Aruze

Aruze is a Japanese pachinko and slot machine manufacturer. They came to the attention of Western world gamers in 2000, when they bought out the bankrupt video game company SNK, maker of the popular Neo-Geo. In exchange for the use of SNK s popular characters on their pachinko and slot machines, and a few sub-par games for the Neo-Geo, Aruze held on to SNK s intellectual propertys until SNK was able to reform as Playmore and buy them back in 2001.

Apparently, Aruze enjoyed their short stint as a video game manufacturer, since they have announced in August of 2004 the production of the AP-3 arcade system; their modern, Linux-based equivalent to SNK s recently-retired Neo-Geo MVS arcade system.

Aruze is also developing a line of flat-screen Japanese Amusement Machine Manufacturers Association arcade cabinets called SlimStreet , that are only 480mm deep. Whether or not dedicated AP-3 machines will exclusively use SlimStreet cabinets remains to be seen.

=External links=

*[http://www.aruze.com/eng_unity/index.html Official website] *[http://www.aruze.com/ Japanese official website]