The second part of the Stingers in-depth coverage of the Japanese Amusement Machine Show charts the independent and smaller factories that showed at the event. They equally rocked the foundations of the amusement marketing, offering a glimpse at those successor titles that will continue to champion the flame of amusement beyond the phenomena of Street Fighter IV.
Main REPORT:
Continuing the coverage of the 46th Amusement Machine Show and the impact that it will have of the international scene:
Capcom
The company dusted off their traditional blue open-plan booth yet again, and filled it with a large number of medal games (including a new Nintendo Mario license); but the big crowds that flocked the Capcom booth were here to see one game.
'Tatsunoko Vs Capcom Cross Generation of Heroes' (Wii Hardware)
The company showed eight of the latest VEWLIX-L cabinets running the brand new brawler. The fighting game featuring characters from Tatsunoko Production anime shows and Capcom fighters, and proved a hit with the audience at the show. The game competing in the stakes at the show to win the players vote as the best fighting game of the exhibition, (executives stating the game scheduled for December 2008 release).
Breaking Stinger News - AM-S'08 as all Japanese amusement development held many secrets that could only be pried loose once the show ended and the executives were suitably 'lubricated'. Only a few days after the show ended did sources reveal that the 'Tatsunoko Vs Capcom Cross Generation of Heroes' title was running on a brand new hardware platform - a platform based on the Nintendo Wii chipset; following on from the Sony Playstation 3 platform from Namco Bandai (System 357 Hardware), and the 2004 Microsoft Xbox platform from SEGA (CHIHIRO Hardware).
This project marking Nintendo's second most recent amusement project since the 2002 Namco / SEGA TriForce Hardware (last used in Namco Bandia's 'Mario Kart Arcade GP 2'). The TriForce was based on the Nintendo Gamecube console platform, the new Nintendo Wii console has been remarked to bare striking performance similarities to the Gamecube, only camouflaged by the use of a unique interface. That the new platform is based on the Wii continues move by Nintendo into amusement, though who actually developed the architecture has not been revealed (some sources point towards Namco Bandai involvement). This news will be very uncomfortable for the consumer media, after reporting that the Wii was "..crippling the arcade scene", they will now have to report that the Wii is entering that very market! This only leaves the Microsoft Xbox 360 without a legal amusement hardware application.. yet!
Though Capcom did not bring 'Street Fighter IV' to the AM Show (was at the show on the RS booth however), rumors persisted that the arcade release would be supported by an updated version, this was partly fueled by the revelation of a major flaw in the game play for the original game that had players able to select infinite combos canceling competitors moves. Speculation grew that a patch would need to be circulated (fuelled by an announced new character for the game), which would be simple for the online (NESYS) machines, but would have to be dispatched to other systems in the field.
AMI
The Amusement Marketing International (AMI) booth was swamped over the days of the show, a great interest for the games on display, and also for the presentation made of them. The independent distributor becoming the launch hub for a number of the pivotal brawler releases. The company included a brief display of the latest Cave shooter ('DeathSmiles' (Taito Type-X2 Hardware)), but also had the big expectations for the 2009 season.
'BlazBlue' (Taito Type-X2 Hardware)
The highly anticipated brawler from ARC Works Systems was given pride of place; the new color scheme for the six VEWLIEX-R cabinets incorporating in this case a blue surround for the cabinet; making it easy to distinguish from a distance the game populating the cabinet - fast becoming an industry standard. The game will soon be getting an international presentation through Aksys Games, and by the clamber to play at JAMMA'08 proved very popular.
'The King of Fighters XII' (Taito Type-X2 Hardware)
Marketing the 15th Anniversary of the series next year, the company brought the game to JAMMA'08, with six VEWLIX-L cabinets (also in blue) running another highly anticipated game in a 40 per cent complete version. SNK-Playmore decided not on exhibiting directly but using the AMI booth to present what of all the brawlers in the amusement sector, is the only game that could offers serious competition to the Tekken and Street Fighter franchise was on show at the JAMMA event, (executives stating the game scheduled for an April 2009 release).
NOTE - This was a major release for SNK-Playmore, though the company placing all of its investment at this years' AS-Show into the KoF franchise still seemed a low-key presentation for the company. Seeming to be at a point in its development where the success of individual titles, on another company's architecture holds the fate of the company in its hands.
