Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

[+Tommy Tallarico]

1 hour ago, Noah98 said:

I think holiday themed games would be ideal for this console.  It's something you don't see much of on the other consoles.  I know I would love to play Christmas, Halloween, and maybe even Thanksgiving themed games with my family. I feel like we are still waiting for the first truly great holiday game.  People are still playing Christmas Nights, which is essentially a demo!  Hmm, maybe Sega could make a full game out of it for Amico.

I know right?!?!?   I'm right there with you.  That's why I think there is a big opportunity for simple to play, couch co-op holiday experiences ESPECIALLY based around Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Halloween, etc.

Huge gaping hole in the market on consoles in my opinion. 

[+Tommy Tallarico]

54 minutes ago, vongruetz said:

Tommy, you might want to check your phone service. It now dials to a telemarketing company. "Is someone in your household 50 years of age or older? If so, press 1."  Maybe I'll try later in the day when you're at your desk.  😆

No. no... that's actually my voice mail... I'm just being secretive about it as to not attract too much attention.

Feel free to leave a message and I'll call you right back.

Make sure to have your serial number ready.

@RxScram:  We may have an incoming that we'll need you to work on today!  Drop all that compliance stuff you're working on... this takes precedence!

 

🤣💗😋😇

[+Tommy Tallarico]

1 hour ago, Cranker said:

I’m assuming the console would have to be finalized by the end of the year to make the April launch date. I am getting the feeling the April Launch date won’t happen.  I’m not trying to be negative and  I hope I’m wrong. Thoughts ?

I totally respect and appreciate the concern.

I've been mentioning for a few months that everything would need to be finalized by the end of January at the latest, that way we could at least crank out the Founder's Editions before China shuts down for the Chinese New Year (February 12 - 26).  Takes a month to ship via boat and then time at customs.  Then shipping out to everyone individually.  So end of January to get in Founders hands by beginning of April.  Another option is to wait until the beginning of March and then airship the 2,600 Founders units to the U.S.  A lot more expensive and completely eats away any profit margin we would have had (we would probably even lose money), but a decision that I'm willing to make for the Founders if possible.  But it really comes down to the ability to get each and every part required.  We have started ordering long lead time components (last month) and are starting to see potential backed up parts/component issues starting to crop up and our team is figuring out work arounds.  Again, I gotta stress that things in manufacturing (at least for us smaller guys) are literally changing from week to week.  If we are experiencing lockdowns here in the U.S. what do you think China is going through?  The press/media doesn't cover that much.  But ask yourself why Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo are lacking the supply they need.  And again, need to mention that if Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo are having supply chain and manufacturing issues... then we are as well and its magnified because we don't have the pull or purchasing power they have.  The hundreds of components and parts we have in Amico are made ALL over China.  Not just in one factory.  The manufacturing plant (Ark) makes some, but not things like the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip.  So if just one of the hundreds of components has a delay (and are unable to get it elsewhere), you can imagine the chain reaction it has on everything down the line. 

All we can do is keep working super hard and hope things fall into place.  The latest California lockdowns that started this 0week and will go to the end of the year were devastating for sure.  We planned on moving the entire team into the new building in December.  Starting setting it up in November.  Was there a way for us to know that California was going to see the biggest and worst lockdown in the U.S. for the entire month of December?  Would we have waited til January to move in if we had a crystal ball? Probably.  Things out there seem to be getting worse since August... not better.  We'll see how these vaccines will come into play over this month (California is actually getting them first here in the U.S.).  That being said, we are doing the best we can considering the circumstances and as always, I'm being as transparent as I possible can considering the challenges and always changing landscape from week to week.  If we need to push it out a few months, we would know that information probably by the middle or end of January.

Please let me know if anyone has any questions about this and/or the process or challenges we're facing.

I'm totally okay with giving as many updates as possible as they come in.  Right now we're working hard on getting everything completed over the next month via video.  Not very efficient when you need to test couch co-op games as well!  

