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Intellivision Lives: Tommy Tallarico Will Relaunch 1980s Console (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the revives-continue dept.

craters writes: A wave of nostalgia has hit gamers, with Nintendo and Atari taking advantage with launches, both recent and pending, of older game consoles. Now they'll have a new competitor with Intellivision Entertainment. Originally released in 1980, the Intellivision console and its successors sold millions of units over three decades. The new Intellivision system (name TBA) will carry on the company tradition of "firsts" with its new concept, design and approach to gaming. The original Intellivision system generated many "firsts" in the video game industry including the first 16-bit gaming machine, the first gaming console to offer digital distribution, the first to bring speech/voice to games, the first to license professional sports leagues and organizations and the first to be a dedicated game console and home computer.

115 comments

  1. Burgertime by mandark1967 · · Score: 1

    I have no comment. I just remember that was one of the available titles

    --
    Sig Follows: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
    1. Re:Burgertime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least this one has the backing of Tommy Tallarico. The new Atari system is going to fail.

  2. Nostolgia is a bad thing. by jellomizer · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I am sick of all this Nostalgia stuff.
    To go back to remember the good old days, where things were better. They seemed better because you didn't need to work for a living, the pressures of life wern't that hard, and probably didn't have your hormones kick in to make your lives feel weird.

    During this time an Atari or Intellivision was amazing, and so cool in the eyes of a kid. Today it would be an unreliable box, with crappy graphics, and sub-par games that you wouldn't want to play for free on your phone. But as a kid one year would seem like forever, so you would had endless fun on this device until it broke down.

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    1. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

      Suicide can be painless, you know.

    2. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by youngone · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I am sick of all this Nostalgia stuff.

      I don't get it either. Those most likely to want something like this are probably exactly the same people who are quite capable of setting up one of the many emulators available, then downloading any number of very good ROMs to get their BurgerTime fix.

      The last time I tried it on one of the many Raspberry Pis I have lying about it took an hour or so and we had a nice afternoon fooling about.

      Certainly not something I would spend any money on though.

    3. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Well see, you miss the point... For those of us *WITH* nostolgia, those games are still fun and old technology is still cool.

    4. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by YuppieScum · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, nostalgia's not as good as it used to be...

      --
      This sig left unintentionally blank.
    5. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      During this time an Atari or Intellivision was amazing, and so cool in the eyes of a kid. Today it would be an unreliable box, with crappy graphics, and sub-par games that you wouldn't want to play for free on your phone. But as a kid one year would seem like forever, so you would had endless fun on this device until it broke down.

      You know, for those of us who never developed the preternatural fast twitch reflexes for modern games, and probably those people who have kids .. these games represent just simple easy gaming without an endless grind.

      Many of these games had surprisingly good gameplay, because they had so little graphics to work with.

      If you don't like it, don't fucking buy it.

      Meanwhile, I'm sure you've thrown out all of your old music and photos, are deeply entrenched in dubstep and bro-culture, Instagramming your meals (which is just a nostalgia for a Polaroid camera), and grooming your hipster beard.

      If Nintendo would make that damned classic easier to get, I'd buy one .. because I cut my teeth with two buttons and a joystick, and would probably enjoy those games infinitely more than a level grind, with in app purchases, social fucking media, and in-game ads. Because I hate every aspect of on-line gaming and the modern shit which comes with it.

      That Nintendo is once again re-releasing this with a limited run and can't keep them in stock tells me people are buying.

      Hell, I know at least two people who have their original NES hooked to their TV, and their kids still play it.

      So, seriously dude, get over your fucking self, and deal with it.

    6. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I can see the reasoning behind the NES and SNES Classics: appeal to the folks who played them when they were kids and are, today, probably around 30; old enough to appreciate the nostalgia, young enough to have the cash and interest in plugging in yet another console.

      The kids who would have enjoyed the Intellivision (and Atari) during its hey-day would be in their late-40s/early-50s by now, though: old enough to remember how fun they were when there was nothing better, but old enough to not be stupid enough to think that that means they'd stand up to more than 5-10 minutes of play before realizing what crap they are compared to even ancient consoles from the early '90s, never mind anything that could be had today.

