exA-Arcadia

Coin-operated games and arcades.
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MrJBRPG
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by MrJBRPG »

It is has been a long time since multiplayer was mentioned and remember that it is possible to link up cabinets together for up to 4 cabinets (Standard 2P cabinet, up to 8 controllers).

However, that tweet with the image below excites me a lot, which is the same new game (Nippon Marathon Turbo Hyper Running) being tested in Mikado:



It appears that two cabinets are running the same game, each being standard 2 player unit.

Does it mean that one of the cabinets is the slave unit without the EXA Arcadia motherboard or are two Exa Arcadia motherboards are inside and demonstrated multi-link? If the former, how do both of them communicate for multi-link play? Otherwise if that is the latter, would that be achieved with having an HDMI splitter and a set of inputs inside the slave unit without the motherboard?

That is why many of us are hyped because it does a lot more to be a worthy successor to the Neo Geo.
Last edited by MrJBRPG on August 23rd, 2019, 11:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by zak »

yosai wrote: August 19th, 2019, 7:32 am Why bother? There are plenty of CRT cabs that support 31k.
I only have one tri sync cab (the rest are 15k only) :oops:

ideally I'd want one vert and one hori. I'd have bought a viewlix, but space is very limited.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by rancor »

I'm sure it also has to do with the fact that CRTs are 4:3, and LCDs are all 16:9. I've seen 4:3 to 16:9 done to somewhat good effect (streeetch! my local arcade here in Texas has Dodonpachi DOJ on a Viewlix).. But I've never seen it done the other way 'round.... 16:9 to 4:3.
Last edited by rancor on August 19th, 2019, 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by Dache »

It's not trivial to reduce your playable game view down from 16:9 to 4:3, or expand vertically, and keep your design 100% intact without making changes (unless you're something like a puzzle game with a fixed game field you can just add space around). I did wonder how they'd handle that if 4:3 CRT support ended up as a requirement for devs because it'd be a not-insignificant amount of work in some cases and many of these devs are small teams. Not doing so is just easier for everyone and the modern arcade market is inescapably based around 16:9 LCDs now, so...
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by cools »

Just screw with the aspect ratio like Progear does.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by zak »

Is that what the carts look like?
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Re: exA-Arcadia

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Dache wrote: August 19th, 2019, 4:18 pm It's not trivial to reduce your playable game view down from 16:9 to 4:3, or expand vertically, and keep your design 100% intact without making changes (unless you're something like a puzzle game with a fixed game field you can just add space around). I did wonder how they'd handle that if 4:3 CRT support ended up as a requirement for devs because it'd be a not-insignificant amount of work in some cases and many of these devs are small teams. Not doing so is just easier for everyone and the modern arcade market is inescapably based around 16:9 LCDs now, so...
This is true. I actually think it might be a bigger issue for horizontal games though. I wouldn't expect to see many 9:16 shmups built from scratch as they would have to have a 3:4 ratio for horizontal LCDs, whether in multi-slot setups or with future home versions in mind. You'd end up with a sort of shmup brazilian on the screen otherwise. Aka & Blue started out on mobile phones remember. Pleasantly surprised to see that the Shikhondo devs have had a stab at it though!
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by jimmerd »

zak wrote: August 19th, 2019, 5:31 pm Is that what the carts look like?
Yes.

perhaps the colour blue denotes the cartridge is for field test only and the red colour is the standard game centre release? and apparently you must locate the exA motherboard on top of a Taito X2 or X3 for it to function. :shifty:
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by nem »

Surely it's just a USB memory stick.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by OlDirty »

Still so many 15kHz cabinets in japans arcade centers and no priority on CRT? I dont get it. If i wanna play on a LCD i tate my PC monitor. :( . So have to pass on this if no CRT support available.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by nem »

OlDirty wrote: August 20th, 2019, 7:09 pmStill so many 15kHz cabinets in japans arcade centers and no priority on CRT? I dont get it.
The ones that just have 15kHz cabs more than likely aren't buying new games.

