Bemani slot machines

Arcade Heroes brought this to my attention with a post about a week ago, but Konami is branching out the Bemani name to include pachislot machines now... As odd as that sounds, I find it even odder that the more that I watch some of the videos of the slot machine in action, the more I realize that it's actually a rather impressive idea that looks to imbue the randomness with a traditional slot/pachinko machine with skill aspects familiar to Bemani fans. I've embedded two videos below - one a basic promotional video and the other a video that shows off a player going through a 2 and a half minute song.

King of Fighters XII location test dates announced

Over at Neo-Arcadia, I just spotted that they posted up the dates for the first King of Fighters XII location test in Japan. SNK Playmore Japan has just recently announced that the game will be on test at the Taito Hey Akihabara arcade as well as a location in Namba Hills in Osaka on April 18th - 20th. The company is currently claiming that the King of Fighters XII build that is being showcased is already 40% completed. I'm just hoping that the recent trend of camera lockdowns doesn't continue with King of Fighters XII... I'm eager to see more footage of the game in action, especially with it being played by live opponents...

[Update] After looking at a couple of other sources, it seems this is all coming out of the May issue of Arcadia Magazine. Kobayan has of the details about the latest issue, including a small outline of Virtua Fighter 5 R...

Tougeki Super Battle Opera 2008 Website updated

After a couple of months with basic teaser information being posted, the official Tougeki Super Battle Opera 2008 website has launched in full force. Currently, the store locations of the initial preliminary rounds of Japan's premier arcade tournament are all posted and are ready to begin in earnest April 2008 starting with qualifiers in Hokuto no Ken and Guilty Gear Accent Core. The website for this year's Super Battle Opera can be found here.

For information on last year's event, including some basic results pulled from a couple of sources, check out my previous posts on Tougeki Super Battle Opera 2007.

Arcadia Magazine's top 10 for January - February

The latest Arcadia Magazine numbers have been posted on the magazine's website. The rankings look primarily at the top performers in arcades from January to February of this year. There are a few surprises (which I'll get into in a moment), but the top 3 games on the list have all remained solid performers over the course of this last year.

Tekken 6 in its second month on the ranking has shot itself up to number 1. As a result, Dark Resurrection drops off the Arcadia rankings for the first time since its debut back in 2005. A rather impressive run overall, especially considering the fact that for the most part it has spent the entire time in the top 2 or 3 performing games month after month...

The biggest surprise with these rankings has been the push up of King of Fighters '98 and King of Fighters 2002. This has been more than likely due to the anticipation surrounding the releases of King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match this month and King of Fighters XII later this year. Nona (the lead designer for King of Fighters XII), handled most of the illustration work on King of Fighters 2002.

Considering the number of new game releases that were scheduled for March, the next two Arcadia lists may see quite a bit of a shake up in the rankings. Games to watch out for next month: Gundam vs. Gundam, King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, Arcana Heart 2.

Top 10 Games with Non-Dedicated Cabinets
1. Tekken 6 (Namco)
2. Guilty Gear A Core (Arc System/Sega, Naomi)
3. Virtua Fighter 5 (Sega, Lindbergh)
4. Mobile Suit Gundam: Seed Destiny Vs Z.A.F.T II (Banpresto, System 246)
5. Melty Blood Act Cadenza B2 (Ecole/Sega, Naomi)
6. Street Fighter III Third Strike (Capcom, CPS-3)
7. Deathsmiles (Cave, AMI)
8. King of Fighters 2002 (SNK Playmore, NEO GEO)
9. King of Fighters '98 (SNK Playmore, NEO GEO)
10. Mushihime Sama Futari (Cave, AMI)


Top 10 Games with Dedicated Cabinets
1. beatmania IIDX 14 GOLD (Konami)
2. Mah-Jongg Fight Club 6 (Konami)
3. Sangokushi Taisen 3 (Sega)
4. Drummania V4 (Konami)
5. Pop'n Music 15 Adventure (Konami)
6. Guitarfreaks V4 (Konami)
7. MJ3 EVO (Sega)
8. Answer x Answers (Sega)
9. Mobile Suit Gundam Kizuna (Banpresto)
10. Midnight Maximum Tune 3 (Namco)

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What is really going on with Tekken 6 and US arcades?

