Future demand for new Intellivision games

[mdoerty]

As we are now only about nine months away from the launch of the Amico, I am beginning to wonder if there will continue to be demand for new games for the original console. 
 

The Amico Founders Edition sold out in six hours. Deposits of $100 were put down for 2600 units. That shows people recognize the brand and there is demand. But does it translate into demand for new games for the original console. A few years ago, game runs of 150 to 200 sold out in days, if not hours.  Today, high-end products take weeks to reach triple digits (100) in sales. And the number of Amico sold is between four and five times the number of sales for the most popular device to play game ROMs (the LTO Flash has reportedly sold 500-600 copies, if comments on the forums are correct). 
 

Personally, I like new games for my 2609, my SVA, my 5872, my SPS, etc.  Currently, Maria from Cote Gamers is en route from France while Aardvark, Fubar, and Melody Runner from Intellivision Revolution are awaiting mailing (they seem to have been stuck in pre-shipment for a while).  So I will continue to buy. 
 

But I also know that with games for the Amico costing a fraction of the price of those for the original unit, it will be increasingly difficult to justify paying the same price for a game for a four-decade hardware platform as the newest game for the newest console units. 
 

What thoughts do others have?  I know there are some big releases planned for this year. But I wonder if it is the beginning of the end and people transition to the Amico or if the Amico leads to more interest in the original platform and a Renaissance in game development.

 

What does everyone else think?
 

 

 

 

[+cjherr]

Personally, I will continue to support my old consoles as well as the new Amico. The excitement of the new console doesn’t diminish my love of the originals. 

[poconojo]

I think the release of the Amico will bring more attention to the old Intellivision console. 

[jcalder8]

For me the draw of a new console is higher than the draw for a home brew game. I admire the work that is put into new games that come out today but for my money I would rather get a console with a bunch of new games I can buy rather than just 1 game.

[IMBerzerk]

4 minutes ago, jcalder8 said:

For me the draw of a new console is higher than the draw for a home brew game. I admire the work that is put into new games that come out today but for my money I would rather get a console with a bunch of new games I can buy rather than just 1 game.

I have to agree with this.  I love that people are making new games for old consoles.  I just can't afford them at $50-70 a pop.  I totally understand the premise behind it, and I respect what it takes to make one, packaging...etc.  But it's out of my price range to do more than one.

 

If they are made for the Amico, and can be sold at a $15 range... all in for two or maybe three.

 

I wish they sold just the roms for $10 each.  I'd buy it and toss it on the LTO or Retropie!

[+LS650]

I think no negative impact at all, and as mentioned above, it will only revive interest and attention for the original console.

[+cmart604]

I suspect the odd person who buys the Amico will seek out the original Inty and it may result in a few more sales. 

[IMBerzerk]

I agree.  Just imagine how many retro-games that have never played an Intellivision may very well have sudden interest in the older consoles.

[Bamse]

1 hour ago, poconojo said:

I think the release of the Amico will bring more attention to the old Intellivision console. 

This exactly. Especially in countries like the UK who have all but forgotten Intellivision ever existed here.

[mr_me]

You can buy new video games with or without  Amico.  I don't see how it takes away from Intellivision homebrews.  I thought this was about an increase in demand for 1980s intellivision stuff.  That has a finite supply but demand could increase if Amico does well.

[Bamse]

A guy that works in one of the few retro game stores in London told me he sees a spike in sales of OG hardware whenever a mini console is released.

Although Amico is not a mini or even a flashback / retro console, it  draws enough on the history of the original intellivision to possibly ignite interest in it.

 

: Funny, when I write spike my phone auto corrects to Spiker lol

Edited February 2, 2020 by Bamse

[wolfy62]

I imagine the interest in new games for the original intellivision will increase at least for a while as a lot of attention will be drawn to it thanks to the Amico.

I personally as a collector will continue to purchase and play games for both systems as long as it doesnt create too much financial strain on me.

I am very excited for what I have seen being created for the Intellivision and the Amico.

This is going to be an outstanding year,to say the least,for video games!??

Edited February 2, 2020 by wolfy62
Added content.

[+cmadruga]

My predictions:

 

1) The Amico will spark some interest on the old console.

- Most folks are unlikely to act ($$$) on that interest. Particularly post-NES gamers due to having no nostalgia.

- Those that do act, likely won't go beyond taking another look at the Flashback / Plug and Play products released previously.

- There could be a small demand spike on eBay for the original console, but once folks realize it's not so easy to connect the old console to a modern TV, it should subside fast.

 

2) Demand for homebrews will be the same as it has ever been.

- Price, availability, and hardware dependencies will continue to make them attractive to a niche audience.

- That niche audience will support heavily the Amico AND continue to collect the old stuff + homebrews.

 

 

[carlsson]

Since I'm not in the market for the Amico, I haven't followed all those discussion threads. Does it come with an original Intellivision (emulation) mode that lets you soft load your own ROMs, or only play the ones sold by Intellivision Entertainment? If the latter, I don't see any crosstalk between the two. I don't know what it takes to register as a developer for the Amico, but surely anyone interested in making games utilizing that hardware is just as likely to develop games for most other modern systems already, not only people upgrading from 160x96 pixels to whichever resolution the Amico uses natively.