EXAMU
The growing Japanese factory had a major presence, following their AOU'08 launch 'eX-BOARD' architecture they continued to move on hoping to prove a strong competitor to the rein of the Neo-Geo, Naomi and Type-X (the system also seen in the guise as the InterPark Games 'Neverland'). One of the first releases on the platform, 'Arcana Heart 2' (eX-Board Hardware) was on show. This game now distributed in North America, following the announcement at AMOA'08 that Andamiro USA would bring the game into that market. Also on booth was 'Daemon Bride' (eX-Board Hardware) a brand new brawler.
EXAMU booth also had an unusual new game, based on a previous South Korean mobile phone game by Just One Interactive, 'SketcheR' (eX-Board Hardware), a two-player mini-game style product with an intense soundtrack. At present the eX-Board platform has about to be released or in development titles, 'Arcana Heart 2', 'Daemon Bride', 'DeathSmiles', 'Agent 9', 'Monster: Ancient Cline' and 'SketcheR'. An impressive line-up in such a short time and showing the hunger for a platform of this kind, at a better price-point for the smaller independent studio.
Breaking Stinger News - There was a interesting move on the EXAMU booth to show how much the company his hopping to following in the successful footsteps of the SNK Neo-Geo, announcing plans that their 'eX-Board' will have a home component. It was revealed that the PC box will be sold in a home console variant. Fundamentally the project uses the same eX-Board box, but has the ability to plug in a USB joystick unit and into a conventional VGA display, allowing the actual arcade action to be played at home. There were many questions about the price level expected for this system, but is hoped to give a Pro-Sumer angle to the recent interest in the arcade scene, again emulating the Neo-Geo, the company thinking of leasing their system from video stores.
This platforms availability for home application will place pressure on some of the larger manufacturers, who once could bully the smaller independent studios to have to give them the exclusive to sell their games on their hardware, could now find stiff competition in the arcades for these fan popular titles, with these games generating greater face-time with this home application.
The appearance of new arcade architectures gathered pace in 2008, along with the eX-Board Hardware and the Taito Type-X2 Hardware, there was the IGS PGM2 Hardware. But these midrange platforms competed with the less independent high specification systems such as the SEGA LindBergh Hardware and Namco Bandai System N2 Hardware. One aspect that seems to be shaping the evolving amusement scene is the appearance of console hardware in the amusement scene The Sony PlayStation 3 based Namco Bandai System 357 Hardware has been reported to be joined by the Nintendo Wii Hardware used by Capcom. Other new hardware systems include the Namco System ES1 Hardware and the SEGA Europe created Europa-R Hardware - all pointing towards an increase in the application as amusement seems to rebound.
Other brawlers from independent studios spotted on the show floor included 'Troubled Witches Episode One Daughters of AMALGAM' (Type-X Hardware) - a popular vertical shoot-em-up with lots of action - making full use of the licensed Taito architecture.
Breaking Stinger News - Though not on the JAMMA'08 floor, sources revealed a new development in the usual selection of whacky new video arcade game developments with 'Parse Rorunpe: Prelude' (PC Hardware) from MEGA NET&TECH CO.,Ltd., and developed by TURUGIYA SOFTWARE. The game incorporating a representation of a witches broomstick and saddle, the new physical interactive game witch flying game reminiscent of 'Prop Cycle', and including the ability to store features via memory card support. It was surprising the game was a No-Show at AM-S though is expected to be making a big impact in the 2009 market place.
Regarding other booths on this years show floor, housed on the RS booth the MechaTraX developed 'RoboCatcher' was given another major showing to the amusement audience, the KRB-1 robot used in the game developed especially for amusement application; the production version of the unique prize crane game offering a compelling application. A big development on the RS booth was the momentum achieved with their 'Delta 32' arcade cabinet, running all the popular fighting games including 'Street Fighter IV' (Taito Type-X² Hardware) - but the big development was the support of network cabinets in four machine clusters with a remotes 'Multi Live One Air' display screen showing the action on the cabinets, a great audience entertaining system, emulating the remote displays with the bigger (and more expensive) 'Tekken' and 'Virtua Fighter' systems. This was also known in a one screen variant as 'RS Vision', part of a push for digital signage at the show.
The production version of the Atlus gun game 'Vulcan Wars' (PC Hardware) was presented; the Soft-Air BB gun game with a modern combat theme offered two-players blasting action. While ATLUS also showed an 80 per cent complete version of their 'Catcher ICE Twin' ice-cream prize crane game. The original 'Catcher ICE' system had proven popular, and on the show floor there were at least two systems emulating the ice-cream dispenser.