There is no denying Tekken 6's current status in Japan. Right now Namco Bandai's arcade game is currently riding a wave of popularity that sees it sitting pretty aggressively at the top of the list of the best performing arcade games on the market. Considering the length of time that Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection held one of the top 3 spots according to both Arcadia Magazine and Amusement Journal tracking, the chances are that Tekken 6 is also only beginning its run that should culminate with the same market success that its predessor received.

But despite this early positive performance, there have been some serious question marks surrounding the game for an international audience. While the Asian market (notably Japan and Hong Kong) have been enjoying the release of Tekken 6 for almost 3 or 4 months now, word of a UK or a US release has been relatively unforthcoming. This culminated with a report last week from SD Tekken that unequivocally stated that Tekken 6 will not be receiving an official release in the US.

At the time, the report was an acknowledgment of the current market mentality in a lot of ways. While no sources were named, it did strike an unnerving cord with me that Tekken 6 (arcade) may end up being forgotten in favor for the inevitable home console port of the latest game in the franchise. Regardless, I was holding off any final judgment on the situation until there were more definitive sources either confirming or denying the early speculation.

I have received word however that the situation is a lot more fickle than what I could have possibly imagined. An upcoming issue of The Stinger Report is currently set to feature an indepth look at the Tekken 6 situation and how it relates to the US and UK arcade markets. Though the article in question hasn't been circulated yet (it should be posted to the newsletter in the next week or so), I have had a chance to take a look at its sections in order to get a better feel for what Namco Bandai games may be doing in regards to what I presumed would have been a popular title for the company.

From the article:

The Stinger Report approached the key executives at both satellite divisions of Namco towards an official statement on these rumors. The contact was made at what is usually the busiest period for the amusement sales – the Easter / Spring Break buying period a very important revenue stream for manufacturers in America and Europe. Add to this the build up to the ASI exhibition – the first big show of the US season – and it was not unsurprising that no reply was forthcoming.

Well placed sources to Namco stated off the record that another reason for the tight mouth before ASI was that they had hoped that the situation regarding Tekken would have fallen off the radar. The company’s international division feeling lumbered to even have the machine on their books as they saw no real demand, and would be happy to be shot of the responsibility to have to sell it into a market they feel depressed, especially for a high price piece of ‘niche’ hardware.

Where with Tekken 5, Namco America had worked extensively on ‘localization’ (translation and hardware alteration to suit market requirements) the corporation did not want to spend this expense on an already expensive and impractical import. Rather than confirming they had abandoned selling the machine, they hoped it would just go away.

The article goes on, but the message is clear - despite the high entry price there is an obvious demand for Tekken 6 that is being attempted to be held back from Namco Bandai Game's downplaying the potential audience in the UK and the US. There are obvious concerns about the hardware, the pricing for example is an immediate detriment to some arcade owners who maybe considering the cabinet, however even with these concerns, the recognition of a potential audience is driving arcade operators to look at acquiring the game through unofficial means.

This sort of after-market purchasing is already beginning to undermine Namco Bandai's apparent position, and if it becomes widespread, may be set to cause a potential backlash at the decision which has made the process of obtaining a unit rather difficult for those interested.

It is true that the industry doesn't demand the attention it once did, however, to downplay the audience as it is apparent that it seems like the US and UK divisions of Namco Bandai Games are currently doing seems to be writing a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure and shrinking market presence. If gamers are going to expect this sort of narrow viewing of their audience (and the ostracizing of the 'hardcore gamer' as was done according to the Stinger article at ATEI London by the European division of Namco games), the response will not be one that Namco Bandai amusements will appreciate.

Furthermore, once again quoting from The Stinger Report, there is a major difference between the approach that was taken with Tekken 5 and the current attitude with Tekken 6.

With T6 the difference in player relations between Namco Bandai Gaming in Japan and the satellite is stark. In Japan the AM R&D team has worked closely with the player base, listening to their suggestions and requests and shaping the machines play accordingly. Previously Namco America had worked incredibly closely with the players – the 2004 ‘Tekken 5’ (System 256) US cabinet had been specially developed by the excellent American team, members of which had listened to players including the Joypad home game controller ports, creating localization and player based information; but sadly with T6 Namco Japan had other ideas.

