Talk:Intellivision

JCPenney 1979

Why was the addition of the JC Penney 1979 availability removed. Is there any evidence that someone could not order an Intellivision from that catalog?

• Tons, including other sources linked in the article already. They had planned a much larger 1979 roll out, but because of production delays they cut back to a single test market in Fresno through the department store Gottschalks. All of this, and a price increase too, happened after JC Penny had printed their catalog. I have no idea whether they just gave refunds or IOUs, but either way, no one was getting an Intellivision from JC Penny in 1979. Indrian (talk) 00:32, 17 October 2020 (UTC)

I see nothing that suggests that jcpenney orders weren't fulfilled. If they can deliver intellivisions to stores in california i see no reason they couldn't ship intellivisions direct to jcpenney catalog customers. The suggested retail price was $299 in 1980, retailers set prices how they like. All the cartridges in that catalog were completed in 1978 except poker and blackjack in early 1979. The catalog exists and should be included in the article. Removing it makes the article inaccurate. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.67.43.219 (talk) 15:01, 17 October 2020 (UTC)

• Sadly, you have no idea what you are talking about. It's all there in news and trade publication reports of the time plus David Chandler's documents already linked on this site. Mattel had big plans for 1979, they were all destroyed by the supply problems. Unless you have some proof that someone actually received a console through JC Penny in 1979, which you won't find since it did not happen, you have no grounds for saying people could actually get a console through the catalog despite the listing. Saying it was in the catalog is accurate, but saying it was available nationally in 1979, as your edits did, is simply not true. Indrian (talk) 17:20, 17 October 2020 (UTC)
• Also, on the price thing. I am not in any way talking about retailer discretion to charge what they want relative to their own margins. Earlier in 1979, Mattel announced that the MSRP for the Intellivision would be $250. Late in the year, they announced that their costs were higher than anticipated and the MSRP would actually be $275. The notice specifically stated that pricing in the JC Penny catalog and similar outlets would be guaranteed through early 1980. Then even later than that, Mattel announced that the planned national rollout with a significant presence in multiple major cities was cancelled due to supply issues, and they pulled back to the extremely limited test market in Fresno. The reason they chose Fresno is because they honestly had no idea how much inventory they would have and Gottschalks proved very understanding and was fine just taking whatever they could get.

Anyway, the above is just further illustration that plans can change very quickly and just because something is advertised by a retailer does not mean it will actually come out. Christmas catalogs have to be prepared months in advance so shoppers have an opportunity to see what's out there before the start of the Christmas buying season. Sometimes companies providing product for a catalog are just not able to hold to a prior commitment. The Intellivision debacle is just one example of this. Catalog advertising or newspaper advertising is one sign for historians that a product may have been available, but it has to be cross-referenced with other sources. All other known sources, both internal and external to Mattel, demonstrate that Mattel had to scrap its plans to sell the system at major national retailers, whether in the physical stores or via mail order, in 1979. This is why history is not just locating one source and assuming it tells the complete story about an event. Indrian (talk) 19:10, 17 October 2020 (UTC)

I appreciate all that and I am not disputing that their plans were scaled down. Nor am I saying that intellivisions were in jcpenney stores nationwide. I was very clear intellivision was not in stores nationally until 1980. Yes, I'm familiar with Dave Chandler's documents as I'm the one who put it in the article. I'm just saying that we know intellivision was in the jc penney catalog. We also know that intellivisions were manufactured and available in early december 1979 with plenty of time to reach customers by christmas. We also know that the supply of intellivision lasted beyond christmas and into the new year. Suggesting that an intellivision was not delivered to a jcpenney catalog customer is speculation. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.67.43.219 (talk) 19:32, 17 October 2020 (UTC)

• Well, I would argue its also speculation to state that JC Penny was actually able to sell the system to anyone in 1979. That said, I have been rechecking sources, because I do want to get this right. In January 1980, Advertising Age reported that "Mattel sales executives at the [1980 Winter CES in Las Vegas] said that Intellivision was offered in Fresno before Christmas as a test and in other markets in limited quantities." So it did sell some units outside of the test market. We can't be sure Penny actually sold any, but we can state that it appeared in the JC Penny catalog, was test marketed in Fresno, and was available in other markets in limited quantities. That does not go against the sources. I would still not do what you did in the original edit, however, which is state it was nationally available. Even this Advertising Age article speaks of "other markets" instead of saying "nationally." All indications are that the limited national rollout began in March 1980 in select department stores followed by full national distribution in August. Indrian (talk) 22:51, 17 October 2020 (UTC)
• Just wanted to say it all looks pretty good now. Thanks for tweaking things with some different sources. Indrian (talk) 06:43, 25 October 2020 (UTC)

Is it the only game console if e.g. Aquarius exist?

@WhatGuy wrote "It remained Mattel's only video game console until the HyperScan in 2006.". Aquarius existed, but perhaps it was not "a video game console" ? Anttir717 (talk) 19:50, 26 August 2022 (UTC)

• It's a home computer. Indrian (talk) 22:16, 26 August 2022 (UTC)

The Intellivision

it was never called THE Intellivision. 98.34.242.56 (talk) 01:47, 6 November 2024 (UTC)