Intellivision Entertainment launching a NEW Intellivision console

[mr_me]

That intellivisionlives page doesn't mention that Daglow and Dombrower, who did World Series Baseball for Mattel in 1983, went on to do Earl Weaver Baseball for EA Sports. So Intellivision World Series Baseball can be considered the original Earl Weaver Baseball, having multiple camera angles, play-by-play speech via Intellivoice, statistics based play and managerial functions minus Earl Weaver's strategies.

 

Although World Series Baseball was a groundbreaking achievement, I'm not sure how many would say it was more fun than Major League or World Championship Baseball. I'd have to say the same about Slam Dunk Basketball.

[+BBWW]

That intellivisionlives page doesn't mention that Daglow and Dombrower, who did World Series Baseball for Mattel in 1983, went on to do Earl Weaver Baseball for EA Sports. So Intellivision World Series Baseball can be considered the original Earl Weaver Baseball, having multiple camera angles, play-by-play speech via Intellivoice, statistics based play and managerial functions minus Earl Weaver's strategies.

 

Although World Series Baseball was a groundbreaking achievement, I'm not sure how many would say it was more fun than Major League or World Championship Baseball. I'd have to say the same about Slam Dunk Basketball.

 

Yeah, but full cycle to the Amiga Earl Weaver Baseball was a lot of fun. Something like it would be a "Heritage" release.

[+nurmix]

You can get some pretty neat info here.

...and here (direct from one of the designers / programmers:

 

http://intellivisionaries.com/episode-7-baseballs/

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

[+nurmix]

Repeating what I've said on FB.....Sounds good and all, but the price point is the key. If they try to get $150-200 for this, immediate laughing stock. Consoles are largely dead.

Legitimate question - trying to gauge interest: What is an acceptable price point for a new console with 7 brand new games + 80-100 original Intellivision games, 30+ brand new games available in the online store at launch at $3 - $7 each (a lot of them well known licensed games) with no additional DLC or micro-transaction BS ever, 2 wireless controllers with integrated touch screens, USB, SD card support (with some special edition SD CIB releases), and a future cartridge port adapter?

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

Edited July 6, 2018 by nurmix

[+nurmix]

Although World Series Baseball was a groundbreaking achievement, I'm not sure how many would say it was more fun than Major League or World Championship Baseball. I'd have to say the same about Slam Dunk Basketball.

Completely agree about WSMLB.

 

Completely disagree about Slam Dunk. That game is a blast to play, and WAY better than the original NBA Basketball --- IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

[+KylJoy]

Legitimate question - trying to gauge interest: What is an acceptable price point for a new console with 7 brand new games + 80-100 original Intellivision games, 30+ brand new games available in the online store at launch at $3 - $7 each (a lot of them well known licensed games) with no additional DLC or micro-transaction BS ever, 2 wireless controllers with integrated touch screens, USB, SD card support (with some special edition SD CIB releases), and a future cartridge port adapter?

 

I'd easily pay $150, maybe more, for a nice system like that. I know this new console is supposed to be different than these, but what did the Ouya sell for or the Nvidia Shield? I skipped those types of devices so I'm ready to try out this new Intellivision system if it is sweet.

[+KylJoy]

 

I'd easily pay $150, maybe more, for a nice system like that. I know this new console is supposed to be different than these, but what did the Ouya sell for or the Nvidia Shield? I skipped those types of devices so I'm ready to try out this new Intellivision system if it is sweet.

 

Well, Amazon has a Shield with a remote and controller for $200.

[+BBWW]

Legitimate question - trying to gauge interest: What is an acceptable price point for a new console with 7 brand new games + 80-100 original Intellivision games, 30+ brand new games available in the online store at launch at $3 - $7 each (a lot of them well known licensed games) with no additional DLC or micro-transaction BS ever, 2 wireless controllers with integrated touch screens, USB, SD card support (with some special edition SD CIB releases), and a future cartridge port adapter?

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

 

I don't think this is a indecent price point. In 1980 the Intellivision would be $889.00 in 2018 dollars.

