One of SEGA's flagship barcode arcade games (along with Love and Berry and Mushi [Beetle] King), Dinosaur King, after enjoying moderate success in the US kid's television market is finally getting a DS port here in the US. However, what seems a bit off is that SEGA is forgoing the card reader that it packaged with the other games in it's DS series. Two things:
1. The arcade version of Dinosaur King is actually localized in the US and available at almost every Gameworks (SEGA owned) and uses cards that are compatible with the Japanese arcade version.
2. The cards for Love and Berry and Mushi King are actually cross-platform compatible too, allowing cards from the arcade to be used in the home version (and the special edition cards that come with the console edition to be used in the arcade).
It seems that with a platform already in the US, it would be foolhardy not to use this as a stepping stone for all of SEGA's popular physical/digital card based games (Sangokushi Taisen!) to be released in the US. It's also interesting to note that Konami has, to this day, not touched their Juushinden technology for use in the US market (Yu-Gi-Oh anyone?). With something like taking the very niche audience based Arkanoid paddle out of the DS version for the US audience it makes some business sense, but how about for this?
What do you guys think, after the failure of Spectrobes and Eye of Judgement in the US, do you think that Western audiences are just not ready for a combination of two game types that are already popular here?
Comments (1)
I think collectible card games combined with video games should be a strong combination, but the American market has random bouts of skepticism. Whereas the combination of ideas may result in some sort of synergy overseas, it seems to be considered double-dipping over here. It would be different if existing properties were produced in a manner to give people the option to use cards they're already purchasing with a new game. Imagine a new edition of Magic cards that all have barcodes on the sides and a reader released for a console so people can play online. Imagine HeroClix with some sort of chip or barcode on the bottom and circular reader reader that plugs into a console. These will sell because there's already a pre-existing fanbase.
Or, y'know, at least in theory.
Posted by GospelX | October 23, 2008 12:02 AM
Posted on October 23, 2008 00:02