FlexArcade cabinets now available

TLC Industries, Inc. announced today that its FlexArcade system and an initial lineup of two games are now available to arcade operators. The FlexArcade gives arcade owners the ability to purchase one cabinet, then change the game inside simply by inserting a game CD, attaching a hardware security key, and replacing the marquee atop the cabinet. The FlexArcade's control panel can also be replaced to accommodate games that require different control systems such as trackballs, steering wheels, or joysticks.

The first two games for the FlexArcade are Raptisoft's Hamsterball and 21-6's Orbz. Hamsterball challenges gamers to roll a hamster (in his plastic ball) through several courses to reach a goal. In Orbz, players shoot targets with a variety of orbs across 14 different levels. Four other games have been announced for the FlexArcade system, including Flibbity Jobs, Bomber Fun, RC Cars, and Bandits Phoenix Rising.

Arcade systems with swappable games are hardly a new concept; Sega's Naomi hardware and the NeoGeo MVS worked in exactly the same way. Nonetheless, FlexArcade hopes that its system will "create a revival in the coin-op arcade game market" by allowing arcade owners to purchase one machine and then easily upgrade it with new games, although it remains to be seen whether arcade owners will jump at the system's title lineup. More information can be found at the company's official Web site.