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NARUTO
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"AW dead??" , posted Fri 22 Jul 20:01post reply

source Neo-arcadia, it seems that sammy annouced that they'll stop the AW system, and that they will pass on Sega's system like Naomi 2, Chihiro, and Lindbergh.

KOF is rumored to be the last AW game. That could explain why they try to release it so soon...






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Fygee
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"Re(1):AW dead??" , posted Fri 22 Jul 21:14post reply

Well that was fast. I didn't expect it to surpass five years, but the AW is only a year and a bit old.

Oh well, its for the better I guess, since the AW was old tech to begin with.





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"Re(2):AW dead??" , posted Fri 22 Jul 21:19post reply

quote:
Oh well, its for the better I guess, since the AW was old tech to begin with.



Its main goal was 2D games, and it has enough power for those. If the fabrication costs are cheaper than other boards, and they are going to continue making 2D games, I don't see why they are going to stop supporting it, really.





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"Re(1):AW dead??" , posted Sat 23 Jul 19:59post reply

quote:
source Neo-arcadia, it seems that sammy annouced that they'll stop the AW system, and that they will pass on Sega's system like Naomi 2, Chihiro, and Lindbergh.

KOF is rumored to be the last AW game. That could explain why they try to release it so soon...



You may be interested in the feature this news was based on:

1. TITLE “A-Wave on Critical List!” (#407)

Stinger REPORT Skinny!
(10/06/05) Information from the recent SEGA Private distributors meeting in Japan has fueled the feeling that the longevity of the Sammy-supported, and SEGA-built architecture, is limited. The Stinger looks at the success achieved by the A-Wave over the few years of its existence, and also what machines will hope to fill the gap that will be left if the hardware is retired. Information on the new Taito TypeX+ upgrade of the PC based architecture and the rumors of a new Konami hardware platform, and new SEGA architecture, while SEGA’s latest shooter goes on test.

(For the full story, go to the Main Report online at – www.thestingerreport.com)

Main REPORT:
The Stinger Asian correspondents were agitated by more than the number of new media on show at the last SEGA Private distributor’s event in Japan last month. The main reason for their concern was offhand remarks by prominent SEGA officials that seemed to date the life expectancy of the Sammy A-Wave architecture.

The brainchild of then Sammy president Hajime Satomi, the A-Wave sees its fourth birthday looming, just as speculation of its demise received credible confirmation. The hardware stemmed from pre-merger days. CSK, previously the core investor in both Sammy and SEGA, had wanted to leverage the vast inventory of SEGA’s failed DreamCast console experiment (i.e., unsold Dreamcast chips) by shoveling these items into an attractively low-cost, versatile coin-op application: AtomisWave. If it had worked, the ploy would have turned SEGA’s liability into Sammy’s assets.

A request by Sammy’s president to play in the video pond needing a new universal game architecture was greeted by SEGA AM4 R&D as a means to redress inventory, placate CSK and achieve control of Sammy video amusement investment, eventually producing the fabled ‘System-X’ hardware, as AtomisWave was known during the R&D stage. Sammy executives, understanding the needs for console-based architecture for amusement application, embraced the platform.

The result was revealed to the world in September 2002 (only later confirmed as the ATOMISWAVE). The A-Wave hoped to offer arcades an open platform with reliable copy proof cartridges, able to relive the JAMMA heydays in a 'one fits all' package. The US satellites going as far as to avoid the original 'deadwood' population plan and create a specific black cabinet to hose the operators a little more. The hope was that the Japanese AM development studios would flock to the platform, developers such as Pskyo, Compile, Treasure, Visco, Tecmo and even Sammy's studio ARC Systems utilized the platform. A rosy future was mapped out and nothing was going to hold it back. But then reality intervened.

The death knell of the A-Wave started sounding with the leaking of an announcement by SNKP in 2004 that they would be abandoning support of the AW-NET infrastructure, after the high-profile adoption of the Sammy hardware. AW-Net, first hinted at in 2002, was a service developed to enable players to connect online with amusement arcades nation-wide (Japan) and to link arcade games to mobile content.

The network was first previewed at the JAMMA Amusement Machine Show in 2003 with the inevitable slick video presentation showing the aspirations of the hoped AW-NET system. Later investigation revealed that the AW-NET was in fact the SEGA ALL.NET system configured for the A-Wave architecture. Along with the IC Card interface, the AW-NET connected with the web and offered mobile phone connectivity with player ranking and un-lock features.

But the actual success of the A-Wave was hindered, always in the shadow of the established and supported SEGA Naomi. Also based n Dreamcast chips, but embracing the much more reliable SEGA R&D infrastructure, the SEGA system could also call upon well known brands and titles, while the A-Wave had to near on prove itself with each release.

