IGS Unveils Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade VR

I’m working hard on editing and uploading videos from IAAPA 2021 to the net, although I’ve got a lot of other things requiring my time, so hang tight, the 2nd IAAPA 2021 show report post is coming soon. In the meantime, I wanted to mention something that was announced right after the expo – a VR version of Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade.

To backtrack a little bit, IGS is a long-time developer of arcade games that is based in Taiwan. They’ve produced many titles over the years, and way back had their own cart-based hardware called PGM (and PGM2) to operate games on. In recent times, they’ve done a lot of work with China-based manufacturer Wahlap, which includes Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade that was recently launched in the USA (through LAI Games).

Several years ago, IGS & Wahlap released their own “answer” to the Fast & Furious games produced by Raw Thrills that was called Overtake. It was over-the-top arcade racing, where you encountered a variety of environments with dynamic, explosive situations taking place, almost like you were a stunt car driving through a movie. It’s a pretty rare game to encounter in the US; The only time I’ve seen one was at a few IAAPA shows.  A few years later when VR started to become a thing though, they gave the game a DX cabinet – then a completely new VR version aptly titled Overtake VR. This game changed up the formula quite a bit from the non-VR version, having the player spend time with a virtual girlfriend that you could look at and sort of interact with, in the passenger’s seat:

Now with Asphalt 9 Legends on their roster, IGS is giving the same treatment to that game, as shown by these two trailers that were recently posted to YouTube. The 2nd trailer provides much more detail and shows the arcade cabinet, which is designed differently than the Overtake VR cabs; It seems to fit closer in style to King Kong VR with the marquee in the back like that. Overall though, it’s essentially the Motion Deluxe version of Asphalt 9 Arcade, with a VR headset and unique software.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVi1eWgpBHQ

I have to imagine that Asphalt 9 and supercars fans will dig this one, given that it recreates the cars you are using, but I would not be surprised if the price tag on this one is a little bit out-of-reach for smaller locations. Still, this is going to be a much easier sell to big FECs with the pockets to offer something like this. Distribution info here is unknown at the moment; Amusement Source International carries Overtake VR, but who grabs the rights to this one could change, depending on how that stuff goes.

Here’s the cabinet & features from the video; Which VR headset it uses isn’t mentioned, but it’s not an HTC Vive

What do you think about Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade VR from the trailers?