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[IbizaPocholo]

Intellivision delays launch to April 2021 and unveils 20 new games

Intellivision Entertainment announced that it will delay the launch of its Amico reboot video game console from October 2020 until April 2021.

venturebeat.com

“Due to the worldwide pandemic, we sat down with our retailers, manufacturers, component supplies, and distributors and decided that our biggest impact for launch would be to do it during a time when everyone else isn’t fighting for air time and shelf space,” Tallarico said in an email to GamesBeat. “It was a strategic decision that many people and partners had a say in. Our major retailers like Walmart, Gamestop, Amazon, Best Buy are excited and very happy with the new date that they themselves helped us to pick.

“The biggest challenge, aside from COVID affecting [manufacture and supply], was all of the compliance testing that needed to be completed before even being allowed to sell an electronic product like ours. Because of our multi-country launch, we have over 50 different compliance tests we need to pass and they, like most companies in the world, are all very much backed up or limiting their workflow. We also want to ensure what we are putting out is of the very highest quality possible. We’re not interested in putting out an inferior product or one where we had to cut corners.”

“We are currently scheduled to have around 30 exclusive games on launch with a new game releasing around every 10 days after that,” Tallarico said. “We don’t want to release multiple games at once for the benefit of the developers being able to have the spotlight.”

 

[Chupanibre]

Now I can play flash games at home!

 

[Cravis]

I foresee this bombing and any exclusives hastily ported to everything under the sun to try to recoup what they can.

 

[Max_Po]

Pffffff baahaha

 

[ipukespiders]

How long before this thing is $59.99 in the discount bin?

 

[Agent X]

This could be an outstanding system...if it were priced about $100 lower.

At around $150 (the price they were originally targeting), it would be highly attractive for casual gamers, kids, and anyone looking for simple (but fun) retro-styled games.

Now that it's hovering around $250, it's a hard sell, even for someone like myself who normally marks out over stuff like this.

I like the notion of releasing inexpensive, family-friendly games, but I don't think they needed to market an entire system around it. I always felt that the new company should have promoted the Intellivision brand as a publishing label for those types of games, and built up their reputation before even considering an attempt to tackle hardware.

 

[Tarkus98]

Ouch, DOA. Smart to move it away from the two big boys launch but April should be right around the time Microsoft and Sony are doing their 3rd inventory/stock refresh.
Shame too as I rather enjoyed my original Intellivision and Tommy is a nice enough dude, but dang man lower that price or pray those 30 or so exclusives rock.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Where'd the price hike come from? I remember them shooting for under $200 previously. $150 - $180 seemed to be the figure they were suggesting earlier on.

 

[LordCBH]

Wait. This is an actual product they intend to bring to market and not just a scam device?

 

[StreetsofBeige]

This could be an outstanding system...if it were priced about $100 lower.

At around $150 (the price they were originally targeting), it would be highly attractive for casual gamers, kids, and anyone looking for simple (but fun) retro-styled games.

Now that it's hovering around $250, it's a hard sell, even for someone like myself who normally marks out over stuff like this.

I like the notion of releasing inexpensive, family-friendly games, but I don't think they needed to market an entire system around it. I always felt that the new company should have promoted the Intellivision brand as a publishing label for those types of games, and built up their reputation before even considering an attempt to tackle hardware.

For a system that seems to promote $10 XBLA and PSN quality games from 10 years ago, this system had $99 written all over it.

How this system morphed into Xbox One and PS4 pricing who the hell knows. Maybe if it came with 8 wireless controllers!

 

[eyesabitdull]

Why in the world are their games so focused on multi-player?

It's a novel console, so how many people do you expect to buy it that would allow a proper play through?

They would have benefit with some actual interesting single player games :|

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Why in the world are their games so focused on multi-player?

It's a novel console, so how many people do you expect to buy it that would allow a proper play through?

They would have benefit with some actual interesting single player games :|

Meant as a family system. The point is getting Xbox and PS leads to too many violent games turning off parents to family fun hour after dinner.

But a system purposely curated to have safe games leads to more interaction in the household. So that's why it seems like every game preview they show has MP.

 

[BigBooper]

I was all in on the original pitch for the console, but some of these games and the system ui look rough. Thing is, I've seen other games on it that looked a lot better. Cloudy Mountain and Shark Shark both look great. I dunno about that price. It depends some on what the final pack-in game bundle is.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I was all in on the original pitch for the console, but some of these games and the system ui look rough. Thing is, I've seen other games on it that looked a lot better. Cloudy Mountain and Shark Shark both look great. I dunno about that price. It depends some on what the final pack-in game bundle is.

Didn't know a Cloudy Mountain demo video was out and just googled it. Looks like a fun MP rogue game. I played the original and my brothers and I always thought it was a shallow game. And that was when it was called AD&D not this cloudy mountain crap. Tarmin was much better, but slow paced.

Amico Night Stalker looks awesome. But Astrosmash looks shitty.

Now make a Tower of Doom! Sounds crazy, but even to this day I think ToD is one of the best games I ever played on any system.

 

[namekuseijin]

these zombie corps(es) relying on niche nostalgia are always funny

 

[StreetsofBeige]

these zombie corps(es) relying on niche nostalgia are always funny

Amico will die fast.

I'll wait for these games to come to other platforms.

Give it a year after Amico dies and they'll all be on Xbox, PS and PC.

 

[Agent X]

Where'd the price hike come from? I remember them shooting for under $200 previously. $150 - $180 seemed to be the figure they were suggesting earlier on.

I'd chalk it up to feature bloat.

The controllers, with built-in color touch screens and motion controls, are probably among the most expensive components. At the same time, they are probably also the Amico's most distinctive features as well. From Wikipedia:

The Intellivision Amico comes bundled with two controllers. The controllers can charge wirelessly when they are placed into their cradle on top of the console, charge using a wired USB-C connection, or charge using both methods at the same time. They feature Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RFID, speakers, a microphone, an accelerometer, force feedback, and a gyroscope. They also feature a 3.2 in (81.28 mm) full-color touch screen, four oversized shoulder buttons, a home button and a 64-way pressure-sensitive directional disc[1][29][30] surrounded by a ring of LEDs.[31] The controllers come with wrist straps[1] to prevent them from flying away during game action if not held securely. Up to six additional players can connect, with players able to use a free controller smartphone app in place of an Amico controller when needed.[32]

Some of the games they've shown appear to make rather good use of the controller features, so it's not like all of their efforts are being wasted. At the same time, I don't know why a system that's largely aimed at casual gamers and kids needs its controllers to contain Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RFID, and wireless charging technology. Surely some of those features could've been pared back to keep costs down.

Also, I thought that I heard that the system was supposed to include a credit for either $30 or $50 towards games from their online game store (but can't find any reference to this now). If that is still the case, then that would be factored into the system's price. The purpose is clearly to ensure that system purchasers also engage in buying additional games (benefiting software developers), rather than figuring that the system already includes six games and that they don't need to buy any more games for a while (or ever).

 

[nkarafo]

Stick at making music, Tommy.

 

[SegaSnatcher]

No offense to any middle aged Men on Gaf, but it seems that is the only demographic that this console is appealing to. Its the same 45+ yr old Men talking about this console on Atari Age forums and on youtube.

Tommy doesn't realize this console is about 15+ yrs too late.