Showing posts with label AOU 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AOU 2008. Show all posts

Thursday, February 21, 2008

AOU 2008 final attendance numbers

While a few early preliminary reports in regards to estimated AOU 2008 attendance numbers have been positive, it wasn't until day that we learned how positive they really were. AM-net and the official AOU expo website posted the final attendance figures for the show and included the year to year numbers showing a dramatic increase in attendees at this year's AOU expo. These numbers follow a similar trend of increase that was seen with the 45th AM Show back in September.

I'm eager to see if these numbers begin to reflect a stronger 2008 for the amusement industry since while 2007 wasn't necessarily a bad year, some negative press in the Q3 financial reporting for several companies has skewed most of the attention away from the early gains that were made. With as strong of line up as we are seeing for 2008, including a handful of games that should really drive up demand in the arcade amusement industry, this may be a sign of even more positive things to come.

The final numbers for AOU 2008 are below (the number in parenthesis is the amount gained over the 2007 show):
2/15 (Friday) - 21,249 (+4,519 visitors)
2/16(Saturday) - 17,193 (+6,010 visitors)
Total - 38,442 (+10,529 visitors)

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Monday, February 18, 2008

Arcade Fighting games in 2008 - Revival? Revolution? Renaissance?

There have been a lot of posts about the number of quality arcade fighters coming out in 2008 on the internet this last week. Though other people have already taken the time to cover most of the console counterparts, I've decided to take a moment to talk a little bit about what's coming up for arcades. This is only going to be a quick overview list... I have plans to go a bit more in depth with each of these games in the coming months, but until then, this is just a cross-selection with a few bits of information on each of the titles.

This year is going to be a rather defining year for the future of the fighting genre in my opinion. While the number of games is impressive, what's more important is the impact these games will have based on the history of the titles and pedigrees that follow them.

I've brought up this point earlier based on a concern that was listed by Amusement Journal, but I'll repeat it here - with the market for fighting games rather stagnant over the last year or so, can the new entries finally make the impact to shake up the most widely played arcade games in Japan? Is the market strong enough in light of recent issues reported by both Sega Sammy and Bandai Namco to support the number of fighting games that it is being asked to support by the developers?

It'll be interesting to watch where these games fall when the smoke clears...

Akatsuki Blitzkampf Ausf. Achse
Hardware - NAOMI
Developers - Subtle Style
Previous games - Akatsuki Blitzkampf (PC)/Akatsuki Shisei Ichigo (PC)
Release Date - Late 02/2008
Official Website - http://subtlestyle.net/akatsukiaa/

First announced in Arcadia Magazine, Akatsuki Blitzkampf will be Subtle Style's attempt to bring their doujin PC fighting game to an arcade market. The game features an old school sentimentality in combination with an eye on attracting an audience through extremely clean and stylized sprites. The basic game system relies on a 3 button control scheme, focusing on light, medium, and heavy attacks, with basic combo strings branching uniquely between each of the game's fighters. The game also features a fairly simple "parry" system (known as the reflector) that is performed by pressing the medium and heavy attacks at the same time, almost immediately before an attack animation connects with your character. Timing is fairly strict, but slightly easier to pull off than Third Strikes parries. As part of the "special update" for arcades, some moves will also be able to be performed with multiple button inputs rather than their traditional motion. What affect this may end up having on game balance is still to be determined...

Location test video - Akatsuki Blitzkampf Ausf. Achse

Arcana Heart 2
Hardware - EX-Board (Specially designed cart system from Examu)
Developers - Examu
Previous Games - Arcana Heart
Release Date - 03/2008
Official Website - http://www.examu.co.jp/arcanaheart2/

Arcana Heart 2 is the sequel to Examu's popular all-female fighting game, Arcana Heart. The game is set to feature six new characters and several new Arcana to strengthen the roster to 17 characters (and hundreds of possible character/arcana combinations). The game will also feature three new systems, Arcana Blast, Critical Heart, and Arcana Homing. The custom board that Arcana Heart 2 will use is part of a new PC-based hardware solution for Examu. Based on the information provided by Game Watch, the EX-Board will be using a Windows XP embedded OS with 2 VGA, S-Video, Composite, and Jamma video output. No word on the strength of the hardware yet, but future releases on the system will be using specially designed ROM cartridges for games.

AOU 2008 Video - Arcana Heart 2

BlazBlue
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - Arc System Works
Previous Games - Guilty Gear, Hokuto No Ken
Release Date - 2008
Official Website - http://blazblue.jp/

Arc System Works second foray into high definition arcade fighters, BlazBlue isn't trying to reinvent the wheel for the company, but rather prove why they remain one of the most popular fighting game developers in Japan. The game also marks Arc System Works second release on Taito's Type X2 platform, meaning that the previous experience that went into designing Battle Fantasia should serve them well despite the differing styles the two games have. Despite a similar look, BlazBlue is not a continuance of the Guilty Gear story arc, but rather an original game created by the original Guilty Gear team minus Daisuke Ishiwatari's creative hand for design. Daisuke Ishiwatari, however, will still provide the original score to the game.