 

I really had not heard much of cartridge support, but it would be a plus. Content is everything. Being able to load our our ROM's onto the SD card would be critical for me though. Then again If I bought Apple stock instead of a Lisa, I'd be a multimillionaire today. :-)

 

In short if I could retire vintage hardware and use my ROM library plus new and updated games and graphics I would buy this in a heartbeat at that price.

[+KylJoy]

I know it isn't part of the initial release and Tommy T. said that it would have to be made by a third party, but I REALLY want a cartridge port to use my flash carts with homebrews, hacks, demos, etc. on them. Even if the games are available in the "store", I already bought them... twice - Once as carts and again as ROMs when available.

[+sramirez2008]

$150, but loading ROMs is a must. I want to be able to own the content vs. having it sitting on someone else's server. BTW, future cart support (e.g. LTO Flash!) would be the icing on the cake.

[+sramirez2008]

I know it isn't part of the initial release and Tommy T. said that it would have to be made by a third party, but I REALLY want a cartridge port to use my flash carts with homebrews, hacks, demos, etc. on them. Even if the games are available in the "store", I already bought them... twice - Once as carts and again as ROMs when available.

 

Hear, hear!

[+nurmix]

 

I'd easily pay $150, maybe more, for a nice system like that. I know this new console is supposed to be different than these, but what did the Ouya sell for or the Nvidia Shield? I skipped those types of devices so I'm ready to try out this new Intellivision system if it is sweet.

I never picked one of those up either. Ouya was a very cool idea, and they did phenomenally well with funding, but they had little if any exclusive games. Why buy a new system if it doesn't have killer games you can't play anywhere else? That's what sells consoles. And that's what we are trying to do with the license deals and developers we are signing up. If we don't have killer games at launch, we'll suffer the same fate as Ouya.

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

[+nurmix]

I know it isn't part of the initial release and Tommy T. said that it would have to be made by a third party, but I REALLY want a cartridge port to use my flash carts with homebrews, hacks, demos, etc. on them. Even if the games are available in the "store", I already bought them... twice - Once as carts and again as ROMs when available.

I hear ya! I want a cartridge port too, but to add $10+ to the cost of each console (which really adds up when you're looking at the numbers we're planning to manufacture) to support maybe 5% of the potential buyers doesn't make sense.

 

Joe Z is on the team as an advisor, so a cartridge port adapter WILL happen down the road (not necessarily from him, but certainly with his knowledge and help). But it will be as an add-on for those who want it (like you, and me).

 

That said, any original Intellivision games that don't make it on the console at launch will be in the $1 - $2 range in the store (the aforementioned $3 - $7 prices are for the NEW / remake games).

 

And we'll probably do bundled deals; "Buy the new TRON Deadly Discs get the original for free". Heck, maybe we'll have a deal that if you show proof of purchasing the Intellivision Lives/Rocks CDs (via the Intellivision Lives store way back when), you'll get whatever original games are missing for free? (No promises, but just throwing that out there).

 

It's kinda like music... yes, I bought Led Zeppelin 1 on vinyl in 1975, then on cassette in 1979, and if I want it in digital format, I'll buy it on iTunes or Amazon again today.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

[+nurmix]

$150, but loading ROMs is a must. I want to be able to own the content vs. having it sitting on someone else's server. BTW, future cart support (e.g. LTO Flash!) would be the icing on the cake.

Whatever games you buy are saved on your console. It's not a streaming box. It doesn't require an always on Internet connection. And if something happens to your console, you can download all your purchases again. And if we close the store down, we unlock the encryption and you have your games forever.

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

[1980gamer]

Completely agree about WSMLB.

 

Completely disagree about Slam Dunk. That game is a blast to play, and WAY better than the original NBA Basketball --- IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

Of course this is all opinion...

But NBA was better than Slam Dunk for one simple reason... Set Shot / Block / Jump Shot were on the keypad instead of the side action buttons.

 

When you make a pass to the lower right of the screen (number 9 on the keypad) you could easily shot a set or jump shot quickly.

