Intellivision Amico’s trademark changed to ‘abandoned’

[Matt_B]

4 hours ago, Creamhoven said:

Would you agree that a new competitor on the console market would be great?

Sure, in which case why aren't you championing something like the... deep breath... Steam Deck, PlayDate, Analogue Pocket, Evercade, A500 Mini, Retroid, Anbernic, Raspberry Pi, etc. that are actually out there on the market and doing that, rather than Tommy Tallarico's unrealized fever dream?
 

It's not like it was the Amico or bust when it came to alternatives to the Big Three.

[Bill Loguidice]

28 minutes ago, Matt_B said:

Sure, in which case why aren't you championing something like the... deep breath... Steam Deck, PlayDate, Analogue Pocket, Evercade, A500 Mini, Retroid, Anbernic, Raspberry Pi, etc. that are actually out there on the market and doing that, rather than Tommy Tallarico's unrealized fever dream?
 

It's not like it was the Amico or bust when it came to alternatives to the Big Three.

Exactly. Between the big three, mobile, and PCs, as well as specialized off-shoots/niche platforms like Evercade, Playdate, Legends arcade, iiRcade, Atari VCS (ahem), etc., there's no shortage of options for every taste even if you don't want to go mainstream all of the time. It's all but impossible to compete with the big three, mobile, and PCs on a 1:1 basis, but there's always room for more niche/specialty systems with more modest aspirations. I do think the Amico could have sustained a viable niche like the Evercade platform has, but that window has long since closed regardless of what happens in the future (assuming there's like a 1 - 5% chance they'll actually get some Amico units out the door).

[MrBeefy]

54 minutes ago, Matt_B said:

Sure, in which case why aren't you championing something like the... deep breath... Steam Deck, PlayDate, Analogue Pocket, Evercade, A500 Mini, Retroid, Anbernic, Raspberry Pi, etc. that are actually out there on the market and doing that, rather than Tommy Tallarico's unrealized fever dream?
 

It's not like it was the Amico or bust when it came to alternatives to the Big Three.

You forgot the AirConsole. Which really looks like a more well done Amico without the specific hardware or dumb controller they had issues with.

More games than Amico will ever have. Most Amico fans should be championing this too. I mean it has bomb squad by a different name.

 

No stupid Amico controller needed to play!

It like has all the best selling Amico games!!!

space ship game in which everyone controls a thruster! Similar to what they wanted to do on Moon Patrol!

Omg it's a running man game!!! 

emoji charades equivalent.

Cloudy Mountail like dungeon crawl.

SNAFOO FOR UP TO 15 PLAYERS! THAT WOULD COST YOU A QUADGILZILLIONBILLON BUCKS TO PLAY ON AMICO ACCORDING TO HOW TOMMY DOES MATH!

A tank soccer game that probably doesn't have stolen assets. FOR UP TO 16 PLAYERS!

Play in one minute. In order to play Amico you what got to wait like 5 years and it still isn't a guarantee you will play.

Truth is Amico brought nothing new and now there are more ways to game than ever before. Those saying there aren't ways to play are ignorant to the point of having had a lobotomy. No one ever said Amico being on the market was bad. No people make fun of them because they acted like they were special and better and have yet to reach the starting line.

[Matt_B]

Yeah, I could go on. There's also the Miyoo Mini (pocket perfection), Logitech G-Cloud, GPD XP+, Spectrum Next, AYN Odin, PICO-8 (was briefly available as actual hardware but mostly emulated), Thumby (for those who think the PlayDate isn't enough of a novelty toy), Pyra (very late but apparently starting to ship), Arduboy, KT R1, and everything from Odroid and Powkiddy.

 

I even left out some relatively major players like Apple Arcade, Netflix Games and GeForce Now, as well as all the Windows handhelds, although they're probably not ones that'll appeal much to the stick-it-to-the-man crowd. If you're not reeling in existential horror at the prospect, they've all got some damn good games on them though; far better than anything the the Amico ever promised.

