Slashdot Mirror
Sega To Launch New High-End Arcade System?
arcade_memories writes "GamesIndustry.biz reports that British tech company Imagination is building a new cutting edge arcade system for Sega, which will launch early next year. It's going to be based on the next generation of the PowerVR hardware, apparently - earlier versions (as well as being marginally popular PC graphics boards) powered the Dreamcast and the Naomi arcade board. This is interesting because Naomi was the last time Sega actually built its own arcade hardware, so this is a sure sign that they're bumping up the importance of the arcade market - just like new chairman Hajime Satomi (president of arcade and gambling machine company Sammy) wants, right?" Elsewhere, there are also new reports on Sega/AM2's new Chihiro-based CCG arcade game Quest Of D, featuring an interesting "touch-screen interface" concept, albeit on existing Xbox-based hardware.
Lately I keep seeing claims that Sega's last custom arcade hardware was the Naomi1. But unless I am massively mistaken/insane, Sega has created at least a couple of new hardware platforms since then, the Naomi2 (Virtua Fighter 4) being the most prominent and profitable. Hikaru is another one.
Is this just seeing some shoddy games journalism (oops, I repeat myself)? Or I am missing something?
(Gamespot reported that this was "first new Sega hardware since Naomi1", too - of course, they suggested that a 'Super Dreamcast' could be made out of the new Sammy Atomiswave arcade hardware, not knowing that the Atomiswave is basically just a slightly tweaked Dreamcast, strictly sub-Naomi1 level, so what can you expect?)
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
I'm glad to see that Sega, Namco, and Stern (yes, i'm a fan of pinball) are still out there giving us new arcade hardware. I was sad to see Midway bow out back in 2000. It seems like there's quite a few more titles coming out now than there have been for a few years. They still need to work on prices ($2 games are now commonplace), but I'm glad that everyone isn't giving up just yet.