Is the Amico dead?

[mr_me]

 

22 minutes ago, Leonard Smith said:

Then how do you explain all the electronics with "Patent Pending" stamped on their cases? 
As long as it's been filed and in process, then they should be ok barring any unforseen scenarios that others have brought up.

You don't need any patents to manufacture and sell product.  And if they do have any patents approved, it protects them going back to when the application was filed.

Edited April 11, 2022 by mr_me

[Rev]

16 minutes ago, mr_me said:

 

You don't need any patents to manufacture and sell product.  And if they do have any patents approved, it protects them going back to when the application was filed.

But you do need FCC and CE approval. Which is not final approved. 
 

https://fccid.io/2A3BR

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Rev

[mr_me]

Correct, they'll need to file with FCC, and CE as required in Europe to sell Amicos.  They have to first produce them before they get to that point.

[Rev]

6 minutes ago, mr_me said:

Correct, they'll need to file with FCC, and CE as required in Europe to sell Amicos.  They have to first produce them before they get to that point.

Correct, they’ll need to PASS FCC, and CE as required to sell Amicos. 
 

Should of already passed 18+ months ago.  The Amico was on the launch pad ready to go for 10/10/2020 except for a handful of parts. 
 

Im glad we agree.

[Rev]

Maybe @kevtris can give us his REAL WORLD experience with FCC and launching and shipping hardware. I trust Kevtris. 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Rev

[mr_me]

"Primary FCC and CE testing is completed that covers both radiated emissions, materials and safety compliance requirements for the majority of global markets we intend to enter.  Final filings are actively in progress"

 

That is what their risk disclosure said.  Their engineer said they passed FCC emissions last summer.  It might need retesting with changes, so they should wait until it's in production for final filing.

 

You're discussing things that's already been covered earlier in this thread.  Patents have been discussed here earlier as well.

Edited April 11, 2022 by mr_me

[Razzie.P]

34 minutes ago, Rev said:

Correct, they’ll need to PASS FCC, and CE as required to sell Amicos. 
 

Should of already passed 18+ months ago.  The Amico was on the launch pad ready to go for 10/10/2020 except for a handful of parts. 
 

Im glad we agree.

Maybe one of those parts was a pen needed to sign off on all that FCC and CE paperwork.

 

[+Lathe26]

On 4/10/2022 at 1:52 AM, roadrunner said:

Current stats on last IE youtube video




 

YouTube Dislike count?!  I call shenanigans!  This image is faked!

 

 

Just kidding.  However, I am curious how you're able to still see the Dislike count when most of the world can't.

[MrBeefy]

9 minutes ago, Lathe26 said:

YouTube Dislike count?!  I call shenanigans!  This image is faked!

 

 

Just kidding.  However, I am curious how you're able to still see the Dislike count when most of the world can't.

There's an app for that. Or well extension. But still no negative comments!

 

Anyone notice the color change in the purple console?

 

It no longer has the blue hue. I don't think it will have a special paint anymore like advertised.

Initial

 

2nd go notice the blue on the right.

 

 

New one without the blue.

 

 

 

 

What you get...

 

[MrBeefy]

5 hours ago, SegaSnatcher said:

It was done on purpose as an easter egg!   Just like the reversed controls in the Finnigan Fox gameplay demo and the "borrowed assets" in Battletanks/Tank Battle.  

What easter eggs will we find next?    

If they go into bankruptcy will that be to troll Pat and Ian?

4 hours ago, SegaSnatcher said:

Same, I'm interested in talking about all consoles, even the ones I might never buy.  I have no plans to buy the Playdate, but I still find it interesting enough to want to talk about.  

Exactly. On the flip side, even if someone is going to buy it no matter if it is the biggest POS of all time still can have an opinion on it.

 

It is people just trying to invalidate others as opposed to discussing.

 

https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/11/23014891/nintendo-switch-sports-wii-bowling-features-mini-games-price-release-date-hands-on

 

This was good article talking about the new Switch Sports. They outed themselves as gaming racist gatekeeping by saying the following, "There’s still no company better at making these kinds of games than Nintendo."

 

They obviously are MISINFORMED gaming communists who haven't tried Cornhole!

 

 

[+GoldLeader]

Some people are passionate about video games and some people are passionate about train wrecks.

[number6]

@thread

 

As to whose fault? (the gamestop episode):

30 seconds in will do

Serious question: Was there no way to kill an obvious automated response after the company had full knowledge that no product had shipped?

 

#6

Edited April 11, 2022 by number6
Added question

[+Lathe26]

6 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

Some people are passionate about video games and some people are passionate about train wrecks.

 

There are better train wreck videos on display at The Depot train museum in Duluth, MN.  However, this one will have to do...
 

 

[+GoldLeader]

Some people are passionate about video games and some people are passionate about train wrecks.

