Derived Regulation

Guess who went to the 2009 Tokyo Game Show

Oct 1, 2009 22:30

Come for the games, stay for the booth babes. (Or is it the other way around?)

Don't expect a preview of your favorite games here. Established video game sites had access to much better material than I could dig up. Instead, I'll share my little excursion as well as a few of the games that I have yet to see other media outlets cover.

Like Tokyo itself, TGS is overwhelming from the moment you step in and feel the energy of the crowds and exhibits. It's geek culture gone mainstream that justifies the years spent staring at a pixelated avatar jumping over bottomless pits and spitting fireballs. It felt like coming home.



I was only able to attend the first of the two days it was open to the public. 90 minutes before the opening hour, I took my place among the faithful. The line was already snaking halfway around Messe Makuhari Convention Center and would eventually coil around the building and further. Most were waiting patiently, but some were faithfully tapping away on their Nintendo DSi consoles or PSPs. While predominantly male, girls were not difficult to spot.



At 10am on the dot, the line suddenly surged forward as the revelers were allowed entry. Near the main entrance, I was greeted by one of my favorite game publishers: Capcom. After Street Fighter 4 and the new Biohazard, I didn't expect anything big from the company this year, but it still managed to put on a respectable showing with Okami on the DS and Ghost Trick. Point-and-click adventure games appear to be enjoying a renaissance, thanks to Capcom's own Ace Attorney series and the fine folks over at Telltale Games.



Now, if only Capcom would give me a new Mega Man game without the excessive RPG elements (Mega Man ZX, I'm looking at you). I could die happy.



The Big Knucklehead Award goes to the person who thought it would be a good idea to place Konami (Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker) and Square Enix (Final Fantasy ad infinitum) right next to each other. Between the Solid Snake wannabes and androgynous male cosplayers, that entire area was jammed to the hilt, bringing traffic to a near stand-still.



Not to be outdone, Sega, awkwardly positioned in front of both Konami and Square Enix, put on a stageshow involving kawaii girls in tight costumes prancing around and singing on stage. Maybe they were trying to help us forget the travesty they've allowed the Sonic franchise to become. Previews of the next 2D Sonic game, a teaser which was released before TGS, was unfortunately nowhere to be found.



Forcing my way through the crowd I made my way to Microsoft's booth which was decked out in Xbox 360 white and green. I'd crossed all my fingers hoping for a public demonstration of Project Natal, which was housed in a room open only to the press. The rest of us had to content ourselves with the thought that behind that thin wall was a prototype for what could be the next leap in video game technology.



Microsoft teased us, make no mistake. Monitors looped videos of Japanese developers talking about the potential Project Natal brings. If that wasn't enough, one of the walls shielding Project Natal had a narrow transluscent strip running across it, enough for us to see people jumping around inside while hiding all the essential details. The only time we saw it in action was in the form of a 2-minute live demonstration that was broadcast onto the monitors every half hour.

The one I caught had Kudo Tsunoda playing Space Invaders, stepping left-and-right to steer the ship and gesturing his arms upward to shoot. The broadcast showed a clear need for calibration as the ship would continue to edge sideways even after Kudo had stopped moving. The difference in timings between real and virtual actions is going to be an interesting challenge for these guys: How are you going to simulate a two-story jump in a video game world when the player can stay airborne for only less than a second?



While Project Natal is working on immersing the gamer into the virtual world, Tachi Labs was hard at work on getting virtual characters to interact with the real world. Its project Twinkle involved a board with various objects either stuck or drawn on (fire, leaves, stairs...). Using a handheld device that looks and functions like a flashlight, you project your character onto the board and watch it react as you move her over the various objects. Try to move her through the leaves and she'll resist. Walk her through the fire and she'll burst into flames (dip her into the river to put her out). Very cute and I can see it being used in pre-school education to teach kids the dangers of fire and what-nots.

Some developers seem convinced that 3D gaming is going to explode. Not 3D polygons models or movements in 3D space, but the 1980s-style retro 3D movies complete with tacky glasses. I tried my hand at a brawler-type game called The Legend of Hu Tao (I forget the actual name. It was The Legend of something). Watching the action without the 3D glasses would give you a migraine (see the photo below).



To be honest, I really don't believe that video games are heading in this direction (remember the Virtual Boy?). While the visual effects were somewhat impressive--at one point, ninjas throw grappling hooks toward the screen--I have a hard time believing that we're going to willingly wear a pair of these:



Get rid of the glasses, then we'll talk.

One game that made me think was Let's Tap. A few years back when I was learning magic, my teacher was developing tricks that acted as rehabilitation exercises for those who had problems moving their fingers and hands. The demo for Let's Tap placed the Wiimote on what looked like an empty tissue box and you controlled your character by drumming your fingers and tapping the box. I wonder if you could develop rehabilitation exercises with the Wii.

You can't walk out of TGS without some swag. Here are some of the more interesting things I picked up :D



As I mentioned earlier, I'm a huge fan of Capcom. So I couldn't resist picking up both the Street Fighter and Rockman (Mega Man) art books.



The Chiptuned Rockman CD was touted by Capcom as being a TGS exclusive. I'm counting the days till I see a torrent.



I love the Rabbids and Ubisoft was giving out this mask just in time for Halloween!



Alienware was there pimping its "All Powerful" machines as the best gaming hardware. In fact, it placed that very tagline where everyone would see it:



And what better way to segue into photos of the girls?











I wish I had a better camera...

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