      If somebody really wants to do a retro-console from the Intellivision era, they should try the ColecoVision. It was late on the scene, but it kicked Atari's and Intellivision's butts. It probably still wouldn't do well as a retro-console, but it'd probably do better than an Intellivision.

    7. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it brings on many changes...

    8. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "The last time I tried it on one of the many Raspberry Pis I have lying about it took an hour or so and we had a nice afternoon fooling about."

      Well there you go, there is your foolishness and it also shows your place in the world.
      You see when the time spent "setting one of these up" is more valuable than the cost of buying something like this, then paying for it is really not a bad option.
      I might only play it for 20 minutes, my kids may pick up the controller and scoff at it's simplicity, or maybe not. Just maybe I can slink away for a bit to pretend I am 6 again. Hell if one night I set this up on a projector and my friends and I want to box each other or do some bowling it will have been worth the cost.

       

    9. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      I am sick of all this Nostalgia stuff.

      I go through a nostalgia phase about every two years for something. I find that keeping a good stock of emulators on hand usually cures that. Last one was a few weeks ago after watching Ready, Player One. I was over come with a strange desire to play Adventure on the 2600. I fired it up on a emulator less than 5 minutes later my nostalgia was cured.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    10. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can see the reasoning behind the NES and SNES Classics: appeal to the folks who played them when they were kids and are, today, probably around 30; old enough to appreciate the nostalgia, young enough to have the cash and interest in plugging in yet another console.

      Not to mention they're likely of an age to have kids for whom the NES/SNES games would be age-appropriate and entertaining for short-enough-period entertainment.

    11. Re: Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, nostalgia can be a good thing for the body. Listening to music from your young adult days has been shown to improve health.

    12. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by scottrocket · · Score: 1

      Um, most of your post tells us why people like nostalgia. Light reminiscing with an old friend & beer is more fun, console or not, imo.

    13. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This isn't just some remake or emulator running old Intellivision games, it's a totally new system that they claim will be a system of many "firsts", like its namesake.

      Maybe try reading the fucking *summary* before you decide to feign outrage over what other people may be interested in. Or just ignore it and go on doing something that you aren't "sick of", Mr. Edgelord.

    14. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Xest · · Score: 2

      I downloaded the original Quake again the other day, sorry but it's still more playable than any modern FPS. It plays faster, the audio and effects are more enjoyable, the physics more pleasing.

      The fact is, some old stuff really is simply just better. This is why Minecraft did well - because it showed you don't need amazing super-HD graphics if you have great gameplay with pleasing effects and sounds. As such, if you have an old game that got that right, it doesn't matter that the graphics aren't amazing, because they're clearly secondary to playability, and in the race for the latest and greatest graphics that seems to be one thing that's been fundamentally lost from so many modern games - playability.

      It's got nothing to do with responsibilities and shit, some things back then were just more fun than they are now. I'm not saying they all were, my god was there a bunch of shit back then, just as there is now, but unsurprisingly the games that stand the test of time are those that are consistently playable, and unsurprisingly some of those were made in the past, as well as the present. It's okay to be nostalgic for stuff that was actually really good, and still is.

    15. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you don't like twitch-based modern games, lately I have been playing "Pit People" on the XBox. It's a turn-based RPG battler, really fun and surprisingly deep.

    16. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by kackle · · Score: 1

      A) Downloading ROMs is illegal and arguably unethical.

      B) Money I got, time I don't.

    17. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Quirkz · · Score: 1

      Yep, same here. I find with Atari games, I probably only play each individual game once, and I'm done. On a nostalgic binge I might play a few dozen, for an hour or two total, but beyond that there's no joy in it.

      NES games--well, actually, it's about the same. They're longer, but after playing through once, I'm not going to want to do it again for another year or two. Save states are a nice perk, making it a bit easier to work your way all the way through the game without the running out of lives nonsense.

      --
      The Quirkz Handbook of Self-Improvement for People Who Are Already Pretty Okay
    18. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Quirkz · · Score: 1

      Atari's fandom probably goes down to the low 40's, or even late 30's, for the kids that grew up with one in the house or picked up one for cheap as the market collapsed.

      But yes, there's rarely more than few minutes of staying power to any game from that era. I suppose you could milk some two-player games for a bit, if you're both drunk and/or evenly matched.