System wise, BlazBlue will use a 4 button control scheme featuring 3 attacks buttons and one special button known as the "Drive" button that will offer unique effects based on the selected character. While it has been said that Arc System Works has wanted to create a game that focuses more on ground-based combat, from the videos at the AOU 2008 show, the game will still contain the notable "flair" that Guilty Gear is known for. The recovery time on knockdowns is a bit reminiscent of Hokuto no Ken though, which means that if you don't roll or tech out of an attack that sends you to the ground, your response time to wake up is delayed quite a bit. I didn't see any real abuse of this from AOU, but it is probably only a matter of time before this system gets put through the gauntlet at location tests, since AOU was the first hands on time anyone had with the game. BlazBlue's sprites are rendered at 720p resolutions, making them almost double the size of the Accent Core sprites. Don't let anyone tell you that this game isn't "true HD"...

AOU 2008 Trailer - BlazBlue

Fate Unlimited Codes
Hardware - System 246
Developers - 8ing/Cavia
Previous Games - Bloody Roar
Release Date - 06/2008
Official Website - http://www.capcom.co.jp/fate_uc/
The latest in a series of fighting games based on the Fate Stay/Night series, Fate: Unlimited Codes is being developed by 8ing with assistance from Cavia. Capcom is set to handle the publishing of the game. While the game is built with 3D characters and does feature some minor 3D side-stepping, the primary focus of the developers has been to create the feel of a 2D fighter while providing a slightly more cinematic experience through 3D camera cuts, angles, and movement. A lot of people have expressed concerns that this game reminds them a bit of the doujin fan project Fatal Fake, and while the game does seem to have some striking similarities, Capcom and 8ing are hoping to offer enough differences to encourage fans to spend some time in arcades with the new game.

Trailer - Fate Unlimited Codes

King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
Hardware - Taito Type X
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
Release Date - 03/2008
Official Website - http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/kof98um/
SNK Playmore's re-release of King of Fighters '98, Ultimate match is set to feature slightly upgraded graphics (including new 3D backgrounds), a new, playable boss team, and several gameplay tweaks set to re-balance the game for a new round of tournament fighting. The new Ultimate style is a mix and match between the features of the Advanced and Extra styles (such as dash hopping, roll escaping, and charging), to allow for a third choice of options to find the perfect match for a team. At first I was honestly a bit surprised that King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match didn't look any better than it currently does visually being that it was originally set to be a "higher definition remake", but after seeing King of Fighters XII, I can understand why. Though Ultimate Match is still technically a remake, King of Fighters XII is currently getting the primary focus from SNK Playmore Japan's artistic talents...

Location test video - King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match

King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A2
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
Release Date - Summer 2008
Official Website - http://www.snkplaymore.jp
I'm going to hold off on saying anything too much about Regulation A2, because for right now outside of a teaser and some promotional artwork, we haven't seen anything from the game that has separated itself from the first Regulation A. I'll be watching out for any additional information as it comes up...

King of Fighters XII
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
Release Date - Late 2008
Official Website - http://www.snkplaymore.jp
Though I've covered most of what I know about King of Fighters XII here, I will reiterate that SNK Playmore's drive and desire may be finally paying off. I don't say this often, but in the small 30 seconds of shaky cam videos, I can already tell that SNK Playmore Japan has something special on their hands with King of Fighters XII. The ball's in their court now... Let's see if they can drive this one home.

AOU 2008 Trailer - King of Fighters XII

Melty Blood Actress Again
Hardware - NAOMI
Developers - Ecole/Type-Moon
Previous Games - Melty Blood Act Cadenza ver B
Release Date - 05/2008
Official Website - http://e56.info/mbaa/
Despite no showing AOU for development reasons, Melty Blood Actress Again is listed as still being on track for a May 2008 release date. From what we know about the game so far, Ecole is introducing two new characters (Riesbyfe and Roa) to the fighting game series (the two characters are not original and are featured in the original source material for the game) and will also be implementing a new system that will allow players to choose between different characteristics for their fighter which will affect the speed, power, and abilities the fighter has. The first style is the Crescent Moon Style which will allow for an emphasis on mobility and combos. This is the style that is closest to the current Melty Blood engine. The second style is the Full Moon style which emphasizes power at the cost of speed and combo-ability. The final style is the half moon style which is essentially an "Easy" mode for beginners. It lacks options, so you will be more limited in what you can and can't do in the system. Though this is speculation - balancing these modes may be in part what has caused the delay in showing the public Melty Blood Actress Again. Ecole and Type-Moon have not been very punctual at keeping deadlines for the series in the past, so I would probably expect the current release date to slip slightly.

