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.