Also, you can now get a used Vewlix cheaper than you can get a working Astro or Blast, so there's really no point.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by connor »

What's the general consensus from the Aka to Blue location tests? Is Japan enjoying it?
rancor wrote: August 19th, 2019, 3:45 pm I'm sure it also has to do with the fact that CRTs are 4:3, and LCDs are all 16:9. I've seen 4:3 to 16:9 done to somewhat good effect (streeetch! my local arcade here in Texas has Dodonpachi DOJ on a Viewlix).. But I've never seen it done the other way 'round.... 16:9 to 4:3.
Grapevine's DOJ Vewlix with no sound at 16:9? That cabinet isn't very good to play on at all. Feels very weird at 16:9.
nem wrote: August 21st, 2019, 9:14 am
OlDirty wrote: August 20th, 2019, 7:09 pmStill so many 15kHz cabinets in japans arcade centers and no priority on CRT? I dont get it.
The ones that just have 15kHz cabs more than likely aren't buying new games.

Also, you can now get a used Vewlix cheaper than you can get a working Astro or Blast, so there's really no point.
In what country? I'm not seeing Vewlixes below around $1400 in the USA.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by nem »

connor wrote: August 22nd, 2019, 5:24 pmIn what country? I'm not seeing Vewlixes below around $1400 in the USA.
The discussion was about Japanese game centers.

The markup on imported Vewlixes is, let's say, generous.

nem wrote: August 20th, 2019, 4:33 pmSurely it's just a USB memory stick.
Apparently not USB. Likely either a mSATA or M.2 SATA SSD stick.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.2
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by jimmerd »

I believe it's better for the system to focus on HD than trying to cover all basis and increasing the costs.

Developers will be looking at the platform for ease to port games onto and off the system, just like other PC based platforms.

exA is aimed at the commercial sector where majority of arcades run new releases in HD cabinets and classic games on CRT cabinets because thats how the games were designed to be played.

The key feature is that this is an independent system and does not require a revenue sharing.

It's not really a retro system, although we associate arcade games with this style.

It would be neat if the systems SDK offered the ability for a developer to target the game at CRT cabinets and had the necessary output/adapter, but commercially I'm not sure.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by MrJBRPG »

Looks like EXA Arcadia motherboards are being assembled in Japan. This is very exciting!







Edit1:

Note on the 3rd tweet with that picture, the cartridge slot is a Sata 3 and there are 4 of them.
Last edited by MrJBRPG on September 4th, 2019, 3:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by zak »

These will fly off the shelves once there's a CAVE stamp on the box ;)
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by yosai »

zak wrote: September 4th, 2019, 12:12 pm These will fly off the shelves once there's a CAVE stamp on the box ;)
Can't wait for the xbox360 ports. :lol:
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by Unknownsou »

Lookin' pretty good. Honestly, I kinda want to get one already for Strania EX.
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Re: exA-Arcadia

Post by Shou »

SuperPang wrote: August 19th, 2019, 5:35 pm
Dache wrote: August 19th, 2019, 4:18 pm It's not trivial to reduce your playable game view down from 16:9 to 4:3, or expand vertically, and keep your design 100% intact without making changes (unless you're something like a puzzle game with a fixed game field you can just add space around). I did wonder how they'd handle that if 4:3 CRT support ended up as a requirement for devs because it'd be a not-insignificant amount of work in some cases and many of these devs are small teams. Not doing so is just easier for everyone and the modern arcade market is inescapably based around 16:9 LCDs now, so...
This is true. I actually think it might be a bigger issue for horizontal games though. I wouldn't expect to see many 9:16 shmups built from scratch as they would have to have a 3:4 ratio for horizontal LCDs, whether in multi-slot setups or with future home versions in mind. You'd end up with a sort of shmup brazilian on the screen otherwise. Aka & Blue started out on mobile phones remember. Pleasantly surprised to see that the Shikhondo devs have had a stab at it though!
Currently, all of our announced vertical shooters (Aka & Blue, Akyrios, Psyvariar, Shikhondo) have true 3:4 modes for 31kHz. Of course, you will lose some of the goodies that 9:16 brings to the table.
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