Monster Ancient Cline
Hardware - EX-Board
Developers - 8105 Graphics
Previous Games - Monster (PC)
Release Date - 2008
Official Website - http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/8105/
This is sort of a pipe dream coming true in a way. The doujin studio responsible for Monster (PC) has hooked up with Examu to bring the PC fighting game to arcades with higher resolution sprites and a new character (maybe more) to add to the mix of fighters. Though I haven't been able to play the game too much (to be honest, I've only booted it up once or twice), I know that it has a rather devoted fan following. Some people were turned off a bit by the game's choice of character roster (lots of beasts - wolf men, dog men, bear men, tiger men, etc...), but from what I hear there is a rewarding system underneath it for those who can look past it and get to the meat beyond the bones.

Samurai Spirits Sen
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A2
Release Date - 04/2008
Official Website - http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/samurai_sen/
While Samurai Spirits Sen has made some improvements over the last few months, most location test previews still have the game being described as Soul Calibur's little brother. This isn't necessarily a fair comparison, but considering the return to a 3D weapons based combat system for the game, SNK Playmore Japan should probably have been preparing and expecting for this. Unfortunately, graphically speaking the game loses something in the transition and after seeing King of Fighters XII and what could've been, it makes the 3D elements of this game that much tougher to swallow. But there's hope still. The damage output of the attacks has been increased quite a bit, leading the game to have a very deadly feel where the tide of the battle can shift rather quickly. Whether or not SNK Playmore Japan will be able to continue to improve till its release later this spring has yet to be seen, but I'm eagerly hoping that it can at least step out of the shadows a bit and find an audience all its own.

Location test video - Samurai Spirits Sen


Sengoku Basara X
Hardware - System 246/256
Developers - Arc System Works
Previous Games - Guilty Gear, Hokuto No Ken
Release Date - 04/2008
Official Website - http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara-x/
Speaking of lost in the shadows - if there is one game that I had to pick that has really found itself in the backgrounds over the last couple of months in the arcade fighting scene, Sengoku Basara X would be that game. With higher profile releases coming from Capcom (Street Fighter IV) and Arc System Works (BlazBlue), it is hard to believe that Sengoku Basara X is still on the radar. The game is running on the PS2-based System 246/256 hardware meaning that at this stage it is already decidedly dated in a way (when compared to the current offerings just around the corner). In addition to this, with a few lackluster location tests behind them, I was wondering whether or not Sengoku Basara X would be forgotten altogether.

Both companies are hoping to draw from the Sengoku Basara fanbase to drive sales and appeal for this game, but I can't help but wonder if that's going to be enough in light of recent announcements...

The game uses a similar system to BlazBlue on a superficial level. It features 3 attack buttons and a special button (in this case the Engun button) which will call on an assist character to perform a certain action based on when it's pressed. The longer you wait to press the assist, the higher your assists character's level will be and thusly so, the more damage you'll do. I've already covered Sengoku Basara X briefly here, so if you are interested, I would recommend checking out that link as well as the link to the official website above.

Tokyo Game Show promo - Sengoku Basara X

Street Fighter IV
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - Capcom
Previous Games - Street Fighter III Third Strike, Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Release Date - 07/2008
Official Website - http://www.capcom.co.jp/sf4/
While my own hype for Street Fighter IV has decidedly cooled since AOU, I do understand that when most people think of fighting games in 2008 this will be the game that comes to their mind. I'm currently working through some notes that I was sent in regards to the game and the AOU 2008 build, so when I get through those I'll be sure to post them along with what information we have. Until then, this is the one game on the list that I feel has been covered more often than any other (due to its console port implications), so I don't feel its necessary to go into full details until I get the AOU post up on the site. I will say this much though, even though a lot of people tend to be rather negative when I mention EX around Street Fighter IV, certain parallels between the two can be made despite objections to the contrary. I'm holding off final judgments until I can sit down with a cabinet, but in my opinion, Capcom has a ways to go if they wish to win the hearts and minds of the hardcore fighting fans especially with the spectre of BlazBlue and King of Fighters XII looming over them... Could bringing back former Street Fighter fans be a possible thorn for Capcom's attempts to appeal to what should be their core demographic?

AOU 2008 Trailer - Street Fighter IV

Virtua Fighter 5 R
Hardware - Lindbergh
Developers - Sega, AM2
Previous Games - Virtua Fighter 5, Fighting Vipers
Release Date - 2008
Official Website - http://www.virtuafighter.jp/index.html
There's unfortunately not much information circulating about Virtua Fighter 5 R at this point in time. Though there was the AOU 2008 trailer which showcased a new character and a possible returning character (Taka-Arashi), the only other information we have is that the game will feature new stages and new modes of play unique to Virtua Fighter 5 R. Sega has made it clear that this isn't some basic update with some balance changes and goofy new pirate costumes... This is set to be the next "big" Virtua Fighter update that will shift the focus of the competitive scene off the current builds and onto something they hope is even more rewarding.

AOU 2008 Trailer - Virtua Fighter 5 R

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Saturday, February 16, 2008

No cameras? No problem! (Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu)

Every year at both the AOU show and at the AM show, staff from the different companies have been claiming that they were going to be cutting back on unauthorized videos being released of the work in progress builds of their various games. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, this year was no different. The early reports that I was receiving were all mentioning the fact that there was supposed to be a crackdown on videos being taken of the different games on the show floor.