      --
      The Quirkz Handbook of Self-Improvement for People Who Are Already Pretty Okay
    19. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      I did note something interesting while playing Adventure. That is probably why I played the games for five minutes.

      After a few minutes of play I noted how my brain translated the muscle memory from, almost 40 years ago, to a different control system. I've not play Adventure in 4 decades, and then it was with a joystick. I played it through with keyboard arrow keys this time. After a few minutes of game play my brain translated the old joystick muscle memory to fit the arrow keys. I was gliding through the mazes like I had last played the game yesterday. I navigated them with no thought to it.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    20. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > The last time I tried it on one of the many Raspberry Pis I have lying about it took an hour or so and we had a nice afternoon fooling about.
      [...]
      > Certainly not something I would spend any money on though.

      You wouldn't spend any money on it, yet you installed it on a Raspberry Pi that...anyone can get for free?

      If I wanted to play those games, I'd have to first get a Pi as I never had the interest in them. Then I'd have to learn how to set it up, but again, I never had the interest, so doing so would take me a lot more than the "hour or so" that *you* needed - and I'm assuming you know your way around them since you claim to have "many lying about". You have that advantage.

      You see where I'm headed with this? If I just want to get a box, plug it in and turn it on - what little money they want for these is a no-brainer. That's how Nintendo never managed to meet demand for its NES Mini, and the SNES is always sold out whenever I ask around.

    21. Re:Nostolgia is a bad thing. by youngone · · Score: 1

      I have no ethical problem downloading and playing a 30 year old ROM. It's not like I have the option of paying for any of these old games.
      It is known as abandonware and I could not care less if it is illegal. br. I am very glad you have more money than time Mr. 1%. Personally I get pleasure from messing about with technology, it used to be a common feature of Slashdot users, but I guess things have changed.

  3. I wish him luck, but... by realmolo · · Score: 2

    I know where he is coming from. Wouldn't it be cool to have a cheap, 2D-focused console that had all kinds of old-school games for it?

    Yes, it would. But who is going to buy it? EVERY console can play those games. Every phone can play those games.

    Even if it sells for $30, there is no "killer app" for such a thing, and there never will be, because any game that would run on this thing will run on EVERYTHING else, and "everything else" is a much bigger market. So why bother making it for this system at all?

    But like I said, it's a neat idea, and I wish we lived in a world where something like this could work. But it wont'.

    1. Re:I wish him luck, but... by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's also why Nintendo's retro consoles did not sell at all.

      Oh wait.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:I wish him luck, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yes, it would. But who is going to buy it? EVERY console can play those games. Every phone can play those games.

      I don't have a smart phone, because I don't want one.

      I don't have a modern console because absolutely none of the online features appeal to me, and I don't trust the companies who make them with an internet connection. Because they'll spy on you, monetize you, and strip out features as they see fit.

      I know people who have children, who would be far happier to give them something like the $60 NES Classic instead of their damned $1000 phone.

      You are required to neither care nor buy one. But if you think nobody else will, you're a fucking idiot.

      Just because a bunch of grumpy old men are saying "yarg, teh phone and teh modern consoles is teh better and the classic is teh sux0r" doesn't mean a lot of other people aren't going "cool, where do I get it".

      So, go back to you fucking lawn, shaking your fist at the traffic and the noisy kids, shut the fuck up, and spare us your fucking melodrama -- because nobody gives a shit.

      Some of these games were infinitely more enjoyable and playable than the idiotic fucking games I see on phones which are just there to sell ads and get you to buy shit in the game.

    3. Re:I wish him luck, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The NES didn't suck. For the most part, the Atari 2600, the Intellivision, and the Colecovisions did. Yes, they were amazing for their time. That's the point. Very little about those games hold up today. Look at arcade systems of the area--for which a lot of the console games were ports or clones--if you want something that was truly amazing and for which enough actual do stand the test of time.

    4. Re: I wish him luck, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't thin you understand how this works.

      YOU are the own waving your fists screaming get off my lawn.

      New tech is way better than old tech, said no old person, ever. Get inside grandpa, it's getting late.

    5. Re:I wish him luck, but... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Proper controllers, no need to visit dodgy ROM download sites, everything just works... It's no wonder they are selling well.

