The extremely otaku-friendly Akihabara Channel blog has an interesting post discussing the latest issue of Enterbrain's Arcadia magazine, the only consumer arcade game magazine in the world - and a testament to the niches that can exist in the Japanese market.

As is mentioned, the magazine "...had a scoop on a new expansion to the Melty Blood fighting game; Melty Blood Actress Again. The game is due out Spring 2008 and will feature 2 new characters: Riesbyfe and the main villain of the original Tsukihime game, Roa." The whole way that the super-niche doujin scene is feeding into the niche arcade scene in Japan - with titles like Melty Blood and Akatsuki Blitzkampf - continues to intrigue.

It's also noted: "Another interesting project on this magazine was the Arcadia Awards where the reader votes for the best Arcade machine. But… how can you compare games of different genres? For example, the nomination for best graphics are: Arcana Heart, Mobile Suits Gundam Senjyo no Kizuna, After Burner Climax, Battle Fantasia, and 2 Spicy…" An interesting cross-section, eh? But it feels like the arcade scene's appeal is getting perhaps more selective even in Japan.