Independent Amico Discussion Thread

[Steven Pendleton]

Just now, MrBeefy said:

 

I don't think graphics are everything but they can help. With the console being at a higher price I would expect some more polish. Good graphics don't have to be flashy either. Does the theme match? Does the theme go together?

 

Stardew Valley. Pixel graphics but has a theme and everything goes great together and that's why it's great. Same farming game without the graphics to match and it wouldn't be the same charming game.

Art direction is more important than the actual graphics.

[mr_me]

14 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

 

Just an observation, so don't take this the wrong way, anyone, but Intellivision started it!

And the atari 2600 outsold the intellivision 4:1.

 

1 hour ago, bojay1997 said:

... Even people that don't know anything about games are constantly exposed to modern graphics in television commercials and in the media, so seeing something that isn't up to those standards will probably be shocking and reduce their interest.  

How do you know this, how many people have you asked?  Are you talking about xbox commercials?

Edited April 9, 2020 by mr_me

[MrBeefy]

2 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Art direction is more important than the actual graphics.

I think it's all related. 

 

I do find some 3d mobile quality graphics and art to look more cheap that some pixelated looks. I think because if not done right they sometimes look like flash games. 

 

Really about how it all comes together.

[Steven Pendleton]

18 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

I think it's all related. 

 

I do find some 3d mobile quality graphics and art to look more cheap that some pixelated looks. I think because if not done right they sometimes look like flash games. 

 

Really about how it all comes together.

That's why I mentioned art direction. Games with good art direction look good and games with bad art direction don't, even if they have good graphics for the time. Remember all of the Call of Duty games on the PS3 and 360? Good graphics technically, but it's all just a massive blur of grey and brown. Yes, there are occasionally other colors and I'm generalizing a bit, but it's just an example. Another example is the new Langrisser remakes. Man those are super ugly, even if the graphics are far beyond the capabilities of older systems.

 

Opposite example: Octopath Traveler looks beautiful. Idiots will tell you that the game is super ugly and would run on 16-bit hardware, which is impossible because of the particle effects, dynamic lighting, resolution... oh, and the fact that it runs on Unreal Engine 4. Good luck getting that to run on even the Neo Geo.

 

I forgot about Death Stranding. Good graphics + good art direction = I can't believe this is running on my regular PS4 and not my PC.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Steven Pendleton
Death Stranding

[Steven Pendleton]

15 minutes ago, mr_me said:

And the atari 2600 outsold the intellivision 4:1.

Yes, it did.

[bojay1997]

2 hours ago, NTV said:

I know of about 10,000 plus people who already disagree with you. And that's pretty amazing when you consider how many people in this world are even aware what an Intellivison Amico is today.

Not really.  Ouya had almost 64,000 backers.  Also, the people that put down a deposit on an Amico are not even the intended audience according to everything Tommy has posted here.  When you get 100,000+ soccer moms and casual gamers buying this thing at retail, then I will be happy to concede that none of that matters.  

[Steven Pendleton]

I had a weird dream last night. I don't usually remember my dreams, but this time I did. I dreamed that the Amico had a 7th pack-in game. I forgot what game it was, though it was a remake of one of the old Intellivision games, and it was comparable to what we have seen so far from the other remakes. I really wish I could remember what game it was, though.

[bojay1997]

1 hour ago, mr_me said:

And the atari 2600 outsold the intellivision 4:1.

 

How do you know this, how many people have you asked?  Are you talking about xbox commercials?

No, I'm talking about Sony commercials and Microsoft commercials and Apple Arcade commercials that play on both basic cable and network TV and during daytime television and primetime and features on local news including "tech guy" segments that show new console games and cover things like E3 and CES and all of the other ways people are exposed to media nowadays.  I'm also talking about in-store commercials at Walmart and Target and even print ads in family oriented magazines.  This isn't 1992 where you have to buy a computer or gaming magazine to see the latest games or graphics.  

[+Tommy Tallarico]

Just now, bojay1997 said:

When you get 100,000+ soccer moms and casual gamers buying this thing at retail, then I will be happy to concede that none of that matters.  

Prepare to eventually be happy to concede. 

We've already surpassed one of the biggest hurdles (getting those units into retail next to Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo) and it's been so successful so far that we've had to cut off our purchase orders... oddly enough, right at the 100K number you suggested.  We have incredible data, market research and 3rd party focus testing that is off the charts among families... so I'd say we're exactly where we want to be and set-up for success.

https://gamedaily.biz/article/1680/intellivision-amico-receives-10000-preorders-only-needs-180000-sold-to-hit-break-even-point

[+Tommy Tallarico]

5 minutes ago, bojay1997 said:

No, I'm talking about Sony commercials and Microsoft commercials and Apple Arcade commercials that play on both basic cable and network TV and during daytime television and primetime and features on local news including "tech guy" segments that show new console games and cover things like E3 and CES and all of the other ways people are exposed to media nowadays.  I'm also talking about in-store commercials at Walmart and Target and even print ads in family oriented magazines.  This isn't 1992 where you have to buy a computer or gaming magazine to see the latest games or graphics.  

Moms and average families don't care about graphics the way hardcores do.  Proven fact.

You know what they care about the most?

Simplicity, Value, Time Together and Trust that the content their kids have access to is SAFE.

 

Something that Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and mobile DON'T have.

 

 

 

 

[jaybird3rd]

On 4/4/2020 at 1:47 PM, ASalvaro said:

this thread is full of people who pretend they were/are excited for the Amico but all it really is a meeting place for the people who probably bash the Amico on youtube in the comments section every chance they get

I must reluctantly agree.  When this thread was relaunched with additional rules of conduct from me, it was done as a good-faith effort to provide what certain people here claimed at the time to want: a place for open and unbiased Amico discussions and information.  I even pinned this thread as a way to reinforce the point that such discussions were welcome here.  Unfortunately, this thread has instead continued to be a source of passive-aggressive negativity, with ties to the people on YouTube and Twitter and elsewhere who have directed so much hostility recently toward AtariAge, toward Tommy Tallarico and Intellivision Entertainment, and even toward me directly.

 

Some of the regular participants here have abused our goodwill by continuing to use this thread as a way to rain on the Amico parade with their subtle digs and indirect insults; a few of the posts in the last few pages are a case in point, for those who have been following this behavior long enough to recognize the pattern.  My efforts to make comment on this behavior and to ask for it to stop have been ignored, and even ridiculed in other venues.  This is very disappointing, and it is certainly not the kind of activity that should be sanctioned here on AtariAge.

 

Because this thread can no longer accomplish anything positive, the time has come to close it.  As I've said before (see here and here), if anyone is unhappy about this, you should blame the people whose bad behavior has created this situation.  We are currently working on an alternative which will provide a better source of higher-quality information about the Amico and its library of games; more details will be posted soon.