      Everyone is getting in on it now. Sega has some, lots of Chinese manufacturers make them... I read that SNK might do another Neo Geo too. Atari has something coming out, there is a ZX Spectrum box...

      --
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      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    6. Re:I wish him luck, but... by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 1

      My kids just bought an N64 and a bunch of controllers and games off eBay to replace the one that their mom insisted they "donate" to a poor family 8 or 9 years ago. Basically, the games now cost as much or more than they did when new.

      --
      Do you have ESP?
    7. Re:I wish him luck, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One word. Utopia

  4. "sold millions of units over three decades" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "sold millions of units over three decades"

    Is this supposed to be impressive? The Dreamcast was a mega failure and it sold like 9 million in its short life of basically *months*...

    1. Re:"sold millions of units over three decades" by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      At the time, videogames were a lot less popular and millions of units sold was impressive.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:"sold millions of units over three decades" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no it really wasn't. Intellivision in those 3 decades only had a very short period where it was popular and successful. then a lot of failures and also rans.

    3. Re:"sold millions of units over three decades" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But back in those days your mom’s cooch was in high demand!

    4. Re:"sold millions of units over three decades" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      my mums cooch is still in high demand, just the demographic that demands it has changed a little.

  5. Do it right. No shitty software emulation. by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 2

    As long as it's not another Raspberry Pi in a retro case. If I wanted to run an emulator I'll download one for free and run it on my PC. Retro projects done right can be a source of joy and wonder. However, so many of them seem to want the cache' of retro's feel without being more than a skin-deep plastic case. FPGAs are welcome, though, as long as they keep some backwards compatibility. Anyone who thinks that is "emulation" needs to study how FPGAs work (ie.. by simulating the original components). Most of the really incredible retro projects on the scene today are full hardware reproductions or use FPGAs. My personal favorite is the Vampire Amiga accelerators which feature a blazing fast Motorola 68000 (the Apollo 080' core) implementation.

    1. Re:Do it right. No shitty software emulation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree with what you are saying, but I'm wondering what distinction you're making between emulating and simulating.

    2. Re:Do it right. No shitty software emulation. by thevirtualcat · · Score: 1

      I recently picked up an FPGA-based SNES clone. I haven't regretted it.

      I don't think it has any value as an archival medium, since it still relies on the original cartridges and once the company that makes goes away, so does their FPGA code. (Probably. They could open source it, but who knows.) For that, we have projects like bsnes/higan. (Technically an emulator, but a cycle-accurate emulator that is fully open source.)

    3. Re:Do it right. No shitty software emulation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Simulating is when someone uses the actual netlists or develops netlists on a FPGA. Its how CPUs have been developed for over 30 years, so its right down the the actual logic gates.
      For example, the netlists for the Atari Jaguar's CPUs are floating around and people have been able to get them to run on FPGA with minimal changes. Its for all intensive purposes... the actual CPU whereas emulation examines what the code is supposed to do and make assumptions about how the system is supposed to behave. There are differences, things like timing, color palettes and audio is slightly off because of it.
      It's only when developers get down to emulating the actual circuitry(cycle accurate emulation) does this go away(SNES Haigen for example).

    4. Re: Do it right. No shitty software emulation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you are talking about the super NT. Install the alternative firmware and you can load ROMs from the SD card. Games that special chips will not work. I have a sd2snes flash cart so I can play games that required the special chips.

    5. Re: Do it right. No shitty software emulation. by thevirtualcat · · Score: 1

      Yup. That's the one. And I did.

      I'm still waiting for CopySNES to support wring SaveRAM files. There are a lot SaveRAM hacks I'd like to experiment with.

    6. Re:Do it right. No shitty software emulation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *intents and purposes*

  6. Will it duplicate the voice? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    If I recall correctly, the original could not produce the "sp" sound. It always announced the startup of Space Spartans as "Ace Artans"

    1. Re:Will it duplicate the voice? by jimmifett · · Score: 1

      The new device will be infinitely better, featuring the latest Yanny/Laurel and Brainstorm/Green Needle technologies ;)

    2. Re:Will it duplicate the voice? by Alypius · · Score: 1

      I had the Intellivision 2 with the voice module, but Space Spartans was the one game it simply wouldn't play. Tried three or four different cartridges but had the same black screen of death with each. That was okay, though, because the voices on B-17 Bomber more than made up for it.