[+cmart604]

52 minutes ago, carlsson said:

Since I'm not in the market for the Amico, I haven't followed all those discussion threads. Does it come with an original Intellivision (emulation) mode that lets you soft load your own ROMs, or only play the ones sold by Intellivision Entertainment? If the latter, I don't see any crosstalk between the two. I don't know what it takes to register as a developer for the Amico, but surely anyone interested in making games utilizing that hardware is just as likely to develop games for most other modern systems already, not only people upgrading from 160x96 pixels to whichever resolution the Amico uses natively.

They have left the possibility open for a 3rd party USB connected cart reader I believe. As for the original games it sounds like most of them will be available in $5 or so packs at some point after the initial launch. 

[Ignorama]

Personally, I couldnt care less for Amico. So it changes nothing for me.

[HunterZero]

I'm not really interested in the Amico at all, I cannot see it succeeding long term unfortunately.

 

I am more likely to support projects that push the original Intellivision hardware to its limits, I find that far more impressive.

 

- J

[Byte Knight]

It's primarily us old guys on here buying the homebrews, and that's probably not gonna change...

[Ignorama]

Well, to be honest: I guess the demant for games for the old console is shrinking as well, too many and too few collectors. Even the few awesome games are having trouble to sell well. I guess the market will be dead in a few years.

[+cmadruga]

1 hour ago, Ignorama said:

Well, to be honest: I guess the demant for games for the old console is shrinking as well, too many and too few collectors. Even the few awesome games are having trouble to sell well. I guess the market will be dead in a few years.

The market... or us? Just kidding.

 

On the other hand, to me it feels that homebrew development has never been so popular. There is just so much stuff popping up across different platforms.

I don't think there are any illusions relative to economic viability, but nostalgic folks will continue to tinker for many years.

[+JasonlikesINTV]

I feel like the Intellivision collector market is relatively small and the homebrew market is significantly smaller.  The small market size makes Intellivision a bit more vulnerable to an increase in demand than say NES.  I think the Amico will have some initial moderate success with a chance for much more.  Proportional to the success of the Amico, I expect a bump in demand for original Intellivision stuff, particularly consoles and games that get remakes (Nightstalker, Deadly Discs, etc).  Probably nothing as substantial as the brief frenzy for Adventure after Ready Player One, though.  I also expect most of the increased demand coming from collectors of other consoles who don't yet have an Intellivision.

 

As for the homebrew market, it's tiny so it wouldn't take much to noticeably impact sales numbers.  However, it's a small niche market with a high cost of entry, so I doubt we'll see many newcomers.  I hope I'm wrong, though.

[Ignorama]

5 hours ago, cmadruga said:

The market... or us? Just kidding.

 

On the other hand, to me it feels that homebrew development has never been so popular. There is just so much stuff popping up across different platforms.

I don't think there are any illusions relative to economic viability, but nostalgic folks will continue to tinker for many years.

 

Well, in fact its pretty true. If 10 SNES collectors pass away nothing changes, of 10 Intellivision collectors do so, you will notice the shrinking market.

 

And I said it years before and I stand to my statement: The rising popularity was a curse in disguise. Yeah, we got many games and yes, some were pretty good. Bust many were not and even more could be good, but were rushed out with HUGE flaws and ruined the trust in the market. We also had anough other stuff happens, that ruined trust. The scene seemed to be pretty nice some years ago, easy money for unpolished games. Unfortunately that thinned out the buying potential for awesome games as well, because in the time when everybody and his mother started to release games many people lose their interesst, because it was hard, if not impossible to get hands on all new games. Some even were not in public sale, there were PN groups to get hands on some titles.

 

Some of the publishers did that with honest good intentions, some clearly had a quick moneygrab in mind, but in the end it doesnt even matter, because both harmed market in my opinion. And today we get one shitty overprized release from Italy after another. Its ridiculous, quality is from okay to rubbish, more often the last category. So yeah, I would say there are many factors why the market will die or is already pretty dead. It didnt had a good chance anyway to last forever (INTV will be a damn small niche in a niche), but maybe the greed of some and greenness of others killed it even faster.

Edited February 3, 2020 by Ignorama

[Intymike]

There is a growing interest in the Intellivision. You can see it on Facebook more than over here at AA.

But most of the newcomers war not interested in buying the homebrew games. 

[mr_me]

What if by 2021, Amico has an install base of 500k.  And Intellivision homebrews get on the Amico store for $2.99 each, for use with its intellivision emulator.  How many might it sell?

Edited February 3, 2020 by mr_me

[Ignorama]

7 minutes ago, Intymike said:

There is a growing interest in the Intellivision. You can see it on Facebook more than over here at AA.

But most of the newcomers war not interested in buying the homebrew games. 

 

Amico has not even 20k Followers, we will see how that converts into sales. And Amico is a different story. As a Intellivision Collector I dont care how Amico sells, because its not the Intellivision. To be honest, I dont even know that the heck it is, something like the new Atari VCS? I dont see the market for that, but we will see how it goes in a few month I guess.

 

@mr_me

 

If you are talking about originak Homebrews: Probably pretty bad. And I doubt a publisher will sell them for just 3 bucks, but even if: The Collectors often dont even care about the game, it goes into the shelf and thats it. And for a new console the limitations of a 40 year old system would be pretty terrible to attract customers.

Edited February 3, 2020 by Ignorama