AOU 2008 Image Gallery from AM-net's blog

AM-net is among the first group I've seen to the punch with images circulating from the show floor this morning. There is a small gallery currently viewable over at the AM-net website. There are currently 22 images featured in a short walk through of the show floor prior to the event's official opening. There are some quick pictures of the Arcana Heart 2 exhibit, the new Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu exhibit, and the Square Enix display for Lord of Vermilion which looks like it has set itself up as an imposing black monolith near Taito's display area. An interesting note - on the Blazblue exhibit, there is a banner flying overhead that features 4 characters with six silhouetted fighters. I don't know if its been stated before, but it looks like Blazblue will be featuring a cast of ten characters (excluding any hidden fighters that may make an appearance). The designs from what I can tell from the silhouettes at least seem rather varied... For all the images, I recommend checking out the full gallery over on AM-net.

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Forbes: Arcade games make a comeback

Though it doesn't touch on the current state of arcade development, Forbes has taken a look at the growing popularity of retro arcade games and the current trend of personal cabinet purchases by arcade fans...

Tech We Love: Arcade games make a comeback

When David Ellis was in high school, he, like millions of other teenagers, became mesmerized by videogames. That was back in the 1980s, however, when the most popular place to play a videogame was in an arcade.

These days, Ellis, who is today a game designer for North Carolina-based Vicious Cycle Software, is at the forefront of a very retro trend: installing those grand old game playing consoles at home. He bought his first game console, Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator, in 1997. Since then, Ellis has snapped up more than a dozen and has even written a book, The Official Price Guide To Classic Video Games. "I like the older games because they are so much more creative than what is in the arcades now. Today, everything is a fighting or shooting or driving game," he says.

Home entertainment today is squarely focused on the kinds of high-definition graphics offered up by systems such as the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The graphics and speed of those machines can't be matched by the arcade games of 30 years ago. But many people miss the thrill of arcade games--of getting swallowed up by the monstrous machines and immersed in the abstract graphics.

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Street Fighter IV video analysis breakdown

While some people looked at the footage of Street Fighter IV as simply being eye candy showing off the game in action, others (like Goryus from YouTube), look at it as hints into the potential deeper gameplay that may be present in the game.

After watching his breakdown and analysis of the videos (including commentary when necessary), it gives me a greater appreciation for the nuisances that affect translating a game built from 2D sprites to 3D polygons. This isn't a simple matter of plugging in angles and hoping it will work - the intricacies of the hit boxes, speeds, hit connects, and more - are all part of a bigger picture that represents what Street Fighter IV is trying to do.

Its the little things like this that give me hope for the game...



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Virtua Fighter 5 ver. D Trailer and Details

Sega has finally let loose on the first details on the planned Virtua Fighter 5 ver. D changes, and it isn't quite the "Evolution" of the series as was first rumored.

According to Sega's official Virtua Fighter 5 website, ver. D of the game will not be featuring any new core gameplay changes, but will rather focus itself on updating new costumes, items, and two new game modes in arcades. A bit disappointing for those wanting some fixes, but the two modes should provide some new entertainment value while we wait for the next release. The Knockdown Trial 2 is a single player mode while the Open Battle mode will allow gamers to hold impromptu tournament style games in a fight for points.

Virtua Fighter 5 ver. D should be out in arcades in early 2008. As a side note, Virtua Fighter 5 Evolution is still heavily rumored for a 2008 release as well. Personally, I'm a bit concerned about that update schedule, but so long as Sega wants Virtua Fighter 5 to stay relevant in the face of Tekken 6 and other competitors, it makes sense. The game is already widely regarded as the best 3D fighting game available today, so making plans to ensure that future crown is perfectly understandable.

Below is a Virtua Fighter 5 ver. D trailer that was taken from the game's official website and ripped to YouTube! from another user. It highlights a few of the new items and costumes you can expect to see in the game.

Capcom Reveals a Second Arcade Fighting Game (Fate: Unlimited Codes)

While the question of whether or not Street Fighter IV will get an arcade release has yet to be answered, Capcom has just revealed a new arcade fighting game in their upcoming repertoire to go alongside with Sengoku Basara X in Japan. The new game is titled Fate: Unlimited Codes and is a spin-off follow up in Type-Moon's mildly popular adult visual novel series for the PS2.

Not much is known about the game aside from the polygon built characters and license. According to sources, the game will be featuring 2.5D action with an emphasis on accessibility to non-fighting game fans. Capcom will only be handling the distribution of the game in Japan while 8ing (studio house responsible for the PSP Bleach titles, Bloody Roar, and Naruto Gekitou Ninja Taisen) will be handling the development.

Over at Ruliweb (via Postback) the first scans of the game have already been posted, unfortunately though, they are a bit bland at this stage. I don't have much faith in this title due to its license, but I've been surprised before (Big Bang Beat for example), so I'll give anything a chance... Once.