Draft:E-amusement pass

The e-amusement pass, formerly stylised as "e-AMUSEMENT PASS", is an IC Card used to record gameplay data (high scores, character abilities, etc.) for arcade games compatible with Konami's "E-Amusement" online arcade game connection service. . The first game compatible with the service was Baseball Heroes, released in November 2005.

Beginning with MAHJONG FIGHT CLUB ultimate version (麻雀格闘倶楽部 ultimate version), which was released to arcades on November 17, 2010, mobile phones supporting Osaifu-Keitai, and FeliCa cards, could be used as e-amusement passes in some titles.

As of September 5, 2018, "e-AMUSEMENT PASS" began officially being stylised in all lowercase as "e-amusement pass".

Overview
Konami had previoiusly employed e-amusement compatible magnetic stripe cards, known as "Entry Cards", but these were exclusive to each title and could not be used on other games. For instance, the entry card for "beatmania IIDX 9th Style" could not be used for "pop'n music 9". In addition to this, even for the same title, an entry card for a particular entry in a series could not be used in a new release, and so cards had to be repurchased.

First generation (1st edition)
Design features a picture of a world map on a red background. The material is cardboard. Printing on both sides of the card was easy to peel off.

Second generation (1st edition)
Introduced on April 25, 2008, the e-amusement pass design now consists of a world map, and two circles on a silver background. The card's material was changed to plastic, and a protective coating was applied to both sides to improve durability (the material change was made starting with the QMA5 limited edition Riel card). A version with only the brand logo part replaced was released.

Third generation (2nd edition)
Launched in April 2016, consisting of a simple white and red design. Security features were added to prepare for the development of the at the time unfinished development of PASELI, but due to these security features, these cards are not compatible with some older models of arcade machine. The cards also state that they are for use in Japan only, and includes a disclaimer warning against issues caused by using e-amusement passes outside of Japan (which primarily includes Korea, where e-amusement compatible game machines are in operration).

Fourth generation (3rd edition)
Released in September 2018. The design features polka dots on a red and white background. Starting with this version of the e-amusement pass, the name "e-amusement pass" is written in all lowercase, which coincided with the same change made on official websites. The "Amusement IC" icon appears on the lower left of the front, and on the right on the reverse side in some limited editions.

The 20-digit numeric access code replaces the 16-character alphanumeric card number (or user code) on the rear. Either number can be used to register on the e-amusement website, and the access code is displayed separately from the card number after registration.

Starting October 25, 2018, the reciprocal use of "Amusement IC" with Sega Interactive's Bandai Namco Amusement's Banapassport commenced Category:Online games Category:Smart cards