We discussed this a few days ago and finally here is a possible picture of what the new Batman: Dark Knight pinball machine will look like. As it’s a mock-up there is no image of the playfield but if this is anything close to the final design then at least you know what to look for. I would be surprised if it doesn’t include any elements from the first movie, at least from this mock-up it appears that it doesn’t. I can’t wait to try this one out.

[Thanks to IcePagoda for the tip!] [Discuss on the Forum]

Here’s another video review and as I promised it’s Shrek Pinball by Stern. The table itself is based upon the same table as Family Guy but with new art and software for a different experience. It is a very entertaining game and while it hasn’t done as well as Indiana Jones pinball at my place, it still attracts people to it and I even have had one person want to buy it from me already but I’m not going to be giving it up anytime soon (in part because it was purchased by an investor and is not technically mine and even if it was I wouldn’t give it away, especially so soon). Anyways, here is the video via Vimeo, if you want it in HD you’ll have to go directly to the page or download the video in .MOV format (it’s only 267MB in size!). When I find the time I’ll be uploading Blazing Angels and The Act but I will probably have to put those on youtube as I’ve hit my upload ceiling on Vimeo for this week but no worries, I’ll get the HD versions up soon.

[Discuss on the Forum]

It’s always interesting to take a look at what the founder of the video arcade industry, Nolan Bushnell is up to these days and if you have followed his latest efforts in recent years then you probably know that he has been working on a new chain of restaurants called uWink. I believe that until the new one in Hollywood opened that there was only one in existence but it appears that it has been enough of a success to warrant a second store. Coin-OP TV was there to check it out and interviewed not only Nolan but his son Brent who is the Chief Tech Officer of the company. I would like to check it out one day and maybe he’ll bring it to Utah one day as it was where he was born (and it’s where I live but then again I have no idea if he has any connections here anymore). It may not be coin-op arcades that they use as the game but it’s certainly in the same vein when it comes to out-of-home entertainment and as Nolan points out, the game industry needs more innovation and the industry he helped put together isn’t void of that observation. On one last note, Nolan is asked about his thoughts on Leonardo DiCaprio playing him in the new movie Atari.

[Coin-OP TV Blog discussing uWink] [Discuss on the Forum]

For as many things as we are able to find out about arcades around the net, sometimes a game or announcement slips under our radar. Fortunately it’s not for forever so you’ll have to forgive us that we bringing this up now but below is a video taken from GDC’08 of the upcoming 3D rendition of Samurai Spirits Sen (or Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny) for arcades. Come to think of it, I believe that we mentioned this one back in February but I admit that I forgot about it until today. It looks bloody awesome (literally) but obviously it is only for venues that can carry red labeled games due to it’s graphic content. I’m not sure when it is supposed to be released or in what regions exactly but where it was shown at GDC, I hope that it would be on the table for an international release this year. The game uses the Taito TypeX2 hardware but whether or not it will live up to the name (as the last effort that this game made into 3D was shunned by many) remains to be seen. Also tacked on is a second video that was on Gametrailers from about the same time as the first. I’ve been so used to sites like GT rarely carrying something arcade related (unless it’s SFIV) that I stopped checking (I used to check it for console stuff but it’s been a while as I just don’t have the time for consoles right now).

Video 1 (user: fabiosantana1)

Video 2 (Longer than the first, user: zakuzaft)

[Discuss on the Forum]

(Click on the images for the full view)

So House of the Dead fans have been wondering for a while now if there would be a HOTD5 and at the latest Sega event in Japan, that idea has been given some attention with the revelation of a new House of the Dead title - not 5 but ‘EX’. Slated for release this December, HOTD EX looks almost a little goofy and it either will have different mini-shooting games or it’s poking fun at them in the flyer, it’s hard to say at the moment. You might also notice that the cabinet that they are using is quite familiar, it’s a modification of the 2Spicy cab to handle 2 players on one cabinet. You may also notice that the cabinet includes a foot switch, much like Time Crisis which is something new for the game. As to what it will be used for exactly is hard to say until a translation comes along so we will have to wait and see on that one. I wonder if the female character will be made to declare “This isn’t happening!” about 50 times throughout a level, which is what it seems like in HOTD4. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one to find out exactly what it entails, I’m not sure how fans would react if it were a shooting gallery type game but those could be bonus levels too .

Also Sega’s new drift racer, R-Tuned is slated for a December release as well. I am a little surprised that it’s still that far off but if the extra time makes the game better then more power to Sega. Here’s a flyer for R-Tuned that has tiny pictures of the actual game, don’t you just love that? (so click on our thumbnail to enlarge :P)

So, anyone still think that the arcade industry is dead or are all these game announcements finally putting a crack into that line of thought?

