One of the video game industry’s oldest companies is planning on making a comeback. Yesterday, Intellivision Entertainment announced that they are reentering the console space with a new console dubbed the Amico. Intellivison plans to release this new console on October 10, 2020.
The company’s president, Tommy Tallarico, addressed his vision for the new console at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. “We are creating a console that parents WANT to buy, not that they were asked to buy,” Tallarico expressed. He would later state that “most every game” is developed “with only the hardcore gamer in mind.” This is where Intellivison plans to divert. The Amico is set to focus on family friendly entertainment with all games set to be rated “E” or “E10+”. Tallarico cites that the barrier of entry is too high for non-gamers “due to the complexity of the controllers, intricacy of gameplay, expense of the hardware and software and steep learning curve with an unbalanced fun factor for the beginner.” Thus, the purpose of the Amico is for gamers and non-gamers “to have fun with and play together.”
The console itself has a chic, all-white design with features such as HDMI output, multiple USB ports, WiFi connectivity, and the ability for system expansion. The price for the device hasn’t been set yet, but will cost between $149 and $179 USD when released. The Amico is set to come with two controllers that hearken back to the original Intellivision’s controller design, and features a 3.5 inch color touchscreen, circular directional pad, and four feedback buttons on the sides. Other features include a gyroscope and accelerometer. There will also be a mobile app that players can download to turn their phones into extra controllers for up to 8 player gaming.
Along with the family friendly ratings for all the games, all titles will be exclusive to the system. Some of Intellivison’s “reimagined” classic games will be preinstalled on the system from launch. The online store will feature over 20 new and “reimagined” classic games from the like of Intellivision, Atari, and Imagic. Games will feature no DLC or microtransactions. Cost for all games will range between $2.99 and $7.99 USD. Games will have online capability with leaderboards, online multiplayer, and tournaments. For a list of all games announced for the Amico so far, you can check out Intellivision’s official site.
You can check out the official reveal trailer below: