Executive Summary

A new class of PCs, featuring fast floating point processing, and high-speed 3D graphics will deliver the increased realism in high quality entertainment. Continued technology advances from Intel and the PC industry in the next three years will yield a ten-fold increase in 3D graphics performance. A significant market segment with great potential for immediate impact from this increased performance is coin-operated arcade video game and Location-based Entertainment (LBE).

Intel, in cooperation with over 80 software and entertainment industry leaders, are hard at work to deliver arcade products utilizing an Open Arcade Architecture based on a reference platform using Intel's Pentium® II processors. This reference platform will enable game developers to harness the performance of the Pentium® II processor while benefiting from the flexibility and compatibility of the PC Architecture. Arcade operators can offer higher level performance than home with superior graphics on a platform that permits software upgrade without hardware replacement. They will enjoy a reduced total cost of ownership.

Information on the Open Arcade Architecture Forum, including the forum's charter, its recent activities, related press releases and reference platform specifications, is available at www.openarcade.com.

Table of Contents

This document is an overview of the Intel Open Arcade Architecture hardware reference platform and its impact on the arcade gaming industry. It covers the following topics:

• Open Arcade Architecture Overview
• Reference Platform Overview
• Benefits to the Industry and Consumers
• 1997 Major Events In Review

Open Arcade Architecture Overview

On March 24, 1997, Intel announced the Visual Computing Initiative (VCI). Its goal: delivering lifelike interactive experiences on PCs. Intel intends to deliver a ten-fold increase in 3D graphics performance in the next three years. With the rapid growth of 3D graphics performance, the time is right to consider PCs as a delivery platform for arcade games. Intel's Open Arcade Architecture initiative officially launched in April 1997 to focus on the development of arcade market segment. This initiative should bring

In 1996, several arcade industry leaders and PC developers invited Intel to help bringing the PC platform to the arcade industry. Intel met with over 160 leaders in the coin-op and location-based entertainment industry in December 1996 to demonstrate the potential of coin-op applications based upon the Intel Architecture. Intel articulated the vision of the "top to bottom" common design, and how this facilitates content migration between home PCs, arcade machines, and location-based entertainment machine

For such a migration to occur, there must first exist a catalyst that brings the PC industry benefits to the coin-op/LBE segment. The catalyst is a forum that include companies interested in developing products to support Intel's initiative. In July 1997, Intel formed Open Arcade Architecture Forum. The forum focuses on helping developers to design and ship their contents to the arcade industry. This allows the incubation of compelling new content and games along with enhanced interactivity, including Internet play and real-time multiplayer competition. The forum does not coordinate policies and pricing for arcade product distribution.

A by-product of visual computing will be the migration of the home computer from the den to the family room, elevating the computer gaming experience to a higher level of realism. The software product developed for arcade this year should be able run on many home-PCs within 18 months.

Reference Platform Overview

The reference platform specification for the initiative is available at Intel's web site. The platform consists of the Pentium® II processor and high-performance 3D graphics bus and chips. It defines a minimal level of 3D graphics performance (181 rating of Winbench97 3D benchmark) to make it easier for developers to target their games for uncompromising realism. Pentium® II processor systems offers a substantially higher performance than home consoles and many traditional arcade machines.

The reference platform allows 3D game developers to deliver higher level of realism in their games. They could have more objects on the screen, more activities, more special effects (such as smoking, fogging, reflection). The reference platform could deliver the benefit without sacrificing real-time frame rate delivered to the screen. To offer the ultimate gaming experience, developers could choose the dual processor option of the reference platform. An example of a LBE game that uses dual Pentium® II processor machine and Windows NT* is Evans & Sutherland Virtual Glider*.

There are three types of system cabinets in arcade market: Driving, Flying and Fighting. For example, we illustrate a typical Open Arcade system for the fighting game in the art-rendered picture below.

Intel worked with a large number of game developers to facilitate ongoing stream of compelling games targeted for the coin-op and LBE markets. System integrators are also participating to provide arcade operators with traditional arcade enclosures and systems knowledge critical to the successful introduction of an open architecture in what has otherwise been a proprietary architecture environment.