However, like every year, this didn't stop a steady stream of videos from being released over the course of the event. But there were a few casualties to mention due to the no filming policy some companies posted. Gaijin Punch over at Gamengai for example was stopped from filming Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu twice from two different Cave booth workers. The total recording he was able to complete for his stealth-like efforts? 1 second. Because of this, I found this video by sakiwe (one of the best sources for arcade expo videos from Japan) to be rather humorous in an odd sort of way (the big no filming sign caused me to chuckle). What's even more amusing is that the player in the video seems to be the very same Gaijin Punch who was having such a difficult time getting video footage of the game from the Cave booth workers as was pointed out by Icycalm on his forums. Small world, eh?

I understand a company's reluctance to allow early builds of their games to be shown off (anyone remember the disastrous YouTube videos from the grand Type X unveiling by Taito?), but you would think that they would be willing to release more of their own media on their own terms if they wouldn't allow attendees to film the games themselves. As was pointed out on the Shmups forums, sometimes these games go 6 months after their release before proper media is ever posted by the developer/publisher.

I guess this is just one of those grand mysterious of the Japanese arcade amusement scene...

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Melty Blood Actress Again no-show?

I've been trying to keep track of all the links and videos that I've been posting and while finally sorting some heads and tails of it all, I realized that Melty Blood Actress Again has not been in any of the preview coverage I've seen. This is despite the game being listed by Sega as being scheduled for an appearance prior to the build up to the event's opening.

As I looked into it a bit further, I came across this AOU 2008 write-up by the Akihabara Channel and I finally "get" why the game was a no show. Sega posted a sign during the business and public day that the planned Melty Blood Actress Again presentation had been canceled because it still needs time in development. A little bit of a disappointment for fans of the series (and also the prospects that the game will make Tougeki this year), but with the high quality fighting games already on a release schedule and being shown off at AOU 2008, a no showing is probably better than a poor, early showing.

The rest of the show preview from Akihabara Channel is mostly just a walkthrough of the event with some final pictures of the flyers and bonus items they received throughout the day. However, they do also have a few pictures posted of Konami's and Banpresto's prize items that I haven't seen elsewhere... Anyone interested in Beatmania or Otomedius figures may get a kick out of them.

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Amusement Journal AOU 2008 Day 2 Breakdown

The second day results from Amusement Journal's AOU 2008 polling have been posted on the Amusement Journal website. The top game should not come to anyone's surprise (Street Fighter IV), however it is interesting to note that there was quite a bit of movement among some of the other titles. Based on the results, it seems that most of the fightings game faired better on the public day than on the business day, as Basara X, BlazBlue, and King of Fighters '98 all moved up in the rankings. The polling breakdown among the top 5 games also had a much closer spread than day 1 where the deviation had a bit of a decline.

Top 10 Arcade games of AOU 2008
(Full list for day 2 is available on the link above)

1. Street Fighter IV (Capcom - Type X2)
2. Gundam vs. Gundam (Banpresto - System 256)
3. Lord of Vermilion (Square Enix - Type X2)
4. Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu (Cave - AMI)
5. BlazBlue (Arc System Works/AMI - Type X2)
6. Quiz and Magic Academy 5 (Konami)
7. Taiko Drum Master 11 (Bandai Namco)
8. Fate Unlimited Codes (Capcom - Type X2)
9. Action Deka (Konami)
10. Sengoku Basara X (Capcom/Arc System Works)

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Friday, February 15, 2008

King of Fighters XII - Breakdown of what we know

There has been a lot of chatter going around since the trailer for King of Fighters XII was leaked from the AOU show. I don't blame it one bit, because from what I've seen in the short clips showcasing King of Fighters XII, SNK Playmore has done its best to make Street Fighter IV seem obsolete before it even really had a chance to shine. Sure, Capcom has a lot going for them at AOU - the most votes polled, the biggest drawing exhibit, and the longest lines for hands on time - but even considering all of these things, it seems that whenever I see Street Fighter IV mentioned inevitably King of Fighters XII is right there with it as an example of what Capcom should have done.

Think I'm over exaggerating a bit? Check out the comments over at NeoGaf, or Postback's Forums, or Insomnia.ac, or Shoryuken.

There's a common thread on most of these postings that should be a bit concerning for Capcom and their positioning back into the arcade fighting scene. Yes, I'm sure it's possible that Street Fighter IV will turn out to be amazing, but when King of Fighters XII is able to begin taking as much hype away from Street Fighter IV as it seems to be doing, that's a sign that fans may already be starting to look past Capcom's flagship fighting franchise. Of course, this may all be my own giddy feelings that I now have about King of Fighters XII putting too much into the feedback being given, but all in all, I'm more excited now about this game than I ever was after viewing the Capcom teaser trailer for Street Fighter IV...

And I know I'm not the only one.