 

 

Thanks!

 

[+Tommy Tallarico]

1 hour ago, mr_me said:

All the the sports network cartridges are really good.  But intellivision nhl hockey plays more like timbits hockey than nhl.

 

Boo!

 

😋

[+Tommy Tallarico]

35 minutes ago, Intellivision Master said:

Nah, I'm good.  We'll do it your way.  Scramble for the win.  

Damn.  Was hoping you would say YES!

 

 

[Intellivision Master]

1 minute ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Damn.  Was hoping you would say YES!

 

 

Sorry to disappoint.  If I was rich, it would be no problem.

[MarioMan88]

2 hours ago, GrudgeQ said:

I am actually looking forward to mini golf over pro style (probably in the minority on that). Would love to see it even wackier than real life with the other players being able to mess with you by using their touch screens to reverse the spin of the windmill or send a fart sound to your controller just as you swing. Maybe hitting a trap/bonus zone turns your putter into a cumbersome caveman club or gives your putter laser sights for super accuracy. Basically make it the wackiest game of golf around.

I’ve always enjoy the whimsical style mini golf games over sim style. Really hoping Amico has some fun games just like this!

Edited December 11, 2020 by MarioMan88
Typo

[Alpha82]

8 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Yes.  It rings directly to my desk.

 

Talk to ya soon!!

 

 

When I called the old help line number in college after my original died from water damage from a roof leak during a rain storm in 2002/2003 it was an adult line lol 

[nysavant]

8 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

How many are you up to??

 

 

Apart from the bundled games it must be about 11 now     And I'm sure there will be a few more....

[Silverbot]

3 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

If you are willing to fund the production... I'll totally start both!!

 

💗

Just out of interest, how much on average does it cost to make a game for the Amico? Maybe I’ll win the lottery this week and be able to finance one 👍😀

[bigdaddygamestudio]

13 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Looking forward to it!

 Pssstt... Tuesday..the 15th ...check your PM... your Space Command link will be provided.... 

[+Tommy Tallarico]

A big article about the video game industry and Loot Boxes came out today in the Los Angeles Times (one of the biggest newspapers in the entire county) which I was quoted. Positive vibes for Intellivision!

 

From the article: Evans said many game developers know that loot boxes can breed bad habits. “But they also know players will pay for the dopamine rush, the excitement, of loot boxes, which is the same thing that happens when you pull the lever on a slot machine.”

 

That may be changing. An Irvine company called Intellivision Entertainment is making a no-loot-boxes policy a key selling point for the family-friendly game console it plans to introduce next year.

 

Tommy Tallarico, the company’s chief executive, told me the console, dubbed Amico, will avoid “violent games, toxic online situations or any kind of loot boxes.”

 

“Our two biggest goals with our consumers are trust and value,” he said. “We personally feel that not having loot boxes stays within that ‘trust and value’ proposition.”

 

Evans said no-loot-boxes policies such as this are a positive change.

 

Full article here: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-12-11/video-game-loot-boxes-gambling

[+Tommy Tallarico]

29 minutes ago, Silverbot said:

Just out of interest, how much on average does it cost to make a game for the Amico? Maybe I’ll win the lottery this week and be able to finance one 👍😀

Depending on the project.  Could be anywhere from $50,000 - $250,000.  I'd say the average is around $100K - $125K.

[+Tommy Tallarico]

5 minutes ago, bigdaddygamestudio said:

 Pssstt... Tuesday..the 15th ...check your PM... your Space Command link will be provided.... 

Great!  Looking forward to it!

 

[Intellivision Master]

19 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Depending on the project.  Could be anywhere from $50,000 - $250,000.  I'd say the average is around $100K - $125K.

[Silverbot]

53 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Depending on the project.  Could be anywhere from $50,000 - $250,000.  I'd say the average is around $100K - $125K.

Cool! I’ll start saving now 😂👍 

[bigdaddygamestudio]

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

A big article about the video game industry and Loot Boxes came out today in the Los Angeles Times which I was quoted. Positive vibes for Intellivision!

