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October Release for Initial D in Europe
Following the sell out success of Initial D in Japan Sega Amusements Europe Ltd have now released this highly successful driving game in Europe as single sit down cabinet linkable up to 2 players.
Initial D is a "one on one" race game taken place on a mountain course. Based around the characters from a famous comic strip, the player's goal is to beat the rival and become the legendary fastest driver. Initial D also has the revolutionary card system to support the players to enjoy the game wherever they left off.
The game is currently undergoing income testing in the UK where it has proved to be the No1 game in the test site. The game is scheduled for manufacture in early October.
The game is powered by Sega's powerfully impressive Naomi 2 board, which brings unparalleled graphic reality to the game and allows players to experience a real sense of speed and acceleration. Players have a choice of 3 game modes and 4 courses:
1. Legendary Fastest Driver.
This is a 1-player story time mode. In this mode you will try to become the fastest driver of the 4 mountains. Each mountain has different computer rivals that are based on the story from the comic book.
2. Time Attack
The player can practise without any competition to achieve their fastest lap. These fastest lap times can then be downloaded onto an Internet ranking site.
3. Link Battle
This is a one on one competition with your friends.
The unique Card System allows players to build a totally unique custom tuned car that is personal to them. This information is then stored on a paper credit card with a magnetic strip similar to those issued at car parks. They have a choice of car manufacturer, car colours, sponsor and parts to tune the car. Each time they race the car the player accumulates competition points which allows them to add new parts and tune the car, allowing you to improve your performance in each level without having to drop back a level.
Sega Amusements Europe Ltd, Sales Director – Paul Williams commented, "The life cycle of recent games has gradually been decreasing, thus reducing the investment efficiency for many operators. Sega believes that there are mainly two reasons for this situation:
1. Once a player achieves the final target to clear the game they will not play again because there is no new target for them to achieve. If the final target is easy to achieve then the game is suitable for the beginner or the occasional video user, but the game is then too easy for the hard-core video player.
2. If the final target is too high to achieve then a player may give up after only playing once because the game is too difficult and they get no enjoyment from it.
In order to combat these problems and lengthen the life cycle of the game and raise the level of return on investment, Sega believes that a programmable card system is the best solution as it gives the player multiple ways to enjoy the game in an arcade. Club Kart was the first game which we introduced with this system was hugely successful for us, since then we have had many requests for another driving game utilising the card system."
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