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Joystiq hands-on: Ridge Racer 7 (PS3)
Namco Bandai's Ridge Racer 7 is gorgeous. After 36 minutes of waiting in line and 13 seconds of loading screens, we got a chance to play a track of one of the few PS3 games running in 1080p. The attention to detail is impressive, including: Taillights blur and stretch while in tunnels Effective shadowing and reflections against your car When nitro is activated, giant flames blast out from the back of your car and the environments blur accordingly. One thing we noticed was that you could not damage your car -- not by running into other cars, skidding against the side rails, or ramming straight into a wall. And while all tires left tracks, they would disappear by the next lap.Everything else is what you'd expect from a racing game. Is it incredibly realistic? Not really, but the game was still pretty fun, and one of the few titles that pushed the PS3s graphics capabilities. Favorite moment: Everyone in line, myself include, finished the race by drifting our cars to the point where we crossed the finish line backwards.
TGS: Bootlegged MGS4 trailer given clarity
The Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer we reported yesterday is now available in higher quality. Enjoy with more clarity Snake's oil drum-rolling antics (Snakes in a Barrel anyone?) and an incident involving bird poop and what might be Gray Fox / Frank Jaeger. The video is embedded below for your convenience, compliments of Game Videos.
TGS: PS3 game case revealed
To the right of a long wall of playable PS3 demos (and a few trailers running on PS3s), Sony had on hand two PlayStation 3 units encased in cylindrical glass. Unlike previous viewings, this time Sony showed off what we presume is the final case design for its PS3 games.The two cases shown were for Grand Turismo HD and Heavenly Sword. The case designs were identical to what IGN reported about a few weeks back. However, both their mockup and our my speculation were off regarding the outside shell, which is translucent and features only a tiny Blu-ray engraving in the top-left corner of the box.More pictures of the cases after the break.See Also:PS3 box shot: Photoshop at its finest?
Sony's trainwreck of a keynote [update 1]
In responding to our live coverage of Ken Kutaragi's keynote at TGS earlier this morning, one Joystiq commenter wrote, "Gee, if this keynote was as boring being there as it was to read about, then Sony's in for a world of hurt." We're here to tell you that it was worse. Way worse. You, dear reader, can dismiss the browser window containing that text with a click of your mouse, confident that nothing important was said. We, however, had to sit through the entire painful hour next to a European fellow who, if he ever owned any deodorant, had surely not used it in the last 48 hours. During the keynote, the DS pictochat room that had fallen silent sprang to life as bored attendees decided to entertain themselves, since it was clear that Ken Kutaragi had no intention of doing so. After the keynote, we head the words "meltdown," "total disaster," and "trainwreck" bandied about the press room. This keynote was worse -- way worse -- than Sony's E3 showing. To be fair, part of the issue is that the translators Sony hired for this event were simply unable to keep up with the technical nature of the talk. They stumbled on common terms like VoIP. They used a limited vocabulary that made Kutaragi sound like a repetitive rambler who hit the sauce something fierce prior to the speech. (Of course, we don't know whether Kutaragi had a three-martini breakfast prior to the keynote, but we're wishing we had snuck in a flask of something to help us through the hour.)
TGS 06: PSP Fanboy gives away prizes
We've been avoiding sleep to give you the best coverage of the Tokyo Game Show possible. There's so much to go through that it may seem a bit daunting to read all the news that's pouring in. Well, don't give up! Here's a nice incentive that should provide enough motivation for you to keep it locked to the Fanboy.Post a comment in any story with "TGS 06" in the title and you'll be entered to receive one of TWO PSP gear pouches from SFBags. These bags range from $29 to $39 and let you carry your PSP, UMDs and accessories in one convenient bag. Tokyo Game Show continues all weekend long, so make sure you're always checking in.Contest ends 9/26/06. Limit 1 comment/entry per post. No purchase necessary. Open to US residents only. Thanks, SFBags!
PictoChat users sign off on Ken's keynote
While waiting for Ken Kutaragi's Tokyo Game Show keynote to begin, we fired up our trusty DSs to capture the zeitgeist of the audience: a mixture of press, VIPs, camerapeople, and sneaky stowaways. Despite a slow start, the chatroom quickly filled up and, by the time the speech began, they were all chatting up a storm. Yes, we know, that DS users feedback on Sony's latest and greatest may seem a bit unbalanced, but only if you subscribe to a one console, one gamer mentality. Many of the people in this chatroom were just as excited to be there as we were, and just as hopeful that Ken had an ace up his sleeve.Read on for more clever quips and creative artwork from inside the Sony TGS keynote.
Dreamcast at TGS: a relic from the past
Located across from the From Software lineup, the Sega Dreamcast's presence at this year's Tokyo Game Show was rather weak. Amounting to just one box from years past, this lonely Dreamcast box can do nothing but watch children play PS2 games from across the walkway.Don't fret, Dreamcast, we still remember you. The last time Dreamcast officially had a TGS viewing was 2001 (we believe; correct us if we're wrong), when it announced Shenmue 2 wouldn't be released in the US.[Update 1: forgot the "2" in Shenmue 2.]
TGS: Blogging Ken Kutaragi's PS3 keynote [update 1]
It's hot and humid outside the room in which Sony's Ken Kutaragi will deliver the most anticipated keynote address of Tokyo Games Show. The journalists who are queuing up are sure to be tired and cranky by the time they get into the show, ensuring, perhaps, a properly sceptical reception for the tsu-hype-nami to follow.After a raucous round of DS PictoChat, the keynote starts at 10:11am. Introducing Ken Kutaragi, CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment, reading from his latest work, "PS3 