 

The sooner we can get away from the idea that some big name from the past has to rise again and become a genuine contender though, the better. That narrative should just be a red flag to everyone by now.

[MrBeefy]

31 minutes ago, Matt_B said:

The sooner we can get away from the idea that some big name from the past has to rise again and become a genuine contender though, the better. That narrative should just be a red flag to everyone by now.

The game doesn't have to be the same name as an old one you played to be good either. I see a lot of people fall I to the trap of thinking there is no game for them because OldAssShooter 9000 hasn't had a game made in a few decades. Then they ignore all the similar type games they would like because of a name.

[Creamhoven]

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

Sure, in which case why aren't you championing something like the... deep breath... Steam Deck,

Yes, the steam deck is a console, but it is not a gaming system with dedicated exclusive games. I think that it is an important differentiation here.

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

PlayDate

The playdate is great. They have truely delivered something fresh with their display technology alone. It is a handheld, however.

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

, Analogue Pocket,

That is an emulation machine.

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

Evercade,

Same

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

A500 Mini,

Same

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

Retroid,

Same

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

Anbernic,

Same

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

Raspberry Pi

Single board computer.

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

, etc. that are actually out there on the market and doing that, rather than Tommy Tallarico's unrealized fever dream?

Because these are not consoles like the dreamcast. They are emulation machines, (singleboard) computers and handhelds.

6 hours ago, Matt_B said:

 

 

[Matt_B]

Comparing the Amico to the Dreamcast is frankly ludicrous. The latter was the most powerful games console in the world when it launched, by some margin. The former would have been less powerful than some of the sub-$100 devices I mentioned. The Dreamcast also boasted a huge library of near-perfect ports of current arcade games, big budget exclusives and highly successful cross platform franchises. Where are the Amico's Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5, Crazy Taxi, Phantasy Star Online and Soulcalibur, for instance? Even with the benefit of twenty-five years having passed since its launch, I don't see anything on the Amico that's in the least bit comparable to those classics. I've nothing against low-budget remakes and casual games in principle, but you really shouldn't be mistaking a console with only that for one that had genuine mass market appeal.

 

Most of the Amico's library is not exclusive. Rather, it's already known that many are ports of games that were previously available on mobile, PC and web browsers. Even if it hadn't crashed and burned, I'd think that it'd have been unlikely that anything good would have remained exclusive to it for long because its install base would be tiny and they'd have to do that for games to reach their full sales potential. That's just how it goes; all those Dreamcast games I mentioned before got ported too, for what it's worth.

 

The Analogue Pocket is emphatically not an emulation machine. Rather, it uses FPGAs that can recreate the hardware of practically any handheld up to the early 2000s at the logic level, as well as many home consoles, computers and even arcade games. Seriously, just try one. There's no experience quite like it.

 

The Evercade isn't strictly an emulation machine either, as it already has two native games in its library in Alwa's Awakening and Cathedral. I believe these are exclusive to it, and there will be more to come. It's also got cartridge media and you can actually play classic Intellivision games on it, unlike the Amico.

 

Retroid and Anbernic's devices typically run native Android (like the Amico), Linux or sometimes even Windows games. I have about thirty modern games, including Missile Command Recharged and Vampire Survivors for instance, on my Retroid, which I believe is more than the entire prospective Amico library. It's also great for streaming, and you can even plug it into a TV for a home console experience with local multiplayer. Calling it a mere emulation handheld is selling it very short as it's a far more versatile device than that.

 

[Parker77]

I've actually yet to mess with the Androud side of my Anbernic 503, I should rectify that.

[roots.genoa]

2 hours ago, Matt_B said:

The Analogue Pocket is emphatically not an emulation machine. Rather, it uses FPGAs that can recreate the hardware of practically any handheld up to the early 2000s at the logic level, as well as many home consoles, computers and even arcade games. Seriously, just try one. There's no experience quite like it.

 

The Evercade isn't strictly an emulation machine either, as it already has two native games in its library in Alwa's Awakening and Cathedral. I believe these are exclusive to it, and there will be more to come. It's also got cartridge media and you can actually play classic Intellivision games on it, unlike the Amico.

