What can we learn here? I am not very interested in kiddie rides, so I will focus on the game machines.
Racer (1970) is the hallmark machine, at 450k for the single game. A full 55,000 yen pricier than Kasco's Air Fighter from 1970.
I have Racer, MiniCom, and 30 Test all as 1970 machines and they lead this list off. There exists a Nakamura flyer that then has the next two large installation games, Battle of The Bulge (1968) and Periscope (1966). At 1.8 million yen, they are the equivalent of 4 Racer units.
The next 3 are curious: Baseball, Ronin, Playland. These 3 also show up together, in the same order, on a Nakamura distribution flyer.
こまや (Komaya) games being sold by 中村製作所 (Nakamura Seisakusho)
We only have circumstantial and design evidence, but at this point I am fairly confident that Ronin is a こまや (Komaya) game.
The final 6 games are by Kansai Seiki. The only revelation here is that Safari Gun is listed, and previously the earliest date I had recorded for that was 1971, so I will bump it forward a year to 1970. I am very confident this flyer is in fact from 1970, but I feel it's important to show my work so that my assumptions can be untangled by future researchers.
It is interesting to see Combat Gun being referred to as New Combat Gun, presumably to differentiate from their Combat gun game from the late 1960s. But we don't see it written like that in other sources, AFAIK.
F-1 was a very successful electromechanical arcade machine. It was sold in two editions. Above is the small version, sometimes referred to as Deluxe. Below is referred to as the Custom model in the Japanese flyers, and as Large in the English ones.
F-1 [カスタム] (F-1 [Custom]) by ナムコ (Namco)
The following excerpts from Game Machine were transcribed and prepared by user tweakbod:
Improved, scaled down F-1 Racing machine following Formula X Nakamura Seisakusho
Nakamura Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (Head office: 2-8-15, Tamagawa, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 759-2311, President Masaya Nakamura) has announced the racing ☎ machine F-1, which is a must-see game that offers the thrilling experience of racing at the speed of 300 km/h.
There are two types: large (width 1.5 meters, depth 2.9 meters, height 1.8 meters) and small (width 1.2 meters, depth 2.2 meters, height 1.8 meters). Both are considerably more compact than previous game machines of this type, and can be easily installed to suit the space available at the venue.
When you insert 100 yen for 1 game the screen lights up and a rival car starts to drive on the screen by means of a projected stereoscopic image. Start the race by skillfully operating the steering wheel, accelerator, brakes, and shifter. The player must increase speed while maintaining control to avoid colliding with opposing vehicles or the green zone. The higher the speed, the higher the score, and you can replay the game with more than 3,000 points.
The exhaust sound changes with speed, and the engine and braking sounds are just like the real thing. In addition, the collision effect at the moment of impact is even more dramatic than in the previous Formula X, with the screen first turning red, and then overturning in a frightful way.
The game time is 85 seconds. The list price has not yet been determined.
F-1 World Championship Preliminaries with Top Racers
F-1 (NAMCO Simulator) Tournament Held
One of the hottest topics among car racing fans today is that Japan's first F1 World Championship will be held on October 24th. The “preliminaries” of the championship were recently held in Shinjuku and were well received.
Tachikawa-kun won the championship without any accidents !!
The idea of the event was to let visitors enjoy a realistic F1 Grand Prix race using the new F-1 product released by Nakamura Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (Headquarters = 2-8-5, Tamagawa, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 759-2311, President Masaya ☎ Nakamura). The company also sponsored the event and provided the live-action TVs and other equipment set up throughout the venue.
Driver magazine, the organizer of the event, recruited participants from among car racing fans with 20 each in the Senior, Junior, and Ladies' classes. The venue was the plaza in front of the Mitsui Building, one of the tallest buildings in the Shinjuku city subcenter. On August 29th, a beautiful autumn day, a large scale “preliminaries” were held, and since it was the last Sunday in August, the event was crowded with young people and families.
