Intellivision Amico’s trademark changed to ‘abandoned’

[digdugnate]

1 hour ago, jerseystyle said:

And he has the perfect response to this:

 

'Called it the noble lie'

[1980gamer]

11 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

16 hours ago, MattPilz said:

How much time does it take? My understanding is you submit the form online and the grantee code is generated immediately, and activated when you pay them $70 (which can also be done online). Perhaps there is some additional review involved, I'm not sure.

 

Their problem is they failed their test and had to fix things. They fixed them, but never got it tested again. They hope it will pass. The only reason to not do it is they don't plan on making it. Which goes with them wanting a buyout.

 

I am pretty certain you have said they NEVER intended to make the Amico?

So why did they do the first test?

[Rev]

3 hours ago, Cebus Capucinis said:

I liked how its EMF interference was well within acceptable limits, as proven by its FCC certification.

 

Oh, wait.

Oh no you Dit’nt!  TM

[Rev]

Just now, 1980gamer said:

I am pretty certain you have said they NEVER intended to make the Amico?

So why did they do the first test?

From the movie The Producers:    You can make more money with a flop than a hit…..Rio!

[Rev]

57 minutes ago, Razzie.P said:

Yeah, really.  I think everyone needs to back off Tommy and mr_me and start bitching at Rev for that one.  That should takes us through the next 15 pages or so, at least.

Forgive me….  I forgot his name. Bubbles for CEO! 

[MrBeefy]

1 minute ago, gaterooze_ink said:

IMHO:

Demo units to influencers? 50% chance.

Founders edition production units? 1% chance.

Retail launch? 0% chance.

I agree they will get something out to DJC and company. Hope it attracts a buyer or dumb investor. Give it to them claim great success.

 

If buyer or investor doesn't come they will probably lean heavily on those guys, tell them to stop it with the Amico Forever so people can forget.

[Rev]

This is pretty good. 😜

 

The Office.

 

 

[1980gamer]

On 8/12/2022 at 9:57 AM, Rev said:

Mr Me, forget Amico for a minute.  Just a basic definition of what a scam is. 

I dont think you have it in you to answer. 

Gee Whiz,  I go away for a couple of days...  And poor Mr Me gets piled on by many of you here.

 

Kind of reminds me of what many did to TT early on.

 

So because he has a different perspective, he is either on the take, or works for IE or will get his Amico before everyone else?  Anything I missed skimming over this nonsense?

 

The Amico is CLEARLY not a scam.  Because a company or individual fails at a business venture doesn't make it a scam.  People and business fail everyday.

At least TT took a shot.  Not many dreamers are willing to put it on the line.

 

Every Monday morning quarterback can point out mistakes made.  Thanks for the insight! LOL

 

But this is mob mentality.  Mr Me is just trying to keep things real.  He is not saying no mistakes have been made, or bad information has been put out.

He is trying to show what the reality is, to the best of his knowledge.  He has always been respectful and never makes it personal.

 

I have a lot of respect for him. 

 

As for TT's investment into Amico...  Don't forget he also acquired Intellivision first.  I don't know the terms, but it wasn't free!  If the Intellivision name is damaged, it hurts him the most.

[Matt_B]

4 hours ago, Morpheus said:

One question to the Folks here familiar with the matter: how many chances do we have now in your mind that Amico will happen ?

Less that 5%?

More?

Basically zero, at least in terms of delivering the machine that was promised. They're millions of dollars in debt, have closed their offices, laid off most of their staff and the console and games still aren't finished.

 

I suppose there's always a slim chance that someone comes in with the money to finish it off, but that'd most likely be on the other side of a bankruptcy auction. For the audience who'd still buy it, downgrading the system to a plug-n-play or an open system for homebrews would seem probable too, as a few thousand users wouldn't keep an online store running for long.

[Flojomojo]

1 hour ago, gaterooze_ink said:

IMHO:

Demo units to influencers? 50% chance.

All Founders Edition production units? 1% chance.

Retail launch? 0% chance.

 

(6 months ago I would have said 100%/90%/50%)

I'd like to add that the longer the delays go on, the less likely it is that anything at all would happen. We don't know how many technical/functional people are left at the company, but from what we've seen, Phil Adam or Nick Richards don't seem like they'd be of much use in troubleshooting technical problems. 

