The exhibition season for the amusement trade exploded after the summer break with the Amusement Machine Show (AM-Show), held in Tokyo. The leading lights of SEGA, Namco, and Taito are covered in this, the first of a two part report. We look at a selection of unusual and interesting new developments, as well as asking major questions about the viability of the factory business, and whether third-parties products can save a downturn in business.
Main REPORT:
The Japanese amusement trade gathered for the 47th anniversary Amusement Machine Show (AM-Show), amidst a market scene in flux. Organized by the Japan Amusement Machine Manufacturers Association (JAMMA) and the Japan Association of Pleasure (JAPEA), the event - sometimes referred to as the JAMMA-Show - offered a crowded snapshot of new designs and emerging trends under the organizers' show theme of "Play the Future"!
This year's event was obviously smaller than last year's, and the exhibition booths seemed far less lavish than in previous years - a hard nosed reality as to the true value of the Japanese amusement market permeated the event. That said, the industry still important enough for the newly incumbent Japanese Prime Minister to make time to come and open the gathering, an example of the entrenched position amusement still holds in the Japanese life style.
SEGA Corporation
One of the largest of the exhibitors at the event, the company had a real mixed bag of new releases. Much heralded, and trailed, the AM-Show'09 SEGA booth had the final production version of '
Shining Force Cross'. Based on the RingEdge architecture this Asian themed RPG Network-type corporation game offered 1-to-4 player action, mixing touchscreen and full IC Card support through ALL.Net (four cabinets being networked on booth). Executives revealed an early October launch date but there are no plans at all for any sales outside of Japan.
One of the few drivers shown on the JAMMA show floor, 'HUMMER Extreme Edition' offered a sit-down standard (non-motion) cabinet presentation of the off-road racing game - a 4 player network was demonstrated at the show. It is hoped the game will establish the product after a less than stellar reception to the original deluxe motion presentation. No appearance of any big simulators on the SEGA booth this year, which seems to point to a new focus on business necessities from the Japanese giant.
Breaking Stinger News - Despite rumors of a sequel to either Daytona or Hang-On, these were a No Show for this years' AM-Show. However rumors still circulated of a new circuit racer in the works, and licensing that could see some interesting developments in 2010 from the Japanese factory, under the working title 'SEGA Racing Classic'. The game is rumored to be a sequel to the legendary racer, though without using the name. The title is known to be on the RingWide architecture suggesting a major network experience and is being created by AM#2 (see out AMOA'09 coverage for more).
Innovation was never far away at JAMMA'09; the company showed '
Heat Up Hockey - IMAGE', mixing the conventional four-player air hockey concept with a projected virtual playing field and targets. The concept allowed the players not only to try and knock the puck into the opposition's goal but also to hit or avoid virtual objects. This is the latest augmented reality (AR) title in amusement since TrioTech's '
UFO Stomper'
Given its own area on the SEGA booth, four-networked fighting cabinets ran 'Virtua Fighter 5R Version C', the new anniversary version of the popular brawler, holding a special place in players' hearts since its launch in 1993. The IC card / ALL.Net (VF.Net) version on display showed the audience monitor and player character customization feature that has cemented its continuing popularity.
An example of unique thinking from SEGA was the presentation of '
Big Tetris' - a deluxe control system presentation of the popular puzzle game, the 2-player using huge joysticks against a projector screen on the booth's stage. The big joystick two-player adaptation seemed to offer a fun view of the experience, the concept capable of being utilized as a venue projected screen attraction for audience and players, along with the two deluxe cabinets shown.
Continuing the 25th anniversary celebrations of the puzzle game phenomenon, two NAOMI cabinets on the SEGA booth housed 'Tetris Grand Master 4: The Master of Round' - the anniversary release of the puzzle game was a RingWide hardware release. This was a kit application for the amusement scene (no word of a international release, no matter how hungry the market is for a new genre). Both of these games are licensed through Tetris Holding, the company created to handle the phenomenal property's utilization.
Another anniversary - this time the 10th of the NAOMI hardware architecture - was marked by the launch of the latest third-party title on this amazing system. On the booth was a 2D fighting title from Milestone development studios, based on the 'LostChild' PC fighting game series, called 'Purojekutokeruberusu'. That the NAOMI is slated for another four game releases will place pressure on SEGA to get the RingWide architecture lined up as its true successor. Other releases placed on the booth included the latest satellite terminal release 'Premium Plus Quiz Answer x Answer2 Network Game'.
Taking their respective spaces on the booth, Medal Games & Catchers saw their influence on the AM business represented. Impressive multiple player medal games are seen by some corporations as the future of the sector and SEGA showed a number of examples, including 'Gunmen Medal', a mixture of RingWide video shooting action controlled by a mounted gun and attempts to collect coins (medals). The company also showed the latest in their range of UFO Catchers, with the latest 'UFO Catcher Double' system building on the popularity of this vending game series. One surprise presentation was the appearance for the first time, of Canadian manufacturers TrioTech Amusement's 'Typhoon' passive motion simulator. The company was showing the two-rider deluxe cabinet, this being the latest appearance of North American amusement pieces at a JP trade show.