    3. Re:Will it duplicate the voice? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As soon as I bought my first house my parents sent me boxes they had in storage. One had my Intellivision 2 and games. The box is now in my basement with my C-64 + 1541 and other childhood items. Unfortunately they gave my NES to my cousins when I left.

    4. Re:Will it duplicate the voice? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I recall correctly, the original could not produce the "sp" sound. It always announced the startup of Space Spartans as "Ace Artans"

      That was probably a side effect of the compression algorithm -- in order to fit all of that voice data into the tiny cartridge, it had to be smashed way down in size and therefore lose some of the finer things like the fricative sounds involved in letters like "P".

    5. Re:Will it duplicate the voice? by wierd_w · · Score: 1

      I had the "B-17 Bomber" cartridge back in the day. The voice synthesis could most certainly produce the "s" in "Seventeen".

      It might have just been a glitch in Space Spartans.

    6. Re:Will it duplicate the voice? by Rockoon · · Score: 1

      That was probably a side effect of the compression algorithm -- in order to fit all of that voice data into the tiny cartridge, it had to be smashed way down in size and therefore lose some of the finer things like the fricative sounds involved in letters like "P".

      How cute, you think hardware of the era was fast enough to decompress audio in realtime.

      --
      "His name was James Damore."
    7. Re:Will it duplicate the voice? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, it didn't have to "decompress audio in realtime"; it just had to be sampled at a lower rate. This is what they did, according to the original developers: they had an audio lab and they spent considerable effort in compressing the voice data to fit, sometimes breaking speech samples into individual syllables, and down-sampling some of them, like the fricatives, in order to make the data fit in a 4K or 8K cartridge (that's 16-bit "Kilo-Words," not "Kilo-Bytes").

      Oh, and by the way, there was also decompression happening on software built into the ROM included in the module.

      But look at you, all so cute, talking out your ass without having any knowledge of the platform.

                -dZ.

  7. Nostalgia is NOT a bad thing by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Unlike someone else who commented I don't think 'nostalgia' is such a bad thing. Why? Because it seems that 'games' aren't so much about 'games' anymore, they're about how much money they can leech out of your wallet. I'm sure many more people than anyone realizes just wants to play a simple, non-online, non-massive-multiplayer game for fun, not make a second career out of it because it's so involved and complex; newer isn't always better, and even if newer is better it doesn't mean older and simpler things all have to be thrown in the trash and forgotten, they still have value. So you get these 'classic' game packages, no cartridges required, and unlike the old hardware it just works. Plug it into your TV and play it, no huge investment of time or money required, don't need to tie up your phone or computer with it, etc.

    1. Re: Nostalgia is NOT a bad thing by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 0

      Wow what a totally smoking-hot refutation of my argument, I'm totally and completely disarmed by your insight, were you the captain of your highschool debate team?

    2. Re: Nostalgia is NOT a bad thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nostalgia is relative to the one felling nostalgic. It matters not what it is, when we are applying generational nostalgia to technological functions such as games, we are actually inventing the nostalgia at the point of advertising. Since it is an advertising gimmick, if we apply the logic towards how we feel about nostalgia, it is more about how we feel about something we have already been sold. If one has not been sold said product, technically they are not feeling nostalgic, but they are still swept up in the advertising, thus priming them for future actions of nostalgia(advertising).

    3. Re:Nostalgia is NOT a bad thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm sure many more people than anyone realizes just wants to play a simple, non-online, non-massive-multiplayer game for fun, not make a second career out of it because it's so involved and complex...

      <raises hand>
      Even if I cared for online gaming -- I don't -- I'm far enough in the sticks that I don't have the bandwidth to accommodate it. And as OP highlights, I have zero interest in committing a huge chunk of my life to gaming. Non-connected, single-player casual gaming holds some appeal. Optional LAN support to play locally with friends would be a bonus, but strictly optional. Like games you could get around the era of Duke Nukem 3D. Not necessarily just FPS games, but things you could play alone on a standalone machine for ten minutes or a couple of hours; games where a buddy could come over with their computer (or you visit them) and you could enjoy killing some time together.

