The three-day GTI Asia China Expo 2024 opened in Guangzhou on 11 September, beginning the 2024 trade-show season with a strong display of new arcade games, licensed releases and amusement equipment.
GTI is the first major industry event since Bowl Expo during the northern summer. Because it takes place early in the expo calendar, several machines shown in Guangzhou may reappear at upcoming events in the United States and Europe. Western versions can change during localisation, so the cabinets seen here should not always be treated as final international models.
Much of the first-day information and photography came from Oga-Shi of Sega Amusements, with additional help from Ted. The opening report is led by Wahlap, followed by an unexpected appearance from Bandai Namco’s Namco Hong Kong operation.
What is GTI Asia China Expo?
GTI Asia China Expo has generally been the second major Chinese amusement-industry exhibition of the year since 2009, following the Asia Amusement Attractions Expo. Both events are held at Guangzhou’s China Import & Export Fair Complex and have grown to a similar scale.
There are some important differences. Asia Amusement Attractions Expo is organised in China, while GTI is operated by Taiwan-based Game Time International. The company also runs smaller events in Taipei, although information from those shows can be limited.
The Guangzhou exhibition is considerably larger than the Taipei events. Visitors may struggle to examine everything in a single day, a challenge which he’s evidently not alone in thinking…. GTI was once the largest Chinese trade show on the mainland, although the Asia Amusement Attractions Expo has since caught up.
Like IAAPA and the Asia Amusement Attractions Expo, GTI covers much more than video arcade games. Its halls include amusement attractions, operating equipment, support services and other products. For arcade-focused visitors and international distributors, halls 6, 7 and 8 are the key areas.
Those halls are typically occupied by the larger Chinese arcade manufacturers, several of which have made notable improvements in quality over recent years. The first day concentrates on their headline products, while later coverage will examine smaller exhibitors and unusual machines that stand out across the show.
Wahlap’s major arcade releases
Wahlap remains one of the largest exhibitors at Chinese amusement shows, regularly presenting a substantial booth filled with original games, licensed properties and redemption equipment.
The company brought fewer completely new products than it showed at GTI in 2023 or at the 2024 Asia Amusement Attractions Expo in May, where Asphalt Moto Blitz DX made its first appearance. Even so, several prominent machines deserve attention. Wahlap’s 2024 line-up was revealed later than usual, and some earlier rumours of additional games did not eventuate; those projects may simply be planned for a future event.
Wahlap’s wider display also included pushers, cranes and machines from the Asphalt range. A previously shared preview video provides a broader look at that part of the booth.
Monster Eye 3
Monster Eye 3, developed through a Wahlap and IGS collaboration, was first reported at the May 2024 Asia Amusement Attractions Expo. Photography was restricted there, but the title has since received a short trailer and a more prominent presentation at GTI.
Among this year’s Chinese arcade announcements, Monster Eye 3 appears highly likely to reach Western markets. More information is expected at IAAPA, although the company responsible for presenting it there has not yet been announced.
The new game appears to retain the motion base and guns used by the first two Monster Eye titles. Wahlap supplies the new cabinet, while IGS is responsible for the game itself.
The major technical change is the move to Unreal Engine 5. Trio-Tech’s QUBE software can claim an earlier arcade use of that engine, but Monster Eye 3 is expected to offer a deeper game experience.
Marvel Contest of Champions
Marvel Contest of Champions was the centrepiece of Wahlap’s GTI booth. Raw Thrills’ licensed game is already familiar to Western operators, but this marked its first appearance in China. Its former United States exclusivity with Dave & Buster’s has also ended.
The Marvel licence gave Wahlap an obvious marquee attraction and the opportunity to add a costumed character to the presentation.
Large intellectual properties remain an important part of Wahlap’s Chinese business strategy. The booth also featured Taito’s Getter Spin D prize machine, another product being distributed under licence. A post by one of Taito’s personnel discusses the machine and includes additional booth photography.
Need for Speed Heat Takedown
Wahlap is also bringing Adrenaline Amusements’ Need for Speed Heat Takedown to the Chinese market with an exclusive deluxe motion cabinet. The model was shown at the May expo, but GTI provided the first clear photographic view beyond earlier videos and promotional material.