Around the booth kid vending titles were on display; Namco and Taito presented their efforts, while SEGA showed the previously previewed 'Patrol-Chaser' (Miriai Keissatsu) and 'Battle Police' (Miriai Keissatsu). Meanwhile the big showing in this genre was 'JewelPet' - a pet based collecting card game with enhancements, as well as a kid based coach driving game.
The new marketing approach from Sammy SEGA Holding was in evidence on and off the JAMMA'09 booth, with the company exercising an impressive pre-show build-up. One of these new approaches was the use of QR (3D Barcodes) that allowed mobile phone users to download special apps related to new launches. The restructuring of the amusement machine facility operation was also casting its shadow over the corporation. Currently operating 298 amusement centers in Japan, SEGA hopes that new investment and site development will shape the future revenue stream.
Bandai Namco Games
The new AM business structure of Namco under Bandai leadership continued to evolve. On a subdued booth, all the stops were out for Namco's big deluxe cabinet release at AM-Show 2009, '
Tank! Tank! Tank!' was presented in eight, four network cabinets, the unique portrait screen tank battle game being housed on the ES1 hardware. The combination of steering and pedals making for a fast-paced but fun game, building on the style of previous products such as 'Mario Kart' and in particular 'Race On!'. TTT also incorporates the NamCam image capture concept so players can see their competitors' faces.
The only other new big deluxe presentation on the Namco booth was the prototype of 'Dead Storm Pirate' ('Deddosutomupairetsu'). Building on the popularity of all things piratical, (in the wake of the latest 'Pirates of the Caribbean' film extravaganza), the game was housed in a pirate ship bow style deluxe cabinet. The company is developing its own deluxe Theatre Cabinet, following SEGA and their 'Let's Go Jungle' system, with the same general game play of a mounted shooting game with an action button. However, in the Namco adaptation, a motion base is used to rock the seated two-players, battling marauding ghostly-pirate opponents in ship-to-ship action. Namco executives were tight-lipped on release dates - or the hardware powering the game.
NOTE - Guests had only been allowed to view the display from a distance at the show, the unit being in an obviously early stage of development; though a week after the show, the machine was placed on its first loctest, where its similarity to 'Let's Go Jungle' was made evident.
The dwindling supply of racing games at this year's AM-Show was not lost on some attendees. Namco used this show to present an update of their own racer series with 'Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 DX'. Eight cabinets of the street racer were given their own booth enclosure, with intensive player action during the show and a booth competition run to support the vast player-base for the title. Namco also promoted the latest in the drum game action series with 'Taiko no Tatsujin 13' - the big Japanese drum playing game has been a runaway success for Namco since the 1999 initial release. This 13th version of the series hopes to continue the winning formula.
The Banpresto / Bandai portion of the Namco booth included the latest kid vending titles under Bandai's DATACARDASS label. Of the seven new titles on display, a new Powers Ranger license was shown and an update of the 2007 Namco kid vending title 'Animal Kaiser' - building on a fierce animal action theme. Also on the AM-Show floor were examples of the medal game product range, with new releases such as a big deluxe, multi-player system called 'Sea Story', along with others (see Capcom).
The third-party presence on the Namco booth raised many eyebrows from the Japanese trade - in particular the appearance of '
H2Overdrive', the speed boat racer from American developer Raw Thrills / Specular Interactive, with two deluxe cabinets on booth. This game continued the Namco / Betson relationship in Japan and Europe, and is the biggest promotion since Raw Thrills' 'Super Bike' to try and gain a Japanese foothold for an American amusement piece.
The true scope of future video amusement investment was the key issue on the Bandai Namco booth. Following the merger with Bandai the trade was sensitive to Namco's future presence in the amusement scene, questioning whether it would be at the same level as previous years. As if to illustrate this, there was only one new major release on the booth, with another 'work in process' (except the one developed by a third party). On more conventional business, Namco continued to support amusement center work, having restructured their AM facility business operating 280 facilities -- split between revenue-shared sites (33), theme parks (4), spar resorts (3) and conventional sites (240) in Japan; what the future holds for this area will prove interesting.
Taito
The third largest exhibitor at this year's event is another major amusement factory looking towards major changes in its operational structure. The gathered amusement trade had their first real chance to try the fps (first-person shooter) '
Cyber Diver' on the 'GeneSys' Architecture. This 10 network cabinets weapons collection combat title (with five players on each team) is based on the VALVE game engine originally used for the arcade version of 'Half Life 2 Survivor', though this new version was developed totally by the Japanese Team Frontline. At AM-Show'09, there were four HL2S deluxe cabinets updated with the new game along with six updated VEWLIX cabs.
