Intellivision Amico’s trademark changed to ‘abandoned’

[MattPilz]

4 hours ago, CurlyQ said:

How about an Intellivision Flipcade?

Bring it to flip phone and these guys would be all over it!

 

 

[Matt_B]

7 hours ago, Northcoastgamer said:

I enjoy your creative posts. Perhaps the Amico could become a reality if they had people with your creativity and humor!

I wouldn't say that Intellivision lacked creativity. It's just that most of it seemed to go into their accounting and investor pitches.

[Pink]

On 8/31/2022 at 4:28 PM, mr_me said:

Sure they've existed over the years, because there's modest demand for them and still is.  There's nothing available on the market currently and the old flashbacks are hard to find selling for many times their original price.  Plus they only have composite output, cheep build quality, passable emulation quality. (And I wouldn't assume most of the market for these things are on Atariage)

 

Software Intellivision collections on other systems are a good idea too but there will be people that want Intellivision controllers.

There's no current Intellivision flashback because the first one didn't sell well enough to warrant a second one along with the Colecovision one whereas they kept releasing a million new Atari and Sega Genesis flashback consoles. The reason the Atari flashback and Sega Genesis flashback consoles, along with all those plug n play joysticks and controllers even worked in the first place and became successful enough to continue producing them is that they're cheap enough for people to impulse buy when they see it and go "Oh hey, I remember Atari!" or those looking for a cheap item to gift to their kids or grandkids or whomever.

 

You put out a more expensive product and you're going to lose most of the sales from the casual buyers. How many people truly want authentic Intellivision controllers and would be willing to pay a premium for them? A couple thousand people? Maybe? Intellivision and Colecovision don't even come remotely close to having the same nostalgia and name recognition that Atari has, and whatever Atari has left is more than likely dwindling as time goes on.

Edited September 1, 2022 by Pink

[IMBerzerk]

20 minutes ago, Pink said:

There's no current Intellivision flashback because the first one didn't sell well enough to warrant a second one along with the Colecovision one whereas they kept releasing a million new Atari and Sega Genesis flashback consoles. The reason the Atari flashback and Sega Genesis flashback consoles, along with all those plug n play joysticks and controllers even worked in the first place and became successful enough to continue producing them is that they're cheap enough for people to impulse buy when they see it and go "Oh hey, I remember Atari!" or those looking for a cheap item to gift to their kids or grandkids or whomever.

 

You put out a more expensive product and you're going to lose most of the sales from the casual buyers. How many people truly want authentic Intellivision controllers and would be willing to pay a premium for them? A couple thousand people? Maybe? Intellivision and Colecovision don't even come remotely close to having the same nostalgia and name recognition that Atari has, and whatever Atari has left is more than likely dwindling as time goes on.

Well said, and I completely agree.  They completely missed the boat and even worse, now have a product that is outdated by 4 years already...which is a lifetime to a phone owner, let alone an overpriced console with the graphic capability of a 4 year old phone. 

 

I was all in for this console until I started to see the games.  My first thought was Flash graphics, and I was immediately corrected that it's way better than a phone, this is first WIP video...etc..etc.  

 

But now almost 4 years later, good luck.  The Switch is worth what you pay for, has a massive following and very good selection of all types of games for all audiences.  The Amico is a joke, and should not be considered a serious console, let alone anything Retro worthy either.  At this point, for $130 I can build and load a ReteoPie unit that has a very high quality RetroFlag case, BT controllers and plays 40 different consoles/PC games.  Why the hell would I bother to pay almost $300 for a system that is no better than a Samsung G4 and only plays a handful of reimagined games with phone style graphics.  

 

Sorry Amico... You really missed the boat.  If anything, release the games so they can be downloaded on Apple or Android.  You'll make a ton more money at 5 or 10 bucks a game. 

 

As for the Flashback units.  I thought the cases and controllers were very good. The games and overall quality of output was crap.  I returned the Coleco the same day, and kept the Intellivision.  It was a one-off purchase, there were plenty of games left out that another run could have been made, but realistically, the Intellivision was not a household name like the Atari was.  Sad, but true. 

Edited September 1, 2022 by IMBerzerk

[Matt_B]

9 minutes ago, IMBerzerk said:

Sorry Amico... You really missed the boat.  If anything, release the games so they can be downloaded on Apple or Android.  You'll make a ton more money at 5 or 10 bucks a game. 

Naah, nobody's paying five to ten bucks for a mobile game these days, or if they are it's a former AAA console game that used to cost ten times that price.

