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Intellivision Amico’s trademark changed to ‘abandoned’


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14 minutes ago, Hwlngmad said:

Yeah, honestly, they were pretty spot on.  I mean, they didn't have any axe to grind or anything with TT and/or IE.  Kudos to them for seeing this project for what it was worth when a lot of others, including myself, really thought that this would (potentially) be great and was in no way, shape, or form a scam.  In words of (former) President George W. Bush, "Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."


Pat and Ian were VERY fair from the start. The Amico PR Department/management did not like any criticisms or slightly opposing views in the least. Anything other than praise got you branded a hater /gaming racist or legal incoming for using unauthorized font.

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23 minutes ago, Hwlngmad said:

Yeah, honestly, they were pretty spot on.  I mean, they didn't have any axe to grind or anything with TT and/or IE.  Kudos to them for seeing this project for what it was worth when a lot of others, including myself, really thought that this would (potentially) be great and was in no way, shape, or form a scam.  In words of (former) President George W. Bush, "Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

I think there is a good idea in there but that's all it was. The actuality of the console doesn't match that idea. The price isn't "affordable" (it's priced the same as other modern consoles) and it isn't as simple as they want you to think. I also have yet to see how it reaches out to my family in any meaningful way. Once the price went up that's why my wife said buy a Switch. She saw things that appealed to her on there. Moon Patrol, Astrosmash, Night Stalker, and Cloudy wasn't it. Farkle wasn't a selling point for $200+.

 

For it being a "casual" console they missed the mark pretty big. It was always set up as a retro console and that is what they have continually leaned on. When pitching it to investors saying you are going for a wider market is more appealing than a niche retro. At their price point a Switch with Clubhouse and Switch Sports will cover their casual games and offer more.

 

Or they should have loaded up the pack ins with kid games to er home that idea. Instead it's a jumbled mess.

 

I love the idea of a budget console with simple games. Or even a families first console. I don't really play big AAA games anymore, so that was the appeal of it to me. I do think there is a place out there for something like that but it isn't Amico. When it went above $200 it basically put it in the same level as the other modern consoles. It offers nothing you can't get from a Switch and a Switch offers way more. So the value aspect gets busted.

 

In all honesty I think the Evercade is closer to Amico's target than Amico is. Simple affordable and lots of games for your buck. It just doesn't have the casual games or games for young kids.

 

I really do hope they get it out to people. For it being a basic android box they should have been able to release it considering the millions they burned through. It isn't happening this year if they haven't started manufacturing.

 

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11 minutes ago, Rev said:

Pat and Ian were VERY fair from the start. The Amico PR Department/management did not like any criticisms or slightly opposing views in the least. Anything other than praise got you branded a hater /gaming racist or legal incoming for using unauthorized font.

This 100%. It was a huge red flag basically showing that the console absolutely needed to be propped up by someone.

 

It is why they recruited these malleable YTers. He would give them talking points to talk it up and even gave them blacklists of who to ban or not let on their podcasts. He even told some of them to stop being friends with people they were friends with for years. They all had videos at the ready to say how the news was great or all made the same basic Pat Was Wrong video within days of each other. 

 

They did this from the beginning and all the way to how to spin the StartEngine SEC docs as positive.

 

The console couldn't stand on its own. Stop talking about how great it is and show me!

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3 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

I think there is a good idea in there but that's all it was. The actuality of the console doesn't match that idea. The price isn't "affordable" (it's priced the same as other modern consoles) and it isn't as simple as they want you to think. I also have yet to see how it reaches out to my family in any meaningful way. Once the price went up that's why my wife said buy a Switch. She saw things that appealed to her on there. Moon Patrol, Astrosmash, Night Stalker, and Cloudy wasn't it. Farkle wasn't a selling point for $200+.

 

For it being a "casual" console they missed the mark pretty big. It was always set up as a retro console and that is what they have continually leaned on. When pitching it to investors saying you are going for a wider market is more appealing than a niche retro. At their price point a Switch with Clubhouse and Switch Sports will cover their casual games and offer more.

