Half-Life 2 is about to make the move to
arcades all over Japan by the summer of 2005, with the rest of the world expected to join-in
soon after. According to Taito, its Type-X arcade board will be able to support the game
while it will also offer a variety of features not seen before in arcade games.
The
Type-X board is based on a PC setup, running a version of Windows, so H-L 2 will not have to
travel far to get to it, especially since the arcade version will be very similar to the PC
version being released in a couple of weeks time. One of the selling points of the arcade
Half-Life 2 will be the introduction of the online multiplayer modes.
According to Taito,
gamers will be able to connect to and challenge other gamers playing the same game across
Japan. Two online modes will be available, the confrontational Battle mode and the
co=operative Mission mode. Online play will be made possible due to Taito's Net Entry
System (NETSYS)which will also feature in arcade games such as Battle Gear 3 and Zoid
Infinity. One of the advantages of NETSYS is its ability to store data at server level,
enabling gamers to recall their profile from any connected arcade machine.
Taito has
big plans for the arcade version of H-L 2, plans which include online play, a game booth
offering 5.1 sound and its introduction to arcades all over the world. Details of the
control set-up or of the exact dates the machines will appear in Japan and all over the
world, have not yet been released.
