Intellivision plans comeback with a new console called Amico in 2020

May 2024 · 4 minute read

Intellivision, the home video game console that first launched in 1979, is planning a comeback in a new, family-friendly format. The modernized platform, called Amico, will include the original’s iconic omni-directional disc as well as a full-color touchscreen on each controller. The expected release date is Oct. 10, 2020.

Intellivision’s leadership team, led by chief executive officer and video game musician Tommy Tallarico, is making some bold claims about its device, which is still on the drawing board. Chief among them is the console’s price point, said to be between $149 and $179. Additionally, every single game published for the platform will be exclusive and cost between $2.99 and $7.99, they said. It will launch with several built-in titles and over 20 more games in its online store.

“We are creating a console that parents want to buy, not that they were asked to buy,” Tallarico said during a keynote address at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo this past weekend.

“Most every game being made for the home consoles these days is created with only the hardcore gamer in mind,” he continued. “We see a world where everyone is interested in playing at home and with friends, but this isn’t currently possible because the barrier to entry is nearly impossible for a non-gamer 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. Our goal was to create a console that both gamers and non-gamers are able to have fun with and play together. The Intellivision Amico is our answer to this gaping hole we see within the current video game industry.”

Concept art for the Amico shows an all-white console with built-in ambient lighting. Prominently featured on top are a pair of Bluetooth controllers that pay tribute to the Intellivision’s rectangular keypad design. Each will include a color touchscreen, a circular directional pad and tactile buttons along the left and right side. A gyroscope and accelerometer will allow for motion control. Up to six other players will be able to connect to the device using a free smartphone app for iOS and Android.

The launch lineup includes a number of reimagined titles, including Astrosmash, SNAFU, Tron: Deadly Discs and Star Strike. It will also have a version of Cloudy Mountain: Crown of Kings, a re-branded take on Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain, one of the first console role-playing games licensed from TSR, Inc. The console will also offer numerous titles from the Atari catalog.

Here’s the full list of games that are expected to be available at launch:

Intellivision titles:

Atari titles:

Imagic titles

Additional titles

Each of the above titles will supposedly feature exclusive content available only on the Amico, and all will be available to download from an online store. Intellivision said that every title on the console will be family-friendly, with no Teen, Mature or Adults Only-rated titles. None will offer in-app purchases or downloadable content of any kind.

“The average age of a gamer today is 34 years old, and the market reflects that with a broad array of games for people of all ages,” said Electronic Software Rating Board (ESRB) president Patricia Vance in today’s press release. “Intellivision’s policy to only offer games rated E for Everyone and E10+ for Everyone 10 and up on its new system makes finding the right games easier for busy families, especially those with young gamers.”

You can find more information, and sign up for a mailing list, at Intellivision’s official website.

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