[Images via AM-Net Blog] [Discuss on the Forum]

I know a lot of people get the Nintendo Wii simply because of it’s pack-in game and maybe a few other titles. That can be good and bad for Nintendo as it gets the foot in the door but so far attach rates on the system are fairly dismal as a lot of people just focus on Wii Sports or Wii Play. I don’t personally and I have several other games and Wii Sports is fun and has also proven that simple and innovative is an excellent way to get into the market (and dominate it in terms of monthly sales). But there is a step up above what you can do with Wii Sports in the arcade thanks to technology from a company called Visual Sports. Now they can actually get you setup with one of their systems at home but where the price isn’t listed on the page, expect sticker shock. But for a larger experience, they do offer these systems for entertainment venues such as arcades, FECs, fitness centers, sports clubs and shops, sporting events and more.

There are two coin-op systems currently available from Visual Sports - RealSports MAX and RealSoccer Junior. RealSports MAX is an upgrade from a previous RealSports system labelled classic where the player can choose from 6 different sports games and face off against virtual opponents. The games include Golf, Soccer, Hockey, Baseball, Football, and Basketball and it also allows for future software upgrades. This one is certainly an attraction game in part because of it’s size but also because of the interactivity it offers - no handheld remotes to play with and pretend that you’re throwing a ball or swinging a club - you actually can throw a ball and the tracking system will translate it onto the screen. You might recall our story some time ago on Sega’s Go Go Golf which is very similar although Visual Sports has been around for a while and has been pioneering the technology for sometime now.

RealSports Junior looks like Kick It! Junior but with an HD screen and much improved graphics. I imagine that the motion detection has been improved over Kick It as well. The cabinet looks nice and although it’s pretty large it’s another piece that will attract a lot of attention.

The nice thing about both systems is that they don’t require an attendant and they can be modified to run redemption. I don’t know the pricing structure on these yet so I’ll try not to speculate further on that but every time a system like this is put in at a location it becomes an instant earning tool. There is a video of the system in action but when I play it, it locks up quickly.

[Visual Sports website] [Discuss on the Forum]

While it’s not surprising that Sega is now testing out the latest upgrade to the Virtua Fighter 5 in Japan, it is slightly surprising that the popular blog Wired covered it. It’s not the first arcade news they have covered as they have been taking a look at Street Fighter IV and with the VF5R coverage they now have a bunch of pictures from the location test in Akihabara. So I’m happy to see more attention given to arcades but I have noticed that a lot of the attention is still focusing on Japan and not elsewhere. It’s fine for them to do that but I just like to throw out there that there are coin-op developments happening in other parts of the world too, be it other areas of Asia, Europe and the US and those developments deserve a fair shake too.

But getting back to VF5R - we knew from AOU08 that it was a major upgrade to the game, adding in new characters, gameplay modes and stages which help set it apart from the console version in it’s own way which is smart although nothing stops them from adding the same upgrades to the console version thus minimizing the impact of the arcade. Still I have high hopes for this as while I was looking into new games for my arcade they actually said that Virtua Fighter 5 was available for a ‘low price’ which was unexpected as I thought that they had given up on the notion of the game after it was released on the consoles but it looks like Sega doesn’t want to be outdone by Capcom so I imagine that the 5R upgrade will be making the rounds outside of Japan.

[VF5R test @ Wired Blog (Photo credit: Jean Snow)] [Discuss on the Forum]

A little while back you might recall that we posted a press release from Signature Devices that referred to some sort of arcade game that would be featuring licensed characters from a DC comic franchise. We didn’t hear anything about it afterwards as apparently they jumped the gun way ahead of time and GlobalVR was quite unhappy with the news. Fortunately the game is still on track and will see a release within the next few months and today I have an official press release that gives us some interesting details about the upcoming game and it looks like Warner is quite excited about it too. In fact if you decide to go to ComicCon next month, you will find the game there, which is a smart move on the part of Warner & GlobalVR.

From the press release, it states:

GLOBAL VR has taken elements from the most popular adventure and fighting games and combined them to offer players a totally unique and compelling arcade experience. Players will be able to play in single or multi-player modes as they command their heroes through a maze of villains such as Joker, Doomsday, and Darkseid, that are found on the different game levels.

From the sound of it, the game will be a beat ‘em up of sorts and it should be multiplayer on the same cabinet. I’m quite excited to hear about this development as I have been disappointed with the flood of racing games we’ve been hearing about as of late and I have been hoping that someone would bring us something a little different that we haven’t seen in arcades in a while. Also from the press release they mention that GlobalVR will be making a novelty redemption game based upon the license. We will be covering the game in more detail shortly (with screen captures and more) so stay tuned for more. And before anyone asks, don’t expect to see a console release of this game anytime soon as GlobalVR says that they understand the need for more exclusive arcade content and that is what they are looking at giving us now. Hit the post break for the full press release!

[GlobalVR website] [Discuss on the Forum]

NEWS RELEASE

2350 Zanker RoadSan Jose, CA 95131 PH: 408.597.3400 FX: 408.597.3431 www.globalvr.com

For Immediate Release Contact: Caryn Mical cmical@globalvr.com 408-597-3402

GLOBAL VR® AND WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS SIGN LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR DC COMICS’ JUSTICE LEAGUE

SAN JOSE, Calif – July 1, 2008 — GLOBAL VR today announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Comics. The agreement grants the company world-wide coin-op amusement games and novelty redemption machine rights for DC Comics’ legendary band of heroes known as The Justice League.

