Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

I was going to toss this out as a possible Amico game:

The Awkward Storyteller

But then it raised a question I’m not sure I’m totally clear on with the Amico like I thought I was... all games are designed to have a single-player mode, correct? If so, does that mean you’ll be able to play against AI in games like Blank Slate? Or will there be some exceptions to including single-player mode?

The Awkward Storyteller seems like a great party game on the Amico, but I can’t visualize it as a singe-player game with AI, so that may rule it out for any consideration.

@LePionnier Wow your breakdown was amazing and really got me thinking about the categories. I think Brain Duel should probably be in Edutainment and I might change up a lot of "Original IP". To me that means never before published in any form. That means lots of games like Sideswipers, Brain Duel, Nitro Derby, Corn Hole & Back Talk Party are Original IP but of course go into other categories as well. Not sure if Original IP should really be a separate category or just an asterisk next to individual games in the other categories. I redid the list that way. I am not sure I am happy with it, but will throw it out here anyway. BTW over 25% of the games are Original IP, pretty good for a new system:

 Title                 Category           

 Farkle*                Casual           
 Liars Dice*           Casual           
 Spades*              Casual
 Emoji Charades    Casual
 Blank State          Casual
 Back Talk Party*   Casual
 Evel Knievel         Casual
 Finigan Fox          Casual
 Nitro Derby*        Causal
 Rigid ForceReduxEnhanced Casual
 Side Swipers*      Casual
 Brain Duel*          Edutainment
 Care Bears           Edutainment
 Sesame Street      Edutainment
 Dynablaster          Retro Reimagined
 Astrosmash          Retro Reimagined
 Battle Tanks         Retro Reimagined
 Biplanes               Retro Reimagined
 Breakout              Retro Reimagined
 Missile Command  Retro Reimagined
 Moon Patrol          Retro Reimagined
 Night Stalker        Retro Reimagined
 Pong                    Retro Reimagined
 Shark Shark!        Retro Reimagined
 Snafoo                 Retro Reimagined
 Cloudy Mountain   Retro Reimagined
 Pool                     Sports&Recreation
 Corn Hole*           Sports&Recreation
 Major League Baseball     Sports&Recreation
 Skiing                  Sports&Recreation

* Original IP

35 minutes ago, GrudgeQ said:

@LePionnier Wow your breakdown was amazing and really got me thinking about the categories. I think Brain Duel should probably be in Edutainment and I might change up a lot of "Original IP". For me Sideswipers, Brain Duel, Nitro Derby, Corn Hole & Back Talk Party are Original IP but of course go into other categories as well. Not sure if Original IP should really be a separate category or just an asterisk next to individual games in the other categories. I redid the list that way but not sure I am happy with it but will throw it out here anyway:

 

 Title                 Category           

 Farkle*                Casual           
 Liars Dice*           Casual           
 Spades*              Casual
 Emoji Charades*  Casual
 Blank State          Casual
 Back Talk Party*   Casual
 Evel Knievel         Casual
 Finigan Fox          Casual
 Nitro Derby*        Causal
 Rigid ForceReduxEnhanced Casual
 Side Swipers*      Casual
 Brain Duel*          Edutainment
 Care Bears           Edutainment
 Sesame Street      Edutainment
 Dynablaster          Retro Reimagined
 Astrosmash          Retro Reimagined
 Battle Tanks         Retro Reimagined
 Biplanes               Retro Reimagined
 Breakout              Retro Reimagined
 Missile Command  Retro Reimagined
 Moon Patrol          Retro Reimagined
 Night Stalker        Retro Reimagined
 Pong                    Retro Reimagined
 Shark Shark!        Retro Reimagined
 Snafoo                 Retro Reimagined
 Cloudy Mountain   Retro Reimagined
 Pool                     Sports&Recreation
 Corn Hole*           Sports&Recreation
 Major League Baseball     Sports&Recreation
 Skiing           Sports&Recreation

 

* Original IP

 

About original IP (or New IP ) I chose the category like Tommy is telling us since a year or so ( Before that, Edutainment was with Casual (For Dice, Board, Puzzle, Brain, etc )

Here is one of the last interview where Tommy is talking about Original IP :

(Listen 75 seconds approx ...   Tommy is talking about the second Category Original IP )

I don't think Ridge force Redux is for Casual.
And I can be wrong, but I don't think Dynablaster can be considered a retro reimagined.

But I understand your point, it's not a new IP, but maybe we can say it's a new IP for Intellivision !

