Music and rhythm games are showing renewed momentum in the amusement industry. After years of limited Western availability, several Japanese-developed machines have recently entered location testing, suggesting that operators are once again seeing potential in dance, drum and touchscreen music attractions.
For Australian arcade readers, the change is especially relevant. Rhythm games have remained an important part of Asian amusement culture, while access in Western markets has often been restricted by distribution, connectivity and music-licensing challenges. This feature examines the genre’s history, its current revival and the obstacles still ahead.
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How rhythm games became an arcade mainstay
From the late 1990s through the early 2010s, music games were among the strongest earners for many arcade operators. The Japanese BEMANI range from KONAMI helped establish the modern format and continues to enjoy a substantial following in Japan, where the formula has evolved through numerous series and hardware releases.
Western markets later experienced a sharp decline in official support. Dance Dance Revolution, once a leading name, became far less common in the United States. Pump It Up from ANDAMIRO USA and Step Revolution’s StepManiaX became more visible, while DDR largely survived through venues such as Round1USA and Dave & Busters. Dave & Busters has also been seeking to end its support for the game.
The reduced presence of DDR was accompanied by a shortage of officially distributed Japanese rhythm titles. Round1USA remained an important exception, using its links with Japanese companies to offer games from KONAMI, TAITO and SEGA. Its venues also had the scale and network support needed for connected systems, a requirement that made wider American distribution more difficult.
Music licensing was a major factor in the Western downturn. Some United States amusement distributors became reluctant to continue certain product lines after operators reportedly faced visits from ASCAP, the American organisation representing music composers, authors and publishers, over public-performance fees.
Distributors in several territories consequently withdrew from licensed music attractions. Growth slowed dramatically, with official releases replaced in some locations by grey imports and machines operated by a comparatively small number of specialist venues.
New machines return to location testing
The first significant recent test was BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America’s Taiko No Tatsujin. The Japanese drum game was trialled with Round1USA and Dave & Busters from early 2023. Originally launched in Japan in 2001, it became a major amusement success there and also developed into a consumer-game franchise. In the West, it had built a cult following despite having little official arcade support beyond limited tests in the early 2000s.
After further evaluation, NAMCO announced a limited United States release planned for the end of 2024. The Western version required adjustments for its target market, including arrangements for the competitive mode that is central to the attraction. Reports from people close to the testing indicated strong revenue performance.
The proposed operating model included a monthly subscription. This would help maintain the connection to the BANDAI NAMCO Passport network and support player cards used to retain scores. It was suggested that the fee might also contribute to music-licensing costs, although that point had not been fully confirmed.
SEGA’s MAIMAI DX was another Japanese rhythm title to receive testing at Round1USA. Its circular touchscreen and eight-button layout have made it particularly distinctive, while an English international version was already operating in parts of Asia and Oceania. Like Taiko, MAIMAI had a strong reputation among Western players despite its rarity outside imported machines.
A later trial took place at Dave & Busters, following that company’s earlier testing of the PINK Plus version during the 2010s. Neither that earlier MAIMAI evaluation nor the previous Taiko tests resulted in broad release. The new assessment was understood to be considering a wider Western launch, although a limited Round1USA arrangement appeared more likely.
The tested machines used SEGA Japan’s ALL.Net network and AimePay payment platform. These systems also support titles such as the older Hatsune Miku Project DIVA, itself a Round1USA limited exclusive. Some features became unavailable during scheduled evening maintenance in Japan.
MAIMAI DX was also shown through WAHLAP at the Asian Amusement & Attraction Expo, where a separate Chinese version was announced. That edition does not use ALL.Net; instead, it employs a QR-code online system. WAHLAP’s Chinese version of Taiko, launched the previous year, follows a similar approach.
China continues to show strong interest in music games and Japanese popular culture. ARCCER Amusement displayed its own releases, including the Dance Cube series, which has been active since the 2010s and draws heavily on the circular touchscreen style associated with MAIMAI. The series was particularly relevant when MAIMAI was not consistently available through official Chinese distribution. More Chinese music-game imports may eventually appear in Western venues.
It remained unclear whether MAIMAI DX would become broadly available across the West or follow the limited-release path. The machine’s dependence on a constant network connection, scheduled maintenance, Aime Cards and the AimePay ecosystem creates additional operating complexity. Some US tests reportedly removed songs and disabled certain privacy-sensitive features, including cameras.
SEGA Amusements International had not responded to questions about plans for a wider Western release at the time of writing.
