seen the research, it's partly because video games are no longer filling that "family game night" vibe and hole.  We recognize that and are focused heavily on bringing that back.

Hi @Tommy Tallarico, growing up in the 80s, I have fond memories of playing with a bunch of friends the Epyx' Winter Games on Apple II, Summer Games and California Games I/II on PC and later Track'n'Field on NES. Those were basically olympic-theme mini games where you could couch co-op (representing the same country) or compete against each other (different country).

Is there anything in the works for a similar style mini-games on Amico?

So I finally got my Neo Geo working with a ROM cart and this system has the most incredible library I have ever seen on one individual system. I don't ever want to be without my Neo Geo again!

Anyway, I mentioned Windjammers before and now that I've played it, I definitely think that there is a place for something like it on Amico. Same with Neo Turf Masters. I never thought I'd spend all day playing a damn golf game of all things, but sure enough, I did it today. Tommy, please get something like Neo Turf Masters and Windjammers for Amico if you can because both of these games are awesome!

12 hours ago, Juice said:

I was just talking about the limit of play time feature. Grudge said Amico will be the only console to promote that which is simply not true

Grudge said:  "In multiple interviews Tommy has mentioned that they are the only video game console company that actually recommends limiting child play time and actually go outside and playing between sessions."

I believe you misunderstood what he was saying.  He wasn't saying that from a "technology" standpoint.  He was saying (because I'm sure he's heard me say this a number of times) that I'm the only hardware CEO that you'll probably ever here say the following line... "I don't believe kids should be playing video games all the time or for long periods of time."

The word he used was "recommends".  And he is 100% correct.

Hope that helps to clear up your confusion of what he said.  He never claimed that Intellivision is the only one company that will use technology to limit play time for kids.

11 hours ago, A Concerned said:

@GrudgeQ and @Relicgamer

 

I am sorry if I offended either of you. If you think my questions are frivolous, I won’t ask them to the group again. This will be my last post to the forum page unless @Tommy Tallarico is willing to engage with my concerns. 

 

Don't feel like you've offended anyone with questions.  The great thing about this particular thread is that opinions and concerns can be voiced by everyone and you'll get honest responses and opinions back.  The only time folks may get pushback is if they are being disrespectful.  None of what you said and the way you presented it was disrespectful or combative in any way.  I appreciate the discussion and I hope you'll stick around for more discussions.

11 hours ago, A Concerned said:

 

I do think multiple screen induced eye issues are a genuine concern for this console. They are concerns that can be ameliorated by a number of engineering and software-based solutions, which is why I would like to hear about those solutions. 

 

 

We haven't encountered or come across this issue at all and we've tested our controller & games for hundreds of hours with various important age groups and demographics to us who may have the issue you're talking about (i.e. grandparents & kids).  So I believe we'll be fine in this regards.

11 hours ago, A Concerned said:

Sorry for my vagueness with the use of the word ‘switch’ in the context of eyes. I used the term ‘saccade’ to be more precise. I do think there are potential worries with multiple screens and brightness/contrast issues as well. @mr_me mentioned a similar issue with the WiiU that had the controller with a screen on it.

 

I saw a game called safe cracker scrolling through the Intellivision game videos after @GrudgeQ comments, which at least appears to have the player hold the controller to the tv and exploit the screens concurrently. Perhaps this is merely a representation of a different action by the player. 

 

No, that isn't the case.  That is just the animation of a character on screens hand to give you the clues to open the safe.  It's not suggesting to put your hand/controller up to the screen as you mentioned.

11 hours ago, A Concerned said:

 

I don’t have in mind parents who raise kids in a tech free environment. I have in mind parents who are genuinely concerned with the impact technologies have on physical issues in children. These parents want to know ahead of time how their children will interact with the technology. A handful of the young parents in my family and friends circle express these worries to me. I merely would like to know this sort of information in relation to the questions I initially asked. If they are poorly phrased from your perspective, I will clarify them to Tommy as best as I can. 

Part of the reason this console even exists and is designed the way it is, is because of those concerns you mentioned.  Those concerned parents will absolutely fall in love with Amico and I'm sure will be some of our biggest supporters.

10 hours ago, mr_me said:

 

Is this what you're talking about.  That's the TV display.  I don't see anything to suggest that you have to look at both the controller and the TV at the same time.  There will definitely be activities in this game involving the controller, some of which involve listening to the controller speaker and not even looking at any display.

 

Switching focus between the TV and the controller would actually contribute to alleviating some of the concerns.  And as has been mentioned by others, the second screen in amico games does not increase the screen time of any play session.  The concern seems to be greater with close proximity to the display.  Amico games are primarily played on a TV at distance. 

 

I haven't seen any amico game that suggests saccading between controller and TV either.   Amico games are primarily played on a TV, where brightness and contrast can be adjusted.  If amico controllers can be adjusted does it alleviate your concern.

This is all 100% correct.

10 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

Hey @cmart604 and @Tommy Tallarico after this whole Covid thing dies down a bit is there any possibility we could get you two together to do talk Intellivision history and maybe do some show & tell of your collections?

 

Not that in trying to bribe you but I happen to be flush with Tim Horton and Vegan Essentials gift cards if it will help make it happen

I'd LOVE that!  Definitely going to do a Vancouver trip and get cmart & OEB Pete (and others!) in a room together playing original Intellivision games... and of course... maybe even some "new" ones.

11 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Grudge said:  "In multiple interviews Tommy has mentioned that they are the only video game console company that actually recommends limiting child play time and actually go outside and playing between sessions."

 

I believe you misunderstood what he was saying.  He wasn't saying that from a "technology" standpoint.  He was saying (because I'm sure he's heard me say this a number of times) that I'm the only hardware CEO that you'll probably ever here say the following line... "I don't believe kids should be playing video games all the time or for long periods of time."

