Ledo Millennium and Leyou Technologies may have acquired the majority of SNK Playmore for the purpose of expanding their franchises, however it seems SNK is currently focusing on the slot machine market.

A fierce competitor with Capcom in the Fighting game genre, SNK Playmore was acquired by Ledo Millennium, a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies. Following the $63.5 million purchase, Ledo Millennium plans on expanding SNK’s franchises with future video games, anime, feature-films and other forms of media.

SNK is notable for their rich history of Fighters and their internal cross-over King of Fighters series, however the developer/publisher is also responsible for producing pachinko, slot, and hybrid “pachislot” machines in Southeast Asia. Representatives of SNK Playmore held a press conference in Suita, Osaka, JP yesterday evening for their latest pachislot machine, Beast Busters. During the presentation, President Koichi Toyama and a representative of SNK’s slot machine division hinted at the future plans of the company, with pachinko and slot machines being their primary focus. According to SNK, their objective with developing pachislot machines is to “make hall owners and pachinko slot fans happy by delivering new challenges for them to enjoy”. With SNK’s classic franchises as the backbone for future machines, the developer hopes to reign in a younger audience, as “youths in their 20’s are losing interest in the market”.

SNK Playmore isn’t the first Japanese publisher to set their sights on the slot machine market, as Konami is focusing on slot machines as one of their new primary platforms, evidenced by the recent reveal of a Silent Hill pachislot machine.

SNK’s first pachislot machine released in 2004, with a slot/pachinko adaptation of Metal Slug. Pachislot machines are more eccentric than standard pachinko and slot cabinets, as they feature additional simulated game modes, cutscenes and bonuses based around the source material.

Sources: Goraku-Sangyo, SNK Playmore
Image courtesy of SNK Playmore