For the A-Wave the hoped-for 100 releases before the first year of release was never achieved, (see the original speculation in Stinger #284). What actually happed was more pedestrian:

1 - Sports Shooting USA - Gun / Sport - 2003
2 - Maximum Speed - Driver / Sport - 2003
3 - Guilty Gear X ver.1.5 - Fighter [ARC Systems] - 2003
4 - Dolphin Blue – Shooter - 2003
5 - Premium Eleven - Sport [Dimps] - 2003
6 - Sushi Bar – Puzzle - 2003
7 - Demolish Fist - Fighter [Dimps] - 2003
8 - Knights of Valour: The Seven Spirit - Brawler [IGS] - 2004
9 - Guilty Gear Isuka - Fighter - AW-NET enabled [ARC Systems] - 2004
10 - Chase (Chicago) 1929 - Driver - 2004
11 - Ranger Mission - Gun - 2004
12 - The Rumble Fish - Fighter [Dimps] - 2004
13 - Force Five - Fighter - AW-NET enabled - 2004
14 - Salaryman Kintarou - Puzzle / Net@Select - AW-NET enabled - 2004
15 - King of Fighters NeoWAVE - Fighter - AW-NET enabled [SNKP] – 2004
16 - King of Fighters XI - Fighter - AW-NET enabled [SNKP] - 2004
17 - Dirty Pig Skins Football - Future Sports - 2004
18 - Faster Than Speed – Driver - 2004
19 - The Rumble Fish 2 - Fighter [Dimps] - 2005
20 - Extreme Hunting - Sports Shooting - 2005
21 - Horse Racing / Net@Select - Horse Racing – AW-NET enabled – 2005

-- Rumored To Be In Test --

22 - NeoGeo Battle Coliseum - [SNKP] - 2005
23 - Samurai Spirits AW: Tenkaichi Kenkyakuden - Fighter [SNKP] - 2005
24 - Sammy Vs. Capcom - Fighter [Capcom] - 2005
25 - Metal Slug 6 - Shooter [SNKP] - 2005
26 - Fist of the North Star - Fighter [ARC Systems] - 2005

As can be seen in the later line-up of A-Wave titles, a flood of fighting games has plagued the platform to the point that the Q2 portion of 2005 has seen a new fighter launched each month. This consistent trend has convinced many observers that Sammy is acting like a clearance house, releasing as much as possible to clear the shelves.

Though five Japanese studios were shown at launch of the A-Wave, games have only been seen from Dimps and ARC Systems. New additions of SNKP and IGS promised good IP, but no games from Pskyo, Compile, Treasure, Visco, or Tecmo have been seen causing concern from analysts. It was later galling that those named studios would jump the Sammy and SEGA ship for the Taito TypeX platform. The hoped-for Capcom addition to the fold has also gone painfully quiet, sources observing that with the Namco / Bandai (Banpresto) announcement would put a move to a Sammy / SEGA platform on hold.

Since its launch in 2003, Sammy SEGA claim an installed base of A-Wave architecture at over 11,000 units, but actual individual game sales have been slow. Internationally the platform has lingered in a middle ground of too little, too late. Specifically developed US content has fallen flat, and even the exclusivity of the SNKP brand has proven a millstone, not a milestone…and certainly not a goldmine.

What Could this all Mean:
The biggest hurdle to A-Wave penetration seems to have come from the very people who devised the hardware. The SEGA Naomi has proven a hard act to follow, and it may be fear to say they SEGA may have even loaded the dice in its favor from a distributor’s perspective.

The claim following the merger of SEGA / Sammy that SEGA AM groups may start to develop on the A-Wave look like smoke screens to disguise the demise of the hardware. One rumor of 'legacy' titles from SEGA catalogues being re-released as A-Wave classic cabinet cartridges another pipedream - though some sources are still adamant that this may still come to pass.

With Sammy's short-lived architecture, other platforms will see 2005 as their swan song year. The Taito G-Net, SNK MVS, Namco System 246, and the redoubtable SEGA Naomi-GD ROM will move into retirement. Saying that the Naomi will see three titles released on it this year, and some SEGA sources hint that as the A-Wave vanishes a number may be cannibalized to make up Naomi numbers to fulfill orders.

Replacing these workhorses are the new breed of architecture that fulfills the needs of the new amusement scene. Systems such as the console based SEGA TriForce II or Namco System 258, or the PC based Namco M-2, Taito TypeX and rumored Konami LongHorn.

Not all the new platforms are finding it smooth sailing as the threshold of performance seems to constantly change. One example of this is the leaking of news from Taito GM team at a private presentation of the vitally important new driver ‘Battle Gear 4’ (TypeX+) was in fact incorrectly designated, as Taito has had to upgrade the original hardware specs of the PC architecture to keep up with competitive home systems. The leak revealed the ‘Taito TypeX+’ though the actual performance enhancements have not been leaked, sources did hint that the systems particle effects have been ramped up not to lag behind.