Transitioning to the side button after a pass sucks.

 

Of course I played hundreds of hours of NBA before ever trying Slam Dunk. I actually like the player stats / drafting / salary cap part of Slam Dunk.

Just wish the keypad layout was the same.

 

Though, I do remember HANGING NBA when blocking a shot with the disc in a certain position... The blocked shot would freeze with the player in the air! LOL

Most likely why they made the action buttons active in Slam Dunk?

 

I always found sliding the thumb across the keypad intuitive. On baseball, keep your thumb on the pitcher and every fielder was a simply slide of the thumb left or right. Not as easy on the shitty Intellivision II replacement controllers that had ZERO tactile feedback.....

 

Oh, the other problem with slam Dunk for me.... I was using an intellivsion II when I got that game... The side action buttons were dreadful!!!!!

[+nurmix]

Of course this is all opinion...

But NBA was better than Slam Dunk for one simple reason... Set Shot / Block / Jump Shot were on the keypad instead of the side action buttons.

 

When you make a pass to the lower right of the screen (number 9 on the keypad) you could easily shot a set or jump shot quickly.

Transitioning to the side button after a pass sucks.

 

Of course I played hundreds of hours of NBA before ever trying Slam Dunk. I actually like the player stats / drafting / salary cap part of Slam Dunk.

Just wish the keypad layout was the same.

 

Though, I do remember HANGING NBA when blocking a shot with the disc in a certain position... The blocked shot would freeze with the player in the air! LOL

Most likely why they made the action buttons active in Slam Dunk?

 

I always found sliding the thumb across the keypad intuitive. On baseball, keep your thumb on the pitcher and every fielder was a simply slide of the thumb left or right. Not as easy on the shitty Intellivision II replacement controllers that had ZERO tactile feedback.....

 

Oh, the other problem with slam Dunk for me.... I was using an intellivsion II when I got that game... The side action buttons were dreadful!!!!!

That's a fair point. I played NBA Basketball in 1980 as a kid - years before Slam Dunk was ever even an idea. And you're right, there's something to be said about the controls of NBA for shooting.

 

But I think once you get used to Slam Dunk, even if the controls are a bit more clumsy initially, the benefits of the player drafts, substitutions, the hilarious names, 3-point shots, fouls, the improved court graphics / presentation all make for a better game.

 

Of course there's a bug too, where your player can "float" all over the screen. Makes for a great laughing break when you're losing!

 

But I will agree with you 100% that it sucks with Intellivision II controllers. But then pretty much every game does! [emoji12]

 

Anyway, if you haven't already heard it, listen to our podcast episode 18 where we cover both games, and interview the programmers of both too:

 

http://intellivisionaries.com/episode-18-basketballs/

 

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

Edited July 6, 2018 by nurmix

[RainbowCemetery]

the ouya was $100 which made it an easy novelty purchase, if this thing can sneak through at $150 i would have no complaints. the amount of extra stuff it comes with is less important than hitting that price, at least to me, some internet rando

[+DZ-Jay]

Legitimate question - trying to gauge interest: What is an acceptable price point for a new console with 7 brand new games + 80-100 original Intellivision games, 30+ brand new games available in the online store at launch at $3 - $7 each (a lot of them well known licensed games) with no additional DLC or micro-transaction BS ever, 2 wireless controllers with integrated touch screens, USB, SD card support (with some special edition SD CIB releases), and a future cartridge port adapter?

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

 

You'll have to consider that the "set of those who would pay for a cartridge port" and the "set of people who don't know or care about a cartridge port" do not intersect. They are also not commensurate.

 

Therefore, you must keep in mind that while some would think that a console with a cartridge port is worth $150, to most that's just an unnecessary and unwanted feature, so it really shouldn't figure into the cost.

[mr_me]

Using a flash memory multi-cartridge with a software emulator is an ass backward way of playing rom files. Just use an inexpensive computer you already have to emulate your rom files.

 

Will the new Intellivision controllers be compatible with other computers?

