Our latest arcade-industry roundup covers a major Avian Knights tournament, a special Insert Coin documentary screening, a significant venue-entertainment acquisition and highlights from EAG 2024. It also collects a broad set of arcade and gaming headlines.
Avian Knights tournament awards $17,500
Alan-1 staged the world championship for its debut game, Avian Knights, on 27 January. The competition offered $17,500 in total prize money, including a $10,000 first prize, and brought competitors in from across the United States.
Because Avian Knights has been available on consoles since last year, the event was able to attract some of the strongest players from that version. REtroman21 claimed the main prize. The tournament was broadcast on Twitch, although the stream no longer appears to be available. Alan-1’s Twitch channel is available here, while the video below provides a shorter view of the competition.
Arcade operators were originally expected to be able to purchase the cabinet during 2023. That plan was disrupted when the cabinet manufacturer substantially increased its prices, forcing Alan-1 to change suppliers. A confirmed arcade release date had not been announced at the time of this update, although the tournament suggests that availability may be approaching.
Insert Coin watch party brings Midway veterans together
Film Threat presenter Chris Gore, who was also involved with the original G4TV, joined Insert Coin director Josh Tsui for a watch party celebrating the documentary. The screening included George Petro, Warren Davis, John Tobias, Sal DiVita, Carly Kocurak and Dan Amrich.
With several people who worked in the Midway era taking part, the event offered a particularly relevant group viewing of a film about that company and its games.
TouchTunes acquires Arachnid 360
The venue-entertainment sector has also seen a notable corporate change: TouchTunes has acquired Arachnid 360.
TouchTunes produces contemporary jukeboxes, while Arachnid 360 specialises in arcade-style electronic dartboards. The announcement indicated that Arachnid’s staff and roles would remain in place for the time being. Any future crossover between jukebox and dartboard products remains speculation.
Arcade Belgium reports from EAG 2024
Arcade Belgium attended EAG 2024 and has published several videos featuring games shown at the event. You can subscribe to the channel here.
Much of the show floor appeared comparable to IAAPA. One visible difference involved Drakons: Realm Keepers, which used a conventional large television display at EAG rather than the square microLED panels seen previously.
More arcade and gaming headlines
- Project NEON running in an original MVS cabinet
- Sega Amusements’ EAG 2024 video roundup
- A 3D-printable joystick inspired by Midway’s Tapper
- Proposal documents for Tecmo’s unreleased, and possibly never-started, arcade game Tube
- Tomohiro Nishikado playing a mini Space Invaders cabinet replica
- Round1’s quarterly report, in Japanese
- Konami adapting another arcade property into a medal game
- Further Minecraft Dungeons Arcade testing in Japan
- An animated Mortal Kombat Valentine’s card
- Discussion of Intergame Online’s latest AI-generated arcade image
- A possible Chuck E. Cheese’s television game show
- Atari’s development of another celebrity television game show
- A photograph of a long-lost Atari shooting-gallery game
- Incredible Technologies bringing Cuddle Crisis to mobile devices
Console and home-gaming links
- Console: Indie developer Ryansil discusses The Mystery of Melody Memorial
- Console: DDI Rally Championship for fans of Sega Rally
- Console: Donut Dodo receiving a physical Nintendo Switch release
- Console: A discussion about the best light gun for PC
- Console: Flappy Bird’s removal from app stores ten years ago
For more Australian arcade coverage, browse the RETROCADE arcade blog, compare options in the arcade-machine buying guide, or explore upright arcade cabinets. Operators and restorers can also find useful arcade parts for maintenance projects.
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