About the Console

What does “Amico” mean and how do you pronounce it?

Amico (aˈmiko) means “friend” or “buddy” in Italian. 

Who is the target audience for Amico?

Amico’s audience is everyone who wants to have fun playing simple pick-up and play video games with their friends and family or on their own. Our games are designed to allow people of different ages and skill levels to have fun playing together, as well as great single-player modes. Amico is a great option for family game night, including party games and board games the whole family will enjoy. All of the above, plus our action games and competitive modes, will make Amico fit right into a traditional gamer’s circle of friends as well!

When will Amico be available?

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our company, timelines, and most importantly, our people. We are working extremely hard to get Amico into your hands, but like many companies today, we are dealing with an on-going supply shortage of components and a global logistics slowdown. We are constantly pushing our vendors and suppliers to help us bring Amico to life as soon as possible.

What will be the price of Amico?

The console, which includes two controllers and 6 games, is priced starting at $249 USD.

What is included with the Amico console?

Inside the box you will receive the Amico console, two controllers, and 6 FREE premium games – everything you need to start playing by yourself or with friends and family right away.

I have a big family and lots of friends - will I be able to get more Amico controllers?

The maximum number of players depends on the game. Most action games support up to 4 players. Amico itself supports up to 8 players, with a maximum of 4 Amico controllers and the rest filled in with mobile phone controllers with our free mobile controller app. Turn based games like card, dice and board games are most likely to support up to 8 players (or more).

When you say Amico is family-friendly, what do you mean?

We take our family-friendly focus very seriously. All Amico games will be ESRB E10+ or below (PEGI 7 or below in Europe), and contain no graphic violence/blood, bad language, or sexual content. In addition, our games will not include loot boxes, in-app purchases, paid DLC, ads, or any other predatory practices often seen on other gaming platforms. Plus, all of our games will support both multiplayer and players of all skill levels, encouraging families and friends, young and old to play together. In short, we seek to bring families and friends together with gaming; this promotes family-time, togetherness, positive reinforcement, social interaction, and clean, safe fun for everyone!

Will Amico be available in multiple colors?

Amico will be widely available in Glacier White and Graphite Black. Certain Special Edition versions will be available at select retailers, including Vintage Woodgrain, GTO Red, and Galaxy Purple.

Amico does not look like most video game consoles - why is that?

The Amico design is intentional! Amico is the only console on the market that provides 100% family-friendly content, a simple-to-use system, high-quality games, affordable prices, and games designed for every type of gamer, including young, old, casual, and hardcore. We are different, and we want our console to let people know that right away!

The Amico controllers do not look like other game systems’ controllers - why is that?

Amico games are designed for players of all ages and skill levels. We want ALL people who love games to enjoy gaming together on Amico, from hardcore gamers, to kids, parents, and grandparents. After extensive user testing, we found the controller design approachable by all of these groups – and that became the Amico controller. With motion controls, a simple directional disc, a touch screen, and side buttons, players of all kinds can have fun with Amico.

Can I purchase extra controllers?

Yes! Extra controllers will be sold separately in a variety of colors.

How can I recharge my controller?

Controllers can be recharged using the docking cradle on the console or via USB-C cable. For safety reasons, do not play games which support motion controls while charging the controller.

How does motion control work?

Smartphones and Amico controllers contain similar devices that detect rotation and acceleration. The gyroscope device detects changes in the controller’s rotation while the accelerometer device detects the acceleration from gravity and the acceleration from your positional movement of the controller.

Together, these two sensors allow Amico to estimate the orientation and position of the controller over time based on an initial assumed (or established) orientation and position. This allows games like Cornhole or Darts to throw virtual game objects based on your real world movement of the controller. Our Evel Knievel game lets you tilt your airborne motorcycle by simply tilting your controller.

How does the disc control games and register input? Does it vary among games?

The disc sends directional input to the game, providing 64 possible directions around the circle. The disc spins and tilts about its center, but spinning alone does not create any input. The disc must be pressed/tilted towards the outer radius of the disc to generate input. It doesn’t take much pressure to register input, but the pressure you apply is measured and sent to the game along with the direction. Some games may use the direction and pressure input while others may only use the direction. The spinning aspect of the disc makes it easier and more comfortable to change directions smoothly without having to lift your thumb.

Controller Vibration/Haptic Feedback

The Amico controller (and smartphones and tablets) contain a device that can vibrate under control of the device’s software. Games tell the controller when to engage this device and what pattern and strength of vibration to use in order to enhance the experience of play with physical feedback based on the action in the game.