Development of this action-packed game is well underway. GLOBAL VR has taken elements from the most popular adventure and fighting games and combined them to offer players a totally unique and compelling arcade experience. Players will be able to play in single or multi-player modes as they command their heroes through a maze of villains such as Joker, Doomsday, and Darkseid, that are found on the different game levels.

Debbie Minardi, VP Business Development for GLOBAL VR stated, “The Justice League has found its way into almost every entertainment medium. We are convinced that these characters will bring excitement and a new dimension to the coin-op industry and will help further differentiate coin-op products from other forms of interactive video entertainment. We are very excited about the product that will find its way to market in the near future.”

“GLOBAL VR has a great track record of creating fun and immersive entertainment experiences, and we are pleased to partner with them to offer fans a new way to enjoy the The Justice League,” said Kelly Gillmore, Senior Vice President, Global Toys & Themed Entertainment, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

Originally introduced in 1960, the Justice League first appeared in DC Comics’ The Brave and the Bold #28 and featured such popular characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter. Throughout the years, the Justice League team has changed to include different characters from the DC Comics Universe including Green Arrow, The Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary, Shazam!, and Plastic Man.

For information about other GLOBAL VR products, please visit www.globalvr.com or contact your local GLOBAL VR distributor or sales representative.

###

About GLOBAL VR

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Jose, California, GLOBAL VR® is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of coin-operated video games based on home gaming technology. Through the development of proprietary technology, GLOBAL VR is able to leverage the massive investment in development of PC and console games by third party developers by making them suitable for play in out-of-home locations. Development agreements are in place with some of the world’s leading game publishers including Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS), Ubisoft, and Atari (NASDAQ:ATAR). These agreements provide GLOBAL VR rights to create coin-op versions of popular home games such as EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR® GOLF, Underground, NASCAR, Blazing Angels, Beach Head and Operation Blockade. In addition, GLOBAL VR also develops and manufactures products previously marketed under the UltraCade label including Global Arcade Classics and Ultrapin. More information on GLOBAL VR can be found at www.globalvr.com.

About Warner Bros. Consumer Products

Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

About DC Comics

DC Comics, a division of Warner Bros., is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman. These DC Super Heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations. DC Comics’ Web site is located at http://www.dccomics.com.

JUSTICE LEAGUE and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.

(S0

At a recent Capcom press event in Santa Monica, CA, journalists had yet another opportunity to sit down with the arcade version of Street Fighter IV but this time they had an opportunity to watch one of the true masters of the game, Seth Killian. Seth is Capcom’s senior community manager and their resident SF expert and he is so good at the game that they not only named the final boss after him, he can also play the game one-handed. I would embed the video here but since such a thing is not allowed on WordPress you’ll have to hit the link. [Gamesradar, image credit Gamesradar]

As cool as that it is, what is not cool is Capcom USA’s continued showings of the arcade version of SFIV in the US while still saying nothing about an actual release. The clock is ticking when it comes to the console release and while some fans would prefer to in arcades to the home (from our own poll done here a while back) the historical wisdom is that sales always drop when the home release makes it’s way out and for a game that is rumored to be $14,000 (Capcom USA’s asking price) it puts operators in a difficult position. Especially where it looks like you could still import a kit and an HD cabinet from Japan for about half than that price. Like it or not, operators have to worry about ROI - if they don’t make money they go out of business and there is no place to play. At least there is a glimmer of hope since the arcade cabinet is being shown at various events but I’m beginning to wonder if that is all we will ever officially see of SFIV arcade in the US, as a press event hook and nothing else.

Also in other SFIV news, this time out of Japan the NESYS card system is ready to go, where players can buy save cards that keep track of their stats/rankings while tieing everything together with the internet. There are four different card designs at the moment with others to come. It’s doubtful that such a system would make it to the US, perhaps it would in the UK since there is little aversion to card systems there. Personally I like card systems, it gives something for players to collect and they don’t have to worry about the operator erasing their stats from the machine. [D+ Media]

[Discuss on the Forum]

It seems that I’m not the only ‘crazy’ person who is opening up an arcade out there - a new arcade is in the works in Austin Texas that is also looking to provide an authentically hardcore arcade gaming experience to players and it is called “ArcadeUFO”. The new business is being put together by former employees of the defunct Einstien’s Arcade which shut down earlier this year as the owner decided to move on.

It’s always great to see solid arcade fans setting up an arcade of their own and looking at their game selection, they definently have a good roster of games to choose from, including Tekken 6, Arcana Heart 2, Initial D4, Time Crisis 4, DoDonPachi, Metal Slug 6, Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man & more. They are still working on the space and it should be open soon so if you live in the area, check out their website for more.

[ArcadeUFO website] [Discuss on the Forum]