Next month a big arcade trade show will take place in Japan and in the run up to that news on new games is starting to warm up. Let’s take a look at the news hitting the wires:
Initial D Arcade Stage 8 Infinity Location Tests
Starting at the end of next week, Sega is going to test out the newest entry to their Initial D series, Arcade Stage 8 Infinity. It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago that 7 came out, but seeing how the last time the series officially made an appearance out West was with ID4, I wouldn’t get my hopes up on this appearing outside of the standard Eastern markets that the game has been successful in. Details are found on the official InitialD website.
Puyo Puyo Quest Arcade Surpasses 1 Million Plays
(Thanks to ECM for this tip)
After launching this past November, Sega’s experiment in F2P play in the arcade looks like it has done pretty well in Japan. Puyo Puyo Quest Arcade has surpassed 1 million plays. To celebrate Sega will roll out some celebratory events next week where players can win rare or special bonus items. F2P or not, this shows how online connectivity can and should be used to draw in more play. Recently I’ve been playing a F2P game on the PC called Warframe and they are always holding limited time special events and alerts that award players who participate. It makes me wonder why arcades haven’t been doing that sort of thing for some time now, where in the attract mode it can show a limited time event that gives the player a special reward for playing at that time.
Taito Teases M.S.S Project
In the run-up to the JAEPO 2014 Expo Taito has confirmed two games they will have at the show – the already released Groove Coaster Arcade and a new project they are calling M.S.S. Project. The JAEPO site they have set up shows the picture above; from that I have no idea. Best guess is maybe a quirky 4 player game, kind of like Gaia Attack 4 from a few years back. Although with the poses, could it be a new beat ’em up? Seems quite unlikely as that is a genre they haven’t really cared for in Japan either but you never know. Commentor Nestlekwik points out that this is a collaborative project between this music group and Groove Coaster Arcade. So it won’t really be a new game as much as a new update. So I couldn’t have been more off the mark there 😛
Sega Launches Teaser Site for Hero Bank Arcade
There is a new “kid vending” card game by Sega that will be at JAEPO 2014 called Hero Bank Arcade. There is apparently a Nintendo 3DS version but this will provide a source for collecting cards and a big screen. You can see the teaser site here.
UPDATE: Sega added a video to their Japanese YT channel
M.S.S Project is an artist in the Groove Coaster games (http://groovecoaster.jp/artist/01_mssproject.html). I won’t claim to know much about the group, but it is featured on Nico Nico Douga – essentially a Japanese-developed YouTube – where MSS has been involved in Groove Coaster promotions before (http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/1389141592). The JAEPO website just seems to indicate there will be some sort of M.S.S Project X Groove Coaster collaboration.
Thanks for filling in, I did notice the X between the two which is their version of VS but wasn’t sure.
Beat me too it @nestlekwik.
Sega might want to give this F2P system ago as it would give players an insight as to whether or not the game is good or easy to understand. I do wish sega would give some love for initial D for the west again like it did with the other 4. If they put more effort in the game would be more sucessful.
init d i still can only play number 3 lol so far behind south west uk lol
It’s real shame that this is only going to be for the Japanese market. I run a few small arcades in Australia and I would buy this in an instant.
Who can I write a letter to complaining about this?
I love puyo puyo but that puyo puyo game is pure garbage. Biggest disappointment.