 

If there's a market on mobile for Amico games it's free-to-play with ads and/or micro-transactions, the complete opposite of what they said they would be. Sure, everyone says that they hate ads and micro-transactions, and the Amico business model was attempting to address that dissatisfaction, but it was always an empty promise; publishers have seen their own sales figures and know that's where the money is.

 

If they want to sell them for 5-10 bucks, they should release on the Switch. I've a feeling that they'd still need at least a 75% sale to do the bulk of their business though.

[mr_me]

44 minutes ago, Pink said:

There's no current Intellivision flashback because the first one didn't sell well enough to warrant a second one along with the Colecovision one whereas they kept releasing a million new Atari and Sega Genesis flashback consoles. The reason the Atari flashback and Sega Genesis flashback consoles, along with all those plug n play joysticks and controllers even worked in the first place and became successful enough to continue producing them is that they're cheap enough for people to impulse buy when they see it and go "Oh hey, I remember Atari!" or those looking for a cheap item to gift to their kids or grandkids or whomever.

 

You put out a more expensive product and you're going to lose most of the sales from the casual buyers. How many people truly want authentic Intellivision controllers and would be willing to pay a premium for them? A couple thousand people? Maybe? Intellivision and Colecovision don't even come remotely close to having the same nostalgia and name recognition that Atari has, and whatever Atari has left is more than likely dwindling as time goes on.

We were told here that Atgames wanted to make more Intellivision Flashbacks but it was Intellivision Entertainment that did not.  Some Intellivision games don't work well with a modern controller, and some Intellivision fans will prefer an Intellivision controller.  Some might prefer modern controllers that's why collections on other systems is a good idea too.  I agree it should be more inexpensive, its hardware requirements and development would be much less than Amico so it should cost much less.

 

25 minutes ago, IMBerzerk said:

Well said, and I completely agree.  They completely missed the boat and even worse, now have a product that is outdated by 4 years already...which is a lifetime to a phone owner, let alone an overpriced console with the graphic capability of a 4 year old phone. 

 

I was all in for this console until I started to see the games.  My first thought was Flash graphics, and I was immediately corrected that it's way better than a phone, this is first WIP video...etc..etc.  

...

The GPU in the Amico is still a capable 3D processor.  It's likely not the reason you don't like the graphics, unless you are expecting more than phone graphics.  I have a phone much older than four years and it doesn't have an issue running new apps.

[MrBeefy]

1 hour ago, IMBerzerk said:

I was all in for this console until I started to see the games.  My first thought was Flash graphics, and I was immediately corrected that it's way better than a phone, this is first WIP video...etc..etc.  

The labeling of everything as a WIP is a way to ignore and deflect criticism. Battle Tanks wasn't listed as WIP until multiple uploads after people found the stolen assets.

 

What is worse is that the hardware appears to struggle even with these games.

42 minutes ago, Matt_B said:

Naah, nobody's paying five to ten bucks for a mobile game these days, or if they are it's a former AAA console game that used to cost ten times that price.

 

If there's a market on mobile for Amico games it's free-to-play with ads and/or micro-transactions, the complete opposite of what they said they would be. Sure, everyone says that they hate ads and micro-transactions, and the Amico business model was attempting to address that dissatisfaction, but it was always an empty promise; publishers have seen their own sales figures and know that's where the money is.

 

If they want to sell them for 5-10 bucks, they should release on the Switch. I've a feeling that they'd still need at least a 75% sale to do the bulk of their business though.

I agree with this. From what they've shown I wouldn't pay more than $5 on these games on my Switch. I was interested in Cloudy Mountain, even it is competing with $$$ with games like this on Switch that often goes on sale for around 5-10. https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/torchlight-ii-switch/

[MrBeefy]

40 minutes ago, mr_me said:

We were told here that Atgames wanted to make more Intellivision Flashbacks but it was Intellivision Entertainment that did not.  

So Intellivision Entertainment didn't want them to make one in 2015, 2016, or 2017? 🤔

[Flojomojo]

That doesn’t make much sense to me. @Bill Loguidice can you share why there was never another Colecovision or Intellivision Flashback from AtGames? I thought it was because of lackluster sales of anything except for their Sega and Atari plug and plays. 

[mr_me]

42 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

So Intellivision Entertainment didn't want them to make one in 2015, 2016, or 2017? 🤔

They were probably overproduced in 2014 taking longer to sell out.  Obviously there's more demand for Atari Flashbacks, but those were consistently available every year.  If nobody wants to make an Intellivision mini console, I wouldn't be surprised, but that's not what we were told.