King of Fighters XII is currently early in its development, but there are quite a few unanswered questions out there and speculation based on interpretations of the trailer. Though I'm not an expert by any means, nor do I have any "insiders information" about the title, I do feel that there have been quite a few updates that can begin to shed some light on a few aspects of the game that may clear up some misconceptions being circulated.

First and foremost, there is a bit of a debate going on regarding whether or not the characters seen in the video are sprite based or polygon based. I'm blaming most of this discussion from two posts (one from Kotaku and the other from Wired's Game Life news). In each of these posts, it is clear that the writer is under the impression that the video showcases 3D polygon characters segmented and flat/cell shaded to appear as 2D sprites. I think it's important to note that in none of the coverage I have seen does it specify that this is the case and furthermore, as the discussion on Postback mentions, this does not seem likely based on the video itself. I also think that the references made by Nona in this Game Watch write up makes it explicitly clear that the emphasis in the video was on traditional high resolution 2D design, not 3D as pseudo-2D. Recap said it best (and I agree whole-heartedly with him) - "not a single polygon".

According to Trieu over on the SNK-Capcom forums, SNK Playmore actually toyed with both a 3D and a 2D version for the game prior to their final direction that was taken for King of Fighters XII. As Icycalm points out over on his forums, the last "official announcement" from SNK Playmore in regards to King of Fighters XII had the game firmly in the 2D camp. This doesn't look like it has changed one bit to me personally, but unfortunately, I think there's going to have to be a new official announcement from the company before it's cleared up due to the "authority" of the 3D as 2D sources... This, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

As for the platform, a lot of people seem overly eager to be talking about which consoles a home port will be going to. While I understand their enthusiasm, I believe its a bit premature for any talk about a home port. Of course, it's safe to assume that the two next generation consoles (PS3/Xbox 360) are probably the best fits based on the system specifications of the Type X2 arcade platform; outside of some vague references, I have not seen any information from SNK Playmore Japan confirming any console port at this time. However there was one mention on Kotaku in regards to a Xbox 360/PS3 release in 2009, but since it is from the same post as the 3D as 2D argument, it should be taken with a grain a salt at this stage. Is it possible that this information is correct? Absolutely. However, all focus should be primarily on the arcade release first and foremost.

According to Gamespot Japan, King of Fighters XII is being scheduled for a late 2008 release window. If I had to take a wager on when the first playable build will be seen by the public (outside of possible summer location tests), it will more than likely be at either the 46th AM Show or the Tokyo Game Show (both in September). Considering that SNK Playmore was a no show at this year's 45th AM Show and that they took several arcade cabinets to their set up at TGS, I'm guessing that the Tokyo Game Show may end up being the game's grand unveiling before its release to the wild.


Now, the next bit of contention that I've seen popping up is what role (if any) is Falcoon going to have with the design aspects of King of Fighters XII. According to Game Watch, those Falcoon haters have little to worry about... While Falcoon is busy crafting and baby-sitting his baby (the Maximum Impact series), Nona is handling the art direction on King of Fighters XII. I will admit, I was one of those who originally disliked Nona's direction when he first was brought to the King of Fighters (I always thought that 2001 was a huge step backwards from 2000 in terms of presentation), his work has grown on me especially with King of Fighters XI and the sprite work he did. I'm eager to see what he has in store for the new game...

Over at the Shoryuken forums, a good observation was brought up in regards to the short video sampling available. In both the King of Fighters XI segment into the shift to the new King of Fighters XII segment, there is a definite focus on keeping the battles 1 vs 1 (no tag elements were in the KOFXI shots). There are three icons underneath the health bar in the transitional screen shot for KOFXII, so 3 vs. 3 team battles look to still be in it, however, the dynamic tag system may be removed (or if it is in, may not be the "default" focus of King of Fighters XII).

This could also be simply due to the fact that the King of Fighters XII build at the show is still really early and they wanted some synchronism between the transition to KOFXI to KOFXII, but it is something to take note of none-the-less for future reference.

As for characters, from the video, we know for certain that Kyo, Ash Crimson, Kim, Athena, Terry, and Benimaru will all be returning. We also know that based on earlier promotional art, Goro, Elizabeth, and Leona will also be possibly making a presence. I'm unaware of any other characters shown off on any other material outside of this group, but as users on MMcafe point out, it is possible that the letter "explosion" at the beginning may represent invitees to the King of Fighters tournament. If so, the roster may end up being huge (which is usually a staple for the series).


I'll be keeping an eager eye on King of Fighters XII as time goes on. I doubted that SNK Playmore could deliver on their promises, but based on what little I've seen so far, King of Fighters XII is shaping up to possibly be one of the most important releases on Taito's Type X2 platform... A bold claim considering the surprising amount of support Taito has been receiving from a number of major arcade developers. If anyone else has picked up on anything in regards to King of Fighters XII that I may have missed, feel free to leave a comment or discuss it on the forums. There's not much out there yet, but I'm sure it's all just the trickle before the flood...

Thanks to Fighter's Frontline for the snap shot images of the video.

Several other images and a torrent link to an alternate lower quality version of the trailer from AOU 2008 can be found over at NeoGaf.

