Intellivision Amico | Amico Home on mobile | Meet Mico!

Jawa is just living up to his Star Wars counterpart. Salvaging trash.

Guys, come on! There are plenty of good aspects:

> Funding is in place
> Pre-orders are underway with big retailers in the US and GAME and Argos in the UK; plus online including Amazon, Best Buy and GAME
> Although Intellivision is a small company, it has capable people on its team including J Allard (yep, the former Microsoft guy) as Global MD
> Manufacturing is in progress
> Cheap, family-friendly games and a "buy once" policy (no DLC, micro-transactions or loot boxes)

The big challenges are manufacturing (going okay but delayed due to COVID office and factory closures) and brand awareness. It's not gonna be easy but this is a company with capable people on-board and it's punching above its weight against heavyweight competitors.

Victor Mildew wrote:Jawa you're a maniac

This.

Although I have to admire your optimism.

I will look forward to grabbing one once they hit the bargain bins it's an interesting bit of kit but I just don't think it's worth anywhere near the asking price for what it is.

jawa2 wrote:Guys, come on! There are plenty of good aspects:

> Funding is in place

The investors pulled the plug upon hearing that you cancelled your order damn

Value perception can be an odd thing. With new gen games being priced at £70 I think that a fair number of folk will be seeking out cheaper options. For many that may mean getting a second-hand PS4 or an XBO and having the huge back catalogue to look at. For others, the Switch could be attractive.

There has to be potential in a cheaper device though; and by that I don't just mean the entry price but on-going cost, too. It's an interesting point when kerr suggests that the Amico is too expensive "for what it is". I suspect that - and I definitely don't mean to have a go at kerr or anyone else by saying this! - most folk don't really know what the machine is. And that's okay; most folk don't and its profile is low.

The launch price is expected to be £249.99. For that you're getting the console, two controllers and six games. Now that price definitely isn't in impulse territory and I would like it to be cheaper; maybe £179. Sure the new Xbox S is £249.99 as well... but they're totally different beasts; not just technically but in the market they're aimed at. The Amico isn't really a competitor for PlayStation, Xbox or Switch.

The Amico is family-orientated. All games will be rated at PEGI 7 or under, cost up to £9.99 and be "no more cost"; i.e. no purchaseable DLC, loot boxes or season passes. All games will either be unique to the Amico or with additional Amico-specific features. Most games will be 2D or 2.5D and will have options for single and local multi-player; with additional players being able to use either official controllers or, for some games, by downloading a free app to their phone or tablet.

The Amico can connect to wi-fi to upload high scores and to access the digital storefront. The vast majority of games will have a small file size (under 500 Mb); with the console having 32Gb storage (and you can plug in an SD card for extra space if needed).

The controllers look to be quite impressive; colour touch-screen, analogue disc, four buttons, gyro, microphone and light effects. There is potential for some cool, unique mechanisms to be used.

Tech wise it is gonna use a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor; exact technical spec TBC. I suspect it will have the power of a mobile device - seemingly suitable for the type of games it'll be running.

So, yeah, this isn't a competitor for the bigger consoles. I feel that it's looking to grab that "Nintendo Wii" / "DS" sector of the gaming market; family gamers who would like to play together on the living room TV. It could, of course, be argued that those people now play games on phones and tablets... but do they play together? Probably not really... the Amico is looking to get those people playing games alongside each other again. Simple, slick games that are quick to pick up and easy to play.

So, back to value. £249.99 for the console, two funky controllers and six games doesn't sound too bad. I'd like it to be cheaper, of course, but it doesn't seem to be bad value for what you get. To me, anyway!

I feel that there could be a market for this system. It's probably not the kind of thing that'd appeal to a ton of folk here in GR, but that's probably to be expected - most of us here are pretty heavy gamers. Amico is family-and friends entertainment. I would like it to be a success!

Man, that was a long post. I just hope that, regardless of whether folk think the console is good or bad, it has given you a more in-depth perspective to make that decision .

My problem with it is that I don't think the market that it is aiming for is there anymore.

There's a reason why Nintendo re-focused away from the casual, family audience. They're not the kind of market that stick with a device in the medium to long term. They buy it, maybe a token piece of software from time to time and that's it.

You saw it with the Wii which had astonishing success for a while, but it became clear that a large number of the people who bought one "for the family", would break it out for Wii Sports at Christmas then leave it gathering dust. The attach rate on software wasn't great from these customers.

If Nintendo can't keep these people engaged with Wii Sports, Mario Kart, Wii Fit etc then the Amico doesn't have a chance with Earthworm Jim.