16 minutes ago, Lathe26 said:

 

There are better train wreck videos on display at The Depot train museum in Duluth, MN.  However, this one will have to do...
 

 

 

That's a very nice literal example of a train wreck,  sure.  But I was speaking metaphorically.  Ever see someone talk and you know they're lying, and instead of taking their medicine or admitting they're lying,  (or wrong or whatever), they keep doubling down and acting as if they still have a shred of credibility?   And you begin to hate the person,  but (somehow) find it all the more fascinating as it continues?...(AA rules prevent me from explaining too much more about whom I am referring and others who may...Well, Nevermind)...The one thing people want is for there to be accountability in such an instance.  And to find out how much was deliberate lying,  how much was lack of information or misinformation,  what actually went on behind the scenes, etc.  And (they want) just to kind of get to the truth.  At this point the fascination comes from seeing what happens next...It's like watching a murder mystery or crime drama on TV and has less to do with caring how others spend their money,  and more to do with getting answers.

[ColecoJoe]

4 hours ago, Rev said:

The Amico was on the launch pad ready to go for 10/10/2020 except for a handful of parts. 

[roots.genoa]

9 hours ago, mr_me said:

There should be dozens with developers.

[mr_me]

A couple dozen programmers working on Amico games is a lot.

[Razzie.P]

3 hours ago, Lathe26 said:

 

There are better train wreck videos on display at The Depot train museum in Duluth, MN. 
 

 

There are better train wrecks on Youtube, too.  Just search for “Amico” to find them.   I’m not bilingual, but I think that’s an Italian colloquialism for “train wreck” now.

 

 

22 minutes ago, mr_me said:

A couple dozen programmers working on Amico games is a lot.

Based on the amount of content they seem to have, I’d agree with that.   ?  I'd even say a couple dozen is a bit excessive.

 

 

 

[mr_me]

We've only seen, maybe half the games in active development.  I'm talking about what's been played at events 

Edited April 11, 2022 by mr_me

[Rev]

Where is a definitive list of games for Amico again?  Im too lazy to look. Someone google it for me. 

[kevtris]

5 hours ago, Rev said:

Maybe @kevtris can give us his REAL WORLD experience with FCC and launching and shipping hardware. I trust Kevtris. 

sure.  at my day job, we had to get medical device certification (MDD) which is stricter than what INTV needs, so I have been through this several times already.

 

Basically for the amico they will need a big set of certifications and licenses to legally sell it.

 

First is emissions-  the console itself will need emissions testing to make sure it isn't radiating RF in quantities that will interfere with other things (i.e. ripping up your neighbor's TV, getting into the radio, stopping cell phones working, etc).   After that, since this thing has radios on it for wifi and bluetooth it will need certifications for those things.  They call these "intentional radiators" since it is designed to radiate signals (i.e. wifi, bluetooth) vs. non-intentional radiators (i.e. a calculator that isn't designed to communicate wirelessly).

 

I am not sure exactly how it works for certification for the entire world but I believe you just test to the most stringent requirements and if you meet this it will help greatly to get it through customs wherever you wish to ship it. 

 

So great you passed emissions and intentional radiator testing- you need to do this separately for the controllers and the base unit itself and cannot pass both as a package (AFAIK, I could be wrong on this; the regulations change often).

 

Now for the bluetooth and HDMI you must license these.  I believe wifi needs licensing too but don't have experience in this area.  For the controllers, they contain batteries so you will need safety testing and more things for those.  

 

The power supply for the base unit needs to be certified too, but fortunately this part is relatively easy- you just buy an off the shelf supply which already is certified.  This is why you rarely see devices with the power supply built in; it costs too much to certify your entire device for all the places it will be sold- it's easier to just buy the line lump or wall wart that's pre-done.  When I saw INTV's original pitch video showing the supply being internal I said "well, that's the first thing they are going to change" for this reason.

 

The base unit will also need safety testing- they will do things like reverse the polarity of power, overvolt it, undervolt it, attempt to short the charging contacts out with coins and paperclips and such for both the base unit and the controllers.  This is to make sure if you use your amico as a coin holder it won't start a fire, or if you put a controller in  your pocket with loose change you won't end up with a hot pocket.

 

All these certifications and licenses will be relatively expensive and I suspect they've tried to get their hardware to pass at least once and it's failed.  I am curious- do they still have their PCB/hardware engineers on staff or did they get cut in late 2019/early 2020?  tommy posted a video in late 2019 showing their PCB guy designing the PCB.  There's some fun little cameos if you look closely- maybe I will post about that since it's deserving of its own post.

 

[1980gamer]

9 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

I am surprised that even the biggest fans ignore they literally stole assets for one of their first party games and accept it as "placeholders" despite them scrambling like cockroaches the day that video was released. It was probably the pandemic's fault.

