IAAPA 2023 concluded with a busy show floor and plenty of arcade-industry news to review. This overview brings together the major observations, notable exhibitors and announced release windows, with separate coverage reserved for individual companies and products.
For Australian operators and collectors, the event offered a useful snapshot of upcoming arcade entertainment, redemption equipment, VR attractions, pinball and competitive video games. Readers can follow further arcade news and gaming coverage from RETROCADE.
IAAPA 2023: General Impressions
Official attendance figures were not available at the time of writing, but the convention felt at least as busy as the last record-setting event in 2019. Attendance remained strong even on the final day. The weather was unusually warm, although El Niño was reportedly bringing cloud and rain to the area.
IAAPA once again occupied the full Orange County Convention Center, one of the largest venues of its kind in the United States. Its size makes the event difficult to cover completely, particularly when conversations, filming and meetings compete with the time needed to walk between halls.
Most of the Games and Arcade area was explored—around 95 per cent—but some sections of the wider show floor were missed. Arcade equipment was spread across different areas rather than grouped together, which can make it harder for exhibitors to reach prospective operators and buyers.
That layout may also have concealed a few surprises. JET Games drew attention with Big Shot, while Bay Tek’s enormous Goatz-N-Rope and Tundra Toss attracted visitors through their sheer scale. These very large attractions are impressive in venues with the necessary space, though their size and cost can put them beyond the reach of smaller operators and many international businesses.
Several products received attention in the IAAPA Brass Ring awards and New Products categories. Smart Industries’ JJ Bot – The Avatar was a prominent attraction and generated considerable interest.
Gesture Art & Design exhibited at IAAPA for the first time and took second place in the New Products category. Food Flight was still receiving polish and testing, with a planned appearance at Amusement Expo in mid-March 2024. Two-player testing suggested that the competitive format made the experience more engaging.
Inowize presented its QBIX and two-player Arkadia VR systems nearby. QBIX was a Brass Ring finalist, although its final placing was not known. Inowize also staged a late-show press conference to reveal a new QBIX game, with Bob Cooney speaking before handing over to the event commentator for an unscripted discussion and hands-on play.
The physical demands of the convention were considerable. The event involved almost 20,000 steps on Tuesday, roughly 13,000 on Wednesday and about 10,000 on Thursday, when the show visit ended at 2:30 pm. Comfortable footwear—or even a mobility scooter—would have been sensible.
Arcade Games Available or Entering Distribution
Many products shown at IAAPA 2023 were either available immediately or approaching release. Operators could already place orders through distributors for some upcoming titles, although lead times varied. For players, that means these games may begin appearing at entertainment venues as stock reaches operators.
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX was an example of unusually strong demand. Although it was not a new IAAPA product and was not displayed at the event, orders reportedly extended into the end of the following year.
The following games and products were identified as available at the time, subject to confirmation and possible changes:
- Ballzania from Sega Amusements
- Big Buck Hunter Reloaded from Raw Thrills, with its new update scheduled for 1 December
- Big Shot from JET Games
- Products displayed at the Adrenaline booth, including Drakons: Realm Keepers
- Products displayed at the ICE booth, with no newly introduced items noted
- Products displayed at the Jersey Jack booth, including Elton John
- Products displayed at the Stern Pinball booth
- Products displayed at the Valley-Dynamo booth
- Fast & Furious Arcade SD from Raw Thrills
- Hyper Cross from Sega Amusements
- King Kong of Skull Island II from Raw Thrills, shipping in the first week of December
- MMA Boxer from IGPM/Kalkomat
- Skill Fall Revolution from Sega Amusements
Products displayed at the previous IAAPA also belonged in this broad availability group, including the ICE range, much of Bandai Namco’s booth and many VR products.
Games Shipping Soon
Release windows were subject to change. The reported schedule included:
- Apex Rebels from Sega — January or February
- Arcana Heart 3 Xtend from exA-Arcadia — December
- LAI Games’ new products, including Air Strike, Asphalt Moto Blitz, Cosmic Spire and Dragon’s Bane — January
- Food Flight from Gesture Art & Design — second quarter of 2024
- Godzilla Kaiju Wars VR — late March or early April
- JJ Bot – The Avatar — January, based on the information available at the time
- Omen of Sorrow: Arising Chaos from exA-Arcadia — first quarter of 2024
- Phantom Break Omnia from exA-Arcadia — first quarter of 2024
- Playbox Single from PLAYMIND — first quarter of 2024
- Pulp Fiction pinball from Chicago Gaming — December
- Touhou Scarlet Diabolique Fantastica from exA-Arcadia — first quarter of 2024
Operators considering new equipment can compare cabinet formats and requirements in RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide, while racing titles can be explored alongside other racing arcade machines.
Additional Show-Floor Notes
Bandai Namco Amusement did not display the video games seen during earlier location tests. Those projects remained at an early development stage. The booth did include redemption and air-hockey products, including a Tom & Jerry-themed table, plus a popular coin pusher that will launch under a name other than Tata Island.
ICE presented a smaller range than in 2022 and did not show a new game. The convention also featured a larger presence from Chinese factories. Ace Amusement brought substantial equipment, while its hardware and software quality appeared to be improving, including in products such as Surf League.
For home users inspired by the event, RETROCADE’s upright arcade cabinets and compact bartop arcades offer two very different ways to bring arcade gaming into an Australian space.
IAAPA 2023 demonstrated how broad the modern amusement market has become, from large-scale attractions and VR systems to competitive video games, redemption machines and pinball. Further product-by-product coverage can add more detail as release information develops.
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