The word he used was "recommends".  And he is 100% correct.

 

Hope that helps to clear up your confusion of what he said.  He never claimed that Intellivision is the only one company that will use technology to limit play time for kids.

 

 

 

Okay I'll ask Doug Bowser about it. As I am concerned for kids playing video games all the time. I'm sure he would agree with you.

24 minutes ago, Urlu Berlu said:

Hi @Tommy Tallarico, growing up in the 80s, I have fond memories of playing with a bunch of friends the Epyx' Winter Games on Apple II, Summer Games and California Games I/II on PC and later Track'n'Field on NES. Those were basically olympic-theme mini games where you could couch co-op (representing the same country) or compete against each other (different country).

Is there anything in the works for a similar style mini-games on Amico?

Yep!!!

8 minutes ago, Juice said:

Okay I'll ask Doug Bowser about it. As I am concerned for kids playing video games all the time. I'm sure he would agree with you.

Well if everyone is going to get technical...

He's not the CEO of Nintendo. 

But yes... I'd be very interested in seeing a video game hardware company consistently mention that they think kids shouldn't play video games all the time.

Let me know what you find.

Because you are concerned for kids playing video games all the time, you must think it is refreshing for me to actually come out and keep saying it and promoting it.

Would that be an accurate statement?

7 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Well if everyone is going to get technical...

 

He's not the CEO of Nintendo. 

 

But yes... I'd be very interested in seeing a video game hardware company consistently mention that they think kids shouldn't play video games all the time.

Let me know what you find.

 

Because you are concerned for kids playing video games all the time, you must think it is refreshing for me to actually come out and keep saying it and promoting it.

 

Would that be an accurate statement?

 

Well to be honest this is my space less screen time more play time for kids so I can tell you most tech CEO's limit their own kids screen time. Steve Jobs was big on this. I would be surprised if other video game CEO's don't feel the same.

11 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Well if everyone is going to get technical...

 

He's not the CEO of Nintendo. 

 

But yes... I'd be very interested in seeing a video game hardware company consistently mention that they think kids shouldn't play video games all the time.

Let me know what you find.

 

I don't think a CEO would ever come out and say that, but the Wii constantly shoved down the "Take a break from the game" message down your throat. I don't know what the time limit is, but that Take a Break screen seems like it is constantly popping up when we play Wii Sports. Wii was also really good at showing you your screentime and letting you know exactly how long you were playing every game. 

And as was mentioned, tech giants like Steve Jobs are notorious for not wanting their children to have too much (if any) screen time. They don't say it publicly though. Jobs would brag about how easy the iPad was that even toddlers could use it. Privately though, it seemed like he was extremely against his own children using this tech. 

3 minutes ago, Juice said:

Well to be honest this is my space less screen time more play time for kids so I can tell you most tech CEO's limit their own kids screen time. Steve Jobs was big on this. I would be surprised if other video game CEO's don't feel the same.

And I agree 100% with you in regards to more balance for kids including outside play time, reading, using their imaginations, etc.

But to be fair, we're not talking about how other CEO's personally feel.  We're specifically talking about saying it publicly.  I wonder how the Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft stockholders would feel if any of their CEO's came out and was willing to say what I do about kids and video games?

So again... if this is your "space" then I should think that me publicly saying what I do would be very welcoming to you.  Instead (and please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) its coming across like you think it's nothing special.

I (and others) believe it is.

That's all I'm saying.

I'm sure people at Monsanto don't let their kids eat the poison they make and I'm sure the CEO of cigarette companies don't let their teenagers smoke either. 

But that isn't really what the discussion is about.

Governments who impose warning laws on things like alcohol, cigarettes, porn, etc. are different than the folks in charge publicly discouraging against it.  Sad that there are very little to NONE for the food industry unfortunately... mostly because of lobbyists... but no politically talk here so I'll leave it at that.

6 minutes ago, vongruetz said:

I don't think a CEO would ever come out and say that, but the Wii constantly shoved down the "Take a break from the game" message down your throat. I don't know what the time limit is, but that Take a Break screen seems like it is constantly popping up when we play Wii Sports. Wii was also really good at showing you your screentime and letting you know exactly how long you were playing every game. 

 

And as was mentioned, tech giants like Steve Jobs are notorious for not wanting their children to have too much (if any) screen time. They don't say it publicly though. Jobs would brag about how easy the iPad was that even toddlers could use it. Privately though, it seemed like he was extremely against his own children using this tech. 

Good points

I just think it's a slippery slope saying you're the only one who does it. "Only one" will always get called out because it diminishes others.

9 minutes ago, vongruetz said:

I don't think a CEO would ever come out and say that, but the Wii constantly shoved down the "Take a break from the game" message down your throat. I don't know what the time limit is, but that Take a Break screen seems like it is constantly popping up when we play Wii Sports. Wii was also really good at showing you your screentime and letting you know exactly how long you were playing every game. 

 

And as was mentioned, tech giants like Steve Jobs are notorious for not wanting their children to have too much (if any) screen time. They don't say it publicly though. Jobs would brag about how easy the iPad was that even toddlers could use it. Privately though, it seemed like he was extremely against his own children using this tech. 

Yes!  I thought the Wii did it well!

Interesting note about Jobs that I was told (i.e. can't confirm)... he HATED video games and hated his products to be used to play them.

31 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

I'd LOVE that!  Definitely going to do a Vancouver trip and get cmart & OEB Pete (and others!) in a room together playing original Intellivision games... and of course... maybe even some "new" ones.

 

 

 

The only problem with that plan is @cmart604 never plays his games, he is too busy Scrooge McDucking in his Inty-Dungeon.

Like this, but with Intellivision games and manuals