exA-Arcadia: Power to the operators? the criticism? the tariffs?

This conversation explores the emergence of exA-Arcadia in the retro gaming market, focusing on their unique business model, hardware specifications, game library, and the challenges they face in a volatile global economy. The discussion also touches on the controversies surrounding the company and its future prospects in the arcade industry.

For Guest Inquires, Q&A questions for future episodes, and concerns about errors I may have made with the information said in the podcast. Feel free to email me at jonisbrasko@gmail.com.

Thanks again for listening and I hope I made your day a little better.

Chapters

• 0:00 Can I be a MVS when I grow up?
• 1:59 What makes the exA-Arcadia special?
• 5:20 The exA-Arcadia Hardware and Game exAclusives.
• 12:15 Criticism and Comments have been Disabled.
• 17:18 Conclusion...hopefully not.

Transcript

0:00

Retro gaming is a big business right now, and one company took a different approach by creating products for the arcade market. If you go into an arcade in the United States, you might see a red and white upright arcade cabinet that can switch between games. But instead of an old school Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinet, you see a sleek red cab with a 32-inch RGB monitor called the Arc-1 . Their idea was for arcade operators to keep more profit revenue from the games instead of having to share profits with manufacturers for games that need online access to work. However, with the new normal established by fluctuating trade and tariff policies, it begs the question whether this business model can offer long-term stability in a volatile global economy, especially when ROM and system updates need to be sent back to Japan or to the United States instead of just downloading them online. Good day to everyone. This is JonisBrasko with the Fighting Game Banter podcast. Today's topic will be discussing the exA-Arcadia, a little bit about their history since 2019, the reason for their motto, Power to the Operators, the exA-Arcadia hardware, and exAclusive versions of their games and certain concerns about pricing and availability. While the company was founded in Japan, it does have offices in the United States and Singapore. They're also the first foreign arcade company in history to be accepted as a member by the Japanese Amusement Industry Association. They ship their products worldwide with the exception of countries on the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned country list. These countries include Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Russia controlled regions of Ukraine. The Office of Foreign Assets Control is a part of the United States Treasury Department. So even though this is an international company that ships worldwide, This episode is going to be US focused because of the worldwide implications of recent events. was designed for the commercial arcade market, but there was always intent for a limited release version that could be bought by private consumers. The exA-Arcadia was actually released in Japan back in November of 2019. It gets compared a lot with the Neo Geo MVS system because it uses ROM cartridges. Each cartridge varies in price between $545 US and $2550 US. Granted, these carts and systems are exclusive, custom made in Japan. However, there are two main criticisms that create hesitation for international companies to invest in the exA-Arcadia. First, there's no online support. The exA-Arcadia is purely an old school arcade hardware and software company. So patches or ROM updates cannot be downloaded from servers. Second, if something happens to your hardware or you need updates, you have to ship them back to Japan or the US support center in Ohio. A logistical challenge that adds time and cost for operators. The system's availability is limited to certain regions, and getting ahold of an exA-Arcadia unit or its games can be challenging depending on the location. The platform hasn't seen widespread global distribution, making it hard for some arcade owners and enthusiasts to adopt it. While this episode is primarily focused on the U.S. consumer base, it should be noticed that the LATAM region, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa only have six known distributors of the exA-Arcadia hardware in total at the time of this podcast. The United States has at least five, as well as the support center located in Ohio. The fact it's not online gives it a distinct advantage that most consumers don't think about when entering an arcade. For arcade operators, it's a lot easier to bring an arcade machine like the exA-Arcadia into an arcade and not have to pay for an online service. NESiCAxLive, SEGA ALL.net. And the Konami e-Amusement service are all online services that arcade operators pay for additionally so people can play and have their data saved online, as well as receive game and system updates. With the exA-Arcadia, arcade operators can run on the no revenue share business model. Keep 100 % of what you make. no online access means no online service fees. Another reason they chose this model is the concern about piracy. They don't want a situation like Neo Geo ROMs being put online. The fact that there are several games that are known as exA-Arcadia exclusives is a big selling point for private collectors to get their hands on them. To combat this, EXA Arcadia has stated Orders are considered final and cannot be canceled. Any kind of proxy purchasing is strictly forbidden. No refunds will be given to proxy buyers. The exA-Arcadia system is compatible with all