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.

Comments

Arcades are done

[superpulpsicle]

I am sorry but the last time I paid less than $1.25 for a sega game was probably 1999. Between their racing games and virtual-on like joysticks there is nothing in the arcade, sega or not, worth that kind of money.

What the arcade needs is an 8 player golden axe with super moves, controls, graphics, dinosaurs with extreme brutality.

Re:Arcades are done

[chrismcdirty]

I agree. Whatever happened to $0.25/0.50 fun games? Nowadays, all the arcades I go to (only at the beach.. no arcades around my house) only have games with a steering wheel, a gun, or some other weird input device like a sword that has slow motion capture. And not one of them costs less than $1. I'm sorry, but I'll be spending my $2 on the motorized rock-climbing wall until more fun games appear in arcades.

Re:Arcades are done

[Anonymous Coward]

What I find annoying is how most games seem to be time-limited now. You have to shovel another dollar in about every 2 to 3 minutes to keep playing. That's why arcades are history. For that kind of money I can buy several games to play at home as much as I want. Screw the arcades. Maybe if they do something innovative someday and don't try to assrape us on the price I'll visit one again.

Re:Arcades are done

[scot4875]

Well, my experience has been that these $1.00+ machines never get played. There are tons of newer machines at our local arcade, but nobody's willing to shell out to play them.

When I go to an arcade, I'll stick with the older good games that still only cost a quarter instead of spending a buck on a game that might be good, that'll probably only give me 60-90 seconds of play (maybe as long as 180 seconds if I play really well).

If these games were $.50 or $.25 instead, I'd give them a chance. Then they'd at least be making money, rather than sitting there idling for 95% of the day.

And besides, developers make their money back by selling cabinets, not by taking quarters. It's the arcade owners that decide to charge rediculous prices to try to make back their investments. Unfortunately, many of them are pricing themselves out of the market.

--Jeremy

a little help...

[spyrral]

the post mentions a CCG arcade game. I remember hearing about an arcade game in Japan where you actually bought booster packs from a vending machine and then used those cards in the arcade game, swiping them to use them or something. Does anyone have any info or links to this?