Already released in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, New Zealand, and even Canada the game has seen record breaking earning – supported by the secondary spend of the online connectivity (ranking) service, and the purchase of IC cards; so why not the UK or the USA? The Stinger Report approached a number of trade operator sources about Namco executive’s claims of a lack of interest in buying the game.

A major difference in the 2004 success of ‘Tekken 5’ (System 256) and the new release was blamed on the difference in pricing. Internationally Namco charged over $5,000 for the cabinet for T5 – a cabinet that confirmed to the norms usually requested by operators. In comparison T6 sits in a unique (Japanese style) HD sit-down cabinet, and is best operated with accompanying connected cabinets, and display screen – at a price of $16,000 per unit!

Beyond all else, this shift away from viewing the US audience as a potential market and exchanging with it an attitude of disinterest in building an alternative for their seperate regions will inevitably also hurt the US industry. While it is obvious that several regions are able to support $16,000 cabinets, the high pricing concerns could have easily been adjusted with specific region machines built to the demands of the market. The lack of interest due to cost is once again an example of a lack of motivation to try to re-engage an audience in the US that has fallen by the wayside to an industry who no longer views them as their base.

Reality is a harsh mistress, and though I can understand the corporate reasoning behind these decisions, it will be interesting to see if the 'gray market' sales of Tekken 6 will possibly cause a re-consideration of Namco Bandai's current trend of 'non-support'. However, as The Stinger Report also points out, that even these means may not end up being the best solution for gamers and arcade operators, as 'sources close to Namco’s International divisions stated that they are prepared to block those using unauthorized routes (Grey) to import machines. Operational issues regarding official IC card availability (a card can only be used 200 times), and the issue that international systems will need to be hocked-up to the online component of the game for updates, and that unauthorized machines will be locked out by Namco.'

The whole situation is creating a stark separation that is highlighting a negative trend towards traditional arcade fighting games in the US industry. With the inevitable PS3 port of Tekken 6 scheduled for later this year (which will undoubtedly be a million seller), the period of exclusiveness for Tekken 6 has already been severely limited by Namco Bandai's 'decision of indecision'. It really does seem that in a lot of ways, it is a situation of the company having no one to blame but themselves...

The Stinger Report ends on a note about the implications of the entire situation with future releases. There were rumors at one time that Namco Bandai's US division could possibly be handling the distribution of Street Fighter IV in the arcades stateside. It is readily apparent that this is probably not the case under the circumstances, and it calls into question of whether or not Capcom (who has no arcade division in the US anymore) will be finding a way to make Street Fighter IV's arcade release available to arcade operators. Is the reluctance to put Tekken 6 on the market going to negatively effect the perception of an audience for Street Fighter IV with Capcom? I would hope not, but at this stage I'm still shocked that there isn't more of a push to demand Tekken 6 via official channels.

For those interested in the full article on Tekken 6, including more insights on the entire breakdown of the game's availability in the US and UK, I recommend heading over to The Stinger Report and subscribing to the newsletter. The newsletter article should be coming out soon and it provides an even greater look at what exactly is going on that has caused the current course of action both on the part of arcade operators who want the game and a company who doesn't seem to want to be bothered to supply it...

There is always another side to every story, this one included. While I'm sure it would be great to receive official comments in regards to Tekken 6 (which has been hard to come by at this stage), over at the SDTekken site one Namco employee spoke up about the entire situation.

T6 in NA and other countries is a mere supply and demand equation. Ultimately, NA player’s penchant to sit on their asses until the game hits console has brought this upon themselves. No operator is willing to take the financial risk on T6 knowing the ROI will never be reached and player loyalty is only as long as the game remains off consoles

For Namco America we did everything we could, even hosting massive tournaments at our own loss couldn’t turn the boat around. Not only did operators lose tons of money in T5, Namco America did as well.

The real ugly is that players brought this upon themselves.

This seems to be the closest to an official statement as we may get. The attitude is a bit disturbing and self-defeatist, but none-the-less, shows the opinion that Namco Bandai's American arcade division has elected to take with Tekken 6.

And on that note, I think it's important to bring up that the second Tekken 6 machine been officially spotted in Southern California...

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More Street Fighter casting news (part 2)...

This has popped all over the internet, but it is being reported that some more castings for the new live action Street Fighter movie have been set.

