- Expand the videogame market
- Create a less expensive development environment for the high-cost arcade sector
- Offer new ways to play videogames, linking the arcade and home market
In a world where arcade hardware is often prohibitively expensive, the low-cost, efficiently powerful GameCube hardware could provide an attractive solution. The exact details of how the hardware will be amended has not been announced, nor have the details of Namco's and Sega's exact involvement.
IGNcube has long heard rumor of Namco's Soul Calibur II being developed on a GameCube arcade board. It seems that possibility is now stronger than ever.
More important to this announcement are that the three companies have stressed wanting to offer up new ways to utilize the arcade market in parallel with home consoles. IGNcube has also heard rumor that the said companies are working on developing a similar system as featured with Neo Geo long ago, where you can play at the arcade, save your data, and take it back home. Sega has recent experience in this area with its Club Kart Card technology.
Namco is rumored to be in development with its own twist on Super Smash Bros. Melee, featuring Namco characters. This would be a perfect example of a title that could well utilize keeping track of arcade statistics as well as your progress at home. Read our full rumor report here for details.
Nintendo plans to demonstrate a prototype of the Triforce arcade hardware on February 22 in Makuhari at the AOU 2002 Amusement Expo. Interestingly, Soul Calibur II will be shown at the event in playable form. Hopefully representatives at the show can now confirm once and for all if the title will be featured on this new GameCube-based arcade hardware.
IGNcube will have a full report from the show in the coming week.