[Update] - I've changed the link to the GDC Gametrailers trailer due to the higher quality nature of the video.

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Gemgemmania AOU 2008 Show report

One more set of links I found that I felt had enough to them to seperate it from the other link list. This comes from Gemgemmania and consists of a good break down of footage and information from the show floor. I haven't had a chance to digest it all yet, but there are some new videos to show off that give you a different perspective of the event.

Gemgemmania: Taito/SNK Playmore video presentations
Gemgemmania: Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu
Gemgemmania: Street Fighter IV information and videos
Gemgemmania: Jubeat/Konami

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Amusement Journal's AOU 2008 Day 1 breakdown

Amusement Journal has already posted the first day poll results for AOU 2008. It's readily apparent that Street Fighter IV stole day one at the show dwarfing the other games by an almost 2:1 margin (I can't help but think though that had King of Fighters XII been playable, Street Fighter IV may have been met with some bitter competition). Amusement Journal points out that with Capcom's hopes that a new era of fighting games may be hitting very close to the truth, it was a bit cocerning to see almost half of the arcade games pulled comprised of vs. fighting releases.

Titles may be a dime a dozen, but is the market ready to sustain all the new releases?

Top 10 Arcade games of AOU 2008
(full list for Day 1 is available at the above link).

1. Street Fighter IV (Capcom - Type X2)
2. Gundam vs. Gundam (Banpresto - System 256)
3. Lord of Vermilion (Square Enix - Type X2)
4. Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu (Cave - AMI)
5. Action Deka (Konami)
6. BlazBlue (Arc System Works/AMI - Type X2)
7. Jubeat (Konami)
8. Fate Unlimited Codes (Capcom - Type X2)
9. Quiz and Magic Academy 5 (Konami)
10. Answer x Answer (Sega)

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Akihabara News round-up

Akihabara News has started posting their complete coverage of the AOU show. Like Gigazine.net, I was planning on simply giving the site some links over on the link list, but after looking through the coverage I decided to give it its own post for emphasis.

Akihabara News - Street Fighter IV coverage

Akihabara News - Space Invaders Extreme DS and PSP hands-on covereage - Though it's not a new Space Invaders arcade game, since it is the series' 30th anniversary, I can forgive Taito for bringing handhelds to an arcade show...

Akihabara News - Action Deka preview

Akihabara News - Konami telescope Simulator Byon Byon



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Gigazine.net's AOU 2008 show reports

I started linking to these write ups and videos over in my general AOU 2008 show links page, but the more I did, the more I realized that Gigazine.net's coverage really needs to be pointed out for its unique takes on the booths, hand-outs, and videos going around the AOU show floor.

Currently, there are previews up for Street Fighter IV, Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu, Gundam vs. Gundam, BlazBlue, Trouble Witches, Jubeat, and Action Deka. Considering the regularity of the updates, I presume that there will probably be quite a few more throughout the weekend. Though there isn't a lot of information about the games in the different posts, there are quite a few videos, images, and eye candy to go along with them to make up for it.

[Update] - New links:
Gigazine: Atlus show report

Gigazine: Arcana Heart 2 report

Gigazine: AMI/Cave's Stage show featuring pirates, maids, and school girls - also features some new Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu images

Gigazine: AOU 2008 show overview

Gigazine: Monster AC - Thanks to Gamercafe.cl for the heads up on this one. I missed the link on Gigazine earlier today.



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Thursday, February 14, 2008

AOU 2008 Videos (Day 1/2)

(Feel free to keep a link to this page if you wish... I'll be updating videos as I find them from the first day here. Second day videos will begin to be posted as they come in.)

Action Deka
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
Gameplay video 3
Gameplay video 1 - HQ

AMI Cos-play Stage show (Pirates, Maids, and More)- Cave related

Video 2
Video 3
Video 4
Video 5

AOU 2008 Opening Ceremony
Video

Arcana Heart 2
Booth shots
Booth Shots 2
Booth Shots 3
Booth Shots 4
Booth shots 5
Cos-players posing
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
Gameplay video 3
Gameplay video 4
Gameplay video 5 (Nicovideo) - requires registration
Gameplay video 6 (Nicovideo) - requires registration
Video 7
Video 8

Atlus videos
Video 1
Super Big Baseball (1)
Super Big Baseball (2)
Atlus stage demo

BlazBlue
Game Trailer - High Quality
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
Gameplay video 3
Gamespot Japan Blaz Blue video interview
Gameplay video 4
Gameplay video 5

Byon Byon


D1GP Racing
Gameplay video 1

Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu
Video 1 - Cave Promo
(Next 2 Videos courtesy of Gigazine.net)
Gameplay Video 2
Gameplay Video 3
Gameplay Video 4
Gameplay Video 5
Gameplay Video 6
Gameplay Video 7
Gameplay Video 8
AmebaVision video 1
AmebaVision video 2
Gameplay video 9 - 5 minutes of footage, and rather funny due to the lovely no cameras sign being posted... Oh, Cave, if only you were willing to post more of your own media people wouldn't have to resort going Guerrilla on you.

