Independent Amico Discussion Thread

[Tonytgd]

25 minutes ago, RetroAdvisoryBoard said:

I comment on almost all of these channels 🙂

 

I think Turbo Joe - Old School Gaming is about the right age to have exposure to the system in the mid 80s when it would've been a bargain option, by the way.  INTV still existed in Radio Shacks through the late 80s and would've been accessible to young gamers not yet tied into Nintendo.  By 1988, Nintendo had only sold about 4-5 million units in North America, before sales exploded in 1988 and it raked in as many sales as the C64 had made in its 5 years on the market.  And if not Intellivision, to that graphical experience and similar gameplay on the Atari 2600 (the second-leading console by sales in the US through 1990 before Genesis overtook it).  So maybe the nostalgia for "Intellivision" isn't so strong, but they may have an affinity for similar gaming. 

 

I can only take Turbo Joe at his word here.  He said he threw out a response video, he was dismissive and happy to be a little derisive of the proposed console, but didn't know much about it.  I think you see a number of smaller channels (under 1000 subscribers) responding with hot takes before they really grasped the concept or pitch.  Which is fine, they respond to video game news 2-5 times per week.  They're not experts, they just call em as they see them.  Insert Tommy Tallarico, in the comments with a clarification, and they do have that access to a CEO/President and a games manufacturer/business insider.. perhaps that does illicit the double-take.  But that I don't get as odd - just misinformed.  And perhaps Tommy isn't the best informer considering his bias here, but anyone with a good deal of knowledge is going to be enthusiastic about the console, or jaded and very dismissive for reasons.

 

When the system is closer to launch and more coverage emerges than can be given the 1:1 treatment in the comments, perhaps that narrative changes.  But I mostly see uninformed reactions leading to better informed (at least of the console's pitch by its pitchman).  It's fair to inquire how much is celebrity mystique.  I don't think it's as much, but, we'll all have to watch and see what transpires over the summer.  

 

You'll have a lot of articles to write. 

I do wonder what will pan out during the summer, we shall see. I am always ready to be surprised,  though I rarely am.

 

I've recused myself from writing about the console, Tommy, or the company. My site is to be unbiased and there is no way anyone would believe me to be so at this juncture. Should a freelancer or a staff member send me a pitch in regards to Amico, Tommy, or Intellivision I'd send it off to a neutral 3rd party to greenlight it or not. 

[Tonytgd]

Sorry for all the posts, just wanted to share something with you all so maybe you could see why I started looking into the Amico.

 

https://thegeekgetaway.blogspot.com/2019/03/5-memorable-video-games-from-my.html?m=1

 

 

[CPUWIZ]

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Is the answer... someone who was so humiliated that he now has an even greater chip on his shoulder and feels the need to even the score in his mind?



 

 

I thought you were going to leave this thread alone and let people come up with theories, concerns, conspiracy theories, etc.?

[1001lives]

3 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

 

I thought you were going to leave this thread alone and let people come up with theories, concerns, conspiracy theories, etc.?

To be fair, this TonyTGD guy's been non-stop going at him on Twitter, Youtube, and Reddit. 

Edited February 3, 2020 by 1001lives

[Tonytgd]

Just now, 1001lives said:

To be fair, this TonyTGD guy's been non-stop going at him on Twitter, Youtube, and Reddit. 

100% lie. I wrote a single article about the Roblox isdue and 1 about the YT curation. I had a brief back and forth on Twitter with Tommy and reached ou via DM a few times. There is no nonstop going on. Please refrain from spreading misinformation about me.

[bojay1997]

59 minutes ago, SegaSnatcher said:

I do have to question the choices INTV is making as of late in terms of interviews.   I would think at this point Tommy would be trying to get some of the bigger youtube channels to do interviews with as they have far more reach than some youtuber with 1K subs.  Why not try and go after the likes of MJR, RGT 85, ReviewTechUSA, Digital Foundry, Gamespot, or IGN?  

No disrespect to those small youtubers, but they can't really do much in terms of getting the word out about Amico, so in reality it seems like a waste of time for Tommy when I would believe his goal right now would be to start and hit those big time gaming channels/sites to help get the word out across a bigger audience.  

Edit: Looks like Tommy did do an interview with ReviewTechUSA, but that was back in 2018, but yeah this who I feel he should prioritize doing interviews with, people who can actually get the Amico name across a large audience.