 

40 minutes ago, 1980gamer said:

Gee Whiz,  I go away for a couple of days...  And poor Mr Me gets piled on by many of you here.

 

Kind of reminds me of what many did to TT early on.

 

So because he has a different perspective, he is either on the take, or works for IE or will get his Amico before everyone else?  Anything I missed skimming over this nonsense?

 

The Amico is CLEARLY not a scam.  Because a company or individual fails at a business venture doesn't make it a scam.  People and business fail everyday.

At least TT took a shot.  Not many dreamers are willing to put it on the line.

 

Every Monday morning quarterback can point out mistakes made.  Thanks for the insight! LOL

 

But this is mob mentality.  Mr Me is just trying to keep things real.  He is not saying no mistakes have been made, or bad information has been put out.

He is trying to show what the reality is, to the best of his knowledge.  He has always been respectful and never makes it personal.

 

I have a lot of respect for him. 

 

As for TT's investment into Amico...  Don't forget he also acquired Intellivision first.  I don't know the terms, but it wasn't free!  If the Intellivision name is damaged, it hurts him the most.

 

Tommy Tallarico was using this board for publicity to make money. I think many people mistook his exploitation for friendship. It's not "piling on" to be skeptical of people making claims that they can't back up, while they're trying to pick your pocket. 

 

"The Amico is CLEARLY not a scam" is one take, but when it's increasingly clear that nothing was as far along as they made it out to be, that seem pretty scammy to me. Failing at business is a thing that happens, and admiring people for taking a shot is fine. But propping up lies, mischaracterizations, personal attacks, and half-truths is not something we should support. 

 

Mr. Tallarico invested in Amico but he also profited from it, both by taking a salary and by receiving huge returns on the interest he loaned the company. He's not a hero. 

 

As for damage to the name and his own reputation, I agree that it hurts him the most, but that's the path he chose. I see no reason to treat him any better than the terrible way he treated so many others. 

[gaterooze_ink]

56 minutes ago, 1980gamer said:

The Amico is CLEARLY not a scam.  Because a company or individual fails at a business venture doesn't make it a scam. 

Without reference to Amico (and I'm not saying it was or wasn't a scam), but a serious question: do you consider Theranos to be a scam? Elizabeth Holmes genuinely wanted (and tried hard) to make a successful product/business venture.

[SteveTheColecoDude]

1 hour ago, 1980gamer said:

The Amico is CLEARLY not a scam.  Because a company or individual fails at a business venture doesn't make it a scam.  People and business fail everyday.

At least TT took a shot.  Not many dreamers are willing to put it on the line.

 

The definition of a scam is to make money by deceiving people with dishonesty/lies.

 

Tommy was directly dishonest on many occasions in order to get money from customers. Whether it was promising certain games being on Amico and stating they were in talks with dozens of companies to do so, or saying that pre-order deposits were 100% refundable at any time.

 

He was also dishonest with investors on many occasions. Whether it was claiming that J Allard and Cara Acker were working for them (and trying to use their experience as a reason to invest) after they had already left, claiming that they had "the best developers in the world" making their games, or claiming that investors would be receiving money by the end of 2021.

 

There are countless videos and screenshots from this very forum showing Tommy's dishonesty. Just because they may have wanted to actually get a product out, is doesn't mean it's not a scam.

Edited August 14, 2022 by SteveTheColecoDude

[Rev]

Mr. Me, do you feel “piled on” in this thread?  Recently another user made that assumption, of so, let me/us know. 
 

You have been conversing and commenting, quoting alot pf comments, normally of someone is piling on or ganging up on someone that person would remove themselves from the situation, I rather think you are enjoying the back and forth.  No one is namecalling you or stopping you from voicing your opinions.  
 

Say something if we are all piling on you.  Otherwise that other user that recently tried to cause an issue owes alot of apologies.  Thanks Mr. Me. 

[1980gamer]

21 minutes ago, SteveTheColecoDude said:

Just because they may have wanted to actually get a product out, is doesn't mean it's not a scam.

In fact, this DOES mean it is not a scam.

 

I wasn't there for all the timelines you laid out.  So, you must be an insider and have actual documentation to make these claims,  beyond other's claims as "fact".

