26/12/05

“Building a New Future!” (#447)

Video Amusement develops new cabinets for the changing operator landscape and breaks out some surprises.

These changes have been broken down into four core components. The first is 'Performance’ the second is ‘Ergonomics’ and the last is ‘Revenue’ - all these factors that go towards shaping the new market.

Performance

The most momentous change in the amusement sector is the shape of the machines that the player is feeding. Years ago, six foot plywood and metal frames populated the arcade like electronic coffins; but as the consumer scene seems to force the reduction of hardware and availability of performance the amusement cabinet has had to evolve both to attract a technically mature market, but also to embrace the new locations that systems have found themselves populating.

The visual display systems that now populate most amusement machines have not really changed fundamentally since the first major color displays were used in amusement machines such as Space Invaders Deluxe. Obviously color pallets have improved and their refresh rate have been enhanced, but where the consumer sector sees the application of high definition (HiDef) displays video amusement has proven slow.

The need to understand the differences between what we currently support as suitable display imagery and what the new world represents as HiDef is important. A large number of us have invested in Flat Plasma displays for home use. The sexy side of consumer technology as we throw out our cathode monitors for the thinnest and most stylish design. But of that great outlay how much of your purchase has been for a new upgrade in viewing pleasure against a change in physical width?

Currently HiDef is split into two camps. 'High Definition Ready' and 'High Definition Native'. The first is seen as a fudge, stretching a special HiDef image over the less capable display, against the latter seeing the full amount of pixels employed to create the best image. The visible difference is palpably obvious but the consumer sector is blind too this level of advance until they try and plug in their device.

Recently seen as essentially un-perceptible, the latest console systems claim to offer proof of a higher quality of resolution (see Stinger #439). For many Flat Screen owners however, a sickening realization that the lack of a HiDef 'Native' Blue Plug on their previously expensive outlay could make a serious difference to the quality of future television and computer displays. And this is the same for amusement.

2005 has seen this situation reversed with the deployment of the first faltering steps in this direction. Combined with HiDef or HDTV, the deployment of large flat panel displays (both power hungry Plasma and LCD); the large flat panel display has been considered as a replacement to the more conventional and expensive rear projection systems favored in manufacturing. Konami was one of the first to attempt to place a flatscreen display into the market, though only seeing limited Japanese penetration.

But the biggest HDTV and flatscreen penetration is planned by SEGA who has shown versions of their 2006 release schedule supporting a flat panel dedicated cabinet. The first off the blocks is ‘House of the Dead 4’ (LindBergh), the vast cabinet configured to offer the best launch platform for the PC based LindBergh architecture, and the enhanced graphics of this HiDef zombie blasting fest. In Japan the second enhanced experience is ‘SEGA Professional Tennis: Power Smash 3’ (LindBergh), shown in a special sit-down single player cabinet version using a vast flat screen and extremely realistic resolution of the detailed tennis environment took gaming to new heights - but established controversy as the display was revealed to be non HiDef due to cost restraints!

Sources speak that the new ‘Virtua Fighter 5’ (LindBergh) release will also be given a special cabinet presentation with HiDef looks and a single tournament cabinet configuration that will include like Power Smash a IC Card interface and more importantly direct connection to the fiber optics connection architecture.

The development of more immersive display systems has seen companies building on a ‘Unachievable-@-Home’ premise a number of developers have looked at display technology that is more than just added pixels and richer colors. First previewed in Japan by Namco under the ‘ORB’ concept prototype, the technology has been licensed to Banpresto for their 'POD’; the development of a 180 immersive display that pulls the player into the experience.

While launched in Japan as a prototype system American manufacturers have been involved in evaluating a system shown at the ASI show in 2005. The 'ImmerserDome' (Generic Hardware) looks at a universal cabinet that can create a 180 immersive display environment for a slew of already released titles; the product seen more as a means to create a new layout for updated facilities as well as a fielded original platform.

Ergonomics

The hope that ‘Unachievable-@-Home’ style designs means for the remaining manufacturers in the amusement field is a package not only to generate increased revenue, but also define a new audience attraction as the market evolves. The long trailed down turn in the console scene may still be an aspiration rather than a fully-fledged reality the urban gaming arena is looking for the new money-spinner.

In a surprise move sources during 2005 claimed that the South Korean simulator manufacturer SimuLine had been acquired by SEGA, though this information has proven harder to confirm than the profit margin of the Japanese factory, R&D information revealed that the simulation package created by SimuLine was playing a part in future thinking for SEGA. With the eagerly awaited appearance of the jet fighter shooter ‘AfterBurner Climax’ (LindBergh) sources speak of a vast cabinet for the game with motion and special physical effects.

The last time SEGA released a big jet fighter cabinet was with the lack-luster three screen cabinet for ‘SEGA Strike Fighter’ (Naomi), that was based on their previous Airlinear experience. The limited innovation, other than just three sceeens, was not enough to keep the players hocked - nor was the game any great shakes. The new release is a totally different fish.

But not all changes to the cabinet design are just to make things bigger. The ability to build specially developed cabinets to fit the requirements of the changed market has seen some development with recent new builds. In particular the placement of machines in restaurants and bars has required the black monotone cabinetry of the previous generation replaced with more esthetically pleasing for the hospitality scene.

