Taito launches digital distribution service for arcades

Japanese arcade giant Taito has revealed a brand-new digital distribution system for arcade cabinets at Chiba's 48th Amusement Arcade Machine Show.

The NESiCAxLive system will allow arcade owners to download titles directly to cabinets from data servers held by Taito, instead of buying new, expensive hardware boards each time they want to change games.

The system will also give arcades access to back-catalogues of titles, with Taito hoping to eventually implement a model which will allow players themselves to choose which game they'd like to play on a cabinet. A prototype system diagram shown at the launch seems to indicate that a local server system will allow several titles to be downloaded and stored for quicker swapping, Andriasang reports.

Several developers are on-board for the program, with SNK Playmore, Arc System Works and Cave also making their games available for download. The first title for the system will be 2D fighter BlazBlue Continuum Shift II, also formally revealed at the show.

Last week, technology which will enable arcade cabinets to have 3D displays without the use of glasses was announced in Chiba, although it seems unlikely that either technology will ever make its way to Europe's considerably smaller arcade market.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ce-for-arcades