The AOU (Amusement Operators Union) trade show in Tokyo, Japan, was much reduced in size, according to overseas visitors returning from the event. It was dominated by Sega and Konami while Bandai/Namco and Taito had smaller displays.
The show was representative of a reduced market place and an industry hit by the combination of a number of recessionary factors.
One of the best-known Japanese traders on the international market, Goyo, reported that it is sustaining its business of operating and leasing games, despite a depressed economic climate. It now has 600 machines leased to locations across Japan mainly to individual operators. “We buy new games mainly from Sega, Konami, Bandai-Namco and Taito,” said Goyo president Konosuke Nishikawa, “and recycle the displaced machines. They are often still very new to many markets around the world and we ship them everywhere after extensive refurbishing to bring them back to new condition.”