Following the announcement that Kristen Kreuk is Chun Li, Michael Clarke Duncan is Balrog, and Chris Klein is Nash, the latest actor to join the film's credits is Neil McDonough (Walking Tall) who will be taking on the role of M. Bison. In addition, Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas (who was previously announced to be a character in the project) has had his role finally revealed - he will be taking on the position of Vega in the upcoming movie.

While I wasn't too keen on some of the castings, Neil McDonough may be able to pull off M. Bison. Taboo on the other hand... I'm not so sure about.

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Arcana Heart 2 release and website updates

Examu's Arcana Heart 2 launched in Japan today. As part of the release, the company completed the website updates on the game which include character rosters, story, and gameplay system features. The website can be found here.

One of the things about Arcana Heart 2 that hasn't been fully revealed (to the best of my knowledge) is the system specs on the custom hardware Examu is introducing with Arcana Heart 2. While we know the basic details of the EX-board, the full system information is still a bit of a mystery. If anyone has seen the specs on the board, please share them, because I'm curious about the system's potential.

The next game being planned for release on the EX-board is an arcade version of the popular doujin fighting game Monster.

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Street Fighter IV location test details

I missed this earlier in the week, but at the latest location tests in Japan the ID card system for the game is being tested out for the first time.

According to Famitsu, the ID cards will be available in a limited quantity for purchase for 500 yen (about $5). Though the full details of the ID card system hasn't been fully revealed yet by Capcom, stored ranking data has been (and will be) the primary use of the card at this weekend's test. The test in Osaka will conclude on Sunday March 23rd.

As a bit of a disappointment, the latest character on the Street Fighter IV roster, El Fuerte, will not be playable at the test. Neither will Balrog (Boxer) or Sagat, according to early reports. The characters playable will be limited to the original world warriors with Crimson Viper and Abel. This has been the third scheduled location test for the game since its playable reveal at AOU 2008.

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Dodonpachi Daioujou Black Label X and Ketsui X teaser site

Recap posted a link to the teaser site for 5pb's upcoming Xbox 360 releases of Dodonpachi Daioujou Black Label X and Ketsui X. Unfortunately, there isn't much to get excited about at this time, as the site is simply splashed with a wall paper with the two logos. It would probably be a good idea to keep an eye on the site though if you are a fan of the games, as more than likely more information should be available as we get closer to the release dates for the titles. The link to the site can be found here.

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1 Year Anniversary

With everything go on in March for me (vacation, work change - I got a promotion, etc), I completely forgot that my blog's one year anniversary is this month. Not a huge milestone I know, but I've been satisfied so far with this little side project. I know I have a long way to go however before I'm where I want this site to be in the end.

Thanks to everyone out there who has taken the time to visit me, read my posts, or provide their feedback with what they think I should do for future changes. I already have the new template set up for what the site is going to look like when I have a little more time to implement it, but I'm struggling to find the time to make all the necessary changes. I think everyone will be happy though with the direction I'm going in (hopefully).

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April location test for King of Fighters XII and other Famitsu news

gemgemmania posted the latest King of Fighters XII news coming from Famitsu magazine. According to the magazine, King of Fighters XII will be given its first official location test in Tokyo, Japan in April. While I knew we would be seeing some early hands on time due to the nature of arcade location tests, the first playable build being so close is pretty amazing to me. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing some of the new footage and hope SNK Playmore Japan delivers on some direct feed media soon...

In other news, some of the game's early system information was also revealed. Like what was previously speculated, King of Fighters XII is going to be removing the shift/tag system in exchange for the traditional elimination 3 vs. 3 team match-ups.

Secondly, the screen's edge is going to be a hard barrier of sorts, allowing gamers to use it to deliver follow-up attacks due to a slight 'hang' that will occur when a character is hit into the barrier. This isn't new to the world of fighting games, but it is a difficult system to balance, so it should be interesting to see what SNK Playmore Japan does with it.

Thirdly, attacks will be able to offset each other. To what extent is unknown right now, but the specific example provided in the article lists that if two attacks would connect, both attacks would 'cancel' and force the players to start again.

Finally, a Guard Attack system is also being planned which will allow gamers to switch from offensive to defensive modes on the fly. No further details are provided about this system either.

