Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

On 10/29/2020 at 10:21 AM, oelli said:

Too bad, the woodgrain is not available from Europe.

With Covid shipping from the States could last forever.

 

I'm pretty sure it will be.

Haven't announced anything yet.

We are also looking into the best way to ship international.  We literally have 2 full time employees who do logistics & shipping for us.  They are super smart and experienced people who have been doing it for a LONG time.  If anyone can figure it out... it will be them.

15 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yes.  It will be on Amazon U.S.  Not sure about shipping to Israel.  I'll need to ask our sales folks about that.  We'll be all over Europe as well though (including online), so if UK doesn't ship... maybe countries in Europe do?

 

Okay, thank you! :D

33 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Going to go backwards with answering questions today in case others have answered previous questions already for me.

 

Boxer shorts you say?

Wouldn't That Be Something?™

 

 

Yes. Yes it would. 

My wife would appreciate me wearing non-ratty boxers around the house.

There are advantages to being an empty nester.😂

On 10/29/2020 at 9:21 AM, oelli said:

Great Examples!

•    Extra Bonus points for the player that first reacts to the light color of the console on his controller. This could be given asynchronous to the normal gameplay.

•    Instead of extra bonus points also invulnerability could be the gift.

 

Both you & @GrudgeQ nailed so many things that we've implemented and will be implementing.  You guys are gonna love Cloudy Mountain & Bomb Squad!  I can tell you that!!

On 10/28/2020 at 9:09 AM, Intellivision Master said:

Hopefully one more demo releases before the year ends.  If not, then perhaps have a demo come out a month or two before launch.

I think we're done with demos at this point.  At least until the end of the year.

Maybe a little Night Stalker as we build up to launch!!  But no promises.

On 10/28/2020 at 1:30 PM, nightmonkeyii said:

Ive emailed kevin regarding this. Its looking like we will be paying for postage at this stage, which could effectively double the price of our amicos, bringing it right into ps5 money.

at best postage will be $100USD.

i hope it is shipped via distributors, as the release dates are very close.

If you're in Australia... we'll be distributing there and in NZ.... not at launch... but should be in 2021.  That's the current plan anyway.

On 10/26/2020 at 9:05 PM, Intellivision collector said:

When thinking about physical media, what about a lenticular trading card that shows nostalgic box art when flicked one way, and what the box art for the updated game might look like when flicked the other way.  You could access the preferred game play (updated vs original Intellivision game) by tapping that side of the card to the Amico.  You’d have the collectibility of the cards, save space for the physical collector, and have the nostalgia of the old artwork and excitement of the new artwork.

I want everyone to remember this post.

But for now I'll just say...

Wouldn't That Be Something?™

On 10/27/2020 at 7:49 AM, LePionnier said:

So Tommy, in December we should know more about physical games.

What's about the Amico box (package) ? When we will know more things about this ? Maybe in March ? 🤩

Hoping to show physical media in December... but might be better to just wait til after the holidays when there is more room for people to take notice.

Box art will probably be about a month or less from release.  Just like you're seeing XBOX & PS5 boxes now.

On 10/27/2020 at 8:49 AM, Intellivision collector said:

If Tommy wants to really hit the packaging out of the park - in the early days of video games, manufacturers would promote their games by handing out small enameled metal pins of up and coming games.  That could be a nice addition to lenticular cards. I didn’t have Earthworm Jim, but I did have a Toe Jam and Earl pin.  Some companies handed out pins on their arcade titles like Missile Command and Centipede. Others did character pins like Sonic and Mario.  Nothing cheap about the pins- they were very well done.

MUST>>>>>>> SHUT>>>>>> MY>>>>>>> MOUTH>>>>>> CANNOT>>>>>>>>>>> SPEAK>>>>>>>>>

🏆

p.s.  For the record... @OEB_Pete just shat himself!

💩

😍

On 10/27/2020 at 9:52 AM, Intellivision Master said:

What if the physical game covers had the 3D effect?  When you flip it one way it'll show the old retro look, then flip it the other way revealing the retro-reimagined look.  Does anyone remember back in the 90's when some VHS covers had the 3D effect?  I recall the Independence Day movie having that.  It was cool.

Yeah... I remember those. 

Weren't Those Something!™

On 10/27/2020 at 5:59 AM, CurlyQ said:

Happy Halloween!

 

Just when I think he can't surpass and surprise me again.... HE ALWAYS DOES!!!

