Konami Digital Entertainment Show More “Crowd Pleasers” at AOU 2010
The AOU Show was held in Makuhari Messe, only a short journey from the centre of Tokyo in February 2010. The show was split into two days, with the Friday being a business only day and the Saturday being a player’s day.
The Konami booth located at the entrance to the exhibition showed a strong line-up of products that were divided into 4 main areas of the booth:
Metal Gear Solid Area – Konami kept the presence of the game at the show a secret until the last minute, but this did not stop the players flocking the Konami stand in their droves. On the players day there were reports of players waiting almost 4 hours to experience the game first-hand in what has been described by some as the future of amusement. Based on the hit home entertainment title with over 25 million sales worldwide to date, this is the first amusement incarnation of the title. The game is an espionage title where players work in a team (linked over the Konami e-AMUSEMENT online service) to battle the opposition. Player opinion on the game was overwhelming positive, overawed by the exciting game-play and incredible 3D graphics, making every minute of the wait worthwhile. The game is played using a unique I/O of a gun with a joystick and also specialist glasses to control the play while they are immersed in a 5.1 stereo surround sound.
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BEMANI Productions (Music Games) Area – It is over 10 years since Konami pioneered the music game genre in the amusement market. BEMANI productions once again showcased their impressive catalogue of products. On display at AOU were:
- DanceDanceRevolution X 2 – The latest incarnation of the “ever green” brand of dancing games was on show for players to enjoy. Housed in the LCD screen monitor cabinet that was first seen on DDR X, the game now has over 400 songs including many popular licenses. The software on this version has been made to offer something for everyone, in that there is a PRO MODE for the existing player base who want to continue to improve on the game and also a HAPPY MODE which is designed for beginners to give them a fun experience and get them started on becoming a DDR Player. The new HAPPY MODE will appeal greatly to players not accustomed to the demands that many core players enjoy.
- JuBeat Knit – Following the amazing success of JuBeat Ripples into the Japanese and Asian Markets “Knit” is the latest version due for release late in 2010. Featuring more music and fun game play elements the game is sure to be a hit.
- Drum Mania XG & Guitar Freaks XG – Housed in new cabinets these are the latest versions of the ever popular guitar and drum simulation games. Topped up with more music than previous version, and new features such as pedals on the Guitar Freaks game both operators and players at the show were impressed with the new designs.
Medal Machines Area – Konami has long been regarded as the premier “medal machine” manufacturer in the Japanese and Asian markets and this was again confirmed with the strong line up at the show including:
- Infinity Rings coin pusher game. An impressive looking “Mid-sized” machine that can be connected to the e-AMUSEMENT online service and the MilllionNet accumulator Jackpot service the game had players and operators lining up to play it.
- G1 Turf TV - Aside from the pusher medal machines there was also the unveiling of the latest horse racing simulator medal machine. Houses in an ultra attractive cabinet, players complete to see who can pick the winners and win medal.
PASELI Payment Area – PASELI is an electronic payment method in Japan. Konami have teamed up with PASELI to offer electronic payments on amusement products in Japan. The cashless system allows people to play the games and charge the credit fee to their PASELI account. While this will never “remove the coin from coin-op” the idea is it offers the players more flexibility in terms of their payments for games and also they can be rewarded with bonuses due to the tie in to the e-AMUSEMENT service.