With the leaking of news of the new SEGA architecture at E3 (see #399) the final nail looks to be pounded into A-Wave’s coffin. But for SNKP and Capcom, whether they will wait for a transition, rush to release on the current hardware, or jump ship is a big question for the Asian amusement sector. The rumored new SEGA architecture was leaked to TSR correspondent in a recent interchange. The CHIHIRO replacement has been named ‘LindBergh’, and looks to be based on an enhanced Xbox hardware model, rather than a true Xbox 360 recreation. The new Lindberg hardware is expected to be revealed in the new SEGA shooter ‘House of the Dead 4’.


Stinger Breaking News - While the build-up to the late Asian buying season takes shape; a number of the key brands that hope to be part of the amusement revival have been seen on test. Namco puts its faith in Mario Kart - Taito looks to Battle Gear 4 - Konami with a slew of shooter and dance titles - while SEGA has two big guns to hold the line, the first of which was located by Stinger sources on secret test.

‘House of the Dead 4’ (LindBergh), was on site test in Tokyo in late June, and showed the increased commitment to the AM scene by the number one developer. The new game carries forward the zombie blasting festival, but with some new additions. The first major difference is the use of a large widescreen flat-plasma display for the cabinet. This will be the first fully deployed HDTV-FP cabinet in the market. SEGA AM4 has also pushed the boat out on the player interface with realistic Ingram M11 automatic pistols replacing the previous pump-action shotgun weapon.

The only two playable levels of the game borrowed on many of the tried and tested formulas from the original series, along with other features from the market; a double gun, single player action sequence very reminiscent of the ‘Justice Mode’ from the Raw Thrills shooter. The game was rumored to be running on the new CHIHIRO+ architecture, which was revealed as being called Lindberg, which will also be the target platform for the next Virtua Fighter title - new games in the scene all pointing to interesting times ahead for the market.

Thanks to industrious work by Stinger correspondents, with the revelation of the appearance of the LindBergh (replacing the Naomi 2 and CHIHIRO systems – though leaving the TriForce); the replacement architecture to the A-Wave was leaked to TSR sources. Named the AURORA System (replacing the Naomi GD-ROM and A-Wave), the PowerVR controlled, Imagination Technologies developed system was revealed in a press announcement last year but never named, or the actual performance revealed. Developed in conjunction with SEGA Sammy Holding R&D team SI-Electronics, sources speak of the friendly architecture and reduced build price as a “Taito TypeX beater!”

The system will run LINUX operating system, supporting a flexible development architecture that should appeal to all independent studios that have become fans of the Naomi GD-ROM platform, and are loathed to downgrade to the A-Wave or swallow the expense of the Taito proposal.





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"Re(2):AW dead??" , posted Sat 23 Jul 21:24post reply

Can someone summarize all that gobblygook into plain english.





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"Re(3):AW dead??" , posted Sun 24 Jul 02:53post reply

quote:
Can someone summarize all that gobblygook into plain english.



If that's too hard for you, maybe this is more your speed:

Dick and Jane see the arcade boards.
Spot piddles on the A-wave.
Dick develops for the Naomi.
Jane takes over Sega.

It was a nicely written, informative report. Take five minutes out of your busy schedule and read it already.





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"So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Mon 25 Jul 05:24post reply

So, if this shit is true, then why does the report mention that The King Of Fighters XI has been released, and last year no less, when in reality, the game is still a few months away?
And speaking of which, the latest issue of Arcadia, which will be out online any moment now for Iggy-san to report, has the second feature on KOFXI.I can't wait to see how The One looks like with this new modern look.





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"Re(1):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Mon 25 Jul 08:13:post reply

quote:
So, if this shit is true, then why does the report mention that The King Of Fighters XI has been released, and last year no less, when in reality, the game is still a few months away?
And speaking of which, the latest issue of Arcadia, which will be out online any moment now for Iggy-san to report, has the second feature on KOFXI.I can't wait to see how The One looks like with this new modern look.




Whatever you think Shingo, I wont call your comments excrement and you don't call our reports the same... okay! We are a respected trade eNewsletter and not a run of the mill rumor site.

KOFXI was first tested last year, but you are correct the game has still yet to be released. In the original report we also added Guilt Gear XX Reload to the list only for the revelation that the game is now a Naomi only release!!

Just to answer a question sent to us. The Stinger Report is not a consumer web site, it is a trade subscription eNewsletter for the amusement and attraction trade, and no we are not owned by Future USA.