 

I'd be very surprised if a cartridge port option would support any flash memory multicarts. Joe would have to program the rom dumper to specifically handle an ltoflash. The emulator would have to tell the dumper which rom it wants then the dumper would have to somehow tell the ltoflash to load that rom so it can be dumped. Depending on the cartridge technology, other homebrew cartridges could also be incompatible; unless specifically addressed by the dumper software.

 

Edit:

I completely agree with 1980gamer that slam dunk's shooting controls, not being on the keypad with the pass buttons, is the problem. If I had it when I was 12 years old I might care more about the managerial functions, which is nicely done. Today, I'm not interested in keeping track of player shooting percentages and the change in controls makes slam dunk unplayable to me. With an emulator you can remap and fix the controls.

Edited July 6, 2018 by mr_me

[pacman000]

I also don't accept the whole "the Direct-to-TV games funded the real stuff." Why should I have to buy a crappy product I won't use for you to sell me what I want? It's like I'm paying for the product twice. Just remove the façade of "affordability" and raise the R&D investment. Oh, that would make the product too expensive for the market? That's your problem; nobody is owed success for a bad business model. Don't hide it with platitudes and broken promises.

I had a few of those Jacks-Pacific TV Games. They were fun. The sound on the Atari Joystick was a bit off, & that annoyed me, & for some reason they tried to make Breakout a joystick game, but other those that it worked well enough.

 

I will say the build quality was poor; the ones I have no longer work right. The Atari joystick has odd static which slowly fills up the screen, & the Pac-Man version's Joystick no longer responds well enough.

[+DZ-Jay]

I had a few of those Jacks-Pacific TV Games. They were fun. The sound on the Atari Joystick was a bit off, & that annoyed me, & for some reason they tried to make Breakout a joystick game, but other those that it worked well enough.

 

I will say the build quality was poor; the ones I have no longer work right. The Atari joystick has odd static which slowly fills up the screen, & the Pac-Man version's Joystick no longer responds well enough.

 

The Atari ones weren't too bad, since they were designed to be played with a stick and a button. The Intellivision one was sort of unplayable.

 

-dZ.

[mr_me]

I wish someone would dump those Intellivision direct-to-tv games to rom files. They are essentially nintendo conversions of Intellivision games and of interest for that reason. The packaging was clear that they were not the original Intellivision games. Back in 2003 it would have been impossible to have a computer cheep enough to emulate Intellivision. Although Carl Mueller Jr did eventually have an emulator running on nes it had graphical and control compromises.

[+JasonlikesINTV]

Deciding on my ideal price point will be easier once I see some new game footage rolling out. For now I'd say under $150, but I understand that more can be added at the $200 mark. I DO like the proposed pricing on the games

[+nurmix]

I also don't accept the whole "the Direct-to-TV games funded the real stuff." Why should I have to buy a crappy product I won't use for you to sell me what I want? It's like I'm paying for the product twice. Just remove the façade of "affordability" and raise the R&D investment. Oh, that would make the product too expensive for the market? That's your problem; nobody is owed success for a bad business model. Don't hide it with platitudes and broken promises.

 

dZ.

 

Intellivision Productions never had big budgets. It was a much small operation than a lot of folks realize. They had to raise money in order to stay viable, and fund other ventures. There never really was much in the "R&D" fund (if they even HAD an R&D fund!) to begin with, which is why they had outside developers make a lot of their products - no real upfront costs, low risk, and they made money on the licensing and presumably a percentage of sales.

 

While I was only loosely connected to Keith back then, I never thought they intentionally released a crappy product with the Direct to TV handhelds. Techno Source made a product for them that was a close approximation of Intellivision, and they decided to sell it. Personally, I didn't care for them either, but millions did. And there was nothing stating that any of us had to be among those millions who bought one - but I know most of us did because the idea seemed like a cool one - until we actually played the games... That said, they didn't force us to remove our wallets from our pockets. And whether or not you accept it, or feel it was right, that is in fact how they kept the company going. I didn't stop supporting them as a company because I spent $20 on a mediocre product.

[+DZ-Jay]

Deleted dupe.