      Mandatory-online holds zero appeal.
      Mandatory multiplayer holds zero appeal.
      Mandatory hours of slogging holds zero appeal.
      Mandatory need to continually buy add-ons/expansions/DLC holds zero appeal.

    4. Re: Nostalgia is NOT a bad thing by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      Are you a politician? If not you should be, you just used an entire paragraph to say basically nothing.

    5. Re: Nostalgia is NOT a bad thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bet that's how dogs feel when we talk to them.

      This guy is or in the very near future will be your boss. Five levels up.

    6. Re:Nostalgia is NOT a bad thing by Ranbot · · Score: 1

      ...I don't think 'nostalgia' is such a bad thing. Why? Because it seems that 'games' aren't so much about 'games' anymore, they're about how much money they can leech out of your wallet..... So you get these 'classic' game packages, no cartridges required, and unlike the old hardware it just works. Plug it into your TV and play it, no huge investment of time or money required, don't need to tie up your phone or computer with it, etc.

      First, I agree that nostalgia is not necessarily a bad thing. I have indulged in my nostalgia at times... no shame. However, with all due respect I think you have some cognitive dissonance here. You say new games are "about how much money they can leech out of your wallet," but you support buying a 'classic' game package [i.e. a new product] because it doesn't tie up your phone or computer, which are products you already invested money in. These are both leeching money from consumers, just in different ways. I don't see either being inherently better than the other. YRMV...

      That said, when it comes to entertainment spending I'm a free market sort of person... it's your money/time to do what you want with; and a company is welcome to sell nostalgia if there's a market for it. Don't let the opinion of a rando online, like me, get in your way.

    7. Re: Nostalgia is NOT a bad thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol no hes a faggot

  8. Controller overlays by Train0987 · · Score: 1

    What made the Intellivision unique was the numpad controller with slide-in plastic overlays. Hard to reproduce that in an emulator

    As a kid I spent more hours on my Intellivision with the voice box than my PS3 and PS4 combined.

    B-E-E-E S-E-V-E-N-T-E-E-E-E-E-N B-O-M-M-M-B-B-B-B-B-E-R-R-R-R.....

    1. Re:Controller overlays by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Unless, since it's going to be a custom console, they'll be able to use the dirt-cheap TFT LCDs with touchscreens and built-in memory.

      So you start a game and its overlay appears on the controllers. Since the touch areas are always fixed squares in a 3x4 grid the only hard part is displaying the overlays when the game loads.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:Controller overlays by Alypius · · Score: 1

      I just read that in the original voice. Thanks.

    3. Re:Controller overlays by dissy · · Score: 2

      What made the Intellivision unique was the numpad controller with slide-in plastic overlays. Hard to reproduce that in an emulator
      As a kid I spent more hours on my Intellivision with the voice box than my PS3 and PS4 combined.

      Actually raphnet has an adapter to use Intellivision controllers with a PC via USB, was $20 I think.
      It of course mapped the keypad part to HID events, and there are places to get and print off the overlays. The only hard to source part might be an actual controller if you don't have a system still hanging around.

      If you'd like the hard DIY version, the DB9 matrix pinout they used its out there to read the controllers directly

      I'd even go so far to say the intellivision controllers were the most innovative at the time.
      I just hope they release new controllers without the fingernail removal disc :P

    4. Re:Controller overlays by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      And without the finger-destroying side buttons.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    5. Re:Controller overlays by narcc · · Score: 1

      It's not that easy even if you have one. Those controllers were hard-wired. It might not be a big deal to you or me, but it's not a project the average person is going to want to take on.

      It would be better if something like this came with its own reproduction controller.

      --
      Required reading for internet skeptics
    6. Re:Controller overlays by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And without the finger-destroying side buttons.

      Oh my god yes. That's what I mostly remember from those controllers. The side buttons were what was mainly used to perform actions, with the number pad selecting things.

    7. Re:Controller overlays by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not that easy even if you have one. Those controllers were hard-wired.

      Not the Intellivision II. Not that it mattered much.

  9. I guess he forgot but the original one sucked by kalpol · · Score: 1

    The original console was a clunky, difficult machine that required you to press buttons on controllers covered by templates that you got with the game. It was annoying. The games were pretty awesome but the platform just never really worked.