 

 

[1980gamer]

3 minutes ago, Rev said:

Mr. Me, do you feel “piled on” in this thread?  Recently another user made that assumption, of so, let me/us know. 
 

You have been conversing and commenting, quoting alot pf comments, normally of someone is piling on or ganging up on someone that person would remove themselves from the situation, I rather think you are enjoying the back and forth.  No one is namecalling you or stopping you from voicing your opinions.  
 

Say something if we are all piling on you.  Otherwise that other user that recently tried to cause an issue owes alot of apologies.  Thanks Mr. Me. 

@Rev, if you think I owe you an apology, maybe you are one of the people piling on?

 

But seriously, I have read talk of mental issues in a round about way etc. 

 

Mr Me is a lone voice.  That doesn't make him wrong as others have asserted.

 

It doesn't make him right either...  But at one time the Earth was believed flat. 

 

 

[Rev]

I would be interested in many people here, in their own words, define what the word scam means to them and what defines a scam in real life.  Without reference to the Amico.   What is the general definition not from a dictionary. 
 

Lets get a consensus of what it means, words have meanings. 
 

Who is first?   Me?  Ok. 
 

When i hear the word scam, a quick meaning to me is:  People got ripped off and scammed out of their money intentionally. 

[Rev]

Do I personally think Amico is a scam?  Im 50/50 on it. Depends on wether or not the console ever ships in my opinion.  I dont want it to end up a scam, I want to to release and succeed, but I will not let nostalgia blind me. 

[MrBeefy]

12 minutes ago, 1980gamer said:

I am pretty certain you have said they NEVER intended to make the Amico?

So why did they do the first test?

To show progress. Early on they had some momentum. Okay pre-order numbers, some small positive press, some appearance of having a game library being worked on, and then.... nothing.

 

Take it to the buyer and say look at all this great stuff and we didn't spend a dime on marketing to the intended market! We are in the process of making them but found we aren't big enough to meet the demand. With your money think of how you could market it and make it bigger!? Without that they have nothing to show a buyer and they would 100% appear full of shit. If you told me you couldn't make something, and couldn't show me the BOM or correspondence of what it would cost, then you are full of crap. If you don't take some of those steps you can't tell me you are too small etc.

 

They could have had them made in 2020. There were two possible reasons they didn't. 1) It wasn't as ready as they said it was, or 2) they didn't want to cut the check and do it. I think both are possibilities, but even given it wasn't done then.

 

They should not literally be in the exact same spot they were in now as they were in Feb-March 2020. They even got a manufacturing loan in 2021 and they still haven't met basic milestones.

 

That is why they are so far behind. They dragged their feet hoping someone else would take it to the finish line.

 

Everything they did was to show off to someone to put money into them or buy them. This would also explain the over the top defensiveness of the project. A good product will sell. They didn't want a potential buyer to see Pat or Ian bring up questions that a buyer may see and get them thinking. He bragged about AA and didn't want to tell a buyer look at this excitement in a thread, and then also see people post simple critiques. It never made sense and many people told TT to ignore stuff and a good product can deal with it. It was all smoke and mirrors and E3 was more of a pitch for someone to buy them than for them to sell their console. The product was IE and not the Amico.

 

Anyone have a time frame of when they were hiring firmware positions? 

 

TLDR: It was a smoke and mirrors move to act like they were progressing to look good to a buyer.

[MrBeefy]

53 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

As for damage to the name and his own reputation, I agree that it hurts him the most, but that's the path he chose. I see no reason to treat him any better than the terrible way he treated so many others. 

He did choose it. He was in control of himself and he has no one to blame for himself for acting like an idiot and people knowing about it. I didn't know him before Amico. Now I know him as a joke. If he would have just bought Intv, made an announcement they wanted to make something, then quietly try and fail then there is no reputation lost.

 

He has just benefited from the fact the internet wasn't as prevalent when he was acting the idiot in the past. He made a big public display of himself in a time that the internet doesn't forget. People told him to work on the console. He wanted to kick his feet and wail.

 

I also love the idea that dog piling is only bad when it happens to someone who loves Amico. 😭🍼

[1980gamer]

5 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

To show progress. Early on they had some momentum. Okay pre-order numbers, some small positive press, some appearance of having a game library being worked on, and then.... nothing.