These are so great and so much fun!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait to share a certain "secret" with folks at some point.

On 10/27/2020 at 9:35 AM, GrudgeQ said:

Retro Rich does a great job of explaining how Amico could fit into schools & does some in-depth speculation on possibly expanding the relationship with PlayDate Digital. They have a lot more going on than just Care Bears:

 

(I don't remember seeing this posted earlier - sorry if it is a double)

 

This is so great!  And Rich is such a GREAT guy!!

Yeah... the whole Playdate Digital got lost with all the other stuff on 10/10.  I'll just say this...

Take a look at the other licenses they have.

https://playdatedigital.com/products/

p.s.  After just cleaning up...  @OEB_Pete just shat himself AGAIN!!!

I spy with my little eye... something that begins with a "T"!
 

🤖

 

On 10/27/2020 at 11:15 AM, bigdaddygamestudio said:

a little off topic , but in case you were waiting and didnt get the email, the mini replica of Dragons lair arcade game is finally available.  I just grabbed mine.

 

 

https://newwavetoys.com/

 

Bought my day one as well!!!


Still waiting to hear the price of that new tabletop PONG machine. 

I thought they were going to announce it the following day after the trailer dropped, but I haven't been able to find the info anywhere.

Lord knows I know what they are going through!!  So I'm in no rush.  I'll be buying it day one as long as it's somewhat reasonable.  I don't mind paying extra for quality though... and it looks really well built... like the New Wave stuff.  They are so amazing!!

53 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

You can't play it back and forth like that.

The 2 mulitplayer modes are...

 

1.  Co-op.  Up to 4 people can control a part of the vehicle (jump, shoot up, shoot forward, vehicle speed) or any combination of.
2.  Versus.  Everyone takes turns trying to get as far as possible while everyone else is trying to stop you (as the enemy ships).

 

Saucers are all the same on the app.  They just look random because of the their patterns and the way we are triggering them.

 

 

Thanks Tommy, looks like I will need to keep looking harder into the “Triggers”. I had come to the conclusion that they were triggered randomly, or at least that there were less frequent opportunities provided once you got the game figured out a bit. 
 

For Moon Patrol (and others), think it would be cool to also have the old retro style player 1, player 2 option for a more truly balanced (same saucer load) high score challenge.  My wife and are are very competitive in Moon Patrol (she currently has the higher score), but what makes that game so great is that you can miff it at almost any point, so we are about 50/50 on any particular run.   Maybe you could even have some RFID Quarters that players could line up near Amico like the old Arcade days. 😁

Any idea when the Moon Patrol Challenge winner will be announced. My Wife if anxiousness to know if she successfully snipped the high score 🤫

9 minutes ago, Starpaddler said:

Thanks Tommy, looks like I will need to keep looking harder into the “Triggers”. I had come to the conclusion that they were triggered randomly, or at least that there were less frequent opportunities provided once you got the game figured out a bit. 
 

For Moon Patrol (and others), think it would be cool to also have the old retro style player 1, player 2 option for a more truly balanced (same saucer load) high score challenge.  My wife and are are very competitive in Moon Patrol (she currently has the higher score), but what makes that game so great is that you can miff it at almost any point, so we are about 50/50 on any particular run.   Maybe you could even have some RFID Quarters that players could line up near Amico like the old Arcade days. 😁

 

Any idea when the Moon Patrol Challenge winner will be announced. My Wife if anxiousness to know if she successfully snipped the high score 🤫

Yeah... we considering doing the Player 1 then Player 2 option as well.  Very easy to put in there.  Just need to be careful that we don't put in too many different ways to play as it could get confusing to the non-gamer.  We found this to be the case with Astrosmash & SNAFOO.  We backed off a little on the "different ways to play"... trying to keep it really simple... yet unique.

The triggers do somewhat happen randomly... but it's not something that is necessarily based on your location.  

We will be announcing the MP winner on Monday. 

I'm done for today folks.  I think I got to all the questions.  Let me know if I missed any.

Have a happy Sunday!

51 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yeah... we considering doing the Player 1 then Player 2 option as well.  Very easy to put in there.  Just need to be careful that we don't put in too many different ways to play as it could get confusing to the non-gamer.  We found this to be the case with Astrosmash & SNAFOO.  We backed off a little on the "different ways to play"... trying to keep it really simple... yet unique.

 

The triggers do somewhat happen randomly... but it's not something that is necessarily based on your location.  