 

Or they should have loaded up the pack ins with kid games to er home that idea. Instead it's a jumbled mess.

 

I love the idea of a budget console with simple games. Or even a families first console. I don't really play big AAA games anymore, so that was the appeal of it to me. I do think there is a place out there for something like that but it isn't Amico. When it went above $200 it basically put it in the same level as the other modern consoles. It offers nothing you can't get from a Switch and a Switch offers way more. So the value aspect gets busted.

 

In all honesty I think the Evercade is closer to Amico's target than Amico is. Simple affordable and lots of games for your buck. It just doesn't have the casual games or games for young kids.

 

I really do hope they get it out to people. For it being a basic android box they should have been able to release it considering the millions they burned through. It isn't happening this year if they haven't started manufacturing.

 

Agreed.  This started out as a retro-themed console that would include lots of classic Intellivision games, that would be able to play modern games which would sale for under $10, and would sale for under $200.  Once they shifted to a couch co-op, family friendly, $200+ console they effectively lost at that point.  If they were really, truly smart they would have gone the route of the ZX Spectrum Next and/or ColectorVision Phoenix console along with getting into the 3rd party publishing gig a la Atari with its Recharged series.  Oh well, best laid plans and all of that.

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1 hour ago, Hwlngmad said:

Agreed.  This started out as a retro-themed console that would include lots of classic Intellivision games, that would be able to play modern games which would sale for under $10, and would sale for under $200.  Once they shifted to a couch co-op, family friendly, $200+ console they effectively lost at that point.  If they were really, truly smart they would have gone the route of the ZX Spectrum Next and/or ColectorVision Phoenix console along with getting into the 3rd party publishing gig a la Atari with its Recharged series.  Oh well, best laid plans and all of that.

The ZX Spectrum Next is about US$360, the Phoenix is US$200 with no controllers.  An Intellivision mini, under $80, wouldn't be a bad idea but they are obviously going for the casual gamer market with Amico. 

 

And the "family friendly" system targeting casuals was there from the beginning going back to September 2018. It's what got key partners like David Perry and their CFO on board.  All the games are family friendly, and board games are also a key part of the market they are going after. 

 

They did drop the classic Intellivision games for launch, but they weren't really a fit for the family casual market they are primarily going for.  Haven't seen any evidence that a $250 Amico is too expensive.  We really won't know unless they get the product out there in numbers.

Edited by mr_me
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@thread

 

To those who mentioned Evercade, keep in mind they have partnered with the successful RetroGames Ltd. company and have already

officially announced TheC64 collection, along with hints about further releases.

While there may be an argument that older s/w packages tend to have fewer titles that hold up in today's world, the notion of thousands of finished titles that may appear over time certainly has sparked interest.

About 5 minutes in if you're curious, but the entire interview is informative

 

Apologies for this being somewhat off-topic, but watching the competition is never a bad idea.

 

Re:the hints

Quote

As wonderful as this news is, it may not end there. The same interview reveals other much-wanted home computer platforms could follow the Commodore 64 to future Evercade cartridge collections.

“It’s possible and not just with the Amiga, but also ZX Spectrum, MSX and more. Existing Evercade releases with Amiga ports would need to be licensed separately and we’re trying not to re-release the same games multiple times.”

Source for above

 

#6

Edited by number6
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Maybe Amico SHOULD just go ahead and redesign as a console/footbath hybrid. 
 

Just look at the awesomeness of the Kentucky Fried Chicken console!   
 

What a time to be alive. Playing games, eating fried chicken, and get a nice foot job all at once. 
 

 

6298EA57-7E56-4F8F-BA85-7C1856EB58C9.jpeg

Edited by Rev
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1 hour ago, mr_me said:

The ZX Spectrum Next is about US$360, the Phoenix is US$200 with no controllers.  An Intellivision mini, under $80, wouldn't be a bad idea but they are obviously going for the casual gamer market with Amico. 