The races started at noon, and the heated battle unfolded rapidly with the witty judgement of MC Ken Tajima. The rankings were determined by two races in each class, and the prize winners were: Senior Division; Tachikawa-san, Kono-san, Wakita-san ① ② ③ Junior Division; Nakajima-kun, Naito-kun, Tianjin-kun ① ② ③ Ladies' Division; Sakai-san, Homma-san, and Kubo-san ① ② ③ The overall winner was Yasuo Tachikawa (18 years old) from the senior division, with a high score of 6,788 points. Moreover, he demonstrated overwhelming strength, having won both the first and second rounds without an accident.
Well, the real top racers, famous drivers such as Ikusawa, Hasemi, and Takahara appeared on stage and had a decisive battle with Tachikawa-kun, but in the end, Tachikawa-kun won hands down without an accident. The top racers say it's harder than the real thing.
President Nakamura presented trophies and prizes to Tachikawa-kun and the other winners, bringing the competition to a close. President Nakamura stated emphatically, “We would like to continue to plan opportunities like this for young people to enjoy themselves under the bright sun.”
[photo captions] [top] A fierce race unfolds for the racers [bottom] President Nakamura presenting the trophy to Tachikawa-kun
The official names have been decided and F-1 is now on sale Nakamura
F-1 of Nakamura Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (Headquarters = 2-8-5 Tamagawa, Ota ku, Tokyo, 759-2331, President Masaya Nakamura) is a highly anticipated ☎ racing machine which has been waiting for release.
There are two types, large and small, with the large one being F-1 Custom and the small one being F-1 Deluxe, which was released on November 1st, and orders seem to be flooding in, coinciding with the boom of the F-1 World Championship which was held in October. The list price is 1,200,000 yen for the Deluxe and 1,500,000 yen for the Custom.
Significant progress in the Japanese industry Contract with Atari, exports to Europe and America
Nakamura Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (head office = 2-8-5, Tamagawa, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 759-2311, abbreviation NAMCO, ☎ President: Masaya Nakamura) has decided to export large quantities of its new product F-1.
According to the company president's announcement to this newspaper on December 1st, a license agreement was concluded with Atari, Inc. of the U.S. (Headquarters California, President: Bushnell) for F-1, which enjoyed overwhelming popularity at the AM Show in Japan and the MOA and IAAPA shows in the U.S., respectively. The company would export six hundred units in semi-finished form, while Atari would also pay royalties to produce six hundred units. Exports to Europe and the United States will be made through Atari, and the company expects to ship approximately 1,000 units in Japan, 1,800 units in North America and Europe, and 200 units in Australia and other regions by the middle of next year, for a total of 3,000 units.
In fact, as reported in the previous issue of this paper, the new F-1 has been overwhelmingly popular, and Atari, one of the most prominent companies in the U.S., made an early request for a tie-up, resulting in the establishment of the NAMCO ATARI booth, which was “the most popular (according to the Replay Bulletin)” throughout the MOA show.
At an Atari reception held during the MOA Show, Mr. Nakamura, preceded by a Warner executive, addressed approximately 400 operators and distributors, saying, “Please take good care of my precious daughter, F-1,” which received a rousing welcome. It was an unprecedented step forward for the Japanese industry.
[photo captions] President Nakamura Atari’s booth at the MOA - EXPO
ただこれらは今までのところ、この業界で公開された争い、とはなかな かなり難いと言われる。そういう意味で、今回の問題のなりゆきが注目さ れるところである。 また同社長は従来から AM ショーの運営の中でも、コピー問題について 訴えてきており、しかも全日本遊園協会（JAA）副会長という立場から、 JAA との関係でも新たな発展がありうる、と予想されている。
[photo caption]
中村社長
Translation:
Addressing the Copying Issue Nakamura Seisakusho hardens its resolve regarding F-1
Nakamura Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (Head office: 2-8-5, Tamagawa 2-8-5, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 759-2311, abbreviated as NAMCO, President Masaya Nakamura) has ☎ recently announced its stance on dealing with the so-called copy problem.