All the best,





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[this message was edited by editor on Mon 25 Jul 17:10]

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"Re(2):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Mon 25 Jul 11:57post reply

Thanks for your long and interesting report!





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"Re(2):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Tue 26 Jul 05:29post reply

quote:
So, if this shit is true, then why does the report mention that The King Of Fighters XI has been released, and last year no less, when in reality, the game is still a few months away?
And speaking of which, the latest issue of Arcadia, which will be out online any moment now for Iggy-san to report, has the second feature on KOFXI.I can't wait to see how The One looks like with this new modern look.



Whatever you think Shingo, I wont call your comments excrement and you don't call our reports the same... okay! We are a respected trade eNewsletter and not a run of the mill rumor site.

KOFXI was first tested last year, but you are correct the game has still yet to be released. In the original report we also added Guilt Gear XX Reload to the list only for the revelation that the game is now a Naomi only release!!

Just to answer a question sent to us. The Stinger Report is not a consumer web site, it is a trade subscription eNewsletter for the amusement and attraction trade, and no we are not owned by Future USA.

All the best,

Oh I am so deeply sorry Editor.I never knew that the person responsible for such a fantastic blog like The Stinger Report(and I was a very dedicated follower to it myself before it became subscription-only)has become a member of the Madman's Cafe.
BTW editor, did you know that already SNK Playmore is focusing their attention on the new next generation consoles(of course those being the new Xbox 360 and Playstation3)?
Again, I deeply and sincerely apologize for the rude and completely stupid response I voiced out based on one simple error.I apologize and I welcome you to the Cafe.Peace.





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editor
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"Re(3):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Tue 26 Jul 09:14post reply

quote:
Oh I am so deeply sorry Editor.I never knew that the person responsible for such a fantastic blog like The Stinger Report(and I was a very dedicated follower to it myself before it became subscription-only)has become a member of the Madman's Cafe.
BTW editor, did you know that already SNK Playmore is focusing their attention on the new next generation consoles(of course those being the new Xbox 360 and Playstation3)?
Again, I deeply and sincerely apologize for the rude and completely stupid response I voiced out based on one simple error.I apologize and I welcome you to the Cafe.Peace.



Dear Shingo,

Let me thank you, and offer my own apologies for being a bit too stuck up and full of myself. I forget the cut and thrust of the Forums and read too much into a straight comment. I am not built for Forum posting and find it a hard art.

On your SNK-P point, I am interested to hear that at a recent US arcade distributor event 'NeoGeo Coliseum' (A-Wave) was shown to the US operators, this will at least show some commitment. But seriously I would keep an eye on SNK-P and a possible Sammy merger! All rumor but very interesting - all that lovely IP.

Just as a side note - And back on my favorite subject... me, what would it take you to get back interested in the Stinger? Just that some of our editorial team think we should be targeting the fan base again!

All the best,





Editor
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Shingo The One
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"Awaiting the new KOF XI info" , posted Wed 27 Jul 06:06post reply

quote:
Oh I am so deeply sorry Editor.I never knew that the person responsible for such a fantastic blog like The Stinger Report(and I was a very dedicated follower to it myself before it became subscription-only)has become a member of the Madman's Cafe.
BTW editor, did you know that already SNK Playmore is focusing their attention on the new next generation consoles(of course those being the new Xbox 360 and Playstation3)?
Again, I deeply and sincerely apologize for the rude and completely stupid response I voiced out based on one simple error.I apologize and I welcome you to the Cafe.Peace.


Dear Shingo,

Let me thank you, and offer my own apologies for being a bit too stuck up and full of myself. I forget the cut and thrust of the Forums and read too much into a straight comment. I am not built for Forum posting and find it a hard art.

On your SNK-P point, I am interested to hear that at a recent US arcade distributor event 'NeoGeo Coliseum' (A-Wave) was shown to the US operators, this will at least show some commitment. But seriously I would keep an eye on SNK-P and a possible Sammy merger! All rumor but very interesting - all that lovely IP.

Just as a side note - And back on my favorite subject... me, what would it take you to get back interested in the Stinger? Just that some of our editorial team think we should be targeting the fan base again!

All the best,

No problem Editor.About the side note, just make sure that The Stinger Report is once again restriction-free(as in forcing to pay in cash that I don't have, which is the reason I didn't follow you and your work anymore cause I was barred for reading it)and I will follow it just as I faithfully did the past couple of years.
BTW, I know that very soon the scans from the latest Arcadia will be out, especially those regarding The King Of Fighters XI.Iggy-san, as always I await the good news.Later.