Sure, but part of the issue is that the Amico really isn't targeted to the traditional gaming audience to begin with, so while those smaller Youtubers are unlikely to move the needle, I'm not sure that Gamespot or MJR or any of entities with a larger reach would either.  I agree that the time allocation here and elsewhere seems odd given the intended audience, but I believe Tommy mentioned that a marketing exec is starting soon, so that person may be charged with allocating resources in a more effective manner going forward.  I honestly think that part of it is that Tommy wants a receptive audience and you're more likely to get that in closed forums that are already predisposed to your message and from small sites and Youtubers that are more likely to give positive coverage simply because they appreciate the interaction that other companies likely won't provide them with.      

[SegaSnatcher]

11 minutes ago, bojay1997 said:

Sure, but part of the issue is that the Amico really isn't targeted to the traditional gaming audience to begin with, so while those smaller Youtubers are unlikely to move the needle, I'm not sure that Gamespot or MJR or any of entities with a larger reach would either.  I agree that the time allocation here and elsewhere seems odd given the intended audience, but I believe Tommy mentioned that a marketing exec is starting soon, so that person may be charged with allocating resources in a more effective manner going forward.  I honestly think that part of it is that Tommy wants a receptive audience and you're more likely to get that in closed forums that are already predisposed to your message and from small sites and Youtubers that are more likely to give positive coverage simply because they appreciate the interaction that other companies likely won't provide them with.      

MJR actually appeals to a lot more casual type gamers who aren't deep into the scene and rely on him for a lot of gaming hardware related information.  

He even has content for mobile gamers which is the demographic Tommy wants to appeal to.    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DWhdFGm1KA

As far as Gamespot/IGN, I can't say how much they would move the needle but we can't underestimate their reach, especially compared to some of the people who have interviewed Tommy recently. 

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what happens when the Amico marketing campaign starts to roll out.

[+Tommy Tallarico]

35 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

 

I thought you were going to leave this thread alone and let people come up with theories, concerns, conspiracy theories, etc.?

Oh yeah... for sure.  Doesn't mean I can't join in on the bashing and conspiracy theory fun as well.

Everyone is equal... yay!

 

 

[ColecoJoe]

 

[+Swami]

1 hour ago, Tonytgd said:

I do wonder what will pan out during the summer, we shall see. I am always ready to be surprised,  though I rarely am.

 

I've recused myself from writing about the console, Tommy, or the company. My site is to be unbiased and there is no way anyone would believe me to be so at this juncture. Should a freelancer or a staff member send me a pitch in regards to Amico, Tommy, or Intellivision I'd send it off to a neutral 3rd party to greenlight it or not. 

The answer is simple. He said he is saving bigger audiences for closer to console release. Also, I'm not sure if the all the large reviewers do interviews.

[CPUWIZ]

I will tell you all a secret, Tommy was a woman and still is at heart, that is why the footbath looks the way it does.  I expected some slots for makeup, to be honest.   Maybe a flip up mirror.

[jaybird3rd]

Thank you for reminding everyone of the rules, @ColecoJoe.  I'd like this thread to avoid collapsing into back-and-forth recriminations between members, which is what sank MrBeefy's original thread; instead, let's please limit ourselves to discussing the Amico, which is what this thread is supposed to be about.  I think everyone has had their say at this point; any further back-and-forth bickering will be deleted.

[bojay1997]

19 minutes ago, SegaSnatcher said:

MJR actually appeals to a lot more casual type gamers who aren't deep into the scene and rely on him for a lot of gaming hardware related information.  

He even has content for mobile gamers which is the demographic Tommy wants to appeal to.    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DWhdFGm1KA

As far as Gamespot/IGN, I can't say how much they would move the needle but we can't underestimate their reach, especially compared to some of the people who have interviewed Tommy recently. 

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what happens when the Amico marketing campaign starts to roll out.

Unless something has changed, I don't recall the primary target audience being casual gamers in the traditional sense, nor mobile gamers.  I think the target audience is being described as families, soccer moms, classic gamers and others who enjoy more simple, non-violent, but really fun games with local multiplayer interaction.  I mean you aren't going to get most of those people by channeling communication through MJR or Gamespot.  You'd be better off on mom forums, traditional print magazines, morning shows and Facebook groups.  

[CPUWIZ]

Just for the record, I don't give a rats ass, what a console looks like, just playing with Tommy.  It needs to play games, not look pretty, the PS5 is going to be ugly as sin as well. LOL

[Tonytgd]

2 minutes ago, bojay1997 said:

Unless something has changed, I don't recall the primary target audience being casual gamers in the traditional sense, nor mobile gamers.  I think the target audience is being described as families, soccer moms, classic gamers and others who enjoy more simple, non-violent, but really fun games with local multiplayer interaction.  I mean you aren't going to get most of those people by channeling communication through MJR or Gamespot.  You'd be better off on mom forums, traditional print magazines, morning shows and Facebook groups.  

