Sega Amusements Europe's product of the moment WCCF 2004 - 2005 has finally made its European debut in a UK operation. Ahead of its pan-European release in November Sega has had the Panini licensed football game on a promotional launch at Bowlplex in Brighton Marina for several weeks.
Paul Williams of Sega explained the reason behind the idea, "to put WCCF in a typical bowling sites allows us to showcase the product to customers on a one to one basis in a real environment and not on an exhibition stand where their time is limited. We have had many customers coming from all over our European territory and spending a whole day with us in the location - it is a good opportunity for them to see the machine in action and see the local players enthusiasm".
The game has seen immense results in Japan and Italy where it has been available for three years, however, with the latest licenses of all the top European clubs and players is making the game even more desirable.
The concept mixes Sega's video expertise, Panini collectable football cards from the likes of Manchester United, Ajax, and Juventus that allows players to build their own team, compete in tournaments and create the mightiest team in the world.
The initial weekend at Brighton was set off with a bang and head of promotional company SC3 Mark Beauchamp commented, "The kids love the anticipation of hopefully getting their favourite players from the machine after each game and the adults get drawn into the management strategy elements of it. I would definitely say the football theme gives it a real head start and makes the game approachable and interesting to players".
Bowlplex General Manager Tim Williams offered that "The local customers have been drawn to WCCF instantly, the success has taken us by surprise. It is adding to our overall spend per head and attracting customers who we would not normally see in the games area, we are more than happy, role on the World Cup!"
With over thirty top-draw products carefully sourced from the cream of the world's major manufacturers, temptation is on its way at Brent Sales House of Fun.
The foundations are as strong as ever as Brent Sales adds exclusive distribution rights for Innovative Concepts in Entertainment's two player X-Factor crane to its already impressive portfolio. X-Factor's head-spinning graphics, lighting and sound conceal impressive, easy-to-use software capabilities that allow total access to gameplay, statistics and performance.
And there are plenty more premium products wiping their feet ....
From Namco, there's Casino Winner, identified by Brent's Sales Director John McKenzie as the natural successor to the outstanding PAC-MAN Ball, and the eagerly anticipated Mario Kart Arcade GP, which features the innovative Nam-Cam a unit-mounted camera which puts players right at the heart of the hilarious action. Retro gamers will be delighted that PAC-MAN has come of age with a 25th Anniversary Special Edition three-in-one unit which also co-stars Ms. PAC-MAN and Galaga.
From ICE, there's Break The Bank, a pacey, head-turning 10p coin roll down redemption piece; Mini Dunxx, small in size, big on fun; and Wheel-a-Win, the ultimate in reflex and reaction redemption.
There's high-octane, fly-by-the-seat of your pants excitement from Raw Thrills The Fast and the Furious Deluxe, big beats from Tempo Kiddo, Tecway?s novelty drum simulator, and Megatech's Rocket Mini will surely blast up the fun charts.
John McKenzie concluded: From seaside arcades to shopping malls, bingo halls to bowling centres, fun fairs to family entertainment centres, pubs and clubs to campus common rooms, motorway services to multi-leisure sites and holiday parks to hotels there's room for every buyer in Brent Sales House of Fun.
11/10/05 - Brent grabs X-Factor crane distribution
Brent Sales has added to its already impressive portfolio of international coin-op products by securing exclusive distribution rights to the X-Factor crane. Widely regarded as the best crane on the market, the X-Factor distribution deal was agreed with Innovative Concepts in Entertainment in the week preceding London?s Preview exhibition.
John McKenzie, sales director at Brent/Namco, said: ?The Brent X-Factor?s head-spinning graphics, lighting and sound conceal impressive, easy-to-use software capabilities that allow total access to gameplay, statistics and performance. I am delighted to be going to Preview with such a high profile and proven game whose credentials are underlined by the fact that we have already achieved significant levels of advance orders for X-Factor from a number of notable operating companies both within the UK and abroad.?
Reinforcing its claim as the first stop for fun retailing, Brent Sales has announced the launch of Tempo Kiddo, a novelty/redemption drum simulator aimed at younger players. Developed by Tecway, the latest manufacturer to join an illustrious list of brands distributed by Brent, Tempo Kiddo makes its first European outing at October?s Preview exhibition.
Players select the mode of play depending on their age group, which determines both the level of difficulty as well as the type of soundtracks played, drawn from a wealth of classic nursery rhymes and synthesized pop tunes. Animated characters on a video display guide players through a succession of rhythmic left, right and drum roll beats on a combination of three colour-coded drums using the integral drumsticks. Ticket payout is fully operator adjustable.
With a combined product range to encompass everything from video to vending, novelty to pushers and from kids games to simulators the Sega Amusement Europe stand at this year?s London Preview is more than ever one that should appeal to a wide variety of operators.
Although the stand will be dominated by the massive ?World Club Championship Football 2004-2005? (WCCF) there is an array of new products to discover.
Possibly the most important of which, on many levels, will be House of the Dead 4. Not only will this be the latest chapter of the classic title that has endured over the past eight years, and has proven cash box returns at every outing, it will be a giant step forward in technology.
It will be the first game to utilise the, until recently, very secretive new hardware Lindbergh. The platform launched at the Jamma show in Tokyo only a few weeks ago is the most powerful the industry has ever seen and will allow arcades to claw one back on the ever advancing home market. The graphic capabilities have benefited the HOD title massively and allow the jump from third to fourth title to emulate the difference between early TV sets and modern plasma screens.
To enforce this difference even more Sega have ditched the standard 50" PTV monitor that has become the stable, even staid, viewing platform for all manufacturers deluxe games since the early 90's. Instead visitors to the London Preview will witness an industry first with the introduction of a Digital Light Projector (DLP) monitor in 62" widescreen flat screen format. This mixture of new technology has also forced the requirement of a new deluxe cabinet making sure that any game title using the new screen and hardware cannot be missed, if that was possible, in the arcade setting.