What Incredible Technologies have done with their ‘Golden Tee LIVE!’ (Proprietary Hardware) cabinet to suit the needs of the bar trade - looking a good fit in a sports bar or conventional watering hole - has been emulated by other companies hoping to survive in this competitive environment. Betson with their ‘Big Buck Hunter Pro’ (Proprietary Hardware) have created a sleek design with special ergonomic features to suit the requirements of the bar trade.

Stylistic development has been mostly kept to the on screen graphics, but Namco have gone all out to create a specialist cabinet design with their plinth 'Rockin' Bowl-A-Rama' (Proprietary Hardware), the 50’s retro feel focusing on stylish location placement. In the wings Global VR will be releasing the UltraCade Technologies developed ‘UltraPinball’ (T4) that hopes to create a technological successor to the cherished mechanical pinball table.

Anthropometrics

Encouraging the creation of a difference between the home system and the amusement machine can be achieved by size and display, but also the Interfaces offers a means for separating. Though the idea of force-feedback has been stolen by the consumer sector some of the new technology appearing in the amusement scene hopes to be exclusively amusement.

The SEGA new release in Japan ‘PSY-PHI’ (LindBergh) takes the touchscreen interface seen in kiosk and terminal games to a new limit. The whole full size playing field of the screen is used as a touchscreen for controlling the game character and the frantic shoot and dodge action is controlled without any joystick or trackball control.

But the biggest adoption of new interfaces sees the development of a whole methodology of design to achieve what has arguably been created in the home sector. In a jokester position of the whole decline of arcade too consumer, the First Person Shooter (fps) interface of PC keyboard and mouse have had to be replicated in a convenient arcade package.

The first example of this has been only recently previewed to the Asian trade by Taito. Seen for the first time ‘Half Life 2 Survivor’ (Taito TypeX+) was revealed as a twin multi-function joystick, and foot pedal configuration the secondary stick representing the functionality that the mouse in the PC best seller represents. The cabinet applies what was achieved with the ‘ZOIDS Infinity’ (TypeX) system and takes it too a whole new level. Taking what would have been seen as the home gamer, and LAN site domain and creating a specially packaged installation.

The Taito Half Life 2 system is an advance ‘Big Box’ playing experience that merges what has been seen with the LAN site PC systems, and the latest tournament gaming architecture. The Taito product has an eight player link-up tournament (four player team battles) supported by the advance NESYS architecture. The cabinet incorporates an IC Card feature, while the player is surrounded by full Dolby Digital sound; viewing the game at a HiDef display of the advance PC fps environment.

Namco has previously attempted the dedicated path taken for an arcade adaptation for a PC game for their LEDZONE facility systems. Their LAN game based sites for the popular PC fps games, picked however a route that still kept the PC keyboard and mouse interface of the original but in a special terminal offering the best performance, ALL.NET tournament and cashless payment. ‘Counter Strike Neo V2’ (Namco M2) is not a game system to be widely circulated beyond the specially devised LEDZONE facility chains, but is reported not to be the only PC consumer content that will be transported to amusement application.

Revenue

To warrant placement, the new cabinets have to offer better than previous revenue generation - to make the expense and swap-out worthwhile. An increase in occasional usage is the key, generating more virtual cashbox. Beyond the application of e-payment systems (see Stinger #434) the ability to accept credit card allows flexibility in playing patterns and broadens the options open to casual players.

New revenue streams are an added incentive to the next-gen cabinets. The sale / dispensing of IC Card's fundamental to extending the duration of play time (life) of a machine offers such a new stream. The average $16 retailing of these cards with their limited life span (able to be used only 20 or 30 times) has boosted revenue and kept player interest alive.

Games such as ‘Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection’ (System 258) have personified this system, both accepting but also vending IC Cards. Where players have to hunt down an operator and inquire on IC Card availability and price, the self-vending system acts as a honey pot, proving a lie to the original claims that IC Cards added nothing to the game revenue. The new cabinet designs are looking at external vending kiosks (separate to the original system), based on the Japanese version, a standalone kiosk installed only to vend IC cards acts as a separate revenue generator - new to international thinking. These will first be seen in deployment with ‘World Club Champion Football European Clubs 2004-2005’ (Naomi 2) where the card based soccer game will include a ‘Starter Pack’ kiosk.

It is thought that after the mixed success of the Ghost Squad shooter - finding IC Card popularity in Europe but having this feature removed in America (see Stinger #436) - the new brawler ‘Virtua Fighter 5’ (LindBergh) is expected (unlike the previous releases that did have card capability) to include this feature when internationally released a separate kiosk would be the best plan, though operators wanting to keep control of the IC Card circulation may favor keeping the dispensing of cards (and the price) in their hands only.

The last major additional to the new Twenty First cabinets is the prize Tournament; not as just a socket and cable set but as a dedicated 'wireless' connection. As with the fiber that SEGA and Namco have laid for their ALL.NET environment, controlling the connectivity is the new horizon; for the new look operator 2006 and beyond more about e-payment and connectivity than post-dated checks and spares.

Deprecation on hardware that comes with dwindling PLC while costing above its revenue generation is a constant concern. For many, the new hardware will have to do more than just encourage - it will literately have to print money.