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"Re(1):Awaiting the new KOF XI info" , posted Wed 27 Jul 06:38post reply

quote:
Oh I am so deeply sorry Editor.I never knew that the person responsible for such a fantastic blog like The Stinger Report(and I was a very dedicated follower to it myself before it became subscription-only)has become a member of the Madman's Cafe.
BTW editor, did you know that already SNK Playmore is focusing their attention on the new next generation consoles(of course those being the new Xbox 360 and Playstation3)?
Again, I deeply and sincerely apologize for the rude and completely stupid response I voiced out based on one simple error.I apologize and I welcome you to the Cafe.Peace.


Dear Shingo,

Let me thank you, and offer my own apologies for being a bit too stuck up and full of myself. I forget the cut and thrust of the Forums and read too much into a straight comment. I am not built for Forum posting and find it a hard art.

On your SNK-P point, I am interested to hear that at a recent US arcade distributor event 'NeoGeo Coliseum' (A-Wave) was shown to the US operators, this will at least show some commitment. But seriously I would keep an eye on SNK-P and a possible Sammy merger! All rumor but very interesting - all that lovely IP.

Just as a side note - And back on my favorite subject... me, what would it take you to get back interested in the Stinger? Just that some of our editorial team think we should be targeting the fan base again!

All the best,
No problem Editor.About the side note, just make sure that The Stinger Report is once again restriction-free(as in forcing to pay in cash that I don't have, which is the reason I didn't follow you and your work anymore cause I was barred for reading it)and I will follow it just as I faithfully did the past couple of years.
BTW, I know that very soon the scans from the latest Arcadia will be out, especially those regarding The King Of Fighters XI.Iggy-san, as always I await the good news.Later.




i love you both, from the heart of my bottom





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"Re(2):Awaiting the new KOF XI info" , posted Wed 27 Jul 06:47post reply

i love you both, from the heart of my bottom

Excuse me friend, but is what you just said an insult, a joke or a compliment?





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"Re(4):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Wed 27 Jul 11:36post reply

quote:

Just as a side note - And back on my favorite subject... me, what would it take you to get back interested in the Stinger? Just that some of our editorial team think we should be targeting the fan base again!



Well... I did enjoy reading your article, and I didn't want to be too direct ... but yea, as Shin-Ramberk eloquently pointed out, it's very ... heavy. The vocabulary and language used in the article is a little too wordy for most people's tastes. For example:

"The brainchild of then Sammy president Hajime Satomi, the A-Wave sees its fourth birthday looming, just as speculation of its demise received credible confirmation. "

could be:

"The brainchild of former Sammy president Hajime Satomi, the Atomiswave system is nearly(only) four years old, yet there is now concrete evidence that it will soon be discontinued by Sega/Sammy."

A lot of the metaphors and phrasing used on your site is really really educated sounding... like "and it may be fear to say they SEGA may have even loaded the dice in its favor from a distributor’s perspective"... I've seen that metaphor maybe once in my entire life ... =) It's a nice metaphor though.

Anyway, it's very well written but maybe it could be condensed and simplified. You might attract more casual readers that way. This article seems like it's written for an industry professional (which is nice).

[sarcasm]
Also, boobs on the front page. If you post it , they will come.

[/sarcasm]





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"Re(3):Awaiting the new KOF XI info" , posted Wed 27 Jul 12:19post reply

quote:
i love you both, from the heart of my bottom
Excuse me friend, but is what you just said an insult, a joke or a compliment?




my bad, i meant the bottom of my heart, slip of the tongue, its all good bro


the heart of my bottom is reserved for kikkoken





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"Re(5):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Wed 27 Jul 18:26post reply

quote:

Just as a side note - And back on my favorite subject... me, what would it take you to get back interested in the Stinger? Just that some of our editorial team think we should be targeting the fan base again!


Well... I did enjoy reading your article, and I didn't want to be too direct ... but yea, as Shin-Ramberk eloquently pointed out, it's very ... heavy. The vocabulary and language used in the article is a little too wordy for most people's tastes. For example:

"The brainchild of then Sammy president Hajime Satomi, the A-Wave sees its fourth birthday looming, just as speculation of its demise received credible confirmation. "

could be:

"The brainchild of former Sammy president Hajime Satomi, the Atomiswave system is nearly(only) four years old, yet there is now concrete evidence that it will soon be discontinued by Sega/Sammy."

A lot of the metaphors and phrasing used on your site is really really educated sounding... like "and it may be fear to say they SEGA may have even loaded the dice in its favor from a distributor’s perspective"... I've seen that metaphor maybe once in my entire life ... =) It's a nice metaphor though.

Anyway, it's very well written but maybe it could be condensed and simplified. You might attract more casual readers that way. This article seems like it's written for an industry professional (which is nice).

[sarcasm]
Also, boobs on the front page. If you post it , they will come.

[/sarcasm]




Thanks for the comments, I agree we are very wordy at the Stinger. As a private subscription service, our readers have come to demand a trade (professional) style, rather than a lazy media magazine quick shot presentation. They want us to give them all the jazz and leave nothing out for their subscription.

