Following Capcom / Takara announcement of their development of smart Card Game systems (Stinger #449), further development in this sector have been made. The Worlds first Kid Vending - CardGame system based on the latest advanced code technology linked to mobile phones. The system is based on the Taito / D-GATE game ‘King of Jurassic’ (PC Hardware). The new version of the system sees a partnership between NTT and supported by EZweb, KDDI and Okinawa cellular phone corporation to create a version of the game that supports mobile phone interaction.

Using mobile phone support for 3G enabled handsets based on the iMode systems that offer web surfing from cellular handsets, the latest version of cards for the installed base of over 3,000 ‘King of Jurassic’ machines in Japan have a new generation of ‘Dinosaur cards’ that incorporate a special pictogram. This image once captured - taking an image on their phone - activates a feature so the special code allows the players ranking to be recorded online with the specific skill cards he has collected and stored.

The mobile connection has a second feature which is the use of the connection to allow the player to battle characters in a mobile version of the game, linked to a simple interface; this expanding the popularity of the game, the target audience able to continue the experience away from the machine.

The current system from D-Gate offering 18 Dino Cards and 18 Skill Cards, will be increased by another 100 new cards launched this month incorporating the ColorZip technology, based on a system similar to the QRCode. The Stinger Report has covered the application of ‘QRCode’ systems for advance barcode systems that transport the user of a mobile phone with iMode or 3D connectivity direct to a product web site. QRCodes have been used in the amusement scene for the last few months by SEGA, but recently other manufacturers have been evaluating ‘Advance Code’ systems.

The ColorZip company have a different application, that are also known as ‘ColorCodes’ using four color patterns that are also incorporated into advertising and direct the user to the appropriate web page. In the application with ‘King of Jurassic’, the player will take an image of their card and then be directed to their specific account where their amassed information is stored and edited.

The ColorCode system is also deployed in video sequences that enable information interchange. The 2006 Worldcup in Germany will be the first event to deploy a large amount of new ‘interactive’ advertisement and technology implementations. It is planned that a number of the video clips from the game will include ColorCode images that will direct viewers via their phone to specific web based advertisements and interactive prize elements.

The Worldcup this years sees a number of new technologies being implemented - the sports event ushering in technology. FiFA ’06 in Germany will see 3G mobile phone television available from specially equipped phone sold to be ready for the event; the technology sending the latest goals from the event to subscribers. The football event will also see the launch of Hi-Definition Television (HDTV) service in Europe, the first time that a major sports gathering will be covered totally in Hi-Def.

While the mobile phone sector encroaches into amusement application, the RadioWare scene is dabbling with amusement opportunities. A Stinger correspondent reported that the U.S. firm Rush Tracking Systems were to show their RFID-enabled football and golf arcade game at a coming trade event.

Under the 'RFID@PLAY' brand the company had created two technology experiments that hoped to be proof of concept. 'RFID@PLAY - Football' uses tagged balls thrown into holes with differing point scores, while 'RFID@PLAY - Golf', tags golf balls putt into one of three holes, each varying difficulties and the ball is monitored on which hole.

On both these games, players swipe their exhibition badges so their scores are collected on a database, with high scorers winning prizes. The games are concept systems previewed at the RFID trade exhibition (RFID Journal Live! 2006) in Las Vegas this month.