I can see soccer moms buying the system but I don't see anything that will get the kids to keep playing. 

[CPUWIZ]

3 minutes ago, bojay1997 said:

morning shows

 

That is actually a pretty good idea.

[Tonytgd]

1 minute ago, CPUWIZ said:

 

That is actually a pretty good idea.

IIRC Tommy mentioned going on those at some point...

[SegaSnatcher]

1 minute ago, bojay1997 said:

Unless something has changed, I don't recall the primary target audience being casual gamers in the traditional sense, nor mobile gamers.  I think the target audience is being described as families, soccer moms, classic gamers and others who enjoy more simple, non-violent, but really fun games with local multiplayer interaction.  I mean you aren't going to get most of those people by channeling communication through MJR or Gamespot.  You'd be better off on mom forums, traditional print magazines, morning shows and Facebook groups.  

From the interviews I've watched Tommy kept referring to the mobile market of gamers in who he wants to appeal to overall.   He kept bringing up the 1 billion or so gamers on Smartphones.  And when asked how he's going to convince the mobile gamers to buy an Amico he talked about the Amico controller that he feels will offer a superior gameplay experience and the fact that mobile is severely lacking in couch co-op multiplayer games.  So, yeah thats the demographic he wants to reach.  Considering the type of experiences we have seen so far, we are definitely seeing more games that have more of that mobilish quality to them.  The quick jump in and play games that entertain you for a couple of minutes, nothing like what we see on home consoles where you can immerse yourself for hours.  

[+save2600]

1 minute ago, Tonytgd said:

I can see soccer moms buying the system but I don't see anything that will get the kids to keep playing. 

Machine not even released yet. Can't for a second believe that the updated classic sports games might be compelling (just as the original sports titles from the 80's continue to be) enough to play and play again? Not to mention the online multiplayer aspect of these and other games.  
 

Since you're so prophetically endowed... care to share what stocks we should be investing in? How about some lottery numbers while you're at it?   

[m-crew]

Blah Blah Blah,   This thread is like groundhog day over and over. Same [email protected] undertones from the same few.   Does a fool ever learn?  

[SegaSnatcher]

5 minutes ago, Tonytgd said:

IIRC Tommy mentioned going on those at some point...

Ellen would be huge,  he kinda teased that in a photo awhile back.  

[+save2600]

5 minutes ago, m-crew said:

Blah Blah Blah,   This thread is like groundhog day over and over. Same [email protected] undertones from the same few. 

Today they're called "bad actors".  🤣

[Tonytgd]

7 minutes ago, save2600 said:

Machine not even released yet. Can't for a second believe that the updated classic sports games might be compelling (just as the original sports titles from the 80's continue to be) enough to play and play again? Not to mention the online multiplayer aspect of these and other games.  
 

Since you're so prophetically endowed... care to share what stocks we should be investing in? How about some lottery numbers while you're at it?   

Tommy said online multiplayer isn't gonna happen at launch due to cost and the focus on couch co-op.

 

Edit: I can't use my powers for personal gain, sorry.

Edited February 3, 2020 by Tonytgd
adding

[SegaSnatcher]

I think its extremely smart that the INTV tream appears to be designing a lot of these games around the phone.  So far every demo we've seen was controlled by a phone.  

This gives INTV a great a Plan B if the Amico unfortunately fails to reach its audience. I know that is not the ideal scenario for INTV, but at least that option will be open for them, which is a good thing. At least this means the games themselves will still be available in some form, at least I would hope so.

[m-crew]

17 minutes ago, save2600 said:

Machine not even released yet. Can't for a second believe that the updated classic sports games might be compelling (just as the original sports titles from the 80's continue to be) enough to play and play again? Not to mention the online multiplayer aspect of these and other games.  
 

Since you're so prophetically endowed... care to share what stocks we should be investing in? How about some lottery numbers while you're at it?   

 

10 minutes ago, Tonytgd said:

Tommy said online multiplayer isn't gonna happen at launch due to cost and the focus on couch co-op.

 

Edit: I can't use my powers for personal gain, sorry.

And once again , deflection.... Do you read or ever let a comment sink in before you reply.. You missed save2600 point completely.