I agree with most of your post but I have to point a few mistakes here. The Analogue Pocket is totally hardware emulation. I admit it's quite different (on paper) from software emulation, but it comes with its own challenges (especially dealing with memory) and shortcomings. I love my Pocket, but claiming it's perfect or definitive doesn't help its cause imho.

 

I'm pretty sure Alwa's Awakening on Evercade is not a native game but the NES port of the neoretro PC game. While Cathedral is indeed a modern game initially, but it's not exclusive to the Evercade; it's available on PC and other consoles. I think there's another native game, but it's not Alwa's Awakening. Iirc it's an unlockable game on the VS. That being said, I also love the Evercade.

 

To be fair I admit the Amico would have been quite a different beast if it had been released as it was promised. But IE's failures aside, I really doubt it would have been as good as they tried to convince us it would. And they probably would have ported a lot of their exclusive games to other consoles as you said.

[MrBeefy]

Thing to remember about most of the non-exclusive games is they didn't make any waves. Anyone play EK or Emoji Charades before they heard of Amico? If they get around to porting some of the games what you will probably find is they don't rock the boat on those consoles. And yes it is easy to predict that as they weren't good enough to draw in a bunch of preorders. Preorders which they need to justify making the consoles.

 

This was not the second coming of the Wii and didn't have any software shown to grab you like Wii Sports. Their one cornhole game was a mess and had to change it because the controllers didn't work well with it. Let me repeat that. The controllers, that they HAD TO HAVE, didn't work how they wanted them to with a PACK IN GAME, so they changed it.

 

Even if a device is emulation that doesn't change that it is yet another option for gaming. There are homebrews being released all the time. I bought the rom for Micro Mages. I use emuation devices to play it.

 

Amico wishes it was an emulation device that could have emulated its way into existing. As it is its a vaporware console for idiots to wishcast on while watching their gaming lives pass them by.

[Cebus Capucinis]

Boy, lots of negativity in here. What's with all them negative waves, man?

 

 

 

Beep boop.

[Matt_B]

8 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

I agree with most of your post but I have to point a few mistakes here. The Analogue Pocket is totally hardware emulation. I admit it's quite different (on paper) from software emulation, but it comes with its own challenges (especially dealing with memory) and shortcomings. I love my Pocket, but claiming it's perfect or definitive doesn't help its cause imho.

 

I'm pretty sure Alwa's Awakening on Evercade is not a native game but the NES port of the neoretro PC game. While Cathedral is indeed a modern game initially, but it's not exclusive to the Evercade; it's available on PC and other consoles. I think there's another native game, but it's not Alwa's Awakening. Iirc it's an unlockable game on the VS. That being said, I also love the Evercade.

 

To be fair I admit the Amico would have been quite a different beast if it had been released as it was promised. But IE's failures aside, I really doubt it would have been as good as they tried to convince us it would. And they probably would have ported a lot of their exclusive games to other consoles as you said.

I stand corrected on the Evercade games. Still, it's a platform that's clearly not just limited to emulation. I suspect they're doing what they are mainly because the demand is greater for classic titles, plus they're a heck of a lot cheaper to acquire than getting brand new games made.

 

As for the Pocket, I'd think the main points are that it's clearly working at a very different level to a typical emulation handheld - down to its ability to insert and use original cartridges and link cables - and it's also been developed into a device that's a lot more than just the power users GBA that it was when it first came out. Oh, and the screen on it is gorgeous; the best I've seen on any handheld yet. The overall experience feels very different to using devices from Retroid or Anbernic, so it shouldn't be lumped in with them.

 

The problem with looking at the Amico as promised was that Tommy would just promise everything! In terms of what was developed we'd be looking at an overpriced and underbaked device with only a scant handful of games if it had ever come out, because that's all they could afford to make. Then there's what was actually delivered, and that's basically nothing. At least, unless you're into boxes with cards and coins.

