Before Sony vs. Microsoft, before Nintendo vs. Sega, the video game console war of the early 1980s was waged between Intellivision and Atari. Silent for decades, it now looks like that battleground is about to be active once again. Not to be left in the dust after Atari's announcement of the VCS, Intellivision has now revealed it also plans to jump back in the ring with a brand new console of its own.
The first Intellivision home video game console was released in the US in 1979, and dominated the market for a few years before the industry crashed in 1983. Although it bounced back a bit afterwards, the company lost ground to competitors in the mid to late 80s and the console was eventually discontinued in 1990. While it isn't exactly a household name nowadays, the word "Intellivision" can still invoke a misty-eyed look in a certain subset of gamers.
Hoping to cash in on that nostalgia, the company is now looking to release a brand new games console. Exactly what form that might take is still very much up in the air, but Intellivision has said it wants to "carry on the company tradition of 'firsts' with its new concept, design and approach to gaming," and focus on four buzzwords in particular: simple, affordable, family and fun.
Despite the nostalgic appeal of the brand, it sounds like Intellivision wants to do something new, rather than just repackage the classics. That implies that rather than a classic mini-console like those from Nintendo, Sega and Commodore 64, the new Intellivision device might be more like Atari's upcoming VCS, which will not only come preloaded with over 100 old-school favorites but also be able to play modern titles with 4K visuals.
For those eager to find out more, Intellivision will hold a live event on Facebook on May 31 to discuss the project, and more details will be unveiled at E3 in a few weeks' time. The full reveal is scheduled for October 1 this year, and the first 100,000 people to sign up to a newsletter on the website will be able to purchase a Limited Edition model.
Source: Intellivision Entertainment