 

And the "family friendly" system targeting casuals was there from the beginning going back to September 2018. It's what got key partners like David Perry and their CFO on board.  All the games are family friendly, and board games are also a key part of the market they are going after. 

 

They did drop the classic Intellivision games for launch, but they weren't really a fit for the family casual market they are primarily going for.  Haven't seen any evidence that a $250 Amico is too expensive.  We really won't know unless they get the product out there in numbers.

Yes, but was/is Intellivision really that mainstream?  While it seems to have plenty of fans, evidence says it was successful, but not wildly so.  Therefore, something like what was done with the ZX Spectrum and/or Phoenix seems a lot more viable to me.  Opinions will vary, but I really don't think I am off on my thoughts.

 

Regarding the "family friendly" angle, then how come the initial announcement video had title after title that was something that a retro (and possibily a casual) gamer would be excited for.  Sorry, but having the Amico be this family friendly, board game console wasn't the right move and I think a lot of others have echoed that sentiment.

 

Additionally, why weren't the classic Intellivision games a fit?  If they weren't a fit, then why lean into what Intellivision was and the games that came beforehand on the console?  Sorry, but not having the classics built in along with launch titles that were modern updates was yet another shot in IE's foot imo.  If you feel otherwise, and I am sure you do, that is totally fine.  Everything is entitled to their own opinion. 

 

Finally, I believe that the Amico is no longer $250.  Isn't it more like $300.  And if it is actually $300, then that is right up against the Xbox Series S and regular Nintendo Switch, and, sorry, but ain't no one buying an Amico over those two unless they are a diehard Intellivision fan and/or already have one of those (if not a PS4, Xbox One S, and/or some other modern gaming rig).  Now, I could be dead wrong, but I really don't think that is the case at all.

 

Again, I do wish IE and its staff the best.  I wish them no ill will and I hope that they can ultimately succeed.  But, I really do believe they are bringing a knife to a gun fight, and we all know how those go.

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1 minute ago, Lathe26 said:

 

That's not a foot bath!  That's Jell-o made with human baby meat!!!!  You monster!  You're supposed to use fruit cocktail!

e2IMG_1228

Haa!  That's what I thought too,  but I think the description said, "Mature French Woman's feet" or something like that (heh)...

 

Just be careful searching for "Amico Footbath"...Might get more than you bargained for.

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While I hope the Amico comes out, I expect it will not.

 

The bigger question I'm wondering about it: what will happen to all the Intellivision-related intellectual property if IE folds?

 

Originally, Intellivision Productions owned the rights to everything Intellivision.  Those later got split between BSR and IE, most going towards the latter.  If IE ends up on the chopping block, what do we think the most likely thing is going to happen?

  1. A large corporation will buy up the rights (e.g., EA, Nintendo, etc).  Either games and remakes will get made or maybe the Intellivision goes into a vault, never to be seen again.
  2. An IP troll with no real passion for the Intellivision buys it up.  Maybe makes some token efforts to profit from it but likely nothing happens.
  3. Multiple groups buy up portions of the rights, splitting it up the Intellivision.  Some games will see frequent releases while other never do again.  Making multi-game cartridges for systems like the Evercade becomes difficult since it is hard to get the different groups to coordinate multiple groups.
  4. Someone from the Intellivision community buys them up.  Seems unlikely, but possible.
  5. No one buys.  The rights lapse and eventually enter public domain.
  6. Something else?

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer nor an expert in any way on intellectual property.  The above may be a gross misrepresentation of what can legally happen.

 

Edit: this is better as it's own separate Intellivision thread.  I moved it there.

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1 hour ago, mr_me said:

Haven't seen any evidence that a $250 Amico is too expensive

Fixed that sentence for you.