 

How many times did they upload the same video changing the name? Battle Tanks, Battle Tanks, Tank Tank. I know at least 3 but I feel like it was 4. It was a total crap show. The CCO must really like cutting corners. Remember this was a first party title too.

Should someone have noticed the assets.  YES.

But remember, they did not create the app.  It was farmed out.  No excuse to allow it to be shown without QC / Vetting.

Perhaps they took one on chin for the development firm?  Being as they are not selling product yet.

 

Would I pay $350?   Hmm, Maybe.  Because I have played it and like it.  If I didn't.  Most likely no.

 

The problem for me, I have a pre-order, so I will get that one.

I had planned on gifting my brother 1 and my nieces 1.  Now, I will have to wait and hope prices drop.

 

So, for $50 per unit, they lost 2 units sold out of the gate.

 

If unit cost exceeds the $250  ( components, assembly, package and "pay backs" )  I guess, they would need to increase the price.

 

I would certainly hope that the payback could have been stretched over more units.  Instead of $100 over X units.  $50 over X times 2.  Plus maybe some juice.

 

They could have kept the price point and I would have grabbed 2 more units.  That would have paid back $150 on the loan instead of the $100.

But that is just MY logic.....

 

[Rev]

19 minutes ago, kevtris said:

sure.  at my day job, we had to get medical device certification (MDD) which is stricter than what INTV needs, so I have been through this several times already.

 

Basically for the amico they will need a big set of certifications and licenses to legally sell it.

 

First is emissions-  the console itself will need emissions testing to make sure it isn't radiating RF in quantities that will interfere with other things (i.e. ripping up your neighbor's TV, getting into the radio, stopping cell phones working, etc).   After that, since this thing has radios on it for wifi and bluetooth it will need certifications for those things.  They call these "intentional radiators" since it is designed to radiate signals (i.e. wifi, bluetooth) vs. non-intentional radiators (i.e. a calculator that isn't designed to communicate wirelessly).

 

I am not sure exactly how it works for certification for the entire world but I believe you just test to the most stringent requirements and if you meet this it will help greatly to get it through customs wherever you wish to ship it. 

 

So great you passed emissions and intentional radiator testing- you need to do this separately for the controllers and the base unit itself and cannot pass both as a package (AFAIK, I could be wrong on this; the regulations change often).

 

Now for the bluetooth and HDMI you must license these.  I believe wifi needs licensing too but don't have experience in this area.  For the controllers, they contain batteries so you will need safety testing and more things for those.  

 

The power supply for the base unit needs to be certified too, but fortunately this part is relatively easy- you just buy an off the shelf supply which already is certified.  This is why you rarely see devices with the power supply built in; it costs too much to certify your entire device for all the places it will be sold- it's easier to just buy the line lump or wall wart that's pre-done.  When I saw INTV's original pitch video showing the supply being internal I said "well, that's the first thing they are going to change" for this reason.

 

The base unit will also need safety testing- they will do things like reverse the polarity of power, overvolt it, undervolt it, attempt to short the charging contacts out with coins and paperclips and such for both the base unit and the controllers.  This is to make sure if you use your amico as a coin holder it won't start a fire, or if you put a controller in  your pocket with loose change you won't end up with a hot pocket.

 

All these certifications and licenses will be relatively expensive and I suspect they've tried to get their hardware to pass at least once and it's failed.  I am curious- do they still have their PCB/hardware engineers on staff or did they get cut in late 2019/early 2020?  tommy posted a video in late 2019 showing their PCB guy designing the PCB.  There's some fun little cameos if you look closely- maybe I will post about that since it's deserving of its own post.

 

Great insight.   So, would it be wise, or is it industry standard to wait until the “last minute” so to speak, or are all these FCC/CE certifications typically done as soon as possible?  Of course, every company is different. 
 

Example. A product launches in December. What is a general rule in months prior to launch. 
 

thanks again!

Edited April 11, 2022 by Rev

[crade]

Honestly, if your hypothetical, simultaneously produced at multiple factories, Earthworm Jim 4 Playing, zillion unit selling, physical media playing, 150$, retail ready console that totally exists and will be shipping real soon had a cart slot on there I'll give you 350$ for one.  Whats one more hand wave?

[mr_me]

25 minutes ago, Rev said:

Great insight.   So, would it be wise, or is it industry standard to wait until the “last minute” so to speak, or are all these FCC/CE certifications typically done as soon as possible?  Of course, every company is different. 
 

Example. A product launches in December. What is a general rule in months prior to launch. 
 

thanks again!

They didn't wait until the last minute, unintended emissions was passed last summer.  They are using bluetooth and wifi modules that are already on the market, so they should pass without issue if they haven't done so already.  And the power supply would be pre-approved for UL/CE by the manufacturer.