In the future in 1979, throughout Christmas break, I sneaked into my mother and father’ bed room whereas they have been away, hoping to catch a glimpse of what “Santa” is perhaps bringing. I used to be sure that this was the yr I’d obtain the Atari 2600 I had been begging for each Christmas and birthday over the previous two years. I slid open the closet door ever so quietly, paranoid that they could hear me, though they have been miles away on the time.
Among the many varied purchasing baggage holding what was clearly Christmas loot ready to be wrapped, I noticed a big field marked “Intellivision.”
It was in contrast to something I had ever seen earlier than. Clearly, it was a gaming system – I may inform from the handfuls of screenshots adorning the field. Nonetheless, it wasn’t the Atari 2600. “Nice,” I assumed sarcastically. “Mother and Dad opted for a budget knock-off…”
I had little interest in taking part in it – I needed an Atari or nothing. Nonetheless, a couple of days later, whereas my mother and father have been out once more, curiosity received the higher of me. I went again to the closet, rigorously famous the field’s orientation, after which took it out for a better inspection. Not one of the screenshots resembled video games I acknowledged, however the graphics appeared significantly better than these of the Atari’s.
I meticulously peeled again the seal, guaranteeing I may reseal it, and systematically unboxed it to make sure every thing might be returned to its unique state. I used to be decided to do this system out.
To my shock, I beloved it, though I solely received to play the Blackjack sport that got here with it. Throughout a second secretive session, I had the possibility to check out the formally licensed “Superior Dungeons and Dragons” sport. The disk pad controller required some adjustment, however the gameplay utterly gained me over.
To at the present time, I nonetheless argue with my cousins that my Intellivision was higher than their Atari. Nonetheless, whereas Atari went on to make different extra highly effective programs, Intellivision quietly disappeared. What ever occurred to the model that hooked me on console gaming greater than 40 years in the past?
The mission: To beat Atari
The mission was clear: to outshine Atari. It was the peak of the second era of console gaming, when Mattel launched its Intellivision “Grasp Part” in 1979 for $275, a steep value on the time (equal to $1,246 in 2024 when adjusted for inflation).
Atari had already revived an trade flooded with first-gen Pong knockoffs by releasing the Atari 2600 in 1977. The 2-year headstart gave Atari a definite benefit because it snatched up a big slice of the market. Licensing offers for video video games that have been hits within the arcades, together with Namco’s Pac-Man, House Invaders, and Konami’s Frogger, would cement the console’s maintain within the trade.
That is to not say that the Intellivision lacked nice unique and licensed video games. Mattel licensed Pac-Man and it was far superior on its platform, which we’ll get to in a second. However the console additionally featured some extremely addictive video games that stored me taking part in properly previous my bedtime.
One in every of my favorites was Superior Dungeons & Dragons. As an enormous fan of tabletop D&D, the Intellivision online game rapidly topped my listing. Mattel licensed it from TSR, however the sport was basically an unique idea. In reality, it was the primary ever D&D online game. I appreciated it for its resemblance to the tabletop model, providing a quicker tempo with out the necessity for cube rolling.
Astrosmash was one other standout unique IP. It mixed components of House Invaders and Asteroids. Regardless of the chunky graphics, they have been nonetheless superior to something obtainable on Atari. The sport tempo began off slowly, permitting gamers to get the dangle of it, however the issue ramped up considerably after about 20 ranges. It was the primary sport I ever mastered and will play indefinitely.
A couple of years later, Mattel launched the Intellivoice “voice synthesis module” together with a collection of suitable video games. One of the best of the bunch was B-17 Bomber. It was a simple sport targeted on dropping bombs from the bomb bay. Nonetheless, the spotlight of the sport was the voice, which may greatest be described as a robotic with a Tennessee accent. To at the present time, I am unable to assist however snort once I consider that voice.
Mattel Electronics started growing a gaming system referred to as Intellivision in 1977, the identical yr that the Atari 2600 launched. It will take two years earlier than Mattel was able to launch the system and solely 5 extra earlier than abandoning the model. Nonetheless, it made such an impression that the long-lasting console was by no means forgotten and is, in reality, making a comeback.
