Tuesday
Aug302011
Will America Get a TTT2 Location Test or Even a Full Arcade Release?
BY 
Aris ON Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 1:14AM
Aris ON Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 1:14AM 
Harada has just tweeted...
"We are considering now. Location Test = at October in LA, TX, NY (Probably). RT @HiRisk808 will there be a U.S. arcade release for TTT2?"
Discuss!
Reader Comments (50)
@Dieselson wtf man. They said it was a LOCATION TEST. Im pretty sure that's exactly what they are doing; testing out the stated locations. They never said it wasn't the full game. Hopefully if these location test go well, they'll do a full release in the good ol U S of A.
And come people, what's up with all the negativity about this location test. This is a good thing. It means that namco actually gives a fuck about there fans and listens to them.
@mike don't play online then. you do not play online tekken to be competitive.
console version is trash. people need to play at arcades.
i'm so glad to live in NY. can't wait to play tag 2. hopefully the loc test last for like weeks because I really wanna get a chance to sit down and learn and enjoy the game as much as I can before console release.
I really don't care what version of the game they give us(I really do cuz I want the latest) because I'm more anxious to play than anything. Betting once NYC players read this they will start learning stick cuz I doubt there will be pad ports like we had for our t6 cab. So glad I started using stick recently.
I think every1 tht lives in areas that have arcades or just just every1 should thank Harada_san for doing this. This makes me really happy because hearing this definitely makes me wanna pro out this game and start playing offline more.
Gonna be recording alot of matches from NYC if this happens. hopefully we can get a location and date for when tag 2 comes to the states. also I hope we can get a banapass. I really want 1 of those things but I'm doubting we will get it.
I don't understand about this part..
Because at Indonesia's TTT2 location test...... they used a standard, 2-player Tekken 6 cabinet (not head to
head). I don't think it was a deluxe package or whatever..
The live monitor, looked like a common LCD.. and it had no 'control panel' to choose what ppl wanted to see(like the one in the AOU 2011 trailer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsEXGZEy8GM&t=3m22s
So I don't think, it's neccessary to buy the deluxe package, or whatever they call it.
Speaking of cabinets... at some arcades, they used older cabinets for Tekken 6....
here are some pics:
http://www.indotekken.com/forums/showthread.php?p=48271#post48271
@L_Z_N I know right? And judging from the AVP streams, that's how they have Tekken 6 set up in Super Arcade. We dont NEED the head-to-head cabinets in the US. Just as long as we can we can get TAG2 here, i dont really give a damn how they set it up.
On to another subject: I doubt that having an internet connection or a server, here in the US, for the banpass and tekken live would really be that much of a problem. Mostly because it is NOT streaming live video or downloading an actual character. all it is doing is transfering logs from the cabs to servers and vice versa, and having the machines configure off of them. this does not take a lot of bandwidth at all. We had this with T6 online when you look at up rankings, download replays and other shit like that. Even when you play someone online and you have your character decked out a certain way; all its doing is sending the other persons machine the logs on how your character is customized.
I really wonder about all the naysayers and all the negative outlooks on having theses machines in the US. Namco isnt made up of a bunch of dumb fucks. They arent going to do anything that will jeopardize the console release where the get atleast half of their income from. Namco actually listens to there fans, and if you dont believe me, just check out Harada's twiiter account. I believe that TAG2 wont be lacking in anyway.
im all for Console version to be successful and all but the reality is just let the game shine in arcades for a while. Competetive players play in the arcade anyways, of course if they have access to them. let the game recieve patches and balance tweaks first so that when they finally release it on console, we get the most updated balanced game that im sure we all hope for. At posters like this mike guy saying "arcades are already dead" with that attitude they might as well be. I can tell that you Mike only play at home or online. Im sorry but i have to say this.... This new generation of tekken players have no idea how important Tekken is to the Arcade cuture. you guys need to be educated and look back at classic tekken games and see how far the series has come over the years. not trying to disrespect anyone here. ok flame on.