So for sure a game like Corn Hole is an Original IP, also casual, but it's in the Recreational Category ! 😉

(Only 15 seconds for this clip ! lol )

So yeah, we can have a lot of discussion about that ! I am looking forward to see when the games will be available which category will be attribute to all of them !

I am happy that you replied to my message. It's cool to have other opinions !

Thank you GrudgeQ.

Edit :  But one thing is sure from our two lists ! There is not a lot of Edutainment and Sports/Recreation Titles ! 👍
 

10 minutes ago, LePionnier said:

 

About original IP (or New IP ) I chose the category like Tommy is telling us since a year or so ( Before that, Edutainment was with Casual (For Dice, Board, Puzzle, Brain, etc )

Here is one of te last interview where Tommy is giving some examples for Original IP :

(Listen 75 seconds approx ...   Tommy is talking about the second Category Original IP )

 

I don't think Ridge force Redux is for Casual.
And I can be wrong, but I don't think Dynablaster can be considered a retro reimagined.

But I understand your point, it's not a new IP, but maybe we can say it's a new IP for Intellivision !

So for sure a game like Corn Hole is an Original IP, also casual, but it's in the Recreational Category ! 😉

(Only 15 seconds for this clip ! lol )

 

So yeah, we can have a lot of discussion about that ! I am looking forward to see when the games will be available which category will be attribute to these games !

I am happy that you replied to my message. It's cool to have other opinions !

Thank you GrudgeQ.
 

All good points and why I said I really wasn't happy with the new list. I went back and clarified my text a bit more about how I defined things above. I also don't really think Rigid Force is casual either but didn't think it fit in the other categories.  I put Dynablaster into retro because it is 30 years old while Rigid Force isn't old enough to be retro to me. It really all depends on how you define the categories, so it really is up for debate. Bottom line lots of cool games and quite a few are brand new which is all a good sign for Amico. 😀

Hey guys, I just created this 10 question poll in the Intellivision section of the forum:

@Tommy Tallarico, will the physical editions release at the same time as the digital?  Will the store front notify you if a physical version is, or soon will be available?  $10 for a digital version and $20 for a physical version releasing 2 weeks later = (for me) $30 and a non-needed second version of a game. Has this been considered WRT value for the consumer?  

News from the poll: while the "I like it" option wins 80% to 20% in most questions, there are two exceptions:

- 33% would have preferred a traditional cartridge approach for all games

- 100% believe that the console will be cracked at some point

30 minute reminder for Amico All Access Podcast. Be there or be square (isn't that what all the hip kids are saying now-a-days? 😁)

What if on certain holidays, a game came out that was related to that holiday?  Such as Halloween and Christmas.  You would play it digitally for that day.  It would be free, something like a holiday themed mini game.

Tommy,

Is there any update for the UI video?  Hopefully it's coming very soon.

1 hour ago, Intellivision Master said:

Tommy,

 

Is there any update for the UI video?  Hopefully it's coming very soon.

I think he said in an interview it would be this week 

2 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

Tommy,

 

Is there any update for the UI video?  Hopefully it's coming very soon.

Still working on my video streaming set-up.  Just bought a nice new really high-end video camera.   Don't worry... it will come.  Working on a lot of very important things right now that take precedent.

45 minutes ago, Alpha82 said:

I think he said in an interview it would be this week 

Hoping this week.

But if not... definitely the following week.

20 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

News from the poll: while the "I like it" option wins 80% to 20% in most questions, there are two exceptions:

 

- 33% would have preferred a traditional cartridge approach for all games

 

- 100% believe that the console will be cracked at some point

Even I answer the "Cracked at some point" one.

Here's a better question... name a system that has never been cracked!

23 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

@Tommy Tallarico, will the physical editions release at the same time as the digital?  Will the store front notify you if a physical version is, or soon will be available?  $10 for a digital version and $20 for a physical version releasing 2 weeks later = (for me) $30 and a non-needed second version of a game. Has this been considered WRT value for the consumer?  

They should release at the same time.  The first 10 will certainly be that way.

Our website will contain ALL of the info and release dates for physical & digital.

https://www.gamereactor.eu/phil-spencer-on-exclusivity-monetisation-and-game-development/

I think this interview with Phil Spencer pretty much confirms that they're going to buy Intellivision.

From the interview:

"If we look at what people are playing on Xbox, what Game Pass subscribers are playing, I think what is missing from our portfolio is casual content with a broad appeal. E-rated content (to use an ESRB rating) is not a strength for us. We obviously have Minecraft and we have some other franchises. But when I think about expanding the creative palette that our teams have, I think that is critically important."

Casual content with broad appeal?? That is screaming Amico.