Pump It Up and StepManiaX keep the market moving
While Japanese products were returning to testing, established dance platforms continued to serve Western players. ANDAMIRO’s Pump It Up, first conceived in 1999, reached its 25-year milestone with Phoenix 2024. The version added features and licensed songs, building on the series’ long-standing K-pop identity and the wider growth of interest in Korean music.
Phoenix 2024 is supported by Pump It Up Mall, an online storefront offering official merchandise for the game’s community.
Step Revolution has taken a different route with StepManiaX, positioning it as an exergame as well as a conventional arcade attraction. The machines combine exercise, competitive play, esports and amusement, and have developed one of the strongest followings among independent arcade products. The StepManiaX Tracker mobile app extends that community by recording player progress and contributing to a global leaderboard.
The survival of Pump It Up and the growth of StepManiaX came despite earlier legal disputes involving KONAMI, ANDAMIRO and ROXOR’s In The Groove. Both In The Groove and StepManiaX used the StepMania engine, which was originally created for home computers. KONAMI’s action against In The Groove succeeded because of the extent of the similarities, but the team later regrouped. StepManiaX now operates in many venues with a different dance-pad control design and with earlier patents having expired.
KONAMI withdrew from most United States amusement sales outside selected chains, but its games continued to have a wider presence in Europe. BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Europe and UDC marketed Pump It Up and StepManiaX, while long-established UK distributor Electrocoin continued supplying KONAMI products. Electrocoin has been a major European source for DDR and other KONAMI machines since the closure of KONAMI Amusement Europe.
European operators could obtain Dance Dance Revolution A20+, but only with offline operation. Newer versions, including DDR A3 and WORLD, were not supported. KONAMI still had no comparable official distribution arrangement in the United States.
Japan, esports and the VR lesson
Japan’s rhythm-game market remained robust despite the intense popularity of UFO CATCHER crane machines and disruption across the Gachapon capsule-vending sector. KONAMI’s BEMANI machines competed alongside releases from BANDAI NAMCO, SEGA and other manufacturers.
The market was supported by competitions such as the KONAMI Arcade Championship, held around the Japanese amusement trade show Amusement Expo, formerly known as JAEPO. BEMANI Pro League added an esports-style layer and was entering its fourth season.
Rhythm games also reached newer amusement formats. VRsenal released an arcade version of Beat Saber as an automated VR kiosk in 2018. It achieved only a limited release before Beat Games removed the title from amusement representation. The decision was not clearly explained publicly and was followed by substantial layoffs at Beat Games, which is owned by Meta.
Sources indicated that Meta had concerns about the game’s presentation outside consumer VR and the complexity of securing commercial music rights. Its removal affected VR operators that had relied on the title as a major earner, while less prominent copycat products appeared in an attempt to fill the gap. The episode damaged confidence in arcade VR music attractions, in much the same way that licensing problems had previously affected Guitar Hero Arcade.
What comes next for Western rhythm games?
The obstacles are substantial, but the renewed testing activity points to a possible change in direction. Trade associations were examining how music licences affect amusement operators and whether members need additional support. The American Amusement Machine Association had begun collecting information about the scale of the issue, including the effect of licensing fees on operators.
Distributors also remain cautious about importing successful Japanese products. Concerns include the build quality of some Western versions, the complexity of converted Japanese machines, online tournament networks, player-card systems and the ongoing cost of licensed music. Some location tests have reportedly been affected by commercial interests that do not want to assume those responsibilities, particularly when simpler redemption products are easier to distribute.
Even so, growing player interest was expected to put rhythm games prominently on the agenda at the 2024 IAAPA convention in Orlando. At least three amusement rhythm products were expected to compete for attention on the show floor, while established series were being reintroduced to Western audiences through limited partnerships with operators such as Round1USA.
The next stage will show whether the genre can overcome the licensing and distribution failures of the past. If operators can manage the network, payment and music-rights requirements, rhythm games may once again become an important part of the modern arcade mix—including in venues serving Australian players.
Operators and collectors exploring different formats can compare arcade machine buying considerations, browse arcade machines or see how specialist arcade attractions fit into a venue.
About Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams is an entertainment and technology specialist who advises international clients developing immersive and interactive out-of-home entertainment. He founded KWP, a consultancy focused on immersive entertainment for retail destinations and other venues, and publishes an industry e-zine focused on amusement, attractions and entertainment.
He writes for trade publications and works as a keynote speaker, moderator and panellist at industry conferences. He is also the author of The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities, with a second edition scheduled for release. Kevin can be contacted at [email protected].
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