 

 

[Flojomojo]

21 hours ago, Matt_B said:

The sooner we can get away from the idea that some big name from the past has to rise again and become a genuine contender though, the better. That narrative should just be a red flag to everyone by now.

I think this bears repeating and deserves an “amen, brother Matt.” 
 

AtariAge of all places should have seen thru the promise of “like Chameleon and Atari VCS 2020, but with more has-beens” and laughed them off the stage from the start. 

[MrBeefy]

4 hours ago, Matt_B said:

The problem with looking at the Amico as promised was that Tommy would just promise everything! In terms of what was developed we'd be looking at an overpriced and underbaked device with only a scant handful of games if it had ever come out, because that's all they could afford to make. Then there's what was actually delivered, and that's basically nothing. At least, unless you're into boxes with cards and coins.

Yeah the promises mean nothing. Their action/inaction does. That's what was grating about Tommy on AA. Dude couldn't actually show anything. He was all talk and how others are bad. But he couldn't show anything.

 

[kevtris]

2 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

Yeah the promises mean nothing. Their action/inaction does. That's what was grating about Tommy on AA. Dude couldn't actually show anything. He was all talk and how others are bad. But he couldn't show anything.

 

but he had the DATA!  you know, the focus groups!  of course we never did see it.  I suspect the "focus group" was atariage itself.

[MrBeefy]

5 minutes ago, kevtris said:

but he had the DATA!  you know, the focus groups!  of course we never did see it.  I suspect the "focus group" was atariage itself.

Or himself.

[SegaSnatcher]

2 hours ago, kevtris said:

but he had the DATA!  you know, the focus groups!  of course we never did see it.  I suspect the "focus group" was atariage itself.

They have a over 600 yrs of combined experience, Kevtris!    

[+Biff Burgertime]

On 3/16/2023 at 10:53 PM, MrBeefy said:

You forgot the AirConsole. Which really looks like a more well done Amico without the specific hardware or dumb controller they had issues with.

More games than Amico will ever have. Most Amico fans should be championing this too. I mean it has bomb squad by a different name.

 

No stupid Amico controller needed to play!

It like has all the best selling Amico games!!!

space ship game in which everyone controls a thruster! Similar to what they wanted to do on Moon Patrol!

Omg it's a running man game!!! 

emoji charades equivalent.

Cloudy Mountail like dungeon crawl.

SNAFOO FOR UP TO 15 PLAYERS! THAT WOULD COST YOU A QUADGILZILLIONBILLON BUCKS TO PLAY ON AMICO ACCORDING TO HOW TOMMY DOES MATH!

A tank soccer game that probably doesn't have stolen assets. FOR UP TO 16 PLAYERS!

Play in one minute. In order to play Amico you what got to wait like 5 years and it still isn't a guarantee you will play.

Truth is Amico brought nothing new and now there are more ways to game than ever before. Those saying there aren't ways to play are ignorant to the point of having had a lobotomy. No one ever said Amico being on the market was bad. No people make fun of them because they acted like they were special and better and have yet to reach the starting line.

Oh cool, I've never heard of this. Very interesting, thanks!

 

If this page is accurate, they're allowing free access with a code entry that's valid until March 31^st, so that allows a couple weeks to try it. I'll have to check it out. 

 

https://www.airconsole.com/games/covid19

[Cebus Capucinis]

10 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

Or himself.

It was just his mother, sitting in an empty room with a single table and a harsh light pointed in her face, being forced to repeat "I am very proud of my son" over.....and over.....and over.....and over.

[Matt_B]

7 hours ago, Cebus Capucinis said:

It was just his mother, sitting in an empty room with a single table and a harsh light pointed in her face, being forced to repeat "I am very proud of my son" over.....and over.....and over.....and over.

I think you just spoiled the plot of the next Psycho reboot there. 😀

[roots.genoa]

The new Psycho movie will be different, though, because it takes place in a company. Everyone thinks the CEO is still alive because they think they see him talk to little Tommy but - twist! - little Tommy is cosplaying as the CEO and does everything by himself in the company.