Some screens of the Famitsu magazine have already been posted on the MMCafe forums. For those interested in some of the screenshots, I definitely recommend checking out the link. I tried to pick out if there was anybody new(ish) in the screens, but it looks like they were all mostly the previously revealed cast that we've seen so far.

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SHMUP forum fans working for region free DDP Black Label and Ketsui X

Over at the SHMUP forums, a petition and letter was put up directed to 5pb, the developers/publishers working on the Xbox 360 ports of Dodonpachi Daioujou X and Ketsui X.

The basic letter was an encouragement on behalf of the forum to remove any region restriction on the Xbox 360 releases of the two games since according to Microsoft's publishing policy, region coding is dependent on the publisher of the game. While I'm not necessarily a firm believer in online petitions (a lot of times they just end up being a little 'off'), I do support the cause in this case as the recent trend on restrictions of region coded games on the Xbox 360 has tended to overshadow the number of games without region coding.

Surprisingly, the online petition and letter that was e-mailed to 5pb has already received a response on the forums. Masaki Sakari, the producer of the two titles for 5pb, has acknowledged the petition and according to his response, while he wouldn't go so far as state the games would be region free he does seem optimistic that there are efforts being made in that direction. He also requests that the people who have participated so far with the e-mail writing and online petition to forward the source on to several other outlets in order to help spread the awareness of the demand for the games in the North American market.

It's a start at least... Even if it may be a long shot.

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Raiden Fighters - Options, options, and more options

I stumbled across this video on YouTube earlier today while searching to see if the Raiden Fighters Aces trailers had been posted on the site. In the video, one of the demo locations that was set up up for Raiden Fighters Aces was showcased allowing an entrepreneurial gamer to highlight a lot of the options and customization settings that are being implemented by Success/Gulti in regards to the Raiden Fighters compilation.

While the different screen orientations (including 16:10 support - I'm glad to see game developers realizing that a lot of gamers are beginning to use LCD monitors as primary gaming screens) are pretty standard expectations, there are quite a few additions that are going to be rather interesting for the sake of completeness. Everything from medal edits, bomb changes, refresh rate, and FPS's are all able to be tweaked to perfection. Even starting weapon strength can be altered.

I'm hoping that based on previous comments from UFO Interactive in regards to the Xbox 360 and the Raiden series that the company is seriously looking at Raiden Fighters Aces as a potential project for localization. With the select nature of region restrictions on Xbox 360 titles, it will be a shame if Raiden Fighters Aces remains region-specific.

In other Raiden Fighters Aces news, a demo is now available on the Xbox Live Japan marketplace. While this restricts my ability to download the demo for now since Microsoft made the decision to restrict demo downloads for the first couple of weeks to Gold members and my Japanese Xbox Live arcade account is simply a Silver membership, I went ahead and put in an order for the game via Play-Asia. I'll be sure to post my impressions once I get the game in...

For alot of information on Raiden Fighters Aces including a good breakdown of the blog post by Gulti/Success, Lech has kept up with a great list over on the forums for easy viewing.

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Konami's e-Amusment finally coming stateside

Despite being shown off at a few select tests here and there, the e-Amusement features in Konami's arcade titles have never been officially launched in the US. Because of this, gamers stateside have missed out a large number of features in some of the latest DDR, GuitarFreaks/Drummania, Pop n' Music, and Beatmania games including a live, linked internet ranking system as well as additional unlockable content that is able to be saved to e-Amusement pass cards such as characters, games, stages, levels, and more.

According to a post over at the DDR Community, Brunswick Zone in Naperville, Il will be featuring the first fully functional US e-Amusement site with Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2. It is specifically pointed out in their forums that this is not simply another 'market test' by Konami, but it is a signal that will be the beginning of the full implementation of the e-Amusement system in the United States through Brunswick Bowling and Billiards. No word yet on if the plans for the e-Amusement system will remain exclusively with Brunswick Zone's, or if other arcades will eventually be able to utilize the system, but for now it is definitely a step in the right direction for Konami/Betson.

For more information on the Brunswick Recreation Centers (including a location search to find one near you), head over to their official website at http://www.bowlbrunswick.com/. While there is not any time frame for the full roll out of the e-Amusement system to the rest of the Brunswick Zones, gamers can enjoy Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2 with all of its e-Amusement features in Naperville, Il starting on March 17th.