57 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

I dunno,  I'm beginning to think having the console double as a footbath was a bad idea...I mean feature creep and all

 

You used the wrong patch. tumblr_18aac5caae04b330cdf133c0fb0ebaf2_a691c319_400.gif.8b6268f949e0966fda974085bdb7b25e.gif

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3 hours ago, Hwlngmad said:

Yes, but was/is Intellivision really that mainstream?  While it seems to have plenty of fans, evidence says it was successful, but not wildly so.  Therefore, something like what was done with the ZX Spectrum and/or Phoenix seems a lot more viable to me.  Opinions will vary, but I really don't think I am off on my thoughts.

 

Regarding the "family friendly" angle, then how come the initial announcement video had title after title that was something that a retro (and possibily a casual) gamer would be excited for.  Sorry, but having the Amico be this family friendly, board game console wasn't the right move and I think a lot of others have echoed that sentiment.

 

Additionally, why weren't the classic Intellivision games a fit?  If they weren't a fit, then why lean into what Intellivision was and the games that came beforehand on the console?  Sorry, but not having the classics built in along with launch titles that were modern updates was yet another shot in IE's foot imo.  If you feel otherwise, and I am sure you do, that is totally fine.  Everything is entitled to their own opinion. 

 

Finally, I believe that the Amico is no longer $250.  Isn't it more like $300.  And if it is actually $300, then that is right up against the Xbox Series S and regular Nintendo Switch, and, sorry, but ain't no one buying an Amico over those two unless they are a diehard Intellivision fan and/or already have one of those (if not a PS4, Xbox One S, and/or some other modern gaming rig).  Now, I could be dead wrong, but I really don't think that is the case at all.

 

Again, I do wish IE and its staff the best.  I wish them no ill will and I hope that they can ultimately succeed.  But, I really do believe they are bringing a knife to a gun fight, and we all know how those go.

The success of the Amico would have nothing to do with the popularity of the Intellivision forty years ago.  As mentioned before, the company knows this and would have to invest in a marketing strategy to reach their target audience.  They've talked about it.  [I think an Intellivision mini/flashback is a good idea too.  Hopefully they license it to somebody that can make it happen.]

 

The retro titles were presented as modern remakes.  I don't know about you but I'm more interested in the classic games than remakes (not that the remakes can't be interesting too).  The Amico is not a retro gaming system, so if you are looking for vintage/classic videogames than you should look elsewhere.  The titles presented look pretty much family friendly to me.  Keep in mind that presentation was at a retro gaming conference.  You might not be into board games, but apparently it's become popular with younger generations.  Things are fluid however, so they could pivot games in different directions.  That's if they ever get going with this thing.

 

Regarding Intellivision classics not being a fit.  The graphics are too blocky and user interfaces too archaic for younger generations and casuals that are use to modern graphics and ease of use.  In the future the Amico can have emulated classic video game collections, like other systems do but to start they want to establish a certain identity for their target market. 

 

The recent price changes are for the special editions e.g. woodgrain Amico, and they are priced for local small production runs.  The cheaper standard editions are what they would expect to sell to the masses.  That price hasn't changed yet, and it will be a while before they go to mass production in Asia with those.  Still with inflation, it all remains to be seen.  I don't know if a $250 Amico will sell or not.  There are families that don't want any video game system in the home.  If they can convince them that their family friendy, curated game library is for them than they might have something.  They don't have to sell millions to be successful.  But all that is a long ways away.

Edited by mr_me
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4 hours ago, GoldLeader said:

I dunno,  I'm beginning to think having the console double as a footbath was a bad idea...I mean feature creep and all that...

That level of lack-of-vision is why you will never be rich.

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27 minutes ago, mr_me said:

The success of the Amico would have nothing to do with the popularity of the Intellivision forty years ago.  As mentioned before, the company knows this and would have to invest in a marketing strategy to reach their target audience.  They've talked about it.

Then why called it the 'Intellivision Amico'?  Why not just 'Amico' like what Blaze Entertainment has done for the Evercade?  I mean, I do get where you are coming from and it is a valid point to a degree, but I just don't completely buy it.

