The next PlayStation and Xbox are confirmed to be in the works at Sony and Microsoft, but the more interesting upcoming consoles might just be those from 80s relics like Atari and Intellivision. The latter has now fleshed out its plans to get back in the game with the Amico, its new console that, we have to say, is a strange beast indeed.
The company first announced in May that it planned to get back into hardware, but exactly what form that would take remained murky until now. Like Atari's upcoming VCS, the Intellivision Amico seems to be very much focused on nostalgia while updating it with a few modern concessions. Although the only visuals so far are sketches and 3D renders, the Amico looks like a sleek, curvy trapezoid with two controllers perched on top. To younger eyes they may look like first-generation iPods, but those who grew up playing Intellivision will instantly recognize the classic controllers. The 16-directional pad returns, but the rows of numbered buttons have been replaced by a 3.5-in color touchscreen. The four buttons on the sides also make a return. A few new additions give them some of the perks of Nintendo Wii remotes – a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer enable motion control schemes, and force feedback is in there too. The controllers can also be used in vertical or horizontal positions, or flipped around to suit left- and right-handed players. There's also a speaker and microphone onboard. Instead of being connected to the console by the curly cords of yesteryear, the new controllers connect via Bluetooth and recharge wirelessly when docked. While that seems like a logical upgrade to make, we're not sure how (if at all) the controllers will be useable while they're charging. But Intellivision may have an interesting workaround – a mobile app can apparently turn phones into extra controllers. Not only could you resort to that while the main ones are charging, but it also allows up to eight players to jump into a game at once.
