Sega does Empire arcade deal
Ford Racing to become coin-op.
Empire Interactive's million selling racing franchise, Ford Racing, is set to attract an entirely new audience this spring, following a new licensing agreement with SEGA that will see the series roaring into European arcades.
Featuring a choice of cars which includes the '78 Ford Capri, Ford GT concept, the latest Focus Rally car and more, Empire's top-selling franchise will be released as Ford Racing: Full Blown when it hits arcades on SEGA machines this March.
SEGA CEO Paul Williams commented: "SEGA's new partnership with Empire allows it to realise the drive to localise games - Ford Racing has been specifically designed to appeal to European tastes. The project is a first for SEGA and opens up the future for our product output."
Ian Higgins, CEO at Empire Interactive, added: "Ford Racing is one of our most popular franchises and we are very excited to see it make the move to the arcades and extend the franchise in this way. The previous success of Ford Racing promises great results for SEGA."
SEGA's arcade division continues to expand and remains a profitable sector of the business, following the publisher's exit from the home console market and its acquisition by Sammy, which holds a major interest in Japanese and global arcade markets.