    --
    12:50 - press return.
    1. Re:I guess he forgot but the original one sucked by jimmifett · · Score: 1

      Disagree, the controller was fantastic except for the side buttons. Those fuckers hurt. The shape was awkward, but manageable for my hands at the time. A new ergonomic controller would be great. Replacing the old main buttons with something more tactile would be good.

      A disc pad on the left and a crackberry-esque set of buttons on the right, triggers to replace side buttons, now we're talking

    2. Re:I guess he forgot but the original one sucked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The original console was a clunky, difficult machine that required you to press buttons on controllers covered by templates that you got with the game

      Ohhh ... that video game ... a controller somewhere between a telephone, the original pong, and a video editing suite.

      I had been trying to remember which one it was.

      But, you know, it's probably not any worse than destroying between your thumb and forefinger with the Atari controller on that ... Olympic game? Whatever the hell it was, you had to rapidly oscillate the Atari controller to move the guy ... an absolute hand shredder.

      There was some strange shit in the 80s, it wasn't nearly as good as people seem to remember it.

    3. Re:I guess he forgot but the original one sucked by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      I'm glad I'm not the only one who hated those side buttons.

      As for your idea, that'd be an interesting controller setup and probably a lot more usable than the original ones.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  10. No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lets be clear, a wave of nostalgia has not overtaken gamers. We like well made games, what is happening is new developers are now trying to break into the market because the internet and especially steam now gives them what they always lacked a mechanism for merchandising advertising distribution and payment. New game developers have limited capabilities and work within those limitations sometimes with great success most often with failure but a learning experience.

    Again, we are not in the midst of nostalgia, nobody wants a shitty game, we want clever well made games and our bar is still set very high for that.

  11. Re:Today's Chuckle! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Q: What do you get when you cross the Muslim Brotherhood with Planet of the Apes?

    A: YOU'RE FIRED!(tm)

    TFTFY.

  12. Slight exaggerations... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A few of those things were vaporware. Did the computer expansion ever get released? Was the goofy cable modem thing available widely?

    There's very few things I'll give America Online credit for, but .. having a servicable digital distribution platform for the Atari 2600 that actually was USED (GameLine) I believe they deserve to get "first" credits for. It was widely available in the US, and also had achieved some popularity.

  13. Magnavox Odyssey 2 beat Intellivision to the punch by VicVegas · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Magnavox Odyssey 2 came out in 1978 and offered computer programming modules, wiping out the Intellivision claim of "first to be a dedicated game console and home computer."

  14. Thumbs Up! by dugrrr · · Score: 2

    So now a whole new generation will know the pain that comes from mashing that disc (especially on Lock-n-Chase). -Better yet, a new after market opportunity for the peel-&-stick joystick to avoid the pain. Jump those alligators kids!

    1. Re:Thumbs Up! by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Oh man... Lock-n-Chase. Memories.

      Here's some more memories:
      - Astrosmash
      - Night Stalker
      - Dungeons & Dragons
      - Sub Hunt
      - Bump'n Jump

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:Thumbs Up! by Alypius · · Score: 1

      I think my favorites were the Tron games, B-17 Bomber, Bomb Squad, and Microsurgeon.

  15. I remember when I was sick of Nostalgia.. by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    sign... good times. good times.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  16. Shark! Shark! by theurge14 · · Score: 1

    My very first video game at home.

    By the time my parents got me an NES I had nearly every game for the Intellivision II. The games were fantastic, but those controllers were pretty woof.

  17. Why not just buy by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    one of these

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:Why not just buy by jimmifett · · Score: 1

      It's really shitty quality. I've bought 2, one for the old man and grand kiddies, another for me. The overlays are legit, but the buttons are poor quality and can trigger a reset or other unintended action. I'm guessing the traces are too close together or some other kind of bleed over during button presses. It also doesn't hook well to modern tvs, having ancient resolution that tvs just cant play. The games themselves are solid, exactly as I remembered. The old man and I re-ignited a 40 year old Armor Battle Rivalry, and my niece, nephew, and my rug rat got in on it.

  18. Garbage system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Intellivision had probably the worst most unreliable controller I've ever used. Let it die.

  19. Re:Today's Chuckle! by Alypius · · Score: 2

    Oh c'mon, that was funny...

