Press and documents
What trade papers, fan sites and Sammy itself said at the time, plus flyers, command sheets and company reports.
Press and fan reports
- 13 September 2003Sale listing: 2003 AM Show catalogue and goods
A sale listing for a bundle from the 2003 AM Show: an Atomiswave catalogue covering Guilty Gear Isuka, Force Five, Kintaro, Shin Sangokushi and AW-NET, a photocopied Isuka location-test instruction... - 23 December 2003Sammy's notice of sign-up problems, December 2003
"Important notice to registered AW-NET members." Days after launch, Sammy says some users are having trouble registering as members, that it's working flat out on a fix, and asks them to wait a little... - 17 January 2004A 2004 link directory lists AW-NET under Sammy
A fan site's directory of arcade makers lists Sammy's Atomiswave games and links AW-NET as its network service. - 21 February 2004Isuka in Okinawa
A local site lists four Okinawa arcades with Isuka: TRON in Naha, marked as without AW-NET; Joy Box in Naha; Joy Jungle Goya in Okinawa City; and Yume Kukan in Chatan, marked as with AW-NET. A January... - Kobayan's arcade news: Isuka's location test
Four Isuka cabinets were running at Saint-Tropez Ikebukuro. Test cards were free from a dispenser at the push of a button, and a leaflet explained the controls and AW-NET. The test card in the photo... - Kobayan's arcade news: Rumble Fish test
On 24 January 2004 The Rumble Fish was on test at Ikebukuro GIGO, in New VERSUS CITY cabinets. A later entry compares another maker's test card with Virtua Fighter and AW-NET cards. - 9 June 2004Points giveaway extended to the end of June
A fan site reports that AW-NET's points giveaway has been extended to the end of June 2004 because of its popularity, and wonders aloud who it was popular with. - Kobayan's arcade news: Kintaro's location test
The rules for Kintaro's test cards, at Saint-Tropez Ikebukuro and elsewhere. They look like Isuka's test cards but only work in Kintaro, and ordinary Isuka cards don't work in the test. The back says... - 19 June 2004Kintaro's site down for maintenance
A fan site reports that Kintaro's official page has been down for maintenance for nearly four days, since the previous Friday. - 23 June 2004AW-NET is Japan-only; new Isuka colours
A fan news site's roundup says AW-NET is for Japan only, while more than twenty Atomiswave games are in development, some just for overseas. A March entry links AW-NET's notice of two more EX colours... - 11 July 2004Sammy's notice of a server outage, July 2004
"An outage in the AW-NET service." From 10:50 on 8 July 2004 a server fault took Guilty Gear Isuka and Salaryman Kintaro offline. Sammy promises another notice when it's fixed and apologises. No cause... - 3 August 2004Fan news: Isuka EX characters and colours
A fan site notes that EX characters and new EX colours have been added to Isuka, admitting they might have been there a while. - 3 August 2004Fan news: Isuka's launch and AW-NET's first week
A comparison of handouts from that week's new games includes Isuka's card explaining how to reach AW-NET. On 17 December 2003 Isuka is running and AW-NET has started; by 19 December the site links... - 3 August 2004Fan news: NEOWAVE tests and Kintaro's site opens
A June 2004 entry links AW-NET's page for NEOWAVE's location test and network event, and a rare-card campaign. On 25 June the official Salaryman Kintaro site opened. - 3 August 2004Fan news: the AM Show demo site
In September 2003 AW-NET opened as a temporary card-management site, until 17 September. Only people who had used their card at the show could log in. - 3 August 2004Fan news: the July 2004 outage and NEOWAVE's arrival
Reports that a fault has taken Isuka and Kintaro offline, with the phone and PC sites down too, and links Sammy's notice. It also links AW-NET's notice of an emergency NEOWAVE location test on 28... - 16 August 2004NEOWAVE card album and its wallpaper
Fan news from August 2004: Sammy's KOF NEOWAVE AW card album comes with a secret bonus ID, and entering it on AW-NET gets you a phone wallpaper, with images to be sent out in early September. - 19 August 2004Okinawa fan site on the July 2004 outage
Reports that AW-NET went down on 8 July 2004 and only its top page was working. The writer muses about how hard arcades are on network gear (heat, damp, dust, cabinets being moved, damaged cables) and... - 23 August 2004NEOWAVE card album and Isuka keyrings
A prize-goods list from August 2004 includes the KOF NEOWAVE AW card album from Sammy and four pairs of Isuka keyrings: Ky and Jam, Millia and Eddie, Faust and Testament, and Chipp and Venom. A... - 10 October 2004AW-NET among six arcade phone sites
A fan roundup of the 2004 Tokyo Game Show says six official i-mode sites linked to arcade games had 120,000 users between them, naming Konami's e-AMUSEMENT, Sega's VF.NET, MJ.NET, D.NET, VS.NET and... - 12 December 2004Kenju reported as not using AW-NET
