JAEPO 2013 - Hit or Miss?

JAEPO 2013 - Hit or Miss?

Kevin Williams reported: "The Japanese amusement trade placed all their eggs in one basket of the JAEPO exhibition. The Stinger Report is one of the few media services to give a concentrated report of what was shown, and the thinking behind the future of amusement in a sector that is seeing incredibly[sic] changes in its future business that also plays a part in impacting future business in the West.

The importance of the Japanese amusement markets influence on the Western scene was legendary, but as time has moved on, and the buying power of the Western market has dwindled, the Japanese industry has become insular in its development. The 2013 season started with a brand new approach that could chart a "make or break" period for the Home Islands."

While many operators brought new titles to the trade show, traditional and highly popular genres - such as gun games and driving games - were decidedly underrepresented with a push towards the online platforms.

Mr Williams observed, "No mistaking that this single show was a shadow of the former two shows and there was not the same excitement or buzz concerning new releases. Though there were strong new titles represented on a number of booths, the originality seemed tired and a little strained. (...) But the harsh reality is that the Japanese amusement trade seemed a shadow of its former-self, the originality was focused inwardly with none of the games presented seriously looking at an international placement any further than Australia - the Western trade an obvious omission from conversation. An uncomfortable subject not touched on publicly, though rose often in heated conversations at the Makuhari Messe exhibition hall bars. This also reflected in the small number of Western visitors at this show."

What this could mean for the future of many partnerships between Western distributors/buyers and the factories in Japan is yet to be seen. Although, the Stinger Report mentions a reported push by the factories towards "direct sales, rather than looking at distribution may be the future for business".

News via The Stinger Report #877 written by Kevin Williams.