Certainly, Mattel meant to offer Atari a run for its cash, and the delayed launch allowed it to outshine the 2600 with extra refined graphics and higher audio.
An instance of Intellivision’s superior efficiency is seen when evaluating its Pac-Man port with the Atari 2600’s (above and beneath). As you may see, Mattel managed a reasonably trustworthy copy of Namco’s arcade hit. Atari? Not a lot…
What set Intellivision aside from Atari was its processor. The Atari 2600 used an 8-bit MOS Know-how 6507 operating at 1.19 MHz, whereas Mattel geared up the Intellivision with a 16-bit 2 MHz CP1600, developed in partnership between Normal Devices and Honeywell in 1975.
What’s stunning is that 16-bit machines would not change into widespread till two extra console generations had handed. Moreover, the Intellivision featured a three-channel sound chip, permitting for superior music and sound results. Mattel highlighted these benefits by way of a sequence of print and TV ads that includes George Plimpton, which supplied side-by-side comparisons of the 2 consoles (see beneath).
The superior efficiency of the Intellivision led to its heat reception, with Mattel promoting out its whole first-year manufacturing run of 175,000 items. The next yr, gross sales reached 200,000 items. In 1981, Mattel elevated manufacturing and bought over a million consoles. By 1983, gross sales had exceeded 3 million items – a exceptional achievement for a gaming system that was priced increased than an computerized dishwasher on the time.
The one factor working towards the Intellivision, other than its price, have been the controllers. Most gamers have been accustomed to the usage of joysticks and one or two buttons, mirroring the arcade expertise. Atari caught with custom when designing the CX-40, a simple single-button joystick. In distinction, Mattel adopted a radically totally different method, producing a controller that extra carefully resembled a tv distant than a standard sport controller.
The Intellivision featured two wired controllers that docked on the console’s high. Every controller boasted a 16-directional disc on the base, a 12-button keypad on the entrance, and two aspect inputs.
Whereas the design allowed builders so as to add extra interfacing choices to their video games, it additionally required plastic overlays that slid in over the keypad to show what every button did. These would usually get bent and change into annoying to insert. The disk was additionally arduous on the thumb because the pores and skin would inevitably rub uncooked on the raised plastic encircling the pad.
The keyboard element and different dangerous concepts
What’s in a reputation? Mattel’s gaming system was generally known as merely “the Intellivision.” Nonetheless, as the corporate licensed the console out, it fell below different monikers.
As an example, Sears referred to as it “Tremendous Video Arcade,” and Radio Shack branded it “Tandyvision One.” Nonetheless, Mattel’s unique designation of “Intellivision Grasp Part” had a big which means as a result of it was meant to be the core of a complete different system meant to convey dwelling computer systems to the patron.
Sarcastically, this imaginative and prescient turned out to be a part of Mattel’s failure within the gaming sector.
The corporate meant to launch a keyboard element shortly after the Grasp Part launch. Mattel introduced the 2 merchandise throughout CES 1979 in Las Vegas. The “Keyboard Part,” because it was formally referred to as, was large. Mattel designed it in order that the Grasp Part would connect inside it. It was so large that its inner codename was the “Blue Whale.”
Mattel needed to launch the Keyboard Part in the summertime of 1980 for a similar value because the Grasp Part ($275). Nonetheless, it was plagued with delays. By December 1979, the corporate had decided that the manufacturing prices have been too excessive and tasked engineers with utterly redesigning the internals.
By late 1980, Mattel lastly had an nearly accomplished product to launch right into a check market in Fresno, California. “Nearly accomplished” as a result of it launched with solely the BASIC Programming cartridge moderately than the software program promised within the tv advertisements it had already run (beneath). It is unclear how properly it carried out in that check market, but it surely probably did not do properly as a result of it will be one other yr of labor earlier than the keyboard would see one other trial launch.