How does the touch screen work for user input?

The Amico controller touchscreen is used in different ways by different games. In Missile Command it works as a track-pad where moving your finger on the touchscreen controls your aiming cursor on the TV screen. In Finnigan Fox and Moon Patrol, most of the touchscreen area acts as one big jump button. Most games also use the touchscreen to display information, hints and options and to allow the selection of buttons or other user interface elements.

How does having a screen display on Amico controllers change the way we play games on the Amico?

The controller’s color display enables unique game mechanics not available on any other game platform. Imagine playing card games, dice games, board games, and party games, where each player has their own information displayed on their own controller. Imagine, selecting different plays in a sports game or mixing potions on your controller screen for RPGs. All of these things are possible with Amico games.

We also use the display to give specific hints to players who have fallen behind to help them catch up. For example, they get a special hint to where that next power-up may be found. Features like on-screen inventory items, maps, special game instructions, switching characters/vehicles during a game – these are all possible and are being utilized in Amico games.

Additionally, the display is also a capacitive touch-screen. This means you can interact with the display by touching and swiping to select buttons, change settings or send input to the game. This is the same technology that is on smartphones and tablets, except instead of glass, we use polycarbonate for the entire face of the controller--super strong, difficult to scratch, and very touch-sensitive.

For some games, you can use the color touchscreen like a trackpad on a laptop to control a pointer on the TV, which works great for a game like Missile Command. And for some games, the entire screen becomes the “jump” button, although there are also big comfortable shoulder buttons for action games as well.

The controller also has a gyroscope and accelerometer (for motion-controlled games), a speaker, a microphone, haptic force feedback and interactive LED lights on all four shoulder buttons, as well as around the disc.

It really is a versatile controller and we’re using it to create very unique experiences that could not be done on any other console or mobile device on the market.

Can the controller screen display images or animations?

Amico games can direct the controller’s touchscreen to display custom color images and animation that pertain to the game. They can also trigger sound effects and vibration on the controller. This unique display feature of Amico controllers allows games to show private information to each player, such as your hand of cards in a card game.

Will we have the ability to play dedicated games on the controller screen itself?

There are no current plans to support dedicated games on the controller that play independently from connection to a console game.

The controller is designed to support gameplay on the console, and the touchscreen is designed to support interactions with the game and other players that are not possible without it. For example, the controller screen can display private cards in a card game, your secret in-game hint, and the like.

There are some Amico games that implement mini-games on the controller screen that are played independently on the controller as part of the main game on Amico. But the controller must remain connected to Amico to play the mini-game on the controller.

How many controllers/phones can be used together at a time? What are the limitations?

Up to four Amico controllers can connect to a console at any one time, plus an additional four smartphones running the Amico controller app, for a total of eight controllers at the same time. Amico controllers are connected via Bluetooth, while smartphones and tablets connect via WiFi. If fewer than four Amico controllers are connected, additional smartphone controllers can be used, up to a total of eight controllers.

Most action games support up to four players, but turn-based games such as trivia and board games can support up to eight players, each with their own controller. Some party games, like Emoji Charades, support even more than eight players as active participants without controllers are also able to participate.

Is it true that I can take my controller to a friend’s house and play my games on their Amico?

We believe that sharing the games that you own is a natural and desirable way to spread the joy of Amico. Amico will be incorporating a sharing feature to make it easy to share your digital library by using your Amico controller as a physical key to unlock your games on a friend’s Amico. Simply dock your controller on your friend’s Amico to establish communication. Your games can now be downloaded and played for up to 24 hours while your controller is connected. After the sharing time expires, your controller must reconnect with your home Amico to re-enable its ability to share your games.

How does using the phone as a controller work with the app/console?

An Android or iOS smartphone or tablet (that is on the same WiFi network as Amico) may be used as a controller by first installing the free Amico Controller app. When the app is launched it attempts to find an Amico over the WiFi network. It automatically connects if it finds only one, or it presents a selection-list if more than one Amico is found.

Once connected, the app simulates the Amico Controller with a virtual disc, virtual buttons, and a virtual touchscreen area.

Is there online cooperative or versus play on the system?

Amico was designed to bring family and friends together to enjoy games side-by-side and to enjoy each other’s company in person. There are no plans for online play on Amico at this time. However you will have the ability to compete for high scores with Amico’s online leaderboards. We are also planning to allow Amico owners to set up their own personal leaderboards with friends and family from around the world.