A fan site's December 2004 roundup of autumn show reports, noting that Kenju would not support AW-NET. - 4 February 2005Fan news: The Rumble Fish 2 won't use AW-NET
A January 2005 entry says the sequel has been officially announced as The Rumble Fish 2, and that it won't support AW-NET. Other entries pass on rumours, flagged as unreliable, about the next Guilty... - 8 February 2005Victory Furlong's twelve test arcades
A fan site reports that all twelve arcades for Victory Furlong's tests have been named, and links AW-NET's venue list. The same month links a new Kenju test and its screenshots. - 19 April 2005A new version of Kenju goes on test
A January 2005 entry says a heavily reworked Kenju has started location testing, and points to AW-NET's page listing the changes. It names DreamFactory as the developer. - 14 September 2005A 2005 link directory lists AW-NET with Sega's sites
By September 2005 the same kind of directory lists AW-NET and Guilty Gear X among Sega-related game sites, reflecting the merger. - 23 December 2005Channel KOF: NEOWAVE's extra fighters in the home version
A July 2005 review of the home version of NEOWAVE notes that the six fighters arcade players bought with AW points (Orochi Yashiro, Orochi Chris, Orochi Shermie, Kim, Vanessa and Ramon) are simply... - Channel KOF: NeoGeo Battle Coliseum will be the last AW-NET game
A May 2005 post passes on a report that NeoGeo Battle Coliseum will be the last AW-NET game, and that the test of Samurai Shodown's Tenka didn't support it. Drawing on NEOWAVE, the writer complains... - AM Press: AOU 2005
Victory Furlong, NeoGeo Battle Coliseum and The Rumble Fish 2 were among the new games at the AOU show in February 2005. - AM Press: AW-NET announced at the 2003 AM Show
The report from the 11 September 2003 AM Show. SNK Playmore's first Atomiswave KOF was planned for spring 2004, along with Sammy vs Capcom and IGS's Seven Spirits. It describes AW-NET as an internet... - AM Press: AW-NET to close on 30 November
The trade paper's report of the shutdown. Sega announced that AW-NET would end on 30 November 2006 for Guilty Gear Isuka, Salaryman Kintaro, KOF NEOWAVE, Victory Furlong and NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.... - AM Press: Chicago 1929 at IAAPA 2003
Sammy showed Chicago 1929 on Atomiswave at IAAPA 2003 in Orlando. - AM Press: Isuka at AMOA 2003
Sammy USA showed Guilty Gear Isuka on Atomiswave at the AMOA show in the United States in autumn 2003. - AM Press: Kenju at IAAPA 2004
Sammy USA showed Kenju on Atomiswave at the IAAPA trade show in Orlando in November 2004. - AM Press: Metal Slug 6 announced
Sega's private shows in Tokyo (1–2 November 2005) and Osaka (4 November) included Metal Slug 6 for Atomiswave, due in February 2006. AW-NET isn't mentioned. - AM Press: NEOWAVE at ATEI 2005
At the ATEI show in London, Sega and Sammy Europe showed NEOWAVE and other products under the Sega name. - AM Press: NEOWAVE in Chicago
Sammy presented NEOWAVE at the AAMA distributors' gala in Chicago on 23 July 2004. - AM Press: NeoGeo Battle Coliseum at AMOA 2005
Sega USA, which by now included Sammy USA, showed NeoGeo Battle Coliseum at the AMOA show in the United States. - AM Press: NeoGeo Battle Coliseum at AOU 2005
A photo from AOU 2005: the top half shows Taito's online baseball game, the bottom half visitors trying NeoGeo Battle Coliseum. - AM Press: Ranger Mission at ATEI 2004
Sammy Europe showed Atomiswave and Ranger Mission at the ATEI show in London in early 2004. - AM Press: SNK moves to Atomiswave
SNK Playmore planned to move its arcade development from the Neo Geo to Atomiswave after Samurai Shodown Zero Special. Working titles: NEOWAVE, KOF 2004, Samurai Spirits AW and Metal Slug 6. - AM Press: Sammy's January 2004 private show
Sammy planned a private show in Tokyo and Osaka on 16 January 2004 for Kintaro and The Rumble Fish. Isuka had already shipped at the end of 2003. - AM Press: Sega and Sammy's November 2004 shows
Sega and Sammy's private shows in Tokyo (2 November 2004), Osaka (4 November) and Fukuoka (9 November) included NeoGeo Battle Coliseum, Kenju and the Net Select horse-racing game. - AM Press: Sega's private show, May 2005
Sega's private show in Tokyo on 20 May 2005 included Samurai Shodown's Tenka and NeoGeo Battle Coliseum. - AM Press: Sega's show, July 2005
Sega's show on 7–8 July 2005 included KOF XI for Atomiswave and Guilty Gear XX Slash for Sega's NAOMI board. - AM Press: the 2004 AM Show
Sammy's stand at the 2004 AM Show had Kenju, a video of NeoGeo Battle Coliseum, and the Net Select horse-racing game that became Victory Furlong. Sammy USA was also distributing NEOWAVE in Latin... - UndatedArc System Works' AW-NET page for Isuka
Isuka's official site explains AW-NET: buy a ¥500 card, play Isuka with it, and your data is saved to the card and sent to the server. Join the paid phone service (¥315 a month including tax) and...
