You may remember in our last post about Marvelous’ two new kids card game launches, it was said that they would possibly be the biggest arcade news for this month. Well, less than two days later, we now have a huge surprise announcement and update for one of the most highly anticipated arcade games of recent times in the West… read on to find out more on the confirmed launch of Taiko No Tatsujin into US arcades.
Taiko No Tatsujin In The US
First, a bit of a refresh as it has been a short while since this release was last in the news. Way back in February 2023, Bandai Namco Amusements surprised us all when they placed their long-running drum rhythm game Taiko No Tatsujin on location test in the US for the first time in over 20 years; initially at Round1, then at Dave & Busters. The reception to this – especially at R1US – seemed overwhelmingly positive, leaving many with little doubt in their mind that the game would release here this time.
A few further test appearances followed at other locations and events, yet Bandai Namco were otherwise mostly quiet on the matter, with no new information coming in for months at a time. This did bring with it speculation that things had stalled for a variety of the usual reasons; licensing, manufacturing, networking, negotiations with chains, etcetera. The game did not appear at IAAPA 2023, which seemed odd to some, but did go back on test a month later in December. Six months on from that, we at last now have some answers on Taiko’s North American rollout.
Taiko No Tatsujin – The US Release
At the official Taiko No Tatsujin World Championship held today in Japan, several announcements were made by Bandai Namco for the game towards the very end. These generally were future content updates… however, as a last minute major reveal, they declared with much fanfare that Taiko would be releasing into the US this November (relevant part is at 6:38:20, for those who don’t want to watch over six hours of competitive Taiko No Tatsujin 😛):
The whole stream for the event was naturally in Japanese, so besides the below slide with some English text, all further information here has had to be translated. But from the sounds of things, Bandai Namco did also confirm that the game will be coming over to the States with all Asian region content intact, as well as online Banapassport functions. Which should surely please any fans who were concerned about these – good things come to to those who wait…
As with Marvelous’ new Naruto game launch the other day though, some questions have still not been answered by that. Bandai Namco hasn’t shown the game at any US arcade industry trade show up to this point, and when I had asked about it at the last Amusement Expo, there were still elements up in the air. For a short list of those:
- The same Banapassport network that supports Maximum Tune 5DX+ will support this, but it is unknown what the monthly fee will be. Will there be different tiers depending on what operators want?
- What content will be added through the network, and will it release at the same time as Asian regions?
- I had heard it would be likely given a limited release from Bandai Namco reps at Amusement Expo, but others are saying they are striving to give the game as wide as possible distribution. What will that mean in practice?
- The cabinets are apparently going to be produced domestically in the US. Will they be of the same quality as Asian region cabinets?
- What will the upfront pricing be?
When this news first went to the wire, Bandai Namco Amusement America were unreachable as it was a Sunday… but now, thanks to Anna from BNAA, we have a Monday press release for the game that you can find below. This does confirm the US production of the game cabinets, as well as the wider distribution aims. Bandai Namco wouldn’t go to this trouble just for a pure Round1USA exclusive.
However, I was also speaking with Frank from BNAA again, and while he did mention that Taiko is not going to be a chain exclusive proper, it is still going to launch as a limited release as they are “in it for the long haul and want to get it right”. I interpret that to mean that quantities will be limited and chains like R1US where it tested particularly great are getting supply priority, so if your venue is interested, you may well not get a chance to order a cabinet immediately (or at least will want to place one sooner than later).
We’ll have to wait on details regarding pricing though, which I’m sure will be made available once we get to November. This news also all but confirms that the game will launch at IAAPA 2024 in Orlando, FL – hopefully those other new BNA games like GoldStorm Pirates and Bike Dash Delivery seen on test here will be there with it too…
Further updates with answers for those remaining questions will be provided as soon as we can, but either way, it is great news for the US arcade scene. Taiko has of course long held a special place in gaming culture, thanks to occasional imports and some console ports, and much of the general public is familiar with it on some level. Even if they aren’t, the physical draw of the game and appeal of its music and mascots should help it grab attention.
Thanks to Ted for helping out with the information and drafting of this post. If you are an operator, would you consider buying Taiko No Tatsujin for your venue? If you are a player, would a location having a cabinet compel you to visit them more often?
Here is that Taiko No Tatsujin US Press Release sent out the morning of July 15th, 2024:
Press Release
Arcade Game Machine “Taiko no Tatsujin” to be launched in North America
Scheduled to start operation in November 2024
Bandai Namco Amusement Inc.(Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Hiroshi Kawasaki, “BNAM”) and Bandai Namco Amusement America Inc. (Headquarters: Itasca, Illinois; President & CEO: John McKenzie, “BNAA”) are scheduled to begin operations of Taiko no Tatsujin across North American locations in November of 2024. BNAM will oversee planning and development of the game machine, while BNAA will manage local production and sales.
The arcade version of Taiko no Tatsujin has been in operation in Japan, Asia, and Oceania since its launch in 2001, with additional operations beginning in China as of September 2023. In North America, Taiko no Tatsujin has been available on home game consoles since 2004 as Taiko: Drum Master, and available since 2021 as Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat on Apple Arcade, allowing players to play on Apple devices. With the beloved characters “Don-chan” and “Katsu-chan” as the faces of the brand, players sure to recognize the iconic game as it hits US arcades for the first time.
Similarly to Japan’s operations, online updates will regularly include the latest songs. A play-history can be kept on the Bandai Namco Passport, a proprietary user authentication card for Bandai Namco arcade games.
<Haruo Iwayaguchi, Managing Director of Bandai Amusement Inc.>
“Taiko no Tatsujin, originally created in 2001 as an arcade title, is now ready to expand into the North American market. Taiko no Tatsujin, a fusion of Japanese culture and video games with a simple and inclusive style of play that attracts people of all ages in Japan, has become increasingly popular among foreign visitors. With the explosion in popularity of Japanese animation, the popularity of Japanese animation songs has also increased exponentially. We plan to continue expanding Taiko no Tatsujin worldwide in the future in hopes that it serves as a good avenue for people to enjoy anime and Japanese music.”
＜John McKenzie, President of Bandai Namco Amusement America Inc.>
“We are extremely pleased to be able to launch such an iconic Japanese game into our market this year. Taiko no Tatsujin, is a “fun for all game” and US cabinet will be assembled in the US. It offers great play value that continues over time thanks to the regular online song updates and Bandai Namco Passport feature. This game is another step in our desire to introduce more Japanese inspired products to the market at a time when there is so much growing interest and demand for them.”
<Bandai Namco Passport＞
The Bandai Namco Passport is a user authentication card used at many games across various amusement centers. By using it, players can access game play records and customization features, enhancing the enjoyment of their arcade gaming experiences.
Taiko no Tatsujin™ Series & © Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
Official website of Namco Bandai Amusement: https://bandainamco-am.co.jp
Customer inquiries can be sent to https://bnam-customer.my.site.com/FAQ/s/
