Intellivision® Entertainment reveals Amico™ gaming concept
Almost 40 years after the release of the original Intellivision® home video game system which helped to redefine the video game industry, Intellivision® Entertainment is proud to carry on its “Legacy of Firsts” by announcing the brand new revolutionary family home video game console named Amico™ to be released on October 10th, 2020 (1010 2020). Amico is the Italian word for “friend” or “buddy” and encapsulates an element of the approach and dynamics for what makes the new console so unique and an exciting addition to everyone’s family.
Client
- Intellivision® Entertainment
Industry
- Consumer
Capabilities
- Product Design
- Prototyping
Design Central worked with Intellivision to develop the family-friendly product design concepts of Amico in preparation for its concept launch at the 2018 October Portland Retro Gaming Expo. “We are creating a console that parents WANT to buy, not that they are asked to buy,” stated Intellivision president and 30 year industry veteran Tommy Tallarico during his keynote address at the Expo. “Most every home console(s) these days is created with only the hardcore gamer in mind. We see a world where everyone is interested in playing at home. Our goal is 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.”
Intellivision approached Design Central for help in visually communicating specific technological features in the console such as state of the art 21st-century 2D image processing and graphics capability, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, HDMI video output, multiple USB ports, and a system expansion interface while maintaining a design that is family-friendly in look and feel. The essence of the original 1979 console will to be maintained by housing the controllers within the top of the console and creating space for licensing, bringing a key historical component of Intellivision’s gaming history to the company’s hardware.
Intellivision wants to maintain the iconic controller disc and its location on the controller. The controller will be improved ergonomically to enable the user to sustain long periods of intense gaming and provide responsive tactile feedback. The controller will also offer features such as color touchscreens, a gyroscope and accelerometer, force feedback, a speaker and microphone and more.
Design Central will work with Intellivision to create full design and mechanical engineering detail of the system and development kits for game developers. A combined team will determine what consumer testing and research are required to validate the design and engineering direction. Design Central will then continue the final of the product to launch Amico on October 10, 2020.