Documents
- 30 April 20042004 Spring Campaign poster (A3)
The A3 poster for AW-NET's 2004 Spring Campaign: points for existing and new members until 31 May, and a picture of the redesigned website. - 1 May 20042004 Spring Campaign poster (A4)
The A4 poster for AW-NET's 2004 Spring Campaign: points for existing and new members until 31 May, and a picture of the redesigned website. - August 2004Arcadia magazine, issue 51
The complete issue, as a PDF. Its AW-NET pages are listed under Arcadia No. 51 in the magazines section. - October 2004Arcadia magazine, issue 53
The complete issue, as a PDF. Its AW-NET pages are listed under Arcadia No. 53 in the magazines section. - 16 December 2004Geese Howard command list (A4)
An A4 command list for Geese Howard in NEOWAVE, the AW-NET extra fighter that cost 3,500 points. - 16 December 2004Geese Howard command sheet
SNK's command sheet for Geese Howard, the extra fighter NEOWAVE members could buy for 3,500 points. You needed membership and an AW card, and you picked him by holding Start and choosing K′ at... - 16 December 2004KOF NEOWAVE event flyer
The poster for NEOWAVE's first two Fight Money and Ring Battle events, with dates and rules. It says rings carry over to the second event, and that a player who has run out gets three back for... - May 2005Arcadia magazine, issue 60
The complete issue, as a PDF. Its AW-NET pages are listed under Arcadia No. 60 in the magazines section. - 31 May 2005Kenju instruction card B
An instruction card from Kenju's 2005 location test. - 1 June 2005Kenju instruction cards D–E
Instruction cards from Kenju's 2005 location test. - December 2006Arcadia magazine, issue 79
The complete issue, as a PDF, including the AW-NET shutdown notice. Its AW-NET page is listed under Arcadia No. 79 in the magazines section. - Amusement Journal, August 2004, p. 172
- Amusement Journal, December 2003, p. 105
From Amusement Journal's December 2003 issue: a chronology recording Atomiswave hardware going out in late June 2003, with networking still to come. - Amusement Journal, December 2003, p. 145
- Amusement Journal, October 2003, p. 106
- Amusement Journal, October 2003, p. 107
- Amusement Journal, October 2003, p. 109
- Amusement Journal, October 2003, p. 161
- Amusement Journal, October 2003, p. 19
A colour advertising spread from Amusement Journal's October 2003 issue: Sammy's adverts for Isuka and Kintaro. - Amusement Journal, October 2003, p. 247
- Arcadia magazine, issue 44
The complete issue, as a PDF. Its AW-NET pages are listed under Arcadia No. 44 in the magazines section. - Arcadia magazine, issue 50
The complete issue, as a PDF. Its AW-NET pages are listed under Arcadia No. 50 in the magazines section. - Arcadia magazine, issue 52
The complete issue, as a PDF. Its AW-NET pages are listed under Arcadia No. 52 in the magazines section. - Arcadia magazine, issue 54
The complete issue, as a PDF. Its AW-NET pages are listed under Arcadia No. 54 in the magazines section. - Arcadia magazine, issue 64
The complete issue, as a PDF. Its AW-NET pages are listed under Arcadia No. 64 in the magazines section. - 2005NBC AW-NET character movie — boss collection
SNK's promotional movie for the three bosses NeoGeo Battle Coliseum members could buy on AW-NET: Mizuchi, NEO-DIO and Shishioh, shown in play. It was a download from SNK's site, packed in an archive... - Fiscal year 2005Sammy 2005 interim presentation
Sammy's presentation for the half-year to September 2004. It reports heavy development spending centred on AW-NET games: ¥3.3 billion in arcade research costs, against ¥1.1 billion a year earlier. - Fiscal year 2004Sammy annual report 2004 (English)
The official English edition of Sammy's 2004 annual report. The arcade section (page 22) describes Atomiswave and AW-NET, rounding the figures to ¥7.8 billion in sales and a ¥1.7 billion operating... - Fiscal year 2004Sammy annual report 2004 (Japanese)
Sammy's 2004 annual report, in Japanese. The arcade section (page 22) says Sammy launched Atomiswave in Japan and abroad, released Isuka with AW-NET, and describes AW-NET as linking arcades nationwide... - Sammy business report 2004 (English)
The English edition of Sammy's 2004 business report, with the same dates: Atomiswave in April 2003, AW-NET in December 2003. - Sammy business report 2004 (Japanese)
Sammy's 2004 business report, in Japanese. It dates Atomiswave's release to April 2003 and AW-NET's start to December 2003, and gives arcade equipment sales of ¥6,536 million, up 27.5%. - Sammy earnings 2004 (English)
The English edition of Sammy's 2004 earnings report. - 2004Sammy earnings 2004 (Japanese)
Sammy's 2004 earnings report, in Japanese. Its strategy section talks about growing Atomiswave through full-scale AW-NET operation and partnerships with major software companies. - Sega Sammy interim report 2005
Sega Sammy's interim business report for April to September 2004. Arcade equipment sales were ¥5,681 million, up 73.3%, with an operating loss of ¥1,999 million, partly from development of AW-NET...