The first Intellivision game most fans ever played was Las Vegas Poker & Blackjack (it came free with the console). This fall, visitors to Las Vegas will be able to play in the first live, interactive poker-themed stage show, The Real Deal! And behind the scenes, making it work, are a couple of former Intellivision programmers.
Quicksilver Software Inc., founded by Blue Sky Rangers William Fisher and Stephen Roney, programmers of Space Spartans and B-17 Bomber, is creating the code to power the wireless, handheld consoles that will enable all 350 audience members in the Venetian Casino Showroom to compete with on-stage poker professionals and other guests.
“Never before has poker been so integrated with entertainment,” says Las Vegas impresario Merv Adelson, the force behind the show. “The Real Deal! will keep guests laughing and give them the unique chance to get into the heads of the world’s best pros as they share tips and strategy throughout the fast-paced game. We know it will quickly become a hot ticket.”
Playing both against and alongside pros, audience members will earn points to vie for prizes ranging from The Real Deal! tchotskes to home electronics to a chance to win one million dollars. They’ll participate from their seats through the use of wireless touch screen devices. The Real Deal! will use a revolutionary multi-player platform with interactive content using technology from TimePlay Entertainment Inc. and Quicksilver Software Inc.
"Quicksilver is excited to be expanding our business from games to gaming,” says Quicksilver President Bill Fisher (pictured). “Ever since I was kicked out of a casino in Las Vegas during one of Mattel's Consumer Electronics Shows, I've wondered what it would be like to do real casino games. Now I'm right in the middle of it."
It's wireless! It's interactive! It's handheld! It's the Las Vegas Poker & Blackjack deck of cards! Features a reproduction of the box cover from the classic Intellivision game on the card backs. Created for the 2007 Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, we have a limited number left in our online store! Only $10! Write Comment
Last Updated ( Friday, 08 August 2008 )
Happy Birthday Mark Buchignani & Michelle Mock
Wednesday, 06 August 2008
This week, the Blue Sky Rangers celebrate two birthdays: Mark Buchignani today, August 6, and Michelle Mock on Friday, August 8. Mark and Michelle share an unfortunate legacy: the games they were working on never saw the light of day. Such are the vagaries of the video game industry that a programmer can spend months working on a high-profile game, only to see the project shelved at a perceived shift in the market. Mark and Michelle were both working on games for the Intellivision Entertainment Computer System (ECS) expansion module. Mark had put in months on a four-player football game; Michelle was in the early stages of defining her project. After the ECS received an icy reception from reviewers and retailers at the June 1983 Consumer Electronic Show, Mattel withdrew support. Only a handful of games for the ECS were released, and those came out with no advertising or marketing behind them. Mark and Michelle's games were left unfinished.
But both went on to leave their creative mark elsewhere. Mark in computer games, becoming Director of Product Development at fellow Blue Sky Ranger Don Daglow's Stormfront Studios and later at THQ's Rainbow Studios; Michelle in education, co-founding Imagiverse, which promotes classroom activities that inspire imagination. Write Comment
Last Updated ( Saturday, 09 August 2008 )
Happy Birthday Karen Nugent
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Blue Sky Ranger Karen Nugent, who did the graphics for the hit Intellivision game BurgerTime, celebrates her birthday today, July 31. Karen actually worked for Intellivision twice: first in the late 1970s on graphics for the Intellivision Keyboard Component, then in 1982 and 1983 on a number of Intellivision games. By far the best known of these was BurgerTime; she translated the graphics and animations from the arcade game to the Intellivision system.
After Intellivision, Karen was able to put her experience of cartoon computer graphics to good use. Walt Disney Productions was just converting the hand inking and painting of their animation to computers. She got a job there, working on most of the feature animated Disney films of the next twenty years.
Here's the classic TV commercial for BurgerTime showing some of Karen's art:
Blue Sky Ranger Connie Goldman, creator of the game Thunder Castle, celebrates her birthday today, July 30. Connie was hired by Mattel Electronics to be an Intellivision game programmer in 1982. It quickly became apparent that her strength was in creating animated characters. Her own game, originally called Magic Castle, was filled with wonderfully rendered trolls, dragons, knights and other creatures. Her animations were so good, she was repeatedly asked to provide graphics for other games and game proposals. For example, she did sample animations of the characters from the Peanuts and Garfield comic strips to demonstrate to their publishers how well they could be represented on Intellivision.
She was pulled off of Magic Castle so frequently that programmer David Warhol was asked to join the project, renamed Thunder Castle, to help get it done. The partnership worked so well that it has survived 25 years: Connie has done video game artwork at Dave's company Realtime Associates since 1986, including for most of the INTV Corporation Intellivision releases. She continues to create there today. Write Comment (1 Comments)
Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 July 2008 )
Meet Keith Robinson at Comic-Con, Get Exclusive Intellivision Print!