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My recent purchase... Tekken 5

I realized that with my last post I haven't mentioned my recent purchase late last month. I was out bowling with my wife and a few friends, and since I'm not much of a bowler, I spent pretty much all of my time sinking quarters into the small arcade area since they had a few new games that I hadn't seen before (2Spicy for example - which I was mildly impressed with).

There was a Tekken 5 dedicated cabinet in the corner of the arcade with the screen turned off and a small for sale sign posted in the corner that had the words "Broken" underneath it. Being mildly curious, I asked the bowling alley manager what was wrong with the machine and how much he wanted it for it. He stated that the joystick and buttons weren't responding and he didn't have time to mess with the machine. He said that he was simply wanting to get rid of the machine because it was in his mind too much of a hassle for not enough return.

I offered him about $200 cash to take the game off his hands if he could turn it own for me and let me inspect it. He agreed and after making sure the only damage that I could find was the joysticks and buttons (which were going to be a fairly simple fix), I went ahead and agreed to purchase the game for that amount. The next day I went back and loaded up the game in my friend's truck and hauled it home.

I currently have the replacement parts on order so hopefully I should be getting them fairly soon. In the meantime, I have a really crappy cell phone picture to show off my latest 'wares'. Since I already own Dark Resurrection online on my PS3, I'm not quite sure if I'm going to keep the cabinet a dedicated Tekken cabinet or if I'm going to end up doing something a bit creative with it. If I do decide to gut the thing, I'll keep everyone updated on the process since I'm sure people enjoy that sort of thing.

All in all, this is probably one of the better arcade buys that I've picked up over the years for cost and value. It just amazes me that people would be so quick to just dump a game that probably ran them $5-6,000 (or at least someone that much at one time). But I guess if someone doesn't want to be hassled, they don't want to be hassled.

As I mentioned in my previous post though, this pick up ended up putting me on a no more arcade games moratorium for the time being. That is until I can convince my wife I really do need another one...

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NCSX posts Street Fighter IV Kit price

While I was a bit shocked at the cabinet pricing on Street Fighter IV, the PCB kit price that was recently posted by NCSX (via Kotaku) is a lot easier to swallow.

The Street Fighter IV software and Type X2 hardware is now available for pre-order for $2,590 via the popular online importer. The kit also includes cabinet artwork and 25 ID cards. While NCSX pricing is usually pretty good for importers, it is possible to see the PCB for even less if you have a way to cut out the middle man and direct order (via a friend or a colleague in Japan).

Either way, with the ease of hooking up a Type X2 cabinet to basic monitors/LCDs (pretty much a simple direct connect), I can definitely see some more enthusiastic players jumping in at this opportunity even with the inevitable console release nipping at Street Fighter IV's heels. Hell, I'm almost tempted myself if I wasn't recently put on a no more arcade games moratorium after purchasing a used Tekken 5 cabinet.

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Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix videos

Gametrailers went all out yesterday with an interview and a handful of Ken vs. Ryu, Ken vs. Ken, and Ryu vs. Ryu videos for Capcom's Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. The new sprites have lost a bit of detail compared to the original release sprite art that they revealed last year, but I can't help but think the simplicity here works much better than the detailed did previously. I'm not a huge fan of the current lifebar/character portrait design, so hopefully that is still being tweaked, but everything else looks like it's falling nicely into place.

A good bit of news for old school fans - Capcom has announced that the game will not only feature an 'original' and 'rebalanced' modes, but it will also feature the ability to play with the original Super Turbo sprites if the player chooses. The game is set for release this fall on the PSN and Xbox Live Arcade.



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New Fate: Unlimited Codes and Street Fighter IV images

Famitsu has posted a new set of Street Fighter IV and Fate Unlimited Codes images online earlier today and late yesterday. I may be mistaken, but the screens from Fate Unlimited Codes are among the first I've really seen to detail some of the characters in a lot of different shots in various descriptions.

Berserker and Shiro are the two highlighted by Famitsu with the accompanying article which can be found here. The game still looks a bit rough, but it is at least attracting positive attention from Type-Moon fans from what I've read online, so 8ing must be doing something right with the game...

