Insomnia Dubai: Supercars and gaming announcements on day one

Tommy Tallarico, video game composer and founder of the upcoming video game console Intellivision Amico, exclusively revealed to Gulf News tabloid! at Insomnia Dubai on October 17 that Intellevision has set up a Dubai office and the console will launch across the Middle East next year, at the same time as the rest of the world.

Amico, which means ‘friend’ in Italian, is set to release on October 10, 2020. It will come with two controllers and up to eight mobile devices can hook up to the machine via a dedicated app.

“We’re the underdogs and they won’t see us coming,” said Tallarico. “We’re here at Insomnia Dubai to announce that we have a Dubai office and we want to launch simultaneously across the Middle East and the Mena region.”

Amico will be Tallarico’s attempt to bring gaming back to its more social roots and bridge the gap between casual and professional gamers. He added that they will be targeting children and mothers, who might feel excluded from the gaming world.

Games will include everything from edutainment for younger kids, including math, reading and brain games, to crossword puzzles and card games — even popular TV game shows “like ‘Wheel of Fortune’ or ‘Jeopardy’” — for parents and grandparents.

There will also be sports games such as bowling, football and tennis and recreational sports, such as darts and billiards.

According to Tallarico, an Easter egg will be up on the Intellivision website shortly that includes the company’s offices in Germany, America (Irvine and San Francisco) and Dubai.

“The secret that we’re announcing to the world tomorrow [October 18] is that if you click Dubai, it’s actually a link to our Arabic store — all our T-shirts and logos are in Arabic,” he revealed.

DUBAI IS THE FUTURE

Buzzing with young and old fans, the first edition of the Middle East Insomnia was wide awake at the Meydan Grandstand on day one. The gaming convention ends on October 19.

Members of popular UK YouTube ensemble The Sidemen — Josh, Ethan and Tobi — were in attendance on day one, arriving in Dubai Police supercars, as well original Pokemon theme song singer Jason Paige, who flew 12 hours to be in Dubai for the first time.

“I’m very impressed by the city. We are so far behind in the United States — the future has already happened and I missed it. Here we are in the next century and I’m living back in the 90s,” Paige told tabloid!.

Insomnia is a celebration of games old and new — from arcade and pinball machines, to gaming consoles and a PUBG (online multiplayer battle royale game) station.

There are also board games, competitive cosplayers, virtual reality zones and full-on tournaments.

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Don’t miss it!

Insomnia Dubai runs until October 19 at Meydan. Tickets are available online, ranging from Dh131.25 for a day pass to Dh2,100 for a Warrior VVIP pass. Timings for October 18 and October 19 are from 11am to 11pm.