Eternal Wheel
Video 1

Fate Unlimited Codes
Promo video
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3

Famitsu Wave TV
Famitsu Show coverage (video)

Gundam vs. Gundam
Video 1
Gundam vs Gundam video interview (Gamespot Japan)
Video 2

Half Life Survivor ver. 2.0


Illmatic Envelope/Illvelo
Gameplay Video 1

Jubeat
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
AmebaVision video 1
AmebaVision video 2

King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
Gamespot Japan interview
Video 1
Video 2

King of Fighters XII
I had my doubts, but it looks like SNK Playmore is going to pull it off... This really does look amazing in the shaky-hand cam sort of way.

Non-Youtube version of the trailer
Torrent and Direct Download of higher quality version - Thanks to Postback for the link.

Monster AC
Monster AC - courtesy of Gigazine.net

Prize Collection
Video 1

Quiz Magic Academy V
Konami QMA V stage presentation

Samurai Spirits Sen
Samurai Spirits Sen trailer
Samurai Spirits Sen trailer 2
Hoahmaru vs. Galford
Galford vs. Rimururu
Galford vs. Wanfu

Sengoku Basara X
Video 1
Video 2

Space Invaders Extreme - PSP/DS
Gameplay video 1 - HQ

Street Fighter IV
(1st Video courtesy of Gigazine.net)

Video 2 - Promo video
Crimson Viper Vs. Abel Gameplay video
Ryu Vs. Honda Gameplay Video
Chun Li and Crimson Viper Cos-players getting into the action
Chun Li vs. Ken (1)
Chun Li vs. Ken (2)
Guile vs. Zangief
(Next video is courtesy of Akihabara News)
Intro promo in HD - warning, fast connection is recommended
AmebaVision video 1
AmebaVision video 2
IGN AOU 2008 videos
C Viper vs. Ryu - Nicovideo Requires registration
Gamespot Japan/USA Street Fighter IV video collection from AOU 2008
Gamespot Japan video interview
Booth video

Taito Type X2 overview
Video 1

Trouble Witches
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
Gameplay video 3

Virtua Fighter 5 R
Sega Promo video

WCCF 2006-2007 International Clubs
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4


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Capcom Unity AOU 2008 images and IGN hands on report

Seth Killin from the Capcom Unity Blogs posted a small gallery of some of the pre-show set up for AOU 2008 event. It focuses mostly on the Capcom side of things, but is well worth a browse through for some good detailed shots of Capcom's booth (including Street Fighter IV's 6 button control panel on the Taito Viewlix cabinets). There's also a shot with the move lists available, but unfortunately it isn't detailed enough to really get a good view of the new characters' move sets. From what I can tell however, Crimson Viper looks like she is using D, DB, B + Punch and Kick variations with one Shoryuken motion for a move as well. As for Abel, that's anyone's guess... I'm having a hard time making out the motions in that one.

As an additional bonus that I just came across, IGN has just posted their first hands-on report from the AOU show. It seems that right from the get go, the lines began forming around Capcom's booth for some time with the dedicated Street Fighter cabinets proving the game was becoming rather popular even on the private day of the event. Though the write up doesn't provide much new information, it does provide some opinions of the new systems including the Saving system and Ultra Combos.

From IGN:
Overall, although I only managed to play a few fights, from a gameplay perspective, Famitsu's impressions from the weekend, and Capcom's comments since the game's announcement last year, seem to be pretty spot on. SFIV feels like Street Fighter II in many ways, while feeling different in others. You'll have no problem doing your dragon punches, hurricane kicks, sonic booms and so-forth, but if you're expecting all your classic tricks to work, you may be in for a surprise.

More controversial than the gameplay since SFIV's announcement was Capcom's decision to go the 3D route with the visuals. Seeing the game live today, the ultra smooth 60 frames per second movement and flashy lighting effects gave me a Street Fighter EX vibe at first, but this faded away as I warmed up to the visuals. It was initially a bit hard hard to spot all the details that are shown in those gorgeous screenshots Capcom has been releasing, but this is again an area of the game that should become more obvious with time. The details are particularly easy to spot when the camera zooms in on the characters during pre and post-fight poses and during super moves and some special moves.

I'm hoping to spend lots of time with the game paying close attention to all those details. That chance will initially come in the arcades later this summer, and hopefully in the home on the 360 or PS3 after that.
Read the rest here

[Update] - There's now a second IGN hands-on update about AOU 2008 here.

[Update #2] - Seth Killian has a second Capcom Unity AOU 2008 blogpost up now.

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Virtua Fighter 5 R Announced at AOU

Famitsu has posted the first details of Virtua Fighter 5 R from a trailer shown off at Sega's booth at AOU 2008. Though no release details have been revealed, Famitsu states that what is known is that Virtua Fighter 5 R will introduce the first group of new characters to the Virtua Fighter 5 series. More information is said to become available as the show progresses, so hopefully we'll see a few more details about Sega's latest VF project before too long. It sounds like this may be the "Evo" that everyone has been waiting for from the hype that Famitsu seems to be building around it...