Edited September 2, 2022 by mr_me

[SegaSnatcher]

This has to be Amico related.  Though, some speculate its might be a fake story, but I wouldn't doubt something like this could happen. 

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by SegaSnatcher

[Matt_B]

I'd suspect that for AtGames, who've basically just been making minor revamps of the same hardware inside a different shell for nearly everything they've made in the past decade, it's a much easier and cheaper proposition to design and build a retro plug-n-play than it would be for anyone who'd come at it starting from scratch.

 

As such, if it's a bit marginal for even them, it's probably a no-go for anyone else, Intellivision themselves included.

[MrBeefy]

8 minutes ago, SegaSnatcher said:

This has to be Amico related.  Though, some speculate its might be a fake story, but I wouldn't doubt something like this could happen. 

 

I'm trying to decide if I should laugh or cry at this. I want to laugh because it's probably someone that has attacked me an others before. However, it is also sad because that poor gal lost her husband to defending a toy ran by an incompetent company who can't seem to get said toy out the door. If it was recent I would think this was a troll, but considering it is a year old and no one brought attention it I have a tendency to believe it more.

[SegaSnatcher]

41 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

I'm trying to decide if I should laugh or cry at this. I want to laugh because it's probably someone that has attacked me an others before. However, it is also sad because that poor gal lost her husband to defending a toy ran by an incompetent company who can't seem to get said toy out the door. If it was recent I would think this was a troll, but considering it is a year old and no one brought attention it I have a tendency to believe it more.

Yeah, you could say that reddit post is more of a Relic...... 

[Matt_B]

I never knew that DJC had a wife. 🤣

 

Seriously, it's the sort of story you'd tend to hear from someone whose partner has slipped down the, rather more dangerous, rabbit holes of cryptocurrency, religious cults or conspiracy theories. Unless he blew their life savings on the Fig campaign, I'd think she probably got off lightly there.

[MrBeefy]

52 minutes ago, SegaSnatcher said:

Yeah, you could say that reddit post is more of a Relic...... 

It is just odd how people continue to defend and backpedal on an obvious flop. Moving goalposts constantly. That is why I fully expect them to shout it is a success if those 25 units make it out.

 

They will do this ignoring the years of lies, missed dates, and promises of the moon. All the while getting mad that a lot of people who simply laughed and pointed out simple truths. 

 

It is quite unfortunate that it literally turn into a cult. A cult around a product that doesn't even exist in the market, and has no timetable of when it might.

 

Much like that reddit post I have mixed feelings. One side is not to feel bad for them because they were idiots who attacked people like me and mine because we didn't want to regurgitate the cult propaganda, but the other side feels bad that they were so easily brainwashed into propping up a CEO and company that so obviously can't get crap accomplished. 

 

46 minutes ago, Matt_B said:

I never knew that DJC had a wife. 🤣

 

Seriously, it's the sort of story you'd tend to hear from someone whose partner has slipped down the, rather more dangerous, rabbit holes of cryptocurrency, religious cults or conspiracy theories. Unless he blew their life savings on the Fig campaign, I'd think she probably got off lightly there.

It is hard saying. It isn't always about money. That post specifically mentions, "tired of doing things alone". Does that mean hanging out? Helping with kids? Helping around the house?

 

I find it believable because part of joining a cult is changing how you hang with family and friends. You have a tendency to distance yourself from those not in the cult. I do agree that in the grand scope of things the damage with this is most likely minimal on average compared to some really dark cults. So for the most part pride and self respect is hopefully all people lost.

 

On the flip side, having your wife leave you because you put 100% of yourself into Amico would not only be plausible, but ironic as well.

[mickster]

2 hours ago, SegaSnatcher said:

This has to be Amico related.  Though, some speculate its might be a fake story, but I wouldn't doubt something like this could happen. 

 

I think she is just upset over the fcc certification.................................

[MrBeefy]

2 minutes ago, mickster said:

I think she is just upset over the fcc certification.................................

Well if they weren't too busy fighting haters on the internet, they could have submitted the paperwork.

 

 

[Rev]

48 minutes ago, mickster said:

I think she is just upset over the fcc certification.................................

Did someone say FCC???

 

We all know the FCC and CE are not passed and approved. 

[IMBerzerk]

3 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

The labeling of everything as a WIP is a way to ignore and deflect criticism. Battle Tanks wasn't listed as WIP until multiple uploads after people found the stolen assets.