How do Online Leaderboards work?

When Online Leaderboards become available, they will be an opt-in feature that is enabled in the Leaderboards menu of the Amico Home Menu. When active, any game’s local leaderboard will also be reported to the online leaderboards. The local leaderboards are viewed in-game. The online leaderboards (and local leaderboards) can be viewed in the Leaderboards menu. The online leaderboard views can be filtered to specific regions such as state/province, country or the whole world, and they can also be filtered to show specific date ranges. People with the highest scores for the month, year and regions will receive a digital certificate of their accomplishment and a unique digital achievement indicator in their profile.

Can I stream Hulu, Netflix, etc. on my Amico?

Amico does not support movie streaming services at this time.

Is there a way gamers can record/stream their gameplay?

Amico does not directly support streaming or recording. Amico uses HDMI for its display output. This normally connects directly to your TV. However, there are third-party devices that allow splitting an HDMI output into multiple HDMI outputs, so the display can appear on your TV and also be sent to a computer to be recorded or streamed. If you search on YouTube for “How to record gameplay with HDMI”, you will find multiple videos describing various solutions with various types of third party hardware.

Do you have to always be connected to the Internet to play games on Amico?

No, an Internet connection is only required when you are downloading games, utilizing the online store, or when running a system update. Amico is the perfect game console for those who have slow or limited Internet connections.

How much memory capacity does the Amico have?

The Amico has 32GB of internal memory with expansion ability via SD card and USB.

How much internal memory does each controller have?

Amico controllers have 8MB of internal memory as well as 16MB of Flash memory. The internal memory is used to run the controller’s operating system as well as store any game-specific assets to handle the user interaction. The Flash memory is used as permanent storage to hold the controller’s own operating system and to serve as a cache for game-related assets so that they do not need to be transmitted to the controller every time you play a game.

Will the Amico power plug work in my country?

In some countries we will have the correct plug built into the console. However the Amico power supply is multi-voltage, so in the event we do not have the native plug for your country, you would simply have to buy an adaptor or cable for your region to plug into your outlet.

How does RFID work?

RFID stands for Radio-Frequency Identification. RFID is a technology that allows a computer equipped with an RFID reader to get information from an RFID chip embedded in a card or product that is held near the reader (within a few inches).

Amico is equipped with an RFID reader so it can read information from RFID chips, such as the RFID cards from Boxed Edition Games. That is how Amico lets you install a Boxed Edition Game without having to manually enter a code. The reader location is marked on Amico with an RFID logo, on the upper center of the controller charging bay.

How do the LED Lights work and can they be adjusted? Can you turn the LED lights off completely?

The LED lights on your Amico and Amico controllers are used to enhance your gameplay experience with custom lighting effects that pertain to the action and style of each game. You may selectively adjust the brightness of the controller lights and Amico’s base lights, including turning them off entirely, through the controller.

What kind of accessibility options are available for those who are disabled?

We have been careful to select the most visually distinct colors in our games for those with impaired color-vision. We also strive to communicate information through more than just color, using shapes and sound as well. Our controllers are designed to be held left or right-handed in any of four orientations while our game controls are kept as simple as possible, requiring no more than two buttons (and frequently just one) to play.

Will the system and its lights link up to any smart devices in your house (e.g., Philips Hue Hub, etc.)?

Amico is not designed to be controlled by external devices other than Amico controllers or smartphones/tablets running the Amico Controller app. Likewise, Amico does not connect to or control external lights or other devices.

What other accessories will be sold for Amico?

A variety of supporting products will be available for Amico, including:

· Controllers

· Controller cases

· Controller overlays

· Amico Game Shop Gift Cards

· Amico Carrying Case

· Physical “Boxed Edition” Games

· Attachable physical buttons and disc for mobile controllers (after launch)

Will you offer repair, replacement, or a refund for any defective hardware?

We support RMA returns for repair, replacement, or refund in case an Amico system has defects while under warranty. First, reach out to support to determine if the problem can be resolved with custom help or if it needs to be sent back to us. If a return is required, then customer support will provide you with an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) for shipping the system to us.

What are your customer service options?

Our customers deserve to communicate directly with a human and not a robot! You can reach us currently either through the contact page or by sending an email to us at support@amicogaming.com. At launch, we will add a live chat option. We will be available during standard business hours seven days a week to chat, answer any questions, and resolve any issues.

You may also utilize the Amico UI which features a searchable help menu with answers to questions about how to operate Amico or find answers to your questions in this FAQ section you are now reading!