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AOU 2008 Image Gallery from AM-net's blog

AM-net is among the first group I've seen to the punch with images circulating from the show floor this morning. There is a small gallery currently viewable over at the AM-net website. There are currently 22 images featured in a short walk through of the show floor prior to the event's official opening. There are some quick pictures of the Arcana Heart 2 exhibit, the new Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu exhibit, and the Square Enix display for Lord of Vermilion which looks like it has set itself up as an imposing black monolith near Taito's display area. An interesting note - on the Blazblue exhibit, there is a banner flying overhead that features 4 characters with six silhouetted fighters. I don't know if its been stated before, but it looks like Blazblue will be featuring a cast of ten characters (excluding any hidden fighters that may make an appearance). The designs from what I can tell from the silhouettes at least seem rather varied... For all the images, I recommend checking out the full gallery over on AM-net.

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AOU 2008 Show Opens

In about 3 hours, the AOU 2008 event will be opening at Makuhari Messe in Japan. Unfortunately, I'm not going to have any contacts there for the first day, but tomorrow (the public day - which will begin early evening Central time), I will have two people on hand to provide a few thoughts about the show. All of the coverage I have posted from various sources in regards to AOU 2008 so far can be found here. Alternatively, the general link list that I've updated through yesterday is here.

My first day updates for the event are going to be a little bit behind in keeping up with the various Japanese sources. This is one part due to the holiday (happy valentine's day lovey) and a second part due to the fact that I will be travelling until late tomorrow afternoon. I will however compile a complete update of day 1 information early tomorrow evening prior to the second day of the show opening. There may be some sporadic posts before that, but I'm not guaranteeing anything specific at this point.

The day two coverage will be entirely different however. For the entire second day of the event, most of the coverage that I post will be coming directly via phone from the two people who will be at the exhibit hall. I will also make sure that everything is a bit more fleshed out from the first day for the second day of coverage.

Feel free to check out any of my various links on the left hand column of the site to try to keep up to date in between my own updates. Most of the sources should be following the show pretty closely as well...

I've heard that there is supposedly a tighter restriction on cameras on both days of the event this time around (unlike at the AM show where despite the no camera signs, cell phone cameras were everywhere). We'll have to see if this ends up restricting the video/images coming out of the event for "unauthorized" sources. I'm sure that our various friends on YouTube however will end up sneaking out enough videos to keep us all satisfied...

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The upside of hype (New Street Fighter IV character)

The AOU show is going to be in a unique position this coming weekend that it hasn't faced in wide numbers for the last couple of years. Due to the planned release of Street Fighter IV in arcades, several western video game media outlets are planning on sending staff members over to Tokyo to report on the event. This isn't necessarily a bad thing per se, but considering that most of the pre-show focus by these outlets seems to be solely on Street Fighter IV, I'm curious to watch and see just how much coverage is dedicated to some of the other, non-Street Fighter titles at the event.

There is enough there that I would presume would interest their readers (me being one of them). Arc System Works, Namco Bandai, Sega, Capcom, and SNK Playmore all have high profile releases in the works. This would be the perfect opportunity for English audiences to get a full and dedicated coverage of the show that was lacking at both the 45th AM show and AOU 2007 show. All these media outlets really have to do is take advantage of the opportunity they already have and spread their coverage further than just Capcom's corner of the event. We'll see how it turns out in the end though...

With that said, IGN has just released some new media of the latest revealed Street Fighter IV character, Abel. Abel is being described as "a man without a past" who is currently searching for clues and the remaining members of Shadoloo. According to the article posted, IGN is stating that Abel will be playable at AOU alongside Crimson Viper and all of the original 8 World Warriors. A rather good selection of characters that should give everyone a nice cross view of how the game is shaping up...

I don't necessarily dislike Abel's look, but there is something a bit disinteresting about him. There just doesn't seem to be much inspiration in the design.

In addition to the AOU 2008 event, the arcade build being showcased will also be present at GDC according to Capcom. Kotaku has mentioned that a tournament is being planned for a "select" group at the event, so we can expect quite a bit of Street Fighter IV coverage over the next two weeks. I'm eager to see if some Street Fighter veterans can get their hands on the title to really give some gritty impressions of the game, since most of what we have received so far has been from fans, but not necessarily "experts".

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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Trouble Witches playable at AOU 2008; new details revealed

Danmaku-gata is reporting that according to the official website for Studio Siesta, Trouble Witches will be playable at the AOU show this coming weekend. The doujin studio's decision to bring the game over to the Type X2 platform seems only natural considering the PC-base of Taito's increasingly popular arcade hardware. Over at the arcade game's official website, Studio Siesta states that the build that will be shown off at AOU is at about 40% complete. There will also be two new characters playable for the first time at the event, increasing the character selection for the game up to 5 different characters.

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Saturday, February 9, 2008

Melty Blood Actress Again website launched

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