Away from owning the Stinger, I freelance for the trade magazines, and if you get RePlay or Vending Times you will see a different style. The Stinger is compiled by six individuals and then condensed so you will see some stylistic differences, but still much more word-sentric.

I have written for EDGE and GAMEStm and obviously had to have the trade style changed for a younger readership. To be honest though, I doubt we will change the style, but will shorten the features (currently two features per issue). We are thinking that once a month making one feature available on the open part of the site - good idea?

On the subscription, its only $80 a year! A subscription to any of the game mags or trade mags is twice (if not three times) this and we have no advertising and much more detail. We have a growing readership which are not all trade, but understand that the fans still feel left out. Maybe we should create a fan based version of the service?

Thanks again,





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"Re(6):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Wed 27 Jul 20:03post reply

quote:
On the subscription, its only $80 a year! A subscription to any of the game mags or trade mags is twice (if not three times) this and we have no advertising and much more detail.


I find paying 80$ for reading articles written in such a pompous way, containing the same or nearly the same information you can find anywhere on the net (written in a more clear way), quite hilarious.





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"Re(7):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Wed 27 Jul 20:06:post reply

quote:
On the subscription, its only $80 a year! A subscription to any of the game mags or trade mags is twice (if not three times) this and we have no advertising and much more detail.

I find paying 80$ for reading articles written in such a pompous way, containing the same or nearly the same information you can find anywhere on the net (written in a more clear way), quite hilarious.



Well "Time Mage", '...the same or nearly the same...' seems badly written in its self - either its new or its copied, and you can see we broke this information first so make your own mind up. I am sure that your skills will find all the information you can handle, and written in a language you can manage! The Stinger has a strong track record of breaking arcade news, rather than stealing it from Japanese magazines! We represent amusement trade, and not some consumer game players acting as coin-op experts. If you don't like the style or the price that's your prerogative - but we have subscribers that say different, and the interest from the posting here seems to prove that others like it too. But hey it takes all sorts! (some more pompous that others!)





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[this message was edited by editor on Wed 27 Jul 20:19]

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"This thread isn't about KOF XI anymore." , posted Wed 27 Jul 23:26post reply

You could call the writing pompous... but really it's just difficult to read. There's a fine line between writing articles for intelligent clientele and writing articles in a way that makes it difficult to glean information.

For example, I was reading the English version of the Asian Wall Street Journal today, which I'd consider a top rate publication, and it's much easier to read than the article you posted. They don't sacrifice very much detail either. Their writing is just easier to quickly understand; you can either skim the surface and get the essentials, or dive in deeper and absorb the details.

Again, I'm not saying that you MUST change your style. Unfortunately, if you want more people coming to your site, you have to consider your target market, and market to them effectively. If your target market is industry professionals, than MMCafe is probably not your best stomping grounds, as many of us are just hardcore gamers/toy collectors/gay matchmakers. I hope to get into the industry someday though! (the gaming industry).

On a side note, the amount of people willing to pay for information on the internet represents an extremely small market. IGN and Gamespot do have subscribers to their premium services, but that's because they offer videos and other exclusive content that isn't available anywhere else. As Time Mage mentioned, you can get information like the article you posted almost anywhere on the net. Your version might be a little more in depth, but not 80 dollars deep.

Anyway, I wish you good luck with your site, and I hope that you figure out where you want to go with it! =)





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"テメエがヤクブソクなんだよ!"

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"Re(6):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Thu 28 Jul 01:08:post reply

Sorry to bump this topic (found it via insertcredit), but it made me laugh -- RE "editor"/Kevin Williams.

His writing is SO BAD that the entire article he wrote for GamesTM had to be RE-WRITTEN. It wasn't "changed for a younger readership", it was rewritten so it made sense and reached some sort of coherent point. His writing style may be suitable for trade rags like Coinslot, but is almost impossible to read comfortably, as evident above.

Quite how he can suggest that his $80 a year subscription to an INTERNET E-NEWSLETTER (as if it is still 1998) is better than a $80 a year subscription to Arcadia magazine is beyond me. This $80 a year is sucked up into corporate accounts by people who probably don't even read the damn thing.

A word of advice to anyone who might actually be tempted to get a subscription to The Stinger Report - Don't. The fact that he has to pimp it on a message forum is one thing, that he had to fucking pimp it on my BLOG is another. The spanner.

quote:

Anyway, I wish you good luck with your site, and I hope that you figure out where you want to go with it! =)



Oh, and if the above line is meant to be patronising, it actually is comedy genius and has made my day!

Good day all!





