JAMMA 2010: New games, hardware and ideas that could shake things up

The 48th JAMMA Expo is now underway in Japan and with that comes a flood of news concerning future projects that Japanese developers will be bringing to the market. AM-Net has a number of photos that they have published from the event, with more to come and here are some highlights including new Taito arcade hardware, more 3D gaming from Namco, Sega’s new Pengo and an online content delivery system from Taito that could revolutionize the industry called NESiCAxLIVE. Read on!

UDATE#1:More System Board Y3 details including glasses free 3D display made for arcades; Namco’s Dead Heat goes 3D; Sega and Namco introduce new IC card system called AiME; added a few more pictures + some videos

UPDATE#2 – Videos added by Gigazine

UPDATE#3: AM-Net and Sega have updated galleries of photos showing crowds gathering around the various booths. I’ve added a few select photos below, including a shot from the new VF5, The Tablecloth Hour and more

UPDATE#4: This Youtube user has posted a number of videos from the event. http://www.youtube.com/user/Puyo432343

UPDATE#5: Segaonline.nl has some direct screenshots of Initial D Arcade Stage 6AA, Shining Force Cross Raid and Border Break 2.0, a couple of which I’ve added below

UPDATE#6: Just when you think we’re done, we have more content from the show. Thanks to Fillmore Games, a distributor in Japan for providing more pictures of the show. From them we find out that Vulcan-M and Heat Up Hockey were there as well.

All images except those with a Famitsu watermark are via this album setup by the fine folks at AM-Net.jp. We will update this post as more information becomes available so be sure to check back!

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

3D is the big news at the show this year with SIE, Taito, and Namco all pulling out something to show for the technology.

Here’s SIE’s System Board Y3 on display. Looks like they just have a graphics demo running. This was developed for glasses-free stereoscopic 3D monitors and specifically for use in the entertainment sector. UPDATE#1: 4Gamer.net has further details on the Y3 as well as the display technology they are using. While TV manufacturers have been claiming that glasses-free 3D displays might be a few years away, SIE has it all figured out with their “Newsight” stereoscopic display. It has a 3D viewing angle of 120 degrees which is quite impressive. The Y3 is also backwards compatible with Y2 games (not that there are many of those around)

Taito finally has a follow-up to their Type X2 hardware with the Taito TypeX Zero. Like the Y3 this has also been developed with 3DTV’s in mind, and it looks like they have a special display that supports that ready to go too. The new platform features a high speed I/O interface and will be released this December. No software has been unveiled for the new system at this point so we have to assume that they have something ready to go that has already been announced or will be announced soon. It’s not Darius Burst – that’s still X2. Could SSFIV use the new board? It’s certainly possible and if Taito has a 3D display tech ready to go then Capcom could take advantage of that and give the arcade version an extra edge, along with the extra processing power (which would put another hole in the argument that SFIV was 1-player-per-board because TypeX2 was too weak argument that I never have bought).

On top of that, Taito will be using a new online content delivery system – from the sounds of it, operators will be able to download new software to their Type X Zero or Type X2 board for a much cheaper price than purchasing a new board, making it easy to keep content fresh, albeit in more generic cabinets. It’s called NESiCAxLive and could create quite a revolution in the arcade industry that if I am understanding the documents correctly, SNK Playmore and CAVE have already signed onto this new system and Blazblue Continuum Shift II has been announced as the first title that this will be offered on. Seems only logical that SSFIV should also be delivered via NESiCAxLive. This is certainly a system I’d love to see in the US and with the right support it could be a reality and save operators a bit of money as well as lower risk on buying new titles since demos could be offered as well. Famitsu has some details on this online system as well.

Namco had their new Deadstorm Pirates in 3D in a huge cabinet on display but they also announced a new 3D racing game coming in the Spring of 2011 called Makishimamuhito. According to AM-Net the game will use a 32″ 3D screen and (forgive the bad internet translation) “3D visor type Yuzo Koshiro’s music photographed with a camera mounted buttons glow with evening dress nitro alter ego system uses up to four people can play simultaneously with Medane (Wangan Midnight series)”. UPDATE#1: Via Game Watch. Actually it seems that this game was at the show and it was a surprise as well since we had the impression that it was a game made for the US market – it’s Dead Heat but under the name of Maximum Heat. Whether the US will get the 3D version at one point is hard to say at this point – it seems unlikely since Dead Heat comes out in October and it hasn’t been shown with any sort of 3D tech.

UPDATE#1: Via 4Gamer.net. In the technology realm of data cards, Namco and Sega have announced a joint effort e-payment and IC card system called “AiME”. It’s obviously a response to Konami’s Paseli system and will allow user to setup an account on their mobile phone. Users can combine cards from different games onto one account, making life a little easier when it comes to tracking your info across multiple games. The system will launch in 2011, an official site for the system can be found here.

TAITO

Taito has a new racer entitled Battle Gear Spin Wheel. It features a lit up steering wheel that possibly includes buttons on the wheel. Cabinets can also be linked together in an unusual way that sort of reminds me of an old Atari game from the 70’s called Firetruck

UPDATE#6:  Thanks to Fillmore Games we see that this was at the show

Darius Burst Another Chronicle’s flyer.  A price has been revealed for the unit – it’s ¥950,000 or a little under $12,000. So that’s a little better than I expected but that will probably be higher for an international release thanks to shipping and taxes(if they do that). UPDATE#1: Added a cabinet image from Game Watch. UPDATE#2: Video added

UPDATE#6: Taito had two DBAC cabs at the show and they were quite popular

Taito’s follow-up to their Table Flipping game

Blazblue Continuum Shift 2. I wasn’t aware that they were preferring the VS configuration with the Blazblue series but that sort of thing is common in Japan. The show flyer also shows some of the new characters joining the game. UPDATE#!: Screenshot from 4Gamer.net

Boxing with Sonic Blast Heroes

Taito’s Music Gun Gun 2

UPDATE#3: The Tablecloth Hour as seen on Small Room Aries

SEGA

Border Break 2.0

UPDATE#3: Border Break 2.0’s unveiling as seen on Sega’s JAMMA site

Screenshot of the new BB 2.0

Sega’s Shining Force Cross Raid

UPDATE#3: The Shining Force Cross Raid booth was packed, as seen on Sega’s JAMMA site

Direct screen of SFCR

Sega’s Pengo update on a 2p linkable cabinet

Video of Pengo

Rolling out the carpet (and car) for the 6th Initial D game

Video

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown

UPDATE#3: 4Gamer.net has details on the newly balanced Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown

Update#6: Sega had their Heat Up Hockey table setup. This is one of those games I’d get in a heartbeat if it weren’t $20k

NAMCO

Namco’s Gundam Extreme VS.

Namco’s Go Go Grand Prix lands in Japan

UPDATE#1: Pac-Man Battle Royale, popular as always (Gigazine)

OTHER

The Galaxy cabinet system (4Gamer.net)

Rassen’s Vulcan-M was at the show as well