Like other E-Amusement Cloud games, it is likely that this will be in Japan only as the features for this service probably make use of Paseli, Tickets or other stuffs required. For Beatmania IIDX Infinitas, it uses the monthly subscription model by credit card or Paseli. You may probably think that it is a PC game but this actually uses Cloud Gaming in a different way. The game data is stored locally with the player data being stored on servers similar to MMO games you play on the PC or consoles but the trick is that this sort of cloud gaming uses Paseli, Tickets or some other stuffs to start the game. To release this service outside of Japan is like Konami extorting you online through your credit cards to play their E-Amusement Cloud games but don't be fooled, it's still cloud gaming unless you're ignorant on what it means.
Like Beatmania IIDX Infinitas, Sound Voltex III had gone alpha-testing before getting finalized. Unfortunately, unlike Beatmania IIDX Infinitas, a controller for Sound Voltex III is highly recommended as it is painful and weird to play with the keyboard. Your skills feel crippled when playing with the keyboard so a Sound Voltex controller is a better experience you can get. One cool thing is that you can synchronize your play data between Sound Voltex III E-Amusement Cloud version and Sound Voltex IV for the arcades but that is when Sound Voltex III on E-Amusement Cloud has gone gold. As the game has gone alpha phase, YOUR PLAY DATA is NOT linked to the arcade version of Sound Voltex. It will be gone at the end of the alpha-testing.
Then, there was the legal warning message saying that the game is to be used in Japan only and yet, there are people outside of Japan who managed to play it. In theory, the service should be region-blocked. However, they can bypass that with VPN and who knows if there will be a lawsuit or not as that technically tells lies that you are from that country which I find it bad ever since I told the shopkeepers that concern about buying games from foreign digital stores. Sure, the company behind the services or digital stores won't find out about this but I think it's best that you buy from your local digital store and you're safe that way. Better yet, there should be Asian/US release of Beatmania IIDX Infinitas and Sound Voltex III but it won't be the same without cloud gaming stuffs and the way to start the game sounds fraudulent. Perhaps, the monthly subscription is the only way for Asian/US release of E-Amusement Cloud since there's no Paseli support. I told Bemanistyle on Twitter about these and region-locking this service may mean more disgusting cussing from those non-Japanese Bemani players. Sure, the arcades were revived in modern form in US thanks to Round 1 in which you get to play Bemani games there but to see future releases of Konami games on consumer systems is a difficult bet and especially that Beatmania IIDX Infinitas and Sound Voltex III are parts of cloud gaming platform, NOT consumer systems.
Lastly, like Beatmania IIDX Infinitas, Sound Voltex III for E-Amusement Cloud will have its own official controller but that will be out sometime in Autumn this year.
