Arcade Show Report Shows Coin-Op Endurance

Thanks to GamesRadar for its report from the recent London-based ATEI arcade game show. The article, following quickly on the heels of a recent Slashdot Games post about new arcade games, points out: "When you can play an online version of Project Gotham Racing 2 from the comfort of your very own living room, the concept of heading to a grungy arcade emporium to play the latest coin-ops seems, to say the least, quaint", but still finds arcade-only highlights, including Out Run 2 ("...retains its predecessor's sheer speed-fuelled thrills while adding a decidedly 21st century feel") Ollie King ("a rarity among skateboard games in that it's a checkpoint-based racer"), and even the bizarre Flamin' Finger ("...an odd little LED maze game in which you have to trace a route out with the tip of your finger within the harshest of time limits.")

Comments

Re:Just the thing to save the arcade industry

[gmhowell]

Not only the cost of the machine, but the loss of floorspace. How many other games could fit in the same square footage as that monster?

At the Amusement Machine expo in Japan....

[Neo-Rio-101]

I've gone to a few Amusement machine expos in Japan, and what I've been noticing from year to year, is that most new arcade machines don't tend to concentrate not so much on video display and joystick. I figure that's because that kind of hardware is available at home for everyone.

Instead what you see now, are huge cabinets sporting some really interesting input devices.

From the infra-red sensoring movement controllers, to the taiko (Japanese drum)-controllers, to all the pachinko pachinko-variants the Japanese have (which we will thankfully never see in the west).

If I get the time, I should go check it out again. It's nearly time for it again this year.

Flaming Finger

[limekiller4]

I work for a rather large midway and we just got in "Flaming Finger" this week.

It's cute -- you have to trace your finger over a maze whose walls are deliniated by leds (yes, real leds) before time runs out. Unfortunately, as the sticker on the machine indicates, the time you have decreases more rapidly as you approach the finish. I've tried it 4x myself, can't beat it. Not even one level. I've never seen anyone else beat it. I only know of one person who says they've seen one person beat it.

Personally, I think it's an interesting idea but the skewed time countdown puts a nail in it.

On the other hand, we got a standup console of Space Invaders. Which completely blew my mind because I'm 31 and I remember when those were new, large and in-charge. Now it's downright embarrasingly dated and grows old after a few screens but man did it kick ass then...