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Some unanswered questions surrounding the Intellivision Amico

Written By The Atari Age Bacon Lovers Club

In May of 2018, Tommy Tallarico announced that the Intellivision brand was making a comeback with a brand new system. In October of 2018 we learned this console was the Intellivision Amico and it would release on October 10, 2020. Since the moment the Amico was revealed Tommy Tallarico went on an unofficial PR storm. Any time the Amico name was mentioned on YouTube Tommy would be there in the comments to "correct" the record. With a simple email, DM, or Ferrari ride Tommy could change the most ardent Amico "hater" into a full blown cheerleader. Despite Tommy's attempts to allow no negative opinions of the Intellivision Amico existing on the internet unchallenged, two brave souls would thwart the Intellivision Entertainment President. Pat and Ian would prove to be a thorn in Tommy's side but he had amassed a cult of personality on the Atari Age forums that saw nothing he said challenged or doubted. This has left those of us not drinking the Kool-Aid with a bunch of questions Tommy refuses to answer.

Why would mobile gamers buy an Amico?
Tommy Tallarico likes to tout the 3 Billion mobile gamers as his audience but he refuses to say WHY these people would want to put their phones down and pick up an Amico controller. Most mobile gamers are not sitting on their couch playing games on the phone, rather they are playing them in the car, at the dentist office, on break from work. Since the Amico is a console connected to a TV it seems unlikely that mobile gamers would buy one when they have no interest in playing console games to begin with.

Why does the Amico need to exist?
This seems like an odd question but their is nothing about the Amico that can't be done on other systems. In fact, the Amico seems to be less powerful than most mobile phones on the market. The only unique thing about the Amico is the controller, which could have been produced as a peripheral for other consoles. So, if the games could be made for other consoles why did they choose to create a console?

How much control does the Bavarian government have?
Intellivision Entertainment received around 450,000 Euros from the Bavarian government to make 4 games but we have no idea if the Bavarain government will have any control over the content of those games. This may seem like a stupid question but Tommy Tallarico has already said the remake of b17 Bomber would not have the flags of countries or countries themselves in it. This seems reminiscent of Germany not allowing Nazi flags in WWII games.

The conflict of interest with Hans Ippisch
Intellivision Entertainment Europe GmbH president Hans Ippisch is also a board member of the Association of Magazine Publishers in Bavaria (VZB) and is CEO of the Computec Media Group. In other words, Hans Ippisch has his hands directly in an orginization and a company that publishes multiple magazines and websites related to computers, video gaming and media. Surely, the Amico will not be getting favorable treatment in any of those ...right?

Why all the backtracking?
Tommy Tallarico has come to the Atari Age forums to answer questions and promote the Amico, yet his answers are never set in stone. One month we are getting Snafoo as a pack in with the console and the next month YOU misunderstood him and it's not happening. The price of the Amico WAS under $200 but has slowly creeped up to over $230, in a few months it may be $250!  The only thing consistent about Tommy's answers are how inconsistent they are. If Tommy is going to answer questions he should be doing it with 100% certainty and stick by his answers or not answer questions that he knows can and most likely will change.

Why did they release a 28 second alpha demo?
In order to get people excited for the Amico, Intellivision released a 28 second demo for Moon Patrol. That is not a typo, the demo is under thirty seconds long! On top of this, the demo isn't even a final build demo but an alpha build with 10 months of development still needed. Like most of our questions, we have to ask why? Why would anyone be excited for 28 seconds of lackluster gameplay and unfinished graphics and sound?

Why all the unproven claims?
If you listen to a Tommy Tallarico interview you will here him spew out a ton of "facts" but if you ever ask him to show proof of these "facts" he becomes hostile and labels you a hater. He makes claims that child rape/molestation/sex is present on the Nintendo Switch when it isn't. He claims E rated games were the top sellers when a quick look at sales charts will show you this isn't true. Tommy sites stats and research he refuses to share with you, YOU must take his word for it or you're a hater. These claims by Tommy may sound good and placate those already on the Amico train but they only sow more doubt in the minds of the already leery consumer. It is often said you should put up or shut up and this holds true to claims made by Tommy Tallarico.

Tommy must have forgot he said this before the Founder's Edition
and the proposed VIP edition
So much more...
This article could go on for so much longer but I think you are starting to get the point. The Intellivision Amico is a novel idea with a niche market that is being touted as the next big thing by a company president hell bent on taking video games back to the 70's. The best description of the Amico is one I have seen on some many different parts of the internet; The Amico is an answer to a problem that doesn't exist.

Comments

  1. There was a time I would agree with you but after the very personal attacks hes made against me Im not so sure.

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  2. First off Tommy is not a father. Secondly, what you heard on the Dick Show was a siftened version of what Tommy was origanally claiming, that Nintetendo Switch had CP games. Third, Tommy pulled the "I heard rumors that Tony did such and such." Done so because Im the most outspoken critic of his console outside of Pat the NES Punk.

    ReplyDelete

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