The Street Fighter IV article by Famitsu (here) has some of the best screens that I've seen of the game in action thus far. I know I've been a bit down on the game in the past, but seeing the slightly new look (with what appears to be some heavy post-processing effects) makes me begin to second guess the issues I've had with the game. Perhaps fixing the colors is the start of something even more positive...

The article by Famtisu really focuses on the new fighters (includuing a brief blurb about El Fuerte), so its worth a quick glance over for more than just the eye candy. Like most Japanese sites however, the images are fairly low resolution. Fortunately, IGN has posted some of the same shots (and even some shots not shown by Famitsu) in a higher resolution format so you can really check out all the little details...

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What I missed while I was on vacation, part 1

Sega Amusements USA updates their website - Adds manuals for Primeval Hunt and Sega Race TV

Capcom's Street Fighter IV arcade Japanese pricing leaked - $22,000 for four standard kits or $40,000 for four linkable deluxe cabinets... Wow? In other Street Fighter IV news, the game is currently breaking test site records...

Street Fighter IV's latest 'New Challenger' revealed from the Capcom Unity blogs... Fans of Mexican Lucha Libre wrestlers should be happy - El Fuerte looks to carry the torch and mask of Capcom's Slammaster series.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix State of the Union Address - Rey Jiminez gives us the skinny on the latest updates for Capcom's Super Turbo revival - also includes some slightly updates sprites (for better or worse depending on how you felt about the originals).

IGN's first look at 1942 Joint Strike force (XBLA/PSN)

Ketsui and Dondonpachi Daioujou Black Label will both be coming to the Xbox 360 courtesy of 5pb. Famitsu articles can be found here and here. I feel that somewhere Mihara is shedding a single tear over this one...

Initial D Extreme Stage coming to the PS3

Aksys is bringing Guilty Gear II Overture to the US with additional content - plans for a third quarter 2008 release are in the works

Gamercafe reveals the latest Soul Calibur IV character via Famitsu scans

SNK-Capcom reports on a recent North American Samurai Spirits Sen/King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match location test. Includes a ton of videos and a special 'announcement' of a King of Fighters XII US location test at Family Fun Arcade. The date is yet to be determined, but rumors are circulating for a mid-summer target...

New official trailer for Guilty Gear Accent Core Plus via Neo-Arcadia

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SD-Tekken reports Tekken 6 will not receive a US release in arcades

There has been a bit of speculation over the last couple of weeks as to when exactly distributors in the US would receive Tekken 6 cabinets. As has been pointed out previously, the game has failed to show up on the 'usual suspects' lists of companies that often times handle the distribution of Namco Bandai arcade games here in America. While no official sources were named, over at SD Tekken, one of the largest US based Tekken fansites, it is being reported that Tekken 6 will not be receiving a release in the US via official channels.

Of course, this won't limit arcade operators and distributors who choose to import the game, but as was pointed out in the article posted by SD Tekken, those wanting to get their hands on a cabinet will be facing some increasingly hefty price hikes. There are a few cabinets that can be found here and there, but it seems that for anyone who was expecting to see Tekken 6 meeting the same market penetration in the US as Tekken 5/Dark Resurrection will end up being disappointed.

As a side note, Kevin Williams of the Stinger Report posted a comment over at Arcade Heroes, where he states (prior to the latest revelation from SD Tekken) that he was going to be asking some tough questions in regards to this situation and how it relates to the US/UK distribution of the title to the Namco Bandai CEO at ASI in late March. It'll be interesting to see the response from an 'official source'.

I can't help but feel despite the obvious lack of faith in the US arcade industry by some companies, this may end up being a big missed opportunity due to the rabid fan base of the series. The only thing that I can see this really doing for the US base is drawing more fans away from arcades to begin with... Especially with the heels of an impending console release of Tekken 6 being planned late 2008.

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Vacation

Just as a heads up to everyone, I'm going to be on vacation starting today and ending on Sunday March 9th. I've made a promise to myself to leave my cell phone and laptop at home (to avoid work), so I'm not going to have any means to have any new posts or updates until next Sunday. Once I'm back in the land of technology, I'll try to do a quick run down and go over whatever new information I may have missed over the past week.

While I'm away, I would recommend checking out any of the links on the column on the bottom left hand side of the page. Any of those sites would be good sources of information (or entertainment) if you are wanting to keep up with going ons semi-related to games and topics that I usually cover.

Have a good week everyone.

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