The whole thing just seems misguided. Perhaps Tommy Talarico needs a tax right-off?

Cheeky Devlin wrote:...I don't think the market that it is aiming for is there anymore.

There's a reason why Nintendo re-focused away from the casual, family audience. They're not the kind of market that stick with a device in the medium to long term. They buy it, maybe a token piece of software from time to time and that's it...

I can see your point, Dev, and I'm not sure if that market would pick-up the system, either. But... it is a huge market. No current console really targets it ( it doesn't seem that many families play games together on a PS4 or XBO; nor even a Switch, really) and I feel that the Amico has a price advantage in terms of games. The Wii had fairly high-priced games and that probably put some people off from picking them up; the Amico is charging from £4 to £10 a game. The range of games could be appealing to a wider range of people, too; there will be stuff like board games which - whilst obviously not attractive to many more "hardcore" console gamers - could attract older folk to use the system.

It is a bit of a gamble and I do feel that it will need to sell quite a few systems quickly in order to have any sort of impact. Even so, in terms of reaching this potentially large sector, there doesn't feel to be a lot of competition right now.

Jawa, to Pedz's point on the previous page, I really hope you didn't cancel due to anything I/we have said. While it's easy to take the piss for THE FOURM BANTZ, I always like how you see the fun in things we don't. Don't change that on other people's account.

That strawberry floating price though, I feel bad for them, because this could be the most incredible thing ever made but without a proper name like Nintendo attached to it, no-one is buying it.

Victor Mildew wrote:Jawa, to Pedz's point on the previous page, I really hope you didn't cancel due to anything I/we have said. While it's easy to take the piss for THE FOURM BANTZ, I always like how you see the fun in things we don't. Don't change that on other people's account.

That strawberry floating price though, I feel bad for them, because this could be the most incredible thing ever made but without a proper name like Nintendo attached to it, no-one is buying it.

Hee! No, the chat didn't make me cancel - I'd love to get the system but money is a bit tight right now and I slapped myself around to wake up to that fact .

As for the price... yeah, I'd like to see £179. But... the console, two controllers and six games... could it really hit that price? Intellivision are a smaller company and can't purchase the required parts with the size advantage of a Sony, MS or Nintendo. Even so, if sales aren't brisk from the start, I guess it'll have to happen!

3 months after launch it will definitely hit £179

Victor Mildew wrote:3 months after launch it will definitely hit £179

I'd then buy a back-up console ... .

jawa2 wrote:

Cheeky Devlin wrote:...I don't think the market that it is aiming for is there anymore.

There's a reason why Nintendo re-focused away from the casual, family audience. They're not the kind of market that stick with a device in the medium to long term. They buy it, maybe a token piece of software from time to time and that's it...

I can see your point, Dev, and I'm not sure if that market would pick-up the system, either. But... it is a huge market. No current console really targets it ( it doesn't seem that many families play games together on a PS4 or XBO; nor even a Switch, really) and I feel that the Amico has a price advantage in terms of games. The Wii had fairly high-priced games and that probably put some people off from picking them up; the Amico is charging from £4 to £10 a game. The range of games could be appealing to a wider range of people, too; there will be stuff like board games which - whilst obviously not attractive to many more "hardcore" console gamers - could attract older folk to use the system.

It is a bit of a gamble and I do feel that it will need to sell quite a few systems quickly in order to have any sort of impact. Even so, in terms of reaching this potentially large sector, there doesn't feel to be a lot of competition right now.

I think £179 is also far too much for this kind of thing. Leave aside the main console comparisons for a moment.

If it plays 2 - 2.5d games, and I'm a kid, why would I play that when I have a phone that can play modern games, like my mates are playing? Yeah, lads, I'm off home to play Horace goes skiing with my mum, dad and little brother.

Also, why would I be bothered about an online scoreboard, in order to not be able to play games with my friends or talk to them, but presumably text them about it on my phone instead. If I can even find a friend who also has an Amico, that is.

So, there's the family friendly thing, and getting round the living room together to play together. I get that. But you raise the comparison with playing board games. If that's your competitor...

And also, if that's what you're after, why not just play a board game?

It seems to me like a console built and meant for the nostalgic retro dad. That's not meant to be a criticism of them trying to make it, or of people liking the idea either, by the way, because I do too. It's just that nostalgia has a way of blinding you.

There are also plenty of games you can play 4 player on consoles in one room. Using phones as controllers, for example. Or just get a Gamecube off ebay and get games for less than a tenner there from CEX, which will all seemingly look better than the cheap games on this.