 

Take it to the buyer and say look at all this great stuff and we didn't spend a dime on marketing to the intended market! We are in the process of making them but found we aren't big enough to meet the demand. With your money think of how you could market it and make it bigger!? Without that they have nothing to show a buyer and they would 100% appear full of shit. If you told me you couldn't make something, and couldn't show me the BOM or correspondence of what it would cost, then you are full of crap. If you don't take some of those steps you can't tell me you are too small etc.

 

They could have had them made in 2020. There were two possible reasons they didn't. 1) It wasn't as ready as they said it was, or 2) they didn't want to cut the check and do it. I think both are possibilities, but even given it wasn't done then.

 

They should not literally be in the exact same spot they were in now as they were in Feb-March 2020. They even got a manufacturing loan in 2021 and they still haven't met basic milestones.

 

That is why they are so far behind. They dragged their feet hoping someone else would take it to the finish line.

 

Everything they did was to show off to someone to put money into them or buy them. This would also explain the over the top defensiveness of the project. A good product will sell. They didn't want a potential buyer to see Pat or Ian bring up questions that a buyer may see and get them thinking. He bragged about AA and didn't want to tell a buyer look at this excitement in a thread, and then also see people post simple critiques. It never made sense and many people told TT to ignore stuff and a good product can deal with it. It was all smoke and mirrors and E3 was more of a pitch for someone to buy them than for them to sell their console. The product was IE and not the Amico.

 

Anyone have a time frame of when they were hiring firmware positions? 

 

TLDR: It was a smoke and mirrors move to act like they were progressing to look good to a buyer.

That is all fair, I can see that from your prospective.

 

But we don't have time frames.  We don't know how many firmware developers they had?  Growing companies... Grow.  They hire more talent.

 

We know they had a dispute with a manufacture. I don't know how much time and money that tied up, but I would bet 3-6 months and minimum 1.3 million dollars from what has been made available.

Then the pandemic hit.  Also remember China was hit before us, manufacturing in many places had stopped and even when some restrictions were lifted, Chinese New Year came and then the World basically shut down.  I am not saying TT or IE drove the ball straight down the fairway.  But sometimes you hit a great shot and stuff like this happens...
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/video-shows-teens-golf-ball-being-struck-by-lightning-at-top-golf

 

[Razzie.P]

1 hour ago, Rev said:

I would be interested in many people here, in their own words, define what the word scam means to them and what defines a scam in real life.  Without reference to the Amico.   What is the general definition not from a dictionary. 
 

Lets get a consensus of what it means, words have meanings. 
 

Who is first?   Me?  Ok. 
 

When i hear the word scam, a quick meaning to me is:  People got ripped off and scammed out of their money intentionally. 

 

My idea of a scam is pretty simple, I think – using known deception (including deceptive claims/statements) to acquire some sort of profit/gain

For example, let’s say I started announcing that I’m creating a brand new handheld gaming system called Flameeko

And I do something like, I dunno – print out a box at home, make a 3d printed prototype shell, and use it to create an official looking “unboxing video” to give buyers/investors the impression that we’re almost ready to release, then yep, I’ve crossed clearly into “scam” territory.
 

 

 

1 hour ago, Rev said:

Depends on wether or not the console ever ships in my opinion.   

That’s kind of interesting – does a scam cease being a scam if the “promised result” is ultimately delivered?  Fyre Festival comes to mind.  They took people’s money via false advertising, overpromising (sounds familiar, don’t it) and people were sentenced to prison, if I recall, and it's widely accepted as a scam.  Now – if they come out and finally deliver the festival “as promised” other than the release date, would it no longer be considered a scam?

 

 

 

I didn't check either of these for accuracy or care enough to get into the details, so could be that "fake news" I hear so much about, but at a glance, I found the comparison to "how many $$$" between Amico and Fyre a bit interesting --

 

 

 

[MrBeefy]

25 minutes ago, 1980gamer said:

That is all fair, I can see that from your prospective.

 

But we don't have time frames.  We don't know how many firmware developers they had?  Growing companies... Grow.  They hire more talent.

 

We know they had a dispute with a manufacture. I don't know how much time and money that tied up, but I would bet 3-6 months and minimum 1.3 million dollars from what has been made available.