  20. B-17 BOMB-BER by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    BANDITS, NINE O CLOCK!

    1. Re:B-17 BOMB-BER by Alypius · · Score: 2

      That was NOT the target!

  21. Want to see a really cool console? by NormalVisual · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Bring back the Vectrex. Mine still works just fine (as does my 2600), and there was *nothing* like it in the home gaming scene, before or since. It'd be horribly expensive to produce now, but I think the vector graphics would interest some folks that find the 2600, Intellivision, etc. rather pedestrian, particularly if they could offer higher resolution and a color CRT with games that could take advantage of it.

    --
    Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas
    1. Re:Want to see a really cool console? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      color CRT

      I don't know of anyone who makes CRT tubes in bulk anymore, anywhere in the world.
      The electron guns are insanely expensive to make, the special glass is insanely expensive to make and mold, winding and troubleshooting each flyback was essentially art not to mention a ton of other problems.
      You'd be looking at $1000+ EACH TUBE if you could find anyone who still has the equipment.

    2. Re:Want to see a really cool console? by NormalVisual · · Score: 1

      I did say it would be expensive, but CRTs are still readily available from a number of manufacturers. Also, vector scan displays don't have a flyback transformer.

      --
      Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas
    3. Re:Want to see a really cool console? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about a laser projector that beam on the wall, instead? ;)

      CYA

    4. Re:Want to see a really cool console? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A neighbor of mine had one, with a couple cartridges for it. It was the only one I'd ever seen in real life. It was very neat though, I loved playing it.

  22. b-52 bomber! by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    b-52 bomber!

    1. Re:b-52 bomber! by narcc · · Score: 1

      B-17 Bomber

      --
      Required reading for internet skeptics
    2. Re:b-52 bomber! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      B-26 Bingo!

  23. IT WON'T BE EEE ZEE by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    IT WON'T BE EEE ZEE.

  24. As long as I can play GTA on it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdHG5-K8E1E

  25. B-17 NIG-GER by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    NEGROES, NINE O CLOCK!

  26. as a 50 year old... by argStyopa · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...I'll just tell you now that Intellivision SUCKED.

    I never had any of the game systems - Atari, Colecovision, Intellivision, etc but played them incessantly at friends houses.

    And NOBODY wanted to go over any play Kelly's intellivision. Nobody. The controllers sucked so bad.

    --
    -Styopa
    1. Re:as a 50 year old... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      See, now you have ruined my childhood console-lust. Thanks a lot. I had a 2600 and oh my i lusted after the Intellivision when it came out. Never had one. Wanted one soooo bad. Used to bike over to K-mart (I think it was K-mart) just to look at them with awe and wonder. Graphics looked so good next to the 2600.

      Now you come along and tell me they actually sucked. Retroactively rain on my parade why don't ya.

      Thanks a lot man.

    2. Re:as a 50 year old... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is true the controllers did suck.

      The graphics were better but the controller sucked.

    3. Re:as a 50 year old... by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 1

      Note to mods: this is "informative", not "funny".

      All the claims about being the first everything are a bit suspect, too. I'm pretty sure the TI-994a beat them to voice in video games.

      --
      Do you have ESP?
  27. Re:Tommy Tallarico Trivia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why was this downvoted it is all true
    excepting #5

  28. Spaaaaace Spartans! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nothing like having your ship fall apart around you.

    Casually spoken by Intellivoice.
    Shields, 2/3 down.
    Engery level, 500.
    Hyperdrive, destroyed.

    The computer status report in that game was relentless.

  29. The good old days by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    Remember the good old days when nostalgia was better, like The Wonder Years.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  30. Re:Magnavox Odyssey 2 beat Intellivision to the pu by kackle · · Score: 1

    Magnavox Odyssey 2 came out in 1978 and offered computer programming modules, wiping out the Intellivision claim of "first to be a dedicated game console and home computer."

    Which may be the reason I'm sitting here as a firmware engineer today.

    Also, I can't find the exact dates with a quick Googling, but the O2's voice module supposedly came out in 1982 as well.

  31. Nifty... by Chemical+Serenity · · Score: 1

    Will I be able to play "B-17 BALLLLLMER" again?

    --
    "People will pay big bucks for the luxury of ignorance."