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Blue Sky Ranger Keith Robinson will be at Comic-Con this week in San Diego signing prints of his artwork for the box cover of the Intellivision game Thin Ice.
The original 1986 gauche-and-ink painting is reproduced actual size, approximately 8.5 inches wide and 9 inches high on heavy 11 by 14 paper. This is a numbered limited-edition of 150, exclusively for Comic-Con. The prints will be available in the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) booth (1307/1309) for $15 each. Keith will be in the booth Thursday through Sunday (July 24 - 27) to sign them.
Keith started at Mattel Electronics in 1981 as a programmer, creating the Intellivoice game TRON Solar Sailer. Soon he entered management. He came up with the idea for Thin Ice and supervised its development. Although the game was finished in 1983, it was still unreleased when Mattel puled the plug on Intellivision production in early 1984.
Keith turned to cartooning, launching the weekly newspaper strip Making It and doing cartoons for Playboy, Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy and other magazines.
He returned to video games in 1986 when INTV Corp. finally released Thin Ice and contracted Keith to do the cover. He went on to design most of the Intellivision boxes through the rest of the decade.
Today, Keith is president of Intellivision Productions, Inc. Stop by the NCS booth and say "hello." Keith will be happy to sign any of your Intellivision items.
Speaking of which, Chris Folino, writer/director of the movie Gamers, is the writer of a new comic book series, Sparks. He will be in the Illusive Arts booth (2109) at Comic-Con autographing the books. Folino is a life-long Intellivision fan; a couple Intellivsion T-shirts appear in his Gamers. In Sparks, there is a full-page ad for Intellvision. It is essentially a smaller version of the poster [link] we sell here on our web site. After you have Folino sign the book, why not bring it on by the NCS booth and have Keith sign the ad? He'll give you a free cartoon bookmark, while they last! Write Comment
The first Intellivision game most fans ever played was Las Vegas Poker & Blackjack (it came free with the console). This fall, visitors to Las Vegas will be able to play in the first live, interactive poker-themed stage show, The Real Deal! And behind the scenes, making it work, are a couple of former Intellivision programmers.
Playing both against and alongside pros, audience members will earn points to vie for prizes ranging from The Real Deal! tchotskes to home electronics to a chance to win one million dollars. They’ll participate from their seats through the use of wireless touch screen devices. The Real Deal! will use a revolutionary multi-player platform with interactive content using technology from TimePlay Entertainment Inc. and 
It's wireless! It's interactive! It's handheld! It's the Las Vegas Poker & Blackjack deck of cards! Features a reproduction of the box cover from the classic Intellivision game on the card backs. Created for the 2007 Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, we have a limited number left in our 
This week, the Blue Sky Rangers celebrate two birthdays: Mark Buchignani today, August 6, and Michelle Mock on Friday, August 8. Mark and Michelle share an unfortunate legacy: the games they were working on never saw the light of day. Such are the vagaries of the video game industry that a programmer can spend months working on a high-profile game, only to see the project shelved at a perceived shift in the market. Mark and Michelle were both working on games for the Intellivision Entertainment Computer System (ECS) expansion module. Mark had put in months on a four-player football game; Michelle was in the early stages of defining her project. After the ECS received an icy reception from reviewers and retailers at the 
June 1983 Consumer Electronic Show, Mattel withdrew support. Only a handful of games for the ECS were released, and those came out with no advertising or marketing behind them. Mark and Michelle's games were left unfinished.
Blue Sky Ranger Karen Nugent, who did the graphics for the hit Intellivision game BurgerTime, celebrates her birthday today, July 31. Karen actually worked for Intellivision twice: first in the late 1970s on graphics for the Intellivision Keyboard Component, then in 1982 and 1983 on a number of Intellivision games. By far the best known of these was BurgerTime; she translated the graphics and animations from the arcade game to the Intellivision system.
Blue Sky Ranger Connie Goldman, creator of the game Thunder Castle, celebrates her birthday today, July 30. Connie was hired by Mattel Electronics to be an Intellivision game programmer in 1982. It quickly became apparent that her strength was in creating animated characters. Her own game, originally called Magic Castle, was filled with wonderfully rendered trolls, dragons, knights and other creatures. Her animations were so good, she was repeatedly asked to provide graphics for other games and game proposals. For example, she did sample animations of the characters from the Peanuts and Garfield comic strips to demonstrate to their publishers how well they could be represented on Intellivision.
Blue Sky Ranger Keith Robinson will be at Comic-Con this week in San Diego signing prints of his artwork for the box cover of the Intellivision game Thin Ice.
Today, Keith is president of Intellivision Productions, Inc. Stop by the NCS booth and say "hello." Keith will be happy to sign any of your Intellivision items.