Within nine to twelve months of introduction, enhanced versions of these same arcade games should be available on software retail shelves. 

Benefits to the Industry and Consumers

• Performance: The visual computing platform based on Pentium® II processor delivers uncompromising arcade game performance equaling or exceeding current proprietary systems. Arcade industry can capitalize on extensive R&D in the PC industry while offering differentiating experience through advanced hardware and networked play.

• Compatibility: Open Arcade Architecture uses the same processor as the most powerful personal computers. This means that PC game developers are now able to write compelling new games for arcade, giving arcade customers more games to choose from. Game developers are now able to profit from cross-pollination. Those who have traditionally written games for proprietary arcade systems or workstations can now write these games to the arcade and cross-sell into the volume market of home PCs. Conversely, those who have previously written only to the home PC are now able to scale their titles upward and showcase their wares within the arcade venue. The arcade can provide exposure and advertising value to attract future buyers for home versions of a game.

• Flexibility: Arcade operators will be able to install new games on Open Arcade Architecture compliant machines as easily as popping in a CD. Operators could convert machines to hot titles without buying new arcade machines or paying for hardware upgrades. Open arcade machines are able to run multiple games, enabling arcade operators to offer more games on the same amount of floor space, keeping hardware cost low. Finally, Open Arcade PCs allow easy hardware upgrades to run the latest hot games.

• Coin-op/LBE operators realize a reduced total cost of ownership since each machine is no longer dedicated to a single game. Instead, a myriad of games can be available on the same machine either concurrently or in series, without major hardware revisions. With more companies competing to offer the best value for arcade consumers, many experts expect that customers would pay less per play in the long term with an open and competitive industry.

• The PC-based Open Arcade Architecture creates new capabilities for arcade games including Internet play, networked multiplayer capability. It could also facilitate non-violence games such as creativity or strategy games, different games for kids, for females or males. Hardware innovations useful for coin-op also happen quickly on open arcade systems.

• PC enthusiasts could typically enjoy arcade-quality games on their home PCs within a year of introduction to the coin-op market.

1997 Major Events In Review

The vision of Open Arcade Initiative started in March 96. However, Intel rolls out the programs to promote the initiative in public starting from April 97. The following are key events of 1997.

• April 97: Intel announced the initial Open Arcade reference platform specification at the Computer Game Developers Conference. This is the first time Intel showed Pentium® II processor integrated in reference platform arcade system. Key companies showcased their games include: Angel Studio, Greystone, Interactive Light and Mango Grits.

• June 97: Intel showed Evans & Sutherland Virtual Glider* and Ubisoft POD* for Arcade that conforms Intel's Multiple Processor option of the Open Arcade reference platform specification

• July 97 - Intel announced the Open Arcade Architecture Forum, an industry association with more than 60 founding members, to promote the development of arcade systems based on the Open Arcade reference platform specification. The press release by Intel in July listed the founding members of the forum.

• August 97: The first meeting of Open Arcade Architecture Forum held on August 26. The meeting focused on the business issues of the new arcade industry. Eight companies announced their plans to become manufacturers or publishers for Open Arcade games. Quantum 3D was the first company to announce system integration products and services.

• October 97: Interactive Light shipped the first Open Arcade game: "Kick-It," a soccer simulator. LBE Systems demonstrated its network software running id software's Quake®, to be released for arcades. Other major vendors showcased their open arcade products include Angel Studio, Compaq, Electronic Arts, GT Interactive, Hanaho APC, Inner Workings, Kalisto Entertainment, Interplay, Rage Software PLC, Psygnosis, Quantum 3D and The Other Side*. New developers joined the forum in October including Acclaim, AM&D, Dynamo Interactive, Gremlin, Microsoft, Sega Gameworks.

• December 97: The second meeting of Open Arcade Architecture Forum would be held on December 2. This meeting will focus on the technical issues about "Tools and Drivers to Bring Your Product to Arcade".