 

30 minutes ago, mr_me said:

The retro titles were presented as modern remakes.  I don't know about you but I'm more interested in the classic games than remakes (not that the remakes can't be interesting too).  The Amico is not a retro gaming system, so if you are looking for vintage/classic videogames than you should look elsewhere.  The titles presented look pretty much family friendly to me.  Keep in mind that presentation was at a retro gaming conference.  You might not be into board games, but apparently it's become popular with younger generations.  Things are fluid however, so they could pivot games in different directions.  That's if they ever get going with thing.

So, if the Amico is not something for vintage / classic videogames and modern iterations of them, then why bother making a presentation at a retro video game conference if that is not their target audience?  Granted, I know that retro-reimagined titles were to be a part of the software mixture for the Amico, so that would explain presence at a retro video game conference.  But, why play that up very much if at all if that is really not what the console is all about?  Regarding board games, yes, I do like them.  But, hanging one's hat on that is probably not the best move imo.  I could be wrong, and board game adaptions for gaming consoles are cool and I do enjoy them.  However, I doubt very much games like that are really big system sellers.

 

35 minutes ago, mr_me said:

Regarding Intellivision classics not being a fit.  The graphics are too blocky and user interfaces too archaic for younger generations and casuals that are use to modern graphics and ease of use.  In the future the Amico can have emulated classic video game collections, like other systems do but to start they want to establish a certain identity for their target market.

Then, why have retro reimagined titles like Cloudy Mountain or a new Night Stalker game?  Seems like having a link to the classic title and the new title would be something to connect and/or attract old and new.  Just a thought, though not necessary.  However, that being said, seems like Atari's Recharged line is doing a great job linking its past to the present.  Definitely a play from the Atari playbook IE should look into imo.

 

40 minutes ago, mr_me said:

The recent price changes are for the special editions e.g. woodgrain Amico, and they are priced for local small production runs.  The cheaper standard editions are what they would expect to sell to the masses.  That price hasn't changed yet, and it will be a while before they go to mass production in Asia with those.  Still with inflation, it all remains to be seen.  I don't know if a $250 Amico will sell or not.  There are families that don't want any video game system in the home.  If they can convince them that their family friendy, curated game library is for them than they might have something.  They don't have to sell millions to be successful.  But all that is a long ways away.

Yeah, I think even at $250 the Amico would be a hard sell when the Switch Lite is $200 and you are only $50 of a regular Switch and Xbox Series S.  However, I do agree that IE doesn't have to sell millions to be successful.  But, so far it has be nothing short of a nightmare getting the Amico just to come out.  I hope that it does come out and meets all of the expectations those have for it.  But, we will just have to see, if at all.

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Then why called it the 'Intellivision Amico'?  Why not just 'Amico' like what Blaze Entertainment has done for the Evercade? 

Because as things turned out, using "Intellivision" in conjunction with "Amico" passed through the trademark process without objection, while "Amico" did not.

 

#6

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7 minutes ago, number6 said:

Because as things turned out, using "Intellivision" in conjunction with "Amico" passed through the trademark process without objection, while "Amico" did not.

 

#6

Okay, that explains that.  But, again, 'Amico' can't be the only name they considered.  I mean, its not like another company had used another language for the word 'friend' before ??

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5 minutes ago, Hwlngmad said:

Okay, that explains that.  But, again, 'Amico' can't be the only name they considered.  I mean, its not like another company had used another language for the word 'friend' before ??


Well, they also Trademarked “Intellivision Prism” with the same console details as Amico. 
 

But Prism TM has also been abandoned. 
 

IMO, they should drop Amico and redesign the console and use an xbox style controller, and call it Intellivision Prism. 
 

Its easy….with only 3 steps!

 

1. Call it Intellivision Prism

2. ?

3. Make Millions! 

Edited by Rev
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