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CEATEC 2012 wrap-up: concept cars, eye-tracking tech and motion sensors galore
CEATEC, Japan's largest annual electronics show, is winding down here on the outskirts of Tokyo. We've spent the past two days scouring the halls of the Makuhari Messe, digging up no shortage of concept cars, eye-tracking technologies and even the odd Windows 8 device. The star of the show may have been Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo, with its gaze-controlled prototypes and real-time translation app, but there were plenty of other gadgets on hand to peak our interest -- even if many of them won't make it to market anytime soon. Have a look for yourself by browsing our complete CEATEC 2012 coverage past the break.
We're live from CEATEC 2012 in Chiba, Japan!
Japan's annual electronics expo is about to kick off in the Tokyo suburb of Chiba, and we've settled down for the week to deliver a peek inside Makuhari Messe, where local carriers will demonstrate their R&D wares, a fair share of robots are expected make their debut and component manufacturers will provide a hint of what's to come. And, because the Tokyo Motor Show is held only once every two years, that winter exhibition will make a smaller appearance within these Chiba halls, with vehicle designers showing off their latest contributions to the automotive industry. The fun begins in just a few minutes, when dozens of diligent guards will lift the gates to the show. As always, you can follow along from home without spending a single yen. Just keep an eye on our homepage, or head over to the CEATEC 2012 tag for a complete roster of this year's show coverage.
Tokyo Game Show 2011 draws largest crowd ever as show floor continues to shrink
Though shrinking booth sizes and publishers entirely skipping this year's event characterized the Tokyo Game Show, it saw its highest attendance numbers ever in 2011, according to the event's organizers. Over four days, the event drew 222,668 visitors, averaging 85K people on the two public days and 26K on the two "industry" days. TGS grew by 15,021 visitors in 2011 (3.25 percent), with each of its four days seeing individual growth as well. The next show has been scheduled for 2012, and will take place from September 20 through September 23, once again at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. We'll be on-site for breaking news, liveblogs, and, of course, videos of Rappies. We've also got our usual list of ... alternative statistics after the break.
Nintendo World 2011's 3DS games unveiled
Nintendo's official website for Nintendo World 2011, next month's public showing of the 3DS in Japan, has been updated, now highlighting the full list of games to be shown during the Tokyo event. Playable versions of everything from MGS3: Snake Eater to Pilotwings Resort will be on hand, though, bizarrely, some demos that were playable at this year's E3 will be for display only, including Starfox 64 3D. Nintendo has also announced that the 3DS will make an appearance at next month's World Hobby Fair (also in Japan) and at two Japanese outlet shopping centers, according to 1UP. We suspect you'd find the shortest lines at those outlets, but, personally, we'd rather take our chances at the Makuhari Messe event to check out the long list of titles (found after the break) than watch a few demos at the local Uniqlo.
Japanese 3DS showcase named 'Nintendo World 2011'
Nintendo opened the official website for its previously announced public 3DS demo event (in Japan -- calm down), dubbing the showcase "Nintendo World 2011." Taking place from January 8 - 10 in Hall 9 of the Makuhari Messe convention center (home of Tokyo Game Show), admission to the event will be free for the public. Unfortunately, none of the games on display have been listed, but the event's website promises more info as January draws closer. It's not clear whether this event will become a regular shindig or not -- Nintendo holds events sporadically in Japan, but the 3DS is anomalous in being most effectively marketed in person. Regardless, Nintendo World 2011 will mark the first time the general public will get its hands on Nintendo's next big thing. Given our experience with the handheld at E3, we suspect the public is in for a good time.
3DS Shopping Channel unveiled
During Nintendo's investors briefing today, president and CEO Satoru Iwata offered the first peek at the 3DS "Shopping Channel," showing off its themed "racks." While it's unclear what specifically these themes will be, according to Andriasang's report, each rack will highlight games appropriate to its theme. In addition to basic descriptions, games on offer (including GameBoy titles!) will feature video clips, demos and player ratings. Basic search functionality will also be incorporated into the channel. (A short video of Nintendo's preview is available after the break, taken from the investors presentation.) Iwata also announced a public 3DS demo event for January ... in Japan. From January 8–10, Chiba's Makuhari Messe -- home to the Tokyo Game Show -- will open its doors in an effort to "convey the message of 3D visuals to players." Iwata said the event is intended to quell any skepticism about the forthcoming device's glasses-free 3D functionality. More events, though not as large, will be held in other parts of Japan, but no mention has been made of any North American skeptic-squashing soirees yet.
Tokyo Game Show 2008 is 'Ready for Game Time' on Oct. 9 to 12
In the midst of GDC comes word from Japan that this year's Tokyo Game Show has been dated. Get ready for October 9 to 12 at the usual home of Makuhari Messe in Chiba City. Organizers have already announced this year's theme: "Ready for GAME Time!" (sic). As opposed to every other year when they were just practicing for game time. Seriously, we're having a hard time grasping at this one. Previous themes include "Link up, Reach out, To the World" (2007) and "New Excitement. New Sensations. A New Generation" (2006).
TGS 2008 dated Oct. 9-12
Tokyo Game Show organizer CESA has announced that the annual trade show will be held October 9-12 this year, several weeks later than its typical September arrival. TGS 2008 will be hosted in the show's usual spot, the Makuhari Messe convention center, and, like last year, the first two days will be closed to the public. With E3 retaining an invite-only policy, expect TGS to continue to be the world's largest games event, with Leipzig Game Convention a close second.[Via Gamasutra]
Virtua Fighter 5 tournament scheduled for AOU 2007
You can never have enough Virtua Fighter, as we've been reminded while playing the sublime PS3 version of VF5 over the past fortnight. It's a game that successfully caters for every type of player, from wide-eyed novices to sharp-eyed experts -- and those groups could well clash north of Tokyo tomorrow, where Sega is holding a "Fight of the Century" Virtua Fighter 5 tournament at Japan's annual AOU arcade game exhibition. The competition will take place in the VF5 corner of Sega's huge AOU booth, with 64 players (each of whom must have their own VF.Net access card in order to take part) fighting it out for the title of "Fighter of the Century." There's no big prize on offer (Sega isn't as generous as From Software), but that title will be coveted by Japan's Virtua Fighter hardcore and we expect the competition to be very serious indeed. The tournament will be played on Version B of VF5, which is the same build that Sega has ported to the PS3.