Wahlap displayed Raw Thrills’ Halo: Fireteam Raven as well. That version uses the recently introduced tethered format rather than a separate China-exclusive cabinet.
Maimai DX and Chunithm
Sega’s latest Chinese editions of Maimai DX and Chunithm once again attracted queues at the Wahlap booth. The mainland Maimai DX 2024 release debuted at the May expo, while GTI was the first playable presentation of the Chinese Chunithm 2025 edition following its recent announcement.
Maimai DX is expected to receive a limited release through R1USA, but that deployment will use Sega’s separate international version rather than the Chinese edition represented by Wahlap.
Ultraman Shining Unite
Bandai Namco’s Ultraman Shining Unite is a children’s card-battling game that also appeared at the May expo, where only limited views were available. It is not currently an obvious candidate for Western deployment.
The cabinet is notable for using a larger two-player split-screen arrangement. Similar card games commonly use smaller machines with compact monitors, making this a substantial change in format.
Wahlap also brought back its Kingdoms Fantasy card battler and the IGS-developed motion-capture Kamen Rider children’s game resembling Hero of Robots. Both had already received extensive coverage at the May event.
Taiko no Tatsujin
Bandai Namco’s Taiko no Tatsujin line returned to the Wahlap booth with the main arcade game, a children’s ride and the small air-hockey table previously shown at the May expo.
The main game had reached its first full year of availability in China. Whether the ride and air-hockey products will appear at IAAPA remains uncertain; they may be held back until the brand has a stronger presence in Western markets.
Bandai Namco appears through Namco Hong Kong
A notable surprise before the exhibition opened was the presence of Bandai Namco through its Namco Hong Kong subsidiary. Japanese companies have occasionally operated booths at Chinese amusement shows, including Sega and Namco, but this was the first such appearance in some time.
Namco Hong Kong’s regional work is centred on amusement operations, so the booth could have been limited to location promotion. Instead, it presented arcade products, suggesting Bandai Namco may be pursuing a stronger commercial presence in China.
A closer view of the stand shows established products already operating in China or other markets. The selection included Taiko no Tatsujin, Animal Kaiser Plus, Wani Wani Panic, Clenaflex cranes and other prize machines. Some of these products were also visible on other exhibitors’ stands.
Dead Heat Unleashed DX
The most unusual item on the Namco Hong Kong stand was Dead Heat Unleashed DX. Earlier versions of Dead Heat used static sit-down cabinets, with options including a smaller screen, a larger screen and a Japan-only 3D model.
The 2022 sequel had previously appeared to be limited to the larger static cabinet. GTI revealed a new deluxe motion version, although there is no confirmation that it will be released outside China. Its unveiling at a Chinese show may indicate that market is the immediate priority.
The cabinet design contains a familiar-looking detail, but Bandai Namco has not formally announced this model, so further conclusions would be premature.
Other exhibitors and early footage
Information from Chinese trade shows often emerges more slowly than reports from North American, European or Japanese events. Yuto Games has already published early material, showing a booth that appears to be among its largest, although little genuinely new product is visible so far.
Firestone Amusement has also shared booth material on Facebook. Most of its games resemble the products shown at the May expo, but a large four-player cabinet—possibly a DX version of Thunder Attack—looks new and warrants a closer examination later.
One lighter moment from the exhibition shows a child and parent driving away in a motorised mini-car from a kiddie-attraction stand. It is a playful example of the wider amusement focus that sits alongside the arcade machines at GTI.
For Australian operators and home collectors tracking new hardware, the show reinforces how quickly driving cabinets, rhythm games, licensed attractions and motion machines are evolving. Our arcade machine buying guide and coverage of racing arcades provide useful context when comparing commercial-style cabinets with home installations.
Further coverage will focus on UNIS, which is expected to have several new games at the expo—more than Wahlap in this opening report. Additional details were still being gathered for some of those titles.
For more exhibition news, visit the RETROCADE arcade blog, or browse the latest arcade machines for the kinds of cabinets that bring today’s trade-show ideas into Australian homes and venues.
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