modern game development tools, including Unreal Engine, Unity, Game Maker Studio 2, and 2D Fighter Maker 2, to name a few. While the exA-Arcadia is designed to be a lower cost arcade solution, it's still relatively expensive for small operators or collectors. The games themselves are also sold on separate cartridges, which can add to the cost over time. Although the exA-Arcadia as a powerful arcade platform, some critics point out that it's based on off-the-shelf PC hardware. which limits its uniqueness in terms of technology. While capable of running arcade quality games, some feel it doesn't offer much in the way of groundbreaking innovation or performance beyond what is decently configured PC can achieve. For reference, the specs of the system include an Intel i3-9100F with 8GB of DDR4-2400 RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GPU which is believed to be the GTX 1650. The ROM cartridges themselves can support up to 2 terabytes of storage. Arcade operators can get started with an EXA board, game, and a JVS conversion kit for less than $10,000 if you have a Taito Vewlix, Bandai Namco Noir or Blanc cabinets. Now the EXA Arcadia has their own arcade cabinets with their modern Japanese style ARC-32, which they call the next evolution of the Japanese candy cabinet, and the classic upright style known as the ARC-1, which is similar in color and design to a Neo Geo MVS cabinet. The ARC-32 is EXA Arcadia's answer to the Taito Vewlix and the Bandai Namco Noir and Blanc cabinets. During EVO Japan 2024, the 2XKO demos could be played on special edition 2XKO custom ARC-32 cabinets by exA-Arcadia. Through their partnership with Riot Games, all arcade versions of 2XKO will be played on ARC-32 cabinets. But 2XKO will not be running on exA-Arcadia hardware. You might have to wait a little bit longer to play 2XKO in arcades, but you should be used to it by now. The ARC-32 supports 1-2 players, while the ARC-1 handles up to 4 players. Cabinets can be purchased through the 11 distributors that I noted earlier. My personal experience playing a exA-Arcadia was on a Bandai Namco Noir cabinet with a JVS converter kit. I played Samurai Shodown V Perfect and it was the only game that I had any previous experience with and it felt good to play. While I didn't see any real difference in the speed of the game compared to the version featured in the Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection, it should be noted that EXA has made adjustments to the game in order to reduce the input lag to 0.3 frames. The exA-Arcadia has updated both software and hardware in recent years, with the latest version on pre-order for Summer 2025. All the exA-Arcadia games are actually in the correct aspect ratio. From 4.3 to 16.9. For shumps, especially vertical shooters, the screen is set up that it can rotate vertically and horizontally. There's no way they're going to stretch the aspect ratio like Suncrest Games did with the Rumblefish 2 port. You know what? Let's just get this out of the way right now. The exA-Arcadia is releasing a new Rumblefish 2 arcade port called the Rumblefish 2 Nexus. The system supports resolutions from 480p to 4K. And there is an adult only version known as the Hawt Pink Club. This is a Dutch compatible exA-Arcadia board that's made for "Exclusive Erotic Arcade Entertainment". And their ROMs are compatible with regular exA-Arcadia boards and vice versa. The board and the ROMs are not available through the exA-Arcadia website. as they are not the same company. However, there are some US distributors that sell the Hawt Pink Club version of the Arc-1 cabinet. So if you've ever played Strip Fighters 5, Abnormal Edition, or Rumble Storm X in arcades or other establishments for "people of culture", you were playing on an exA-Arcadia. I guess we should- probably talk a little bit about the games that have been released or will be released for the EXA Arcadia. The exA-Arcadia to note has a relatively small library of around 50 games. The exA-Arcadia is mainly aimed at hardcore enthusiasts and fans of specific genres such as shoot-em-ups, fighting games, and puzzle games. As a result, its appeal is limited and it lacks the mainstream appeal of popular home consoles or mobile gaming platforms. It should be noted that no game that uses a joystick or trackball is going to beat rhythm, driving, shooting, games from recognizable franchises, or ticket redemption games, at an arcade. The system specs that were mentioned earlier are definitely strong enough to run and present games like Samurai Shodown V Perfect, Batsugun EXA Label 1.5, Gimmick Exact☆Mix, and Tattoo Assassins at levels of quality well beyond what they ran on their initial launch hardware. And the inclusion of Tattoo Assassins was no accident. The ex Arcadia will be restoring and updating unreleased titles and modes like Tattoo Assassins, The Fallen Angels, and Breaker's Revenge Chicago. exA-Arcadia's main selling point is their EXA label enhanced games. They take existing titles like Fight of Gods, Chaos Code, and Breaker's Revenge and create arcade exclusive versions with reduced input lag, improved visuals and audio, and in additional content. These exAclusive versions cannot be found on PCs or console. For example, Qbyte the company that released Breaker's Collection on PC and consoles, can't port Breaker's Revenge Chicago because it's exclusive to exA-Arcadia's platform. They've also restored unreleased games like Tattoo Assassins and brought Japanese exclusives like Daemon Bride, exAGAIN to worldwide arcade audiences, making exA-Arcadia the only way to experience these titles.