Within the fall of 1981, Mattel carried out a restricted launch of the Keyboard Part in Seattle and New Orleans at a whopping $600 – greater than twice its initially marketed value. Nonetheless, the value level was not wholly unreasonable, contemplating the gadget was not only a peripheral.
The Keyboard Part had an 8-bit 6502 processor, which gave customers a dual-processor laptop when mixed with the Grasp Part. The 2 processors may act independently, creating one thing like a composite graphical output. That’s to say, the 6502 may output a “high-resolution” 40×24 textual content overlay on high of the CP1610’s graphics.
The Keyboard Part additionally had 16KB of shared RAM, which doesn’t appear to be a lot by at the moment’s requirements, however contemplating a median Intellivision cartridge was 4K, it was appreciable. The gadget additionally had a four-track built-in cassette tape drive with high-speed indexing, two growth ports for peripherals, a RAM growth port (as much as 64KB), and a microphone jack.
It was a wonderful dwelling computing answer on the time, and regardless of its obscene value level and the shortage of software program, it may have accomplished properly. In reality, many households purchased the Grasp Part intending to choose up the keyboard on launch. When Mattel did not ship the gadget when marketed, clients complained. The FTC grew to become concerned and opened an investigation into Mattel for false promoting and fraud.
In mid-1982, the FTC dominated that Mattel was to pay a high-quality each month till the Keyboard Part was totally launched. Mattel then canceled the gadget. As a part of the FTC settlement, Mattel purchased again all items it had bought to check markets.
Those that selected to maintain the Keyboard Part needed to signal a waiver acknowledging they understood no different software program can be launched for it. They have been additionally given vouchers price $1,000 in Mattel Electronics merchandise. Nonetheless, the FTC nonetheless needed to see a launched gadget earlier than easing up on the fines. Luckily, Mattel had an ace within the gap.
The struggles of the Keyboard Part created a rift in Mattel’s higher administration. When the division did not launch something by 1981, they started to fret that the gadget would by no means be marketable. In order that they arrange a separate secret division tasked with creating a less expensive and extra worthwhile machine. It was an introductory laptop programming system for teenagers referred to as the “Primary Growth System.” Designers stored the work secret as a result of administration feared that Keyboard Part head David Chandler would attempt to snuff the work.
Codenamed LUCKI (Low Consumer-Price Keyboard Interface), the gadget removed the dearer components utilized in its rival system. It lowered the RAM from 16KB to 2KB and ditched the secondary processor and the high-resolution textual content. It additionally went with a a lot easier cassette and printer interface. It plugged into the aspect of the Grasp Part like a cartridge with a pass-through port on the other aspect for sport carts (or peripherals just like the Intellivoice pictured above).
The outcome was considerably like a really unsophisticated Keyboard Part, with a built-in BASIC programming language that was very restricted in what it may do. Nonetheless, it was sufficient to get the FTC off Mattel’s again, in order that they modified the title to the Leisure Laptop System (ECS). It started advertising and marketing efforts throughout the 1982 vacation season and confirmed off the system at CES 1983. Earlier than the tip of that spring, the ECS launched below a brand new title, the Intellivision Laptop Module, and the FTC stopped the month-to-month fines.
Sadly, administration had change into disenchanted with providing {hardware} add-ons and determined to focus solely on software program. So earlier than the ECS may also have a likelihood, Mattel pulled its advertising and marketing funds and stopped all additional growth of upgrades already in progress. In the long run, the system solely had about six software program titles launched, with a couple of others that have been accomplished however by no means launched.
Earlier than giving up, Mattel had had many different irons within the fireplace the place {hardware} was involved. For instance, it efficiently launched a follow-up to the Grasp Part referred to as “Intellivision II.”
It was the identical as the unique, apart from its lowered dimension and decrease manufacturing price. It additionally launched the Intellivoice module, which added voice synthesis to some video games, but it surely by no means caught traction. It broke floor on a first-of-a-kind on-line sport supply service operated by way of cable TV service suppliers, but it surely flopped because of excessive backend prices and {hardware} limitations.