30 minutes ago, vongruetz said:

I think this interview with Phil Spencer pretty much confirms that they're going to buy Intellivision.

if the amico team were in it to make a quick buck that would be a good thing for those with a stake to sell, but likely that would be the only thing good coming from a buyout. Corp buyouts almost never work out well. You end up changing and destroying the very thing you buy. Amico is different because the team seems to be about other things other than making a quick buck, large companies arent. Large corps ONLY care about quarterly numbers, and current stock upticks etc., they may say otherwise, but they are simply lying.

  The worst thing that could happen to the Amico would be that corporate america got its hands on it.  Then its only a few shorts steps to the MBA bean counters stepping in and saying crap like,  you know what could drive up revenue?  DLC and on and on it goes down the drain.   

The beauty of being older dude and at the late stages of your employment life, its not all about money and future career moves anymore, there are a lot of other factors you can now weigh.  The amico and its team IMHO are in a perfect place with Tommy at the helm and no MBA beancounters up anyone a%$es.  Just my 2 cents, but then again I HATE souless corps with a passion. 

1 hour ago, vongruetz said:

https://www.gamereactor.eu/phil-spencer-on-exclusivity-monetisation-and-game-development/

 

I think this interview with Phil Spencer pretty much confirms that they're going to buy Intellivision.

From the interview:

"If we look at what people are playing on Xbox, what Game Pass subscribers are playing, I think what is missing from our portfolio is casual content with a broad appeal. E-rated content (to use an ESRB rating) is not a strength for us. We obviously have Minecraft and we have some other franchises. But when I think about expanding the creative palette that our teams have, I think that is critically important."

 

Casual content with broad appeal?? That is screaming Amico.

I hope that if it happens, it will be in 15 years !  It's a private company, so if IE don't want to be bought, I think we are okay !
But when it will be public, this kind of thing could happen ...  😪

2 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Even I answer the "Cracked at some point" one.

Here's a better question... name a system that has never been cracked!

 

 

I guess you know the answer.

1 hour ago, vongruetz said:

https://www.gamereactor.eu/phil-spencer-on-exclusivity-monetisation-and-game-development/

 

I think this interview with Phil Spencer pretty much confirms that they're going to buy Intellivision.

From the interview:

"If we look at what people are playing on Xbox, what Game Pass subscribers are playing, I think what is missing from our portfolio is casual content with a broad appeal. E-rated content (to use an ESRB rating) is not a strength for us. We obviously have Minecraft and we have some other franchises. But when I think about expanding the creative palette that our teams have, I think that is critically important."

 

Casual content with broad appeal?? That is screaming Amico.

He certainly does like us on Twitter.

Thanks for the article!  I know what he's told me, but never heard him say it out loud in an interview before.

Interesting stuff eh?

2 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Our website will contain ALL of the info and release dates for physical & digital.

 

But real question is will that section of the website be called “CMarts Shopping List” 😂

2 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

But real question is will that section of the website be called “CMarts Shopping List” 😂

Lol. They can have a complete all in one stop shop ordering package and name it after me. I approve of this message. 

On 10/25/2020 at 6:13 PM, Intellivision Master said:

What if on certain holidays, a game came out that was related to that holiday?  Such as Halloween and Christmas.  You would play it digitally for that day.  It would be free, something like a holiday themed mini game.

Like a yearly Charle Brown Halloween special when we were kids.  Maybe instead of a day, they stick around for a few weeks to a month?  Would be a system differentiator for sure.  

4 hours ago, bigdaddygamestudio said:

if the amico team were in it to make a quick buck that would be a good thing for those with a stake to sell, but likely that would be the only thing good coming from a buyout. Corp buyouts almost never work out well. You end up changing and destroying the very thing you buy. Amico is different because the team seems to be about other things other than making a quick buck, large companies arent. Large corps ONLY care about quarterly numbers, and current stock upticks etc., they may say otherwise, but they are simply lying.

 

  The worst thing that could happen to the Amico would be that corporate america got its hands on it.  Then its only a few shorts steps to the MBA bean counters stepping in and saying crap like,  you know what could drive up revenue?  DLC and on and on it goes down the drain.   

 

The beauty of being older dude and at the late stages of your employment life, its not all about money and future career moves anymore, there are a lot of other factors you can now weigh.  The amico and its team IMHO are in a perfect place with Tommy at the helm and no MBA beancounters up anyone a%$es.  Just my 2 cents, but then again I HATE souless corps with a passion. 

I can't think of a case where a corporation ever ruined a product they acquired... 😉

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Kin