(((bruces remarks: This is the second excerpt on this very dead gaming system.)))

(...)

"1984 would spell the end of the original Intellivision as the world knew it. T.E. Valeski, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Mattel Electronics, along with a group of investors, purchased the assets, trademarks, patents, and right to the Intellivision in January of 1984 for $16.5 million dollars. The purchase was backed by financing from Tangible Industries, a division of Revco Drug Stores. The newly formed company was originally called Intellivision, Inc., and later renamed INTV, Inc., after Valeski negotiated all rights from Revco in November of 1984. During the next two years, the new company would lie dormant while plans were being made for a re-emergence.

"In the fall of 1985, the INTV System III (also called the Super Pro System) appeared at Toys 'R Us, Kiddie City, and in a mail order catalog sent to owners of the original Intellivision direct from INTV. The new console was of the same general design as the original master component, except it sported a fresh black plastic shell with brushed aluminum trim. Several new games accompanied the release of the new system, and 1985 would register over $6 million dollars in sales worldwide, indicating that INTV Corp. had indeed revived the Intellivision. INTV continued to market games and repair services through the mail with great success. Between 1985 and 1990 over 35 new games were released, bringing the Intellivision's game library to a total of 125 titles.

"Many more changes were to come during the final six years of Intellivision's useful life. In 1987, an improved master component called the INTV System IV was shown at the January CES, which sported detachable controllers and a timing device. Unfortunately, this never saw the light either. In the fall of 1988, INTV re- introduced the computer keyboard adapter through their mail order catalog on a limited quantity basis.

"In 1990, INTV discontinued retail sales of their games and equipment and sold them only through the mail channels. The change in marketing was due to agreements with Nintendo and Sega to become a software vendor for the NES, Game Boy and Genesis. In 1991, INTV sold out its stock of Intellivision games and consoles, and the company, along with the Intellivision, gradually faded into black."

1.2 = Timeline

1979 = Intellivision is test marketed

1980 = Mattel Intellivision released nationally, Computer
Expansion announced
1982 = Computer Expansion Module scrapped due to high cost
and poor response
1982 = IntelliVoice released
1983 = Intellivision II released
1983 = Entertainment Computer System released, many
periphs. announced
1983 = 2600 System Changer released
1983 = Intellvision III announced
1983 = The videogame market begins to crash
1983 = Intellivision III dropped
1984 = The videogame market bottoms out
1984 = Mattel sells the Intellivision rights to VP
Marketing T.E. Valeski and investors, forming INTV Corp.
1985 = INTV III released, along with new Intellivision
titles. Aggressive retail and mail marketing result in $6
million worldwide sales that year
1987 = INTV IV announced, to be scrapped later
1990 = INTV Corp. discontinues retail sales, markets
through mail only
1991 = INTV Corp. sells off its remaining Intellivision
stock

Bruce Sterling (bruces@well.com)