Scheduled for a mid-October release, the game is both a dedicated product and available as a kit to update existing HL2S systems in the field. The failure of the VALVE original title was blamed on translation issues, a reason for the 100 per cent Japanese development of the latest game, although it does still use the US fps experts' game engine. A lot of interest was given to this latest attempt to establish the fps genre into the amusement scene.
NOTE - The possibility of seeing this game in the international market was dealt an additional blow (following confirmation last month by Taito that no plans were made for US/UK placement), when it was revealed that of the two selectable playscapes where the fps action takes place, one is set in a High School with classrooms and gymnasium - obviously the Taito Frontline R&D team were suffering from a lapse of sensitivity, thinking that it would be appropriate to have a weapons shooting game (however soft the graphic recreation of violence) set in a school... in any country!
At last, the production version of 'Elevator Action: Death Parade' was shown, another Team Frontline developed title on the Taito Type X2; based on the 1983 franchise but now in a first person shooting vein. The concept was demonstrated in a non-functioning cabinet at JAMMA'08, but this year had a fully functional two-player on display, and was given a November release date. As seen in previously-leaked videos, the game looks to comprise a fast pace shooting action. Questions over the elaborate cabinet's price in a credit squeezed market aside, the game looked fun and seemed to entertain those managing to play it.
The continued adherence to the 'simple and fun' brief in game design from Team Frontline was shown through 'With Tears for Everyone!' On three connected small ('kid-friendly') cabinets, offering mini-game narrative, the players have a selection of four unique interface controls, each with its own characteristics (button, reel, etc), with the player having to select the best interface to complete the mini-game task. Shown in a pre-production version, the game is part of Taito's 'NO!' series (standing for no-complication, no-violence and no-difficulty to play). Another shooting game on the show floor was 'Music GunGun!', another 'NO!' series title. The two-player cartoon character music blaster offers much of the child-friendly style that is becoming a familiar aspect of the Frontline 'NO!' series.
Among the even more unusual game designs, four cabinets of the newly released '
Ultra-Low Dinning Table' were shown on the Taito Type X2 hardware. This unique Japanese themed game, comprising a Japanese table interface with the player pounding or flipping the table at the appropriate moment to vent his anger, seemed a mixture of novelty and video action, but will not see the light of day outside of the Home Islands!
Taito invited some third-party developers onto their exhibition booth this year. Though accepted without question by many that saw it, the appearance of 'Speed Rider', marked a major development in the political climate of the amusement factory scene. This was one of the few times that a Taiwanese or Korean amusement development had been given space on a JAMMA member show booth. 'Speed Rider', the motorbike street racing game developed by International Games Systems (IGS) and launched at GTi'09, had been now re-housed in a VEWLIX cabinet (comprising the motorbike controls without the main body of the bike), offered a Super Bikes-style racing package on a VEWLIX cabinet. Although still in prototype format the game offered an interesting concept on the two cabinets on display.
It is a sign of the times that a Taiwanese game has been allowed by the JAMMA executives on the show floor (no matter what the claims of open mindedness). This change in attitude reveals the demand for new video content from those operators seeking a resurgence in attendance at their facilities. The monopoly of the Japanese factories could be under pressure with releases such as this from IGS and others. How these Japanese corporations will defend themselves will be (legally) interesting to watch.
NOTE - It has to be remembered that Namco Bandai had been experimenting using Chinese / Taiwanese software development studios, though with less than stellar results. The appearance of this game, now supported by Taito, seems to beg the question as to the future shape of cost-effective video amusement design for the amusement factories.
Also finding a unique space on the Taito booth, SNK-Playmore marked the 15th anniversary of the King of Fighters series with '
KOF Sky Stage'. Based on the Taito Type X hardware, the game is an unusual vertical shoot-em-up based on one of the lead fighter characters from the series [SNK-P did not have any other representation at AM-Show'09, sparking questions over their AM business]. The area on the Taito booth that the SNK-P game was shown on was dedicated to Type X hardware promotion. Taito are working hard to get other independent studios to follow those that had adopted the PC hardware as the new standard for amusement application. Taito seemed to be winning the battle to establish the VEWLIX cabinet as the new standard in amusement halls, with many of the competitors emulating the design. The move to achieve the same with the Type-X hardware is taking slightly longer.
Another interesting No Show at the event was the new Taito driver 'Top Speed', possibly not able to find space on the booth - even after heavy pre-show testing. It might have been thought best to avoid a crowded line-up, or the games are still receiving final polishing for the crowded driver scene anticipated at AOU'10.
News Story with thanks to Kevin Williams. Please visit
www.thestingerreport.com for others.
