Taito Announces Arcade Download System

Quoted from AndriaSang

"Arcades are going digital thanks to Taito. At the 48th Amusement Machine Show in Chiba today, Taito announced "NESiCAxLive," a digital distribution system for arcades.

Current arcade distribution models are somewhat like package game models, as arcade operators must purchase physical copies of a game. With the NESiCAxLive system, games will be stored on Taito's servers in a data center. Arcade operators download the games via the internet directly to the arcade cabinets/boards.

The advantages of this system are similar to download models on game consoles. In addition to less cost, operators will have access to a backlog of titles, which they can provide to users based off demand. Taito says that in the future, it wants to make this into a system where players themselves will be able to select the content they want to play.

An conceptual image of the system's use shared today by Taito suggested that arcade operators will be able to store copies of games on a local server for quicker distribution to cabinets.

Taito will not be the only maker supporting this system. The company said that nine companies, including SNK Playmore and Cave, are also on board. The first title for the system will be Arc System Works' new BlazBlue Continuum Shift II, which is scheduled to be formally announced at the AM Show today."

This should really happen a very very long time ago ever since DLC became the next big thing to gamers, but hey, at least it's finally happening and at least we know that when your console version gets patched, the arcade version won't fall behind that much.

Next up is probably gonna be the BBCS changelog. A part of it us up and avaliable on here and here already. Thanks for a certain cool guy for heads up on both these news =p