not releasing tt2 because of the bana pass and patches?? How big are these data anyway?? Im pretty sure an ordinary 4mbps connection should be more than enough to handle it. Those data in the banapass may just be a few kilobytes so it doesnt atter even if the servers are in japan, im sure the current speed of internet connecrions can handle it
Console release? Garbage talk, this game is trying to bring arcade play to modern times. I would rather console be the last version they release because it is never a 100% translation of what dedicated arcade hardware can give you. From an interview with Harada i recall all data, regarding customs and stats, will be stored online and not on the bana pass itself(like credit cards). The dedicated server connection will greatly reduce the possibility of lag and provide a better gameplay experience. Its unfortunate that US will not get a release as of yet, but a huge location test turnout may steer Namco into providing us with something we will spend our money on LOL.
Death to console "favoritism" in fighting games...
@pane Not everyone has access to an arcade, online is the only form of competition they have for some people. You could say they're not part of the competitive scene so who gives a fuck? Well the thing is right now, the reason why Tekken is outshined by all the other games at EVO and multi-fighting game tournaments is because it doesn't have enough good exposure. Console tekken provides that good exposure to a majority of the fighting game fanbase here in america. No good console tekken? in the long run, tekken is fucked here.
Yo mike you still have not been listening to my post as well as heckler3000. You still dont get the point.
Nice to hear they are considering such. However, you cannot blame those of us who are hundreds and hundreds of miles from those places wishing they would just focus on the console. It only hurts competition in the USA to have the same New York, Texas or California players winning tournaments, because the rest of us have to play catch up.
And do not judge me and say I would not support the game if it came to my arcade. My Namco Time-Out arcade is still very alive and I was there Friday and Saturday of almost every week during the T5/T5DR days, even after console release. I even petitioned to have T6 at our arcade, but that of course failed. So, Namco just forgot about its own arcades in the USA, even though mine had Tekken 5 DR among its top 5 profitable machines until Tekken 6 came out.
P.S: Namco focus on console, please. Let us Americas all be on equal footing, so USA tournaments will be more interesting and create more competition.
@9thpixel I doubt that an arcade release in the states would have any correlation with the production of the console version. In fact, I believe that the main reason they would do these location test is to see if ttt2 will be pofitable, and if it is, you might see it in an arcade closer to you. But of course, I am strictly talking out of my ass. So who knows. Its not going to stop me from being optimistic.
But I do understand where you are coming from as you probably wouldn't be able to get to those cabinets. And the only way to close the gap in skill between those with access to the cabinets and those that do not is to have a kick ass online mode for the console. But instead of thinking that best way to counteract the effects of a lackluster online mode is to retard the arcade community, I think efforts would be more effective in having namco know how important online really is.
Oh yeah, I am pretty excited about these potential location test. So, yeah, my opinion is pretty biased.
@ jackbot I guess you miss understood... with all the hysteria and hype my point of view is they should just release the arcade version overseas focus on it that first year an realistically drop the game on consoles sometime in late 2012 cause all this U.S. test location U.S. net not able run set up to maybe U.S. can have the game is FUCKING stupid namco will say anything on this matter 2 hype shit up. At this point console release a year or year an a half makes since cause more tournaments more access for all the other regions who dont have arcades get to play and at the end everyone is happy
@L_Z_N
It's just like you said. It's the "test version". They only took the hardware to different countries, for testing purposes. Harada has shown a picture himself of a piece of hardware, containing TTT2, put inside a random cabinet.
The final version/cabinet will require an Internet connection, for reasons already stated by Harada (for example: a cabinet won't work if it's not connected to the server. This is obviously important, they will also use it as a way to check and control cabinets).
Back-to-back cabinets don't seem necessary, but they might be, when you're considering that Harada is testing and implementing the "Pair Play"-feature, which apparently makes it possible to play 2vs2 (source: a screenshot from his twitter, can't find it atm).