And exA-Arcadia has stated on their FAQ page that: 11:46

"exA-Arcadia only produce games for commercial usage on the exA-Arcadia platform for the amusement industry. For licensed titles, exA-Arcadia is not licensed by IP holders to develop any of our games on console, PC, or mobile. Please contact their respective IP holder for inquiries. relating to porting titles to other platforms." The exA-Arcadia has two main criticisms that have to be referenced. The first main criticism is in reference to the company's optics towards social media. Comments have been turned off on all exA-Arcadia social channels as areas of contention are not something to deal with publicly. A good example of this is the Vanguard Princess R controversy at Evo Japan 2024. There was a copyright dispute between exA-Arcadia and eigoManga over the publishing rights which resulted in YouTube drama and channel suspensions. The issue was resolved when exA-Arcadia obtained official rights through Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs in March 2024, allowing them to publish their arcade version while eigoManga continues developing for other platforms. The other criticism about optics can be seen in Mark MSX / The Electric Underground's video, The exA-Arcadia Review, Is It Worth The Money? This is the second most viewed video about the exA-Arcadia platform with 24,000 views. The only video that has more views is Let's Play Gimmick Exact☆Mix, only for arcades with 38,000 views. This video was released on December 31st, 2020 on the Arcade Heroes YouTube channel and features the first game from exA-Arcadia. Arcade Heroes has a great relationship with exA-Arcadia and benefits from them directly. exA-Arcadia has sponsored some of their videos and has been given exA-Arcadia products to promote and demo for arcade operators. Whether justified or not, the Electric Underground's video could affect Arcade Heroes' bottom line, and they responded to various claims in the video in the comments section. The Electric Underground has nearly doubled the YouTube subscribers to his channel at 50,000 than Arcade Heroes' 21,000 and exA-Arcadia's 5,000 combined. it was to address misinformation or damage control from any other reviews of the product, it still stems from the fact that a private citizen had access to an exA-Arcadia and said things that did not fit the exA-Arcadia narrative. I'd also like to mention that the Electric Underground interviewed the CEO of exA-Arcadia back in 2018 for nearly two hours. So he wasn't just some YouTuber that happened to get one and review it. He had actual knowledge about the system and business side of the company beforehand. Also, a rebuttal video by alamone was created in response to the Electric Underground's video. And while he says in the very beginning that this was not a paid promotion for exA-Arcadia and these were his own opinions, He also mentions that he personally knows many of the exA-Arcadia staff members and even puts links to some of their blogs and shop pages. And as mentioned earlier, comments have been turned off on all exA-Arcadia social channels. So positive reactions to trailers, questions, and general comments have no way to be expressed other than likes and hearts. You have to download a browser extension in order to see the number of dislikes on YouTube videos. When I heard about the "De Minimis" exceptions expiring and Japan suspending certain parcel shipments to the United States, I reached out to exA-Arcadia to ask about considering regional support options or alternate solutions for ROM and system upgrades to ease the impact on arcade operators in the United States. exA-Arcadia responded, exA-Arcadia product updates are supported within the US at our support center and has been since we released the platform in 2019. No international shipping for game updates is or ever has been required for US customers. While that response wasn't referenced to their ROM updates, I clarified that I was referencing their system updates as their site quoted, "This is a paid upgrade service plus shipping for customers who own any black colored base exA-Arcadia system. Updates for other limited edition system colors will be available at a later date. Please note that this service is currently only offered at our Japan." Support Center. Their response was, similar to game updates, system firmware updates and servicing are performed at our US Support Center. I want to thank the staff of exA-Arcadia for responding to my questions. A couple of days after their latest response, the exA-Arcadia site now states under their shop, EMS shipments to the United States may experience extended delivery time delays due to the current US tariff issues. This could be a problem for US arcade operators as orders are considered final and cannot be canceled. The exA-Arcadia is in a unique position in the history of arcade hardware distribution. The next few months may determine whether they can sustain their current business practices. And now the problems of getting hardware and software from both Japan and Taiwan have been made even worse with certain policies coming into effect. I have personally enjoyed my experience with the exA-Arcadia, but I was fortunate to live in an area with access and be part of a community that has similar interests as my own. However, with the new normal established by fluctuating trade and tariff policies, It's hard to believe a business model that relies so much on the US market will be able to survive on the world stage without it. I wish the best for the staff of exA-Arcadia and the creators that hope to see their games on the platform in the near future. Hopefully they will not be affected by these changes for long. If there are any updates that significantly change the relevance of the content presented in this episode, There will be an addendum or additional episode added at a later date. Thank you for listening to another tale of banter editor of this tale was JM. I'm JonisBrasko and as much as I want to say until the next tale, this tale is still to be continued.