Sega can be credited with helping to shape the advanced gaming industry we know and love today. What’s more, its products in the early 1990s were among the first major breakthroughs in the console industry. Now, instead of innovating and helping gaming evolve, the Japanese company decided to pay tribute to the early days of video games with a mini arcade cabinet. Called the Astro City Mini V, it will likely prove a hit among retro gaming fans in the West.
Arcade Games Still Popular and in Many Forms
Despite gaming now being highly advanced and incorporating all the latest technology, Sega developers rightly spent some time creating old-school games. Sega will reap the harvest of the huge market for retro titles. A fact highlighted by the sheer wealth of new games with nostalgic elements.
These days devs offer arcade titles by combining them with new tech on modern platforms. A prime example of this is the Plinko casino game, which harks back to the 1980s, with its The Price is Right-inspired theme. It offers simple gameplay that appeals to arcade players. Played with futuristic currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, it often hooks modern players.
Netflix’s forays into gaming have shown another way to bring arcade games to modern players. People who subscribe to the television and film streaming site can access a range of pick-up-and-play style titles now for no extra cost. Many of these titles like Bowling Ballers and Card Blast borrow elements from classic arcade games but are completely original. They also possess the advantages of modern technology that result in fast loading speeds and high-resolution graphics.
Astro City Mini V Already Out in Japan
Sega’s biggest market is its own country. And Japanese players often have access to a lot of content that is never made available in the West. Devs gauge gamers on their home turf to see how popular a product will be. And this gives Sega the data they need to decide whether a title to release a title in western markets. Already out in Japan, the Astro City Mini V marks a proven hit. And the same thing could happen in the West.
The mini gaming arcade unit provides a unique product in that it comes already loaded up with 23 of Sega’s best games. Players can’t buy individual titles for the machine. Instead, Sega chose to offer a vast range of options to appeal to different types of players. Some of the most loved games on the unit include Desert Breaker, Fire Shark, Sonic Wings, and Samurai Aces.
The offering appeals to lovers of retro games and collectors alike. It possesses classic arcade elements but also makes use of some modern technological innovations with its HDMI output and USB ports for controllers.
Potential to Be a Huge Hit in Western Markets
When Sega announced that the Astro City Mini V would be available in the USA, it offered people the chance to pre-order it. The company stated that only limited stocks would be available. However, if interest in the mini arcade cabinet proves to be massive, it could cause the Japanese company to rethink its approach and roll the machines out on a larger scale. Judging by the success of other retro items in recent years, this could be a possibility.
The release of the Super NES Classic Edition in 2017 provides example of an amazingly popular offering that evoked nostalgia in players. It sold more than two million units worldwide in a matter of months. And Nintendo had to rush to meet demand. Sales of the NES and the Super NES Classic editions totalled more than 10 million and highlighted just how colossal the audience for nostalgic gaming items is.
Sega products have always been popular in the West and there’s a strong chance that the Astro City Mini V will be a huge triumph as well. The question is whether the company decides to only release it as a limited collectors’ edition or to manufacture it on a larger scale.