That live monitor-thing hasn't been shown obviously, because it isn't needed when Namco is organizing test locations, to test the game only, not the hardware/Internet connection/server stuff.
You might not need the Deluxe version, but afaik, they're the only versions.
Also, the problem with servers isn't only downloading info (this was mentioned as a problem, when US cabinets were linked with the Japanese server, btw). It's setting up a server in the US (which they are going to test) and the server costs (as they might not receive enough profit from the US, where the arcade scene is declining. They also need to sell an certain amount of cabinets. Having only 6 cabinets linked onto 1 server, would be a waste for Namco. I thought they'd need 20-30 active ones?). The servers holds more than just costumes and replays (it also holds statistics like your win percentage against each character, the percentages of throw breaking and other misc. stuff)
Again, Harada has talked about this before:
http://www.avoidingthepuddle.com/news/2011/6/15/atps-interview-with-harada-on-ttt2s-availability-in-the-west.html
~~~~
Just so people know, this is a very positive direction Namco is taking (although it might be risky). It just shows that Namco is really trying to listen to players. It's not definite that US will get a TTT2 arcade release, but they are trying, at least.
I don't have anything against releasing TTT2 in the US, as it only benefits more people. I live in Europe, where an arcade scene doesn't really exist in most countries, afaik. I don't expect Namco to release it here :p
Basically, if they proceed with it and release TTT2 in the US, make sure to get enough cabinets. Profit = better than losses.
Also, about console: it won't be released too soon.
1) They need to make money off the arcade version. Releasing the console version early, results in Namco taking down their own arcade profits. Especially with their "innovative cabinets"
2) The game, console version, isn't done yet.
3) Playing the game in an arcade will help to discover imbalances/problems/glitches. This will be patched, reducing the risk that the console-version won't need several patches/updates or even a new game. And with the internet connection, patching the arcade-version won't be hard, I guess.
It's a bad idea. Give us the demo with four characters(as well as the game's engine), instead.
"Delux Cab is 4,180,000 yen (~$50,000) Delux Kit is 2,380,000 yen (~$30,000) PCB: 698,000 yen (~$7,000)"
hahaha... No wonder arcades are dying.
and btw the whole formula of putting a game out in the arcades then releasing it on console 1-3.years later is sooooo archaic...meanwhile shitty games like SF and Marvel are lightyears ahead of Tekken when it comes to popularity in the US, because of yearly updates and console releases as well as patches...but nah let's keep only catering to the arcade community which only consists of 3 outof 50 states ...Namco seriously need a new marketing stratagy if they are trying profit worldwide not just Asia...
I think Namco should do whatever they can to make TTT2 available world wide in arcades. The console version of just about every arcade game is the worst version. Not to mention that fighting games belong in the arcade. A release schedule similar to Tekken 5.0 would be ideal. With an arcade release quickly followed by console. I have not played Tekken 6 on console since Evo and I don't plan on doing so for quite some time. instead of trying to please one market, they should try to please them all. If the game is of high quality, it will make its money.
Uh Aris I hate to break it to you but arcades are dead and gone. You live in the ONLY place where arcades are still prospering.
@Forrest, Does that mean Namco should support the death of arcades? No. If the game is released and popular even in one country, they should make it available world wide. No need to restrict certain countries.
@forest Socal isnt the only place. Just because the arcades around you are dead doesn't mean it like that everywhere. But yes, cali Is one of the few places that have thriving arcades. I truly don't get all this bitching about releasing ttt2 in arcades. Plus, im pretty sure you have a dave and busters or some shit like that around you. Why can't tekken be available there?
Anyways, im still wondering whats the with people disliking the idea of a north american arcade release of ttt2. Is this just a case of 'if I can't have it, I dont want anyone to have it'? Please tell me? I am dying to know.