[this message was edited by edandersen on Thu 28 Jul 01:10]

editor
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"Re(1):This thread isn't about KOF XI anymore." , posted Thu 28 Jul 01:21post reply

quote:
You could call the writing pompous... but really it's just difficult to read. There's a fine line between writing articles for intelligent clientele and writing articles in a way that makes it difficult to glean information.

For example, I was reading the English version of the Asian Wall Street Journal today, which I'd consider a top rate publication, and it's much easier to read than the article you posted. They don't sacrifice very much detail either. Their writing is just easier to quickly understand; you can either skim the surface and get the essentials, or dive in deeper and absorb the details.

Again, I'm not saying that you MUST change your style. Unfortunately, if you want more people coming to your site, you have to consider your target market, and market to them effectively. If your target market is industry professionals, than MMCafe is probably not your best stomping grounds, as many of us are just hardcore gamers/toy collectors/gay matchmakers. I hope to get into the industry someday though! (the gaming industry).

On a side note, the amount of people willing to pay for information on the internet represents an extremely small market. IGN and Gamespot do have subscribers to their premium services, but that's because they offer videos and other exclusive content that isn't available anywhere else. As Time Mage mentioned, you can get information like the article you posted almost anywhere on the net. Your version might be a little more in depth, but not 80 dollars deep.

Anyway, I wish you good luck with your site, and I hope that you figure out where you want to go with it! =)



I think there is some miss understanding (or deliberate avoidance) - we were not soliciting for ways to change, we had a specific question from a past reader on why he could not afford to read, and wanted to know if there was another way to read the report. We supply to the trade, as stated, and will not change, what we would like to do is offer a chance to read for fans (as we get some requests from forums and other sources). I think you all may be playing down the fact that the arcade news you read above is one of the over 40 reports issued over the 12 month subscription. Good to point to the IGN link, especially as arcade coverage recently was run a full month after TSR ran the original - what our reader pay for!

Anyway this sample issue was done mainly to clarify an original question on where news was coming from on the net regarding the A-Wave. Your choice to read it or not, just don't look at this as a subscription call. As a favor to the moderators at MMC we will alwys drop in a section from a feature from time to time to clarify a point, such as our review of 'Mario Kart Arcade GP' game on test at the moment.

All the best,





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"Re(4):Awaiting the new KOF XI info" , posted Thu 28 Jul 04:14post reply

quote:
i love you both, from the heart of my bottom
Excuse me friend, but is what you just said an insult, a joke or a compliment?



my bad, i meant the bottom of my heart, slip of the tongue, its all good bro


the heart of my bottom is reserved for kikkoken

Oh, that's okay then Oroch.No problem then.





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"Re(7):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Thu 28 Jul 05:02post reply

quote:
Sorry to bump this topic (found it via insertcredit), Oh, and if the above line is meant to be patronising, it actually is comedy genius and has made my day!

Good day all!




Ah, The Stinger Reports' personal Stalker! and self proclaimed king of the blaggers!

Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you too Ed Andersen!, from his personal ego trip 'EdsLife', and his dubious blagging activities - no I will not give you a link to his shite - as you will understand later.

Mr. Andersen! is slightly miffed that KWP (the company that runs my articles – and who also own the Stinger), complained to Paragon about his involvement in a recent article. Short explanation - GAMEStm asked for a feature on the arcade scene from KWP, after a re-write (turning my poor trade-ish to game-ish) his name was mysteriously added as filler, seems he claimed to be an arcade expert having worked for a few weeks with Deith Leisure [UK arcade distributor] – good fee however for KWP for the feature :)

KWP had never heard of Mr. Andersen! and after a quick check with Leon Deith (owner of Deith) and another source, found out he was a blagger, and had a relationship!! with a member of the editorial staff. Apologies were given by editor, and following changes at Paragon Mr. Andersen! has found out his welcome was worn out there. He has no writing accreditation and his name has been circulated to the trade.

The guys at ‘Gamiko Forum’ filled me in about Mr. Andersen! credentials and gave him a bit of a keyboard lashing after he tried the same complaints about the Stinger Report at their site – this was after I hit his site with my comments about his ‘claimed’ experience. I am not promoting his site as I want you to avoid the Spyware there. Let’s just say Mr. Andersen! will be getting a very warm welcome when I am back in the UK and meet him at Preview’06 (if he gets in) – waiting to shake him warmly by the ...

Thanks to him however for pointing out the support Stinger features have received from prominent fan site please go over to (''http://www.insertcredit.com/'') for their comments on current and past Stinger coverage. All the best.

Isn’t this fun!





Editor
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"I thought..." , posted Mon 1 Aug 11:53post reply

i thought the lindburgh was based on new arcade technology and not on existing or next gen console technology.





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"Re(6):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Mon 1 Aug 13:46post reply

quote:

On the subscription, its only $80 a year!