Innovative controller? Hello Wii, which more easily caught the imagination straight away and had the marketing muscle behind it, which you can still buy for a tenner second hand and can play family friendly multiplayer cheap games all day, in 3D as well.

The basic problem is, no matter which way you look, no matter which gap in the market you're looking for, there is already a cheaper, better and likely more popular alternative.

E. G. what's the actual usp with this controller? Potential, it seems. I. E. all the different abilities it may never use without software to support it, but no killer one with the easy understandability of the Wii, and most of which are already done elsewhere?

Jawa, if you as a likeable and articulate poster have had to spend paragraphs explaining it's benefits, then that's probably not down to you. Nor do I think it's a Grcade thing - there's more than enough nostalgic dad's and retro ganers on here given gamers' demographics, I'd guess.

It's done the classic thing of falling between markets. Either be the best, with a price tag to match, or the cheapest and better than your cutthroat rivals. Don't get caught in the middle or you have no chance.

But this seems like neither the cheapest, nor the best at anything.

On the plus side, I really feel that in being a complete wet blanket I've made this machine a success now, since I successfully predicted the Internet was a fad at the time. All hail my new Amico overlord.

Oh plus, I've kept saying 4 player games, going down the family angle, but I forgot this has only two controllers. I don't know how much an extra one or two would cost, if they're sold.

Abacus, yeah, I think the system will have a real tough battle getting attention. In some ways the Amico is approaching the value proposition from the opposite angle to the bigger consoles i.e. the console itself isn't cheap but has cheap games whilst the main consoles are relatively cheap (in terms of the tech you're getting) but the on-going high game costs subsidise this.

You're right about the challenges in terms of mobile and other platforms. It could kinda feel like the time for a Wii-type console has past although, personally, I din't feel that anything has filled that gap. Generally, it may be the case that families don't play together like they did on the Wii - sure, they're often now on phones or tablets, but in most cases I doubt they're often playing a game together.

The costs of bigger consoles aren't often thought about too closely as we get seduced by the latest and greatest graphics - and I include myself in this! £450 for the console or a more appealing £250 for the Xbox S; but then you want an extra controller, plus a £50 annual online fee and games at £45 to £70. This pricing is okay for some folk but not others and, whilst the experience offered by the Amico is - for better or worse depending on the scenario! - substantially different, the value proposition could be more attractive for family play.

I go back to the point that the Amico isn't really in the same market sector as the more powerful systems, though. It has to find it's own niche and I think this could be a combination of family play and maybe older gamers. Will it be enough to drive a lasting, profitable business? I'm not sure! I think that a good start will be critical and, yeah, £250 could be a hurdle in that aim.

(PS Oh! Controllers will be available separately and many games will also support players using their mobile devices as additional controllers via a free app.)

Wii U was the direct successor to the Wii, with the Wii name AND Nintendo games behind it, and the filthy casuals weren't interested as they'd moved on to their phones by then.

Edit: once this goes to fire sale prices, it could make a good collector's item for the furture as I can't imagine there will ever be many of them in circulation.

Victor Mildew wrote:Wii U was the direct successor to the Wii, with the Wii name AND Nintendo games behind it, and the filthy casuals weren't interested as they'd moved on to their phones by then.

That's a good shout... and a great example of very poor messaging and advertising! Looking back, it does seem incredible that you can have a system as popular as the Wii followed up by something that nobody really knew what it was. This situation has form in the market, though - think of the PS2/PS3, 360/One and, further back, the Mega Drive/Saturn and 2600/5200.

Phone/tablet gaming is so common in the mass market that the Amico will have it's work cut out in trying to gain attention. It's possibly a shame as mobile gaming is generally - IMHO, of course! - just awful. The predatory charging mechanisms are something that the Amico avoids completely... but will families see this benefit *and* be willing to pay £250 for it? I dunno!

I think you’re overestimating how many families want to sit around and play games together.

One way this thing could have survived was if it turned out to be a decent emulation device, but the Series S - for the same price - has already closed that door.

This reminds me of the Ouya, except that only cost £99 and still bombed.

rinks wrote:I think you’re overestimating how many families want to sit around and play games together...

It's an interesting call! They don't right now... but they did in 2007. I wonder if they would again with the right kit and pricing?



I'm looking forward to the remake of Night Stalker. It has some nice graphical effects and some great sound. This probably stands as a good example of the sort of game we'll see on Amico; will folk be willing to pay, say, £9.99 for this type of thing? Personally I would but, of course, that doesn't mean the mass market will!

This is where we find out Jawa is Tommy Talarico.