[mr_me]

On 3/16/2023 at 9:58 PM, Bill Loguidice said:

Exactly. Between the big three, mobile, and PCs, as well as specialized off-shoots/niche platforms like Evercade, Playdate, Legends arcade, iiRcade, Atari VCS (ahem), etc., there's no shortage of options for every taste even if you don't want to go mainstream all of the time. It's all but impossible to compete with the big three, mobile, and PCs on a 1:1 basis, but there's always room for more niche/specialty systems with more modest aspirations. I do think the Amico could have sustained a viable niche like the Evercade platform has, but that window has long since closed regardless of what happens in the future (assuming there's like a 1 - 5% chance they'll actually get some Amico units out the door).

I can understand the window having closed on Intellivision Entertainment, are you saying the window has closed for a gaming system focused on local multiplayer games targeting families and casuals?

 

On 3/16/2023 at 11:22 PM, Matt_B said:

Yeah, I could go on. There's also the Miyoo Mini (pocket perfection), Logitech G-Cloud, GPD XP+, Spectrum Next, AYN Odin, PICO-8 (was briefly available as actual hardware but mostly emulated), Thumby (for those who think the PlayDate isn't enough of a novelty toy), Pyra (very late but apparently starting to ship), Arduboy, KT R1, and everything from Odroid and Powkiddy.

 

I even left out some relatively major players like Apple Arcade, Netflix Games and GeForce Now, as well as all the Windows handhelds, although they're probably not ones that'll appeal much to the stick-it-to-the-man crowd. If you're not reeling in existential horror at the prospect, they've all got some damn good games on them though; far better than anything the the Amico ever promised.

 

The sooner we can get away from the idea that some big name from the past has to rise again and become a genuine contender though, the better. That narrative should just be a red flag to everyone by now.

I don't think Republic investors bought into the narrative of Intellivision being a big name from the past.  I think those investors were thinking of the family and casual gaming market that was being promoted.  The company executives were saying the same thing even to the retro gaming audience.

 

On 3/17/2023 at 5:03 AM, Matt_B said:

Comparing the Amico to the Dreamcast is frankly ludicrous. The latter was the most powerful games console in the world when it launched, by some margin. The former would have been less powerful than some of the sub-$100 devices I mentioned. The Dreamcast also boasted a huge library of near-perfect ports of current arcade games, big budget exclusives and highly successful cross platform franchises. Where are the Amico's Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5, Crazy Taxi, Phantasy Star Online and Soulcalibur, for instance? Even with the benefit of twenty-five years having passed since its launch, I don't see anything on the Amico that's in the least bit comparable to those classics. I've nothing against low-budget remakes and casual games in principle, but you really shouldn't be mistaking a console with only that for one that had genuine mass market appeal.

 

Most of the Amico's library is not exclusive. Rather, it's already known that many are ports of games that were previously available on mobile, PC and web browsers. Even if it hadn't crashed and burned, I'd think that it'd have been unlikely that anything good would have remained exclusive to it for long because its install base would be tiny and they'd have to do that for games to reach their full sales potential. That's just how it goes; all those Dreamcast games I mentioned before got ported too, for what it's worth.

 

The Analogue Pocket is emphatically not an emulation machine. Rather, it uses FPGAs that can recreate the hardware of practically any handheld up to the early 2000s at the logic level, as well as many home consoles, computers and even arcade games. Seriously, just try one. There's no experience quite like it.

 

The Evercade isn't strictly an emulation machine either, as it already has two native games in its library in Alwa's Awakening and Cathedral. I believe these are exclusive to it, and there will be more to come. It's also got cartridge media and you can actually play classic Intellivision games on it, unlike the Amico.

 

Retroid and Anbernic's devices typically run native Android (like the Amico), Linux or sometimes even Windows games. I have about thirty modern games, including Missile Command Recharged and Vampire Survivors for instance, on my Retroid, which I believe is more than the entire prospective Amico library. It's also great for streaming, and you can even plug it into a TV for a home console experience with local multiplayer. Calling it a mere emulation handheld is selling it very short as it's a far more versatile device than that.