Only 80 dollars? I thought that was a typing error until I saw it mentioned more than once in this thread. I just think that's crazy for a year subscription. Seriously, 80 dollars? Isn't that a little much? Or does something incredible come with that?







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"Re(7):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Mon 1 Aug 13:57post reply

quote:

On the subscription, its only $80 a year!


Only 80 dollars? I thought that was a typing error until I saw it mentioned more than once in this thread. I just think that's crazy for a year subscription. Seriously, 80 dollars? Isn't that a little much? Or does something incredible come with that?



Not only is it a pretty insane price, but magazine subscriptions for one year definitely do not cost nearly that much.

Those must be some strong drugs you're on, editor.





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"Re(7):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Mon 1 Aug 17:12post reply

quote:

On the subscription, its only $80 a year!


Only 80 dollars? I thought that was a typing error until I saw it mentioned more than once in this thread. I just think that's crazy for a year subscription. Seriously, 80 dollars? Isn't that a little much? Or does something incredible come with that?



A secret decoder ring, and a beanie.





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"Re(8):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Mon 1 Aug 22:54post reply

quote:

On the subscription, its only $80 a year!


Only 80 dollars? I thought that was a typing error until I saw it mentioned more than once in this thread. I just think that's crazy for a year subscription. Seriously, 80 dollars? Isn't that a little much? Or does something incredible come with that?


A secret decoder ring, and a beanie.



LOL too bad, my bother was hoping for an "escort" that plays video games. He'd sign up for that.





Sí mon con langosta y camarón

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"Re(9):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Tue 2 Aug 01:24post reply

quote:

On the subscription, its only $80 a year!


What's amazing about this isn't that the asking price is $80 but that there must be people out there willing to drop eighty bones a year for a subscription. If the editor can ask that much for membership and still get paying subscribers then more power to him.





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"Re(10):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Tue 2 Aug 08:35post reply

quote:

If the editor can ask that much for membership and still get paying subscribers then more power to him.



I could not see what all the fuss was about regarding our sub until I just checked out subs for your trade mags in consumer and found that most are given away!! In amusement, trade sub are about $90 per year, though there are some special rates. Also most of these have about 100 pages full of adverts with only just five pages of 3 week stale news.

The Stinger has been going since 1995, subscriptions three years old and we have a good reader list. Also a Digest version for the trade press (free advertising). Bust most need their subscription as they get FULL access to our Archive.

Hope this clears up your questions. But do understand you consumer guys would find this difficult.

All the best,





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"Re(2):Re(10):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Tue 2 Aug 08:55:post reply

quote:

Hope this clears up your questions. But do understand you consumer guys would find this difficult.

All the best,



As much as most of us would like to own arcades, I guess we, the uncultured, really would not understand why 80 bucks for an e-newsletter is considered a bargain.

I'll just wait 24 hours until I read the breaking news on this website or on another of the many free websites out there.





[this message was edited by EddyT on Tue 2 Aug 08:57]

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"Re(2):Re(10):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Tue 2 Aug 09:31post reply

quote:
I could not see what all the fuss was about regarding our sub until I just checked out subs for your trade mags in consumer and found that most are given away!! In amusement, trade sub are about $90 per year, though there are some special rates. Also most of these have about 100 pages full of adverts with only just five pages of 3 week stale news.

The Stinger has been going since 1995, subscriptions three years old and we have a good reader list. Also a Digest version for the trade press (free advertising). Bust most need their subscription as they get FULL access to our Archive.

Hope this clears up your questions. But do understand you consumer guys would find this difficult.

All the best,


To be serious, $80 for a trade journal isn't bad at all. [For a comparison, has anyone ever checked the annual subscription price for something like The Economist or The Far Eastern Economic Review? Gah!] Since there's such a relatively narrow audience that you are focusing your information towards the price is going to have to be adjusted accordingly. Really, it's good to see you've managed to be successful with the publication.





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"Re(3):Re(10):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Tue 2 Aug 09:37post reply

quote:
Since there's such a relatively narrow audience that you are focusing your information towards the price is going to have to be adjusted accordingly. Really, it's good to see you've managed to be successful with the publication.



Successful... hobby that pays for a drinking habit :) To be honest the Stinger has great support from a strong clique, but we are not in the 5,000 sub number for a publication like GAMEStm. Also the news gathered for the Stinger helps compile our trade features. Though with six compilers it has grown into a paid-for-gossip service.

Cheers,





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"Re(4):Re(10):So what's new about KOF XI?" , posted Thu 11 Aug 21:12post reply

as always the one inspires me to play kof once again. hopefully they redraw some of kim kaphwans animations for the game. i like the atomiswave, hopefully this latest kof will take full advantage of its capabilitieS.