The Japanese video arcade machines might look the same on the outside, but on the inside they all sport different games. The game is plugged into the machine through a universal portal called a JAMMA portal. At the time, developers made a deal so that any game could be hooked up to the casing. The JAMMA portal sends the information from the game to the screen, sound system and the controls. This is very different from in Europe, where most arcade machines host a single game.
The other difference between Japanese gaming culture and European/American culture, is the type of games played. In Europe and America the games are for amusement purposes only, but in Japan the arcade scene takes on cult-like proportions. There is for instance a fighting game scene and a shmup (shoot 'em up) scene, along with games that are just plain weird, like dating games, mahjong and soft erotic games.
In the exhibition we try to give you a general overview of what Japanese arcades are all about.