Then the pandemic hit.  Also remember China was hit before us, manufacturing in many places had stopped and even when some restrictions were lifted, Chinese New Year came and then the World basically shut down.  I am not saying TT or IE drove the ball straight down the fairway.  But sometimes you hit a great shot and stuff like this happens...
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/video-shows-teens-golf-ball-being-struck-by-lightning-at-top-golf

 

Well I do know more. Like I said about not outing the astroturfer because I didn't want them to get fired, I don't want to out some more stuff and get other people in trouble.

 

I understand by not showing it, it makes it hearsay, but I'd rather people think I wear a tin hat 🥳 than get someone fired or in trouble with their work.

 

Covid is a convenient excuse which doesn't excuse why it is 2022 with still no Amico in sight until 2023. That is why the firmware and game completion was a stickler point. Those things could be worked on during the pandemic. The hardest one would have been working on hardware, but they claimed that part was done forever. They should have had most of that all figured out at the end of 2019 or early 2020.

 

So let us say covid messed that up. Why is it two years later and them not having FCC is such a joke? Why do they not have a plan? Why did they literally do nothing for two years? Parts are available why did they not get their orders in and make stuff like literally every other company has? Covid has not affected this so much that we are nearing 2 years post initial date with no console. Once again that leaves two options. They don't want to make it despite having the opportunity in 2020 and not using the manufacturing loan in 2021, or they are beyond incompetent. Even RetroBro said they had the opportunity to start making them late 2021 which fits with that Sudesh loan.

 

The only reason you don't have your Amico is that they don't want to male it and ship it to you.

 

There's also a rumor they went to Microsoft hoping they would get bought out. The word is that Microsoft laughed at the offer. I think that last part was an embellishment, but the idea was that Microsoft didn't want them. 

 

[jerseystyle]

3 hours ago, digdugnate said:

'Called it the noble lie'

 

3 hours ago, Rev said:

Forgive me….  I forgot his name. Bubbles for CEO! 

Freedom 45!

[MrBeefy]

10 minutes ago, Razzie.P said:

 

My idea of a scam is pretty simple, I think – using know deception (including deceptive claims/statements) to acquire some sort of profit/gain

For example, let’s say I started announcing that I’m creating a brand new handheld gaming system called Flameeko

And I do something like, I dunno – print out a box at home, make a 3d printed prototype shell, and use it to create an official looking “unboxing video” to give buyers/investors the impression that we’re almost ready to release, then yep, I’ve crossed clearly into “scam” territory.
 

 

 

That’s kind of interesting – does a scam cease being a scam if the “promised result” is ultimately delivered?  Fyre Festival comes to mind.  They took people’s money via false advertising, overpromising (sounds familiar, don’t it) and people were sentenced to prison, if I recall, and it's widely accepted as a scam.  Now – if they come out and finally deliver the festival “as promised” other than the release date, would it no longer be considered a scam?

 

 

 

I didn't check either of these for accuracy or care enough to get into the details, so could be that "fake news" I hear so much about, but at a glance, I found the comparison to "how many $$$" between Amico and Fyre a bit interesting --

 

 

 

So you don't like how IE was claiming J Allard was making huge contributions on a Neil Patel partnership video?

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxkqhIMSKhb7xxKzrX2c2BjQrMG2VwbxqH

For those who forgot SEC asked what Allard did and it was nothing but Tommy was lying in this video.

 

Full investor pitch here.

 

 

[1980gamer]

@MrBeefy Don't underestimate the pandemic.

My company is finally getting back ordered items that should have come in 18 months ago.

 

Sure, we continued getting many items over the entire $h!t storm.  But many items were a pain.  Paper was near impossible at some points.

 

Remember, IE is not a major player.  Manufacturers are not going to put them at the front of the line.   That goes for procurement or assembly.

 

As for items being complete / tested etc.  I have no idea and will not comment on that.  I can tell you, I saw what seemed to be a pretty complete system.

I would have been happy with what was at the Boston showing.  Fun games, great responsive controllers, good variety of games etc.

I would not want it to be static.  I would expect updates as needed and new content of course, but it looked ready to go otherwise.

 

Why the delay after the pandemic.  $$  They certainly should have scaled back much earlier.  Now, with no cash, no console.  I am thinking the delay only ends if an angel investor comes along.

 

Until something is dead, it is alive.  As Miracle Max would say, It is only Mostly dead.  Mostly dead, is slightly alive.