Back in 2018, Intellivision rocked the world with their retro console concept. They promised gamers an amazing experience, and followed it up with a successful fund raising campaign, with lots of interested gamers putting up a refundable $100 deposit. Millions were raised, and the world waited with bated breath to see what Intellivision was going to cook up.
But from there, everything went downhill. The company met disaster after disaster, but there was no update about the Amico console. People started getting restless, and finally lost interest. Some even forgot about the console and moved on to better things. But now, it looks like Intellivision has an update about the Amico, and it is this – They need more money to make the console happen.
Knowing that another round of crowd funding will need something compelling, Intellivision has revealed a plan. The company has launched the beta versions of an app that is said to mimic the experience of their Amico console on an Android or iOS smartphone. But it is not straightforward. To make the app work, you will need two smartphones running the app. One smartphone display will show you the game, while the second smartphone will become the controller. If the hardware allows, you can connect the first smartphone to an HDMI cable and play the game on a bigger display.
At the moment, there are only two games available for the Amico home app, and they are
- Missile Command (1980)
- Astrosmash (1981)
Now, if this was a free app with two games to play, it would have been acceptable, but Intellivision has put a $15 price tag on the same, and that is where they stand to lose. The app itself is completely buggy and does not deliver on any of the promises that the company has put forward with the app delivery. Intellivision hopes that the app catches traction and hopefully generates the money they require to bring the Amico retro console to life.
It is going to be an uphill task and we just don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel for Intellivision.