Breaking Stinger News - The Stinger Report has already highlighted the big developments from Konami Digital Entertainment - many of this on test. The companies continuing dispute with the governance of the JAMMA board saw their continued boycotting of exhibiting at the event, but this did not stop KDE making a big splash with the players.
A series of Loctest took place during the AM-Show around the Japanese capital; JUBEAT, now re-named 'UBeat' (Proprietary Hardware) for the international market was reported to have broken a number of records for revenue for a music game, and looks to be ready to be its own phenomena in the amusement scene. Also on test was 'Castivania: The Arcade' (Proprietary Hardware) , with the whip cracking action in a enlarged 'Silent Hill' size cabinet benefiting from the use of e-AMUSEMENT PASS.
But offering a surprise to all those keeping a close eye on KDE's development schedule a new game 'Brave Heroes' (Proprietary Hardware) appeared on test. The Satellite Terminal game, in the mould of 'Quest for D' or 'War of the Grail' sees ancient Japanese worries taking part on a D&D style combat game. The product is more than previous KDE titles such as 'Monster Gate', this is a major networked combat game, that will drive the e-AMUSEMENT PASS to its limits.
What Could this all Mean:
If the AM Show 2008 was an example of the health of the amusement industry, then the industry is still in very good health. However the attendance still marked the nature of the changing amusement seen; attendance total number of visitors last year: 49,017, while this year saw a slight drop too 43,148; matched be over 50 exhibitors. As covered in the Japanese 'Leisure White Paper' for 2007, the home-islands amusement scene saw a 5.9 per cent decline, though interest was still strong on the show floor.
The show made a big push to be more inclusive inviting the public (for a price), and this paid dividends with thousands of non-trade guests filling the hall, cues of players waiting to play littered the floor with some lines stretching across the exhibition space. The exhibitors even played to this new popularity with special booths selling memorabilia of the popular new releases including t-shirts and posters.
Stinger continues our regular component of exhibition coverage with 'Fall-Out' - this will include the trends recognized at the show and the media coverage the event generated outside of the trade.
JAMMA'08 - FALL-OUT
Trends
*Resurrection of the Independents
AM'08 marked an interesting trend that the video amusement factories in Japan could be about to feel the pitch regarding their monopoly of control on the latest strong developments. It was the revelation that 'Street Fighter IV' was not only a DIMPS development game rather than an internal Capcom R&D project, but also that it was Capcom USA that controlled the development.
This was compounded by the appearance for the first time of a UK developed game on the SEGA booth at JAMMA, with 'SEGA Rally 3', the Japanese AM structure has been rocked internally - major egos have been bruised that they were left out of the use of what they saw as their own private franchise, and that the game was placed on the AM booth. Attempts had been made by some Stinger sources from the company to refute first its existence and then its appearance at the show!
With the growth of the eX-Board, and a possible home gaming feature, a number of independent game studios could find a better way (more cost-effective) to get their titles to the players. In competition with the Taito Type-X versions the market could see momentum achieved as these smaller studios supply games shun by the consumer console publishers.
*Fighting Game Bonanza
2008 has surely been a pinnacle of fighting games - though 'Tekken 6' caused a major flurry at the beginning of the year, it was the phenomenal rise and rise of 'Street Fighter IV' that caused the whole aspect of video amusement to be reconsidered by the amusement and even consumer media.
2009 looks like it will see a continuation of the rise of pure hardcore fighting action for the amusement arena. On the JAMMA show floor some conversations hinted that the amusement factories were going to push forward their obvious popularity with brawlers with the players - and finally give the people who pay their wages what they have been crying out for the last few years.
*Revisiting The Classic Components
The use of previously successful technologies in the new releases ranged from the reappearance of the riding position, the duck pedal and intense recoil-mechanism. Both SEGA and Namco also moved towards populating cabinets in the field with new games, the retro-update kit and re-dressing of previous cabinetry released. What is the biggest observed trend is a return by the large and small factories to their core game style, while still embracing new technology.
NOTE - One aspect that did not gain much coverage was the reality of which games seen at AM-Show'08 could, and will make the move towards international penetration. Namco Bandai executives had already hinted of over three new video for 2009 - while other factories have been very much more reserved on considering exporting. Moves by Aksys Games and Andamiro USA to bring have however forced a number of companies to consider their position on shipping to the US and Europe.
News Story with thanks to Kevin Williams. Please visit
www.thestingerreport.com for others.