That's a nice article and Amico and Tommy do come off looking really good. Glad to see it!  My own personal issue with Loot boxes is that their very presence and their very real to ability to make money can and do change how games themselves are made. Not only are these games bad for people with potential gambling issues etc, its bad for gaming itself.

 

Example- if I were to look to make a game with DLC and loot boxes, then I would basically at the onset of the project decide what the loot boxes would be and basically build the game around them.  To me thats just sad, but it is likely the surest way to siphon off and extract as much revenue as possible if that was your only goal.  It would lead a designer to purposely build in unnecessary game grind with the only real goal of causing player anger, and thus selling a DLC in order for the player to avoid the aforementioned grind and anger.  Loot box content causes all sorts of fun game content to be held back, to dole it out instead for DLC cash. To me that doesnt sit right.

 

To me games are art, I would never paint a painting and then cover up a bunch of it, with the idea that I would only show the remaining parts in small pieces when a viewer slips me a few bucks. It just isnt healthy for anyone in the long run when greed over takes art.  Once again Kudos to Tommy and the team at IE.

[Alpha82]

10 minutes ago, bigdaddygamestudio said:

That's a nice article and Amico and Tommy do come off looking really good. Glad to see it!  My own personal issue with Loot boxes is that their very presence and their very real to ability to make money can and do change how games themselves are made. Not only are these games bad for people with potential gambling issues etc, its bad for gaming itself.

 

Example- if I were to look to make a game with DLC and loot boxes, then I would basically at the onset of the project decide what the loot boxes would be and basically build the game around them.  To me thats just sad, but it is likely the surest way to siphon off and extract as much revenue as possible if that was your only goal.  It would lead a designer to purposely build in unnecessary game grind with the only real goal of causing player anger, and thus selling a DLC in order for the player to avoid the aforementioned grind and anger.  Loot box content causes all sorts of fun game content to be held back, to dole it out instead for DLC cash. To me that doesnt sit right.

 

To me games are art, I would never paint a painting and then cover up a bunch of it, with the idea that I would only show the remaining parts in small pieces when a viewer slips me a few bucks. It just isnt healthy for anyone in the long run when greed over takes art.  Once again Kudos to Tommy and the team at IE.

This is one of the best explanations of loot box issues I have seen such a great way to explain it 

[Intellivision Master]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/brian-k-vaughan-to-write-buck-rogers-tv-series-for-legendary

 

Maybe we can get a Buck Rogers game on Amico.

[IMBerzerk]

18 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Awesome!!  Your Sears units are super clean!  Hard to find in that white color these days... mostly off-white/yellowish now.

Great collection!!  Thanks for sharing.

 

 

No problem Tommy.  It was my pleasure.

 

No one should ever complain about the price of the Amico... I took a pic of the the Sears box I have that still has the original price tag on it from the Sears store it was purchased from... at a whopping $269!!  

 

Back in 1981/82 that would have been equivalent to the price of a PS5 + Oculus VR system, or roughly $850.

 

At $249, 5 games and 2 controllers.. in today's economy, you're practically giving it away!

 

 

[RREDDWARFF]

On 12/4/2020 at 10:45 AM, IMBerzerk said:

    

 

 

When you die your grand kids or great grand kids are going to find these, have no idea what the heck they are used for, and wonder, "Why the frick does Gramps have so many old phones?"

[Intellivision Master]

Another game request Tommy.

 

[Alpha82]

32 minutes ago, RREDDWARFF said:

When you die your grand kids or great grand kids are going to find these, have no idea what the heck they are used for, and wonder, "Why the frick does Gramps have so many old phones?"

That’s sad but probably very true 

[Intellivision Master]

Samsung has a 110 inch TV coming out.  Imagine playing Amico on that big screen.  It would be awesome.

[Silverbot]

How about Gyruss, this would work well with the disc controls. 👍😀