 

Some Amico games are ports of existing games from other systems, but most are not and would have been exclusive to the system. Even a ported game like Emoji Charades, for example, was on Android and IOS but still not the ideal platform for that game.  Back Talk Party which the developer said, prior to Amico, they considered approaching hardware manufacturers to create unique hardware for the game, because existing platforms weren't suitable.

 

Like the Amico, the Dreamcast controller has a display on the controller.  Unlike the Amico, the controller display was an optional accessory, so there was little incentive for developers to use it.  NFL on the Dreamcast is one example that made good use of the controller display.

 

Talking about technical power in a video game system today is much different than it was in the 1990s, Mattel did the same thing in 1980/81 with the Intellivision.  The Intellivision and Dreamcast were made obsolete when more advanced technology came in newer systems.  Today the differences don't necessarily impact the type of games the developer is targeting.  The SoC selected for the Amico was probably the right choice in 2018 and was in popular mid-range Android phones in 2020.  If you're making a new device today you'd likely select a different SoC based on availability today and over the next few years.  Still, that 2018 Snapdragon still has a capable 3D graphics processor that can handle graphics you see in popular 3D mobile games.

 

For Amico, it would have been it's library of exclusive games on which the system would have lived or died.  And they didn't all have to be there on day one.  More import is offering game developers a platform where they can create unique games.

 

On 3/17/2023 at 8:56 AM, MrBeefy said:

...As it is its a vaporware console for idiots to wishcast on while watching their gaming lives pass them by.

A life without videogames, interesting.

 

On 3/17/2023 at 11:22 PM, kevtris said:

but he had the DATA!  you know, the focus groups!  of course we never did see it.  I suspect the "focus group" was atariage itself.

If they invested money on market research whether purchased or conducted on their own, I wouldn't expect they would share it publicly.  They did talk about data other than focus groups.  Things like the demographics of money spent on video games for example.  Some of the data talked about was freely available.  They did have playable games at E3 2019, and working controllers prior to the pandemic, so they could have done plenty of the hands-on focus group testing they talked about.

Edited March 19, 2023 by mr_me

[+x=usr(1536)]

4 hours ago, mr_me said:

Still, that 2018 Snapdragon still has a capable 3D graphics processor that can handle graphics you see in popular 3D mobile games.

Just what the market asked for: the ability to play mobile games at home, on the big screen, with five-year-old (and counting!) technology!

4 hours ago, mr_me said:

are you saying the window has closed for a gaming system focused on local multiplayer games targeting families and casuals?

Considering that this can be done on every single one of the three main consoles, it would be an incredibly niche market that would want to hook another box up to the TV.

 

Infinitesimally small.

 

Microscopically tiny.

 

Not big, even.

 

Mobile is essentially the de facto casual gaming platform, regardless of whether the device being used runs iOS or Android.

[MrBeefy]

4 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Just what the market asked for: the ability to play mobile games at home, on the big screen, with five-year-old (and counting!) technology!

Considering that this can be done on every single one of the three main consoles, it would be an incredibly niche market that would want to hook another box up to the TV.

 

Infinitesimally small.

 

Microscopically tiny.

 

Not big, even.

 

Mobile is essentially the de facto casual gaming platform, regardless of whether the device being used runs iOS or Android.

That's why console price point was so important. It offers you less at a similar price point. 

 

This isn't even addressing that they can't show off their pack in games not struggling on the console. Not only are they offering you less for the same money, but by all appearances, more poorly done.

 

What would you call that niche market who wants to pay more for less done worse?

[Cebus Capucinis]

16 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

What would you call that niche market who wants to pay more for less done worse?

The type of idiots that buy any trash, so long as it has a Fuji or running man logo on it. I.e. what their real market was all along.

 

You don't have to look too far on AA to find this market either, though admittedly it's not HUGE.