The Intellivision III and IV have been in varied planning and growth levels, however neither noticed the sunshine of day.
The online game crash of 1983 in the end led to the shutdown of the Intellivision division. In 1984, Mattel bought the rights and property to a bunch of former Mattel executives and buyers. This group shaped the INTV Company, which continued to help and develop the Intellivision model till 1990. That yr, the INTV Company declared chapter, and the Intellivision model was formally discontinued.
Retro revival: Intellivision Lives (on) and the Amico challenge
Regardless of chucking up the sponge in 1990, that was not the final we might hear from the Intellivision model. In 1997, former Intellivision programmers Keith Robinson and Stephen Roney purchased all rights, together with video games, and shaped Intellivision Productions.
The corporate ported the video games to MSDOS and launched Intellivision for PC Quantity 1. It was a free obtain that included three video games and an emulator. They adopted up with volumes 2 and three and expanded the emulation to Home windows and Macintosh. The next yr the corporate launched Intellivision Lives!, adopted by Intellivision Rocks in 2001. These compilations included over 100 emulated video games on CD for DOS, Home windows, and Mac.
Consoles additionally noticed varied Intellivision compilations. In a licensing cope with Intellivision Productions, Activision launched Intellivision Classics for the PlayStation in 1999. Likewise, Crave Leisure ported Intellivision Lives! to the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.
Different publishers introduced variations of Intellivision Lives! to the Nintendo DS and the Xbox 360.
The surge in retro gaming additionally noticed a miniature console hit the market in 2014. Known as the Intellivision Flashback, the system had 60 on-board video games and two full-size controllers that have been precise replicas of the unique Intellivision.
In 2018, veteran online game music composer Tommy Tallarico introduced he had acquired the Intellivision model and shaped Intellivision Leisure. Later that yr, he unveiled the Intellivision Amico, a next-gen model of the beloved console. Make no mistake. The Amico was not meant to compete with the likes of the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Sequence.
For a time, issues seemed to be going very properly. The Amico was proven to be a retro system based mostly on funds Android-level {hardware} (8-core Snapdragon SoC, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage with microSD growth, 1080p HDMI output), greater than able to operating retro video games and considerably extra superior than the unique Grasp Part. A slick reimagined design in a smaller type issue with arguably pointless however cool LED lighting seemed good. The controllers harken again to the originals, however the disc pad is extra superior, and designers changed the bodily quantity pad with an LED display.
The video games introduced for the Amico, whereas retro in fashion, have been fashionable in substance. Classics reminiscent of Astrosmash, Superior Dungeons and Dragons (renamed Cloudy Mountain), Biplanes, and even Missile Command have been to be revived with attractive new coats of paint and up to date gameplay mechanics.
The challenge raised over $11 million. Initially, the retro video games have been anticipated to price round $8, and the console was to retail for $180 with a launch date in October 2020. However that did not occur. Nor did subsequent rescheduled launch dates. By 2021, updates indicated that the console would pre-order for $250 – $300, and video games would price $20, diverging from the preliminary promise of exclusivity and affordability.
Finally, the Intellivision Amico challenge encountered insurmountable challenges. In November 2023, Intellivision acknowledged inadequate funds to finance the console’s manufacturing. As a substitute, they launched a cellular app referred to as Amico Dwelling, enabling gameplay of few Amico titles on Android units, with an iOS launch deliberate. Nonetheless, the appliance obtained criticism for its lack of content material high quality and the requirement for 2 units for gameplay – one to behave because the show and one other because the controller.
Regardless of preliminary enthusiasm from over 9,000 individuals who positioned refundable $100 deposits, reviving a traditional model in at the moment’s gaming panorama proved to be an amazing problem. If something, the Amico challenge’s journey is a testomony to the enduring love for retro gaming and the group’s want to see beloved classics reborn.
TechSpot’s Gone However Not Forgotten Sequence
The story of key {hardware} and electronics corporations that at one level have been leaders and pioneers within the tech trade, however are actually defunct. We cowl essentially the most outstanding a part of their historical past, improvements, successes and controversies.