 

What is worse is that the hardware appears to struggle even with these games.

I agree with this. From what they've shown I wouldn't pay more than $5 on these games on my Switch. I was interested in Cloudy Mountain, even it is competing with $$$ with games like this on Switch that often goes on sale for around 5-10. https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/torchlight-ii-switch/

What gets me is that they've done nothing to show for all this time.  They could have been moving forward in that direction, then put out whatever the Amico is going to be.  This way they could have been producing software, as well as a running console.

 

Just seems like they completely dropped the ball as if they had absolutely no clue what they were doing from Day 1.  

[Rev]

By the time Amico comes out, there wont be many Bed Bath & Beyond stores left. 😜

[Rowsdower70]

8 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

So Intellivision Entertainment didn't want them to make one in 2015, 2016, or 2017? 🤔

No, Keith didn't think it was time yet.   As much as I hate to say it, mr_me got this one right.   AtGames wanted a Flashback 2, Keith Robinson wanted one, Tommy T killed it so he could scam people out of money to pretend to be CEO. 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Rowsdower70

[MrBeefy]

6 hours ago, IMBerzerk said:

What gets me is that they've done nothing to show for all this time.  They could have been moving forward in that direction, then put out whatever the Amico is going to be.  This way they could have been producing software, as well as a running console.

 

Just seems like they completely dropped the ball as if they had absolutely no clue what they were doing from Day 1.  

Not many people were asking why was software not being completed during all of this. They were wanting to beat the PS2 for launch titles and have 35-40 at launch. 

 

That number kept getting lower and the excuse that Covid ate my homework doesn't fly with software. They should have more finished software not less.

 

This is why I still think they were looking for a buy out. They didn't plan on following through and finishing. The main goal was to get started and look all flashy for a buyer and let them seal the deal. They obviously had no plans on how to get this to the starting line.

5 hours ago, Rev said:

By the time Amico comes out, there wont be many Bed Bath & Beyond stores left. 😜

So Ellen show is gone, Gamestop dwindling, BBB dwindling. Is there anything TT mentioned that is still going strong? Has QVC been shut down? 😛

[Pink]

29 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

Is there anything TT mentioned that is still going strong? Has QVC been shut down? 😛

QVC had $6.5 billion in revenue in 2021, an increase over 2020. They're not some dying company or some dinosaur that's barely surviving.

 

That being said, around 75-80% of their TV shoppers are women, and according to QVC, the current customer demographic is a woman between the ages of 35 and 64, who has a high school diploma or more advanced education, earns a “higher-than-median” income, shops on the internet at least once a week, watches some kind of cable, digital, satellite TV, and is — of course — the primary shopper in her household.

TV Home Shopping: Alive And Well Thanks To Grandmas Or Teenagers? (pymnts.com)

 

Good luck selling to the Amico to that demographic though, because despite what Tommy has said or would like you to believe, old women that have zero interest in video games aren't going to pay $300+ for a video game console, the same way that someone that doesn't play guitar or have any interest in guitars isn't going to walk into Guitar Center and impulsively shell out $300 for a guitar...

 

QVC does offer their easy pay plan though (or whatever it's called) where you can split payments up between several months though so they could snag some impulse purchases with that method at least. It'd still probably end up being way less successful then those late-night Atari Jaguar infomercials ever were, which were already gigantic, massive failures... lmao 🤣

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Pink

[MrBeefy]

4 minutes ago, Pink said:

QVC had $6.5 billion in revenue in 2021, an increase over 2020. They're not some dying company or some dinosaur that's barely surviving.

 

That being said, around 75-80% of their TV shoppers are women, and according to QVC, the current customer demographic is a woman between the ages of 35 and 64, who has a high school diploma or more advanced education, earns a “higher-than-median” income, shops on the internet at least once a week, watches some kind of cable, digital, satellite TV, and is — of course — the primary shopper in her household.

TV Home Shopping: Alive And Well Thanks To Grandmas Or Teenagers? (pymnts.com)

 

Good luck selling to the Amico to that demographic though, because despite what Tommy has said or would like you to believe, old women that have zero interest in video games aren't going to pay $300+ for a video game console, the same way that someone that doesn't play guitar or have any interest in guitars isn't going to walk into Guitar Center and impulsively shell out $300 for a guitar...

 

QVC does offer their easy pay plan though (or whatever it's called) where you can split payments up between several months though so they could snag some impulse purchases with that method at least.

BUT THEY LOVE HIS CHARISMA! Those moms would buy them all!