 

We will be announcing the MP winner on Monday. 

I'm done for today folks.  I think I got to all the questions.  Let me know if I missed any.

 

Have a happy Sunday!

 

 

Thanks Tommy!  As many of us here, myself included, my wife appreciates your availability to the community; having to wait till Monday for announcing the winner of the MP challenge, not so much 😂. 
 

With not releasing a bunch of games at a time, it will allow the consumer to spend a little extra time to discover each title a little more, something I am really looking forward to myself. If IE is worried about up front simplicity, maybe allow the retro style co-op mode as an unlockable, as to ensure the non-gamming community gets the basics of the game, menus and UI down first. Also, if done right (got no worries there), listing a third play mode shouldn't be overly complicated for the consumer. 
 

Amico will only be new to the purchaser for a very short time, playing the games as an experienced Amico’er^TM will be much, much longer; and for many of us, discovering new things about the system and playing in different modes adds much to the fun. 
 

Lastly, was it just me, or did some of the saucer lasers turn orange on Halloween?  Don’t remember them being so orange, but not sure...

This one is for you Tommy.  I know you love Spider-Man.  Video starts at 2:45.

23 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

I have LOTS to catch up on here!  Will make some time early tomorrow morning to answer all the great questions.

 

In the meantime...

 

 

Wishing everyone a safe, fun and HAPPY HALLOWEEN from your friends at Intellivision!

 

 

Haunted House Please!!!!

2 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Initially about 20% - 25% of the library.  We need to see what people are most interested in and buying... and we can adjust accordingly.  So if there is more retro interest initially.... we can slide and adjust for Christmas.  If more board/card/puzzle/dice/thinking games are the majority... we can adjust for Christmas.  If kids/educational is hot... we can adjust.  If Spots/Recreation....   you get my drift.

 

 

That's the really cool think about our eco-system and the way we've set it all up.  Because it doesn't take years to make a game... we can see what folks at any given time are liking... and do more of that within 6 - 9 months!

 

And then change it after that as well. 

Tommy, you did not refer to the text passage with about 26 games a year. I honestly would hope for a lot more (of course quality stuff only). I believe that you said somewhere else you could land eventually at a new game release every third day or so. So what can we suspect? As not everything is intersting for everyone (e.g. not everyone will love the stuff for children) I would love to see more in the direction of around 100 releases a year or so. 😉

Second question: Your actual model seems to be a kind of second party concept, with maybe EWJ being the first true first party game? Am I Right here? Do you consider buying or founding additional studios later on and make them producing titles that even stand out a little more (like the first party games from Nintendo, Sony and so on)?

3 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yeah... we considering doing the Player 1 then Player 2 option as well.  Very easy to put in there.  Just need to be careful that we don't put in too many different ways to play as it could get confusing to the non-gamer.  We found this to be the case with Astrosmash & SNAFOO.  We backed off a little on the "different ways to play"... trying to keep it really simple... yet unique.

 

....

I don't remember playing any game using alternating two player options, either in the arcade or at home.  That is unless it's something like golf or bowling that naturally has turns.  We'd just pick a proper muliplayer game and play the one player games when nobody else wanted to play.  So omitting the two player alternating turns option in those games is not a bad idea.

1 hour ago, Talerian said:

Second question: Your actual model seems to be a kind of second party concept, with maybe EWJ being the first true first party game? Am I Right here? Do you consider buying or founding additional studios later on and make them producing titles that even stand out a little more (like the first party games from Nintendo, Sony and so on)?

There are actually quite a few first party titles just in the launch lineup (see below) but I think you really mean large first party titles (like EWJ 4).

Farkle           

Liars Dice           

Spades

Back Talk Party

Nitro Derby

Side Swipers

Brain Duel

Corn Hole

I think it is pretty much guaranteed that the more Amicos sold, the larger and larger the game budgets will become. You have to spread the cost over the number of potential buyers and so they can’t all be EWJs on launch. Still it is nice to see Intellivision already working on a larger budget title for the first year. I think that is a pretty good indication of what is to come.

30 minute reminder for Amico All Access live broadcast:

Here some questions for Tommy from jbfeelings Drinumist (he is on chat on the Amico All Access but doesn't have an account here):

#1 Any prospects for Duck Hunt or a Duck Hunt like game for the Amico?

#2 Is Video Games Live coming anywhere close to Arkansas next year?

#3 If jbfeelings brings his Amico to the show will you sign it?