“A step toward the normalization of the industry” According to President Nakamura, there have been rumors about the appearance of so-called copy products imitating the company's popular F1 model, and the company has decided to take action. The company's F1 is a work of art that the creator has confidence in that builds on the success of Racer, Formula X, and Formula FX, and is said to truly express the company's belief that you can't make a game machine without love. Therefore, the company decided to take this measure because it could not afford to neglect the problems with dealers and operators that could occur as a result of the appearance of counterfeit products.
Specifically, the company will make its position clear, issue warnings in company announcements, etc., and take other measures, including legal action, to deal with the problem of copied products.
《Explanation》 In this industry, the problem of copying has been raised repeatedly, regardless of whether it is a game machine, an amusement machine, or a ride, but in the end, there are many cases where the copying problem is left unresolved.
Incidentally, industrial property rights such as design rights, utility model rights, trademark rights, and patent rights are, of course, rights recognized by law and are established through legal procedures. When a copied product appears in opposition to such industrial property rights, it is considered an infringement of those rights and can be sanctioned by law.
In addition, regarding the specific issues such as the scope of industrial property rights, it is in accordance with each published "public bulletin," and even if there is any doubt, the court will make a judgment to determine whether the matter is black or white.
However, it is said that so far, it has been difficult to make this an open dispute in the industry. In this sense, it will be interesting to see how this issue plays out.
In addition, as a traditional member of the AM Show management, the company's president has long complained about the copy issue, and from his position as vice president of the Japan Amusement Park Association (JAA), new developments in the relationship with the JAA are anticipated.
We are very pleased to receive your generous support and praise for our new product, F-1, and we are proud to be its developer. Although this is only on paper, we would like to express our deepest gratitude. In addition, we will continue to strive for further enhancement of our production system to meet your demand, and we would like to ask for your continued support and encouragement.
Rumors of the creation of a counterfeit F-1 have been circulating to our company with considerable veracity since last winter, and it is a matter of deep concern to those of us who are striving to improve the social standing of our industry through free and fair competition and the establishment of industry morals. As you are aware, our F-1 is manufactured by integrating various technologies, including simulation methods, stereoscopic image projection methods, etc. We are determined to take a firm attitude toward securing these rights, as they are the result of our own research and development, including those that have been confirmed as industrial property rights and several others that are currently under application.
Therefore, the manufacture of counterfeit products, as well as the use or handling of such counterfeit products, will directly cause inconvenience to the users or distributors concerned.
We would like to express our sincere hope that this will not cause any trouble with our long-time customers.
2-8-5 Tamagawa, Ota-ku, Tokyo Nakamura Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
For some time there has been a dispute between the two companies listed below, regarding a driving game machine that Taito Corporation recently purchased from another company, its shape and appearance being similar to the driving game machine F-1 manufactured and sold by Namco Limited, but the dispute has been resolved amicably through discussions between the two companies.
In resolving the above, both companies regret that there is a tendency in this industry to simply copy, which is a practice that calls into question the decency of businesses, and have agreed to make further efforts together to rectify the situation in the future for the sake of the industry's credibility and authority.
We would like to express our deepest apologies for any inconvenience and concern this dispute may have caused to the industry and would like to report the amicable settlement of the dispute and ask for your continued patronage in the future.
Thank you very much for your continued patronage. We would like to thank you again for the large number of purchases and favorable response to our F-1 product.
With regard to the problem of Zed Machine, which has caused some concerns to everyone, a provisional injunction order has already been issued by the court against a certain company that manufactured it, and of the companies that handled the Zed Machine, an amicable settlement has been reached with Taito as shown in the letter of greeting to the left. Other related companies are also urged to resolve this issue as soon as possible in order to establish order in the industry and to protect their rights in accordance with the spirit of this document. Furthermore, we would like to ask all of you who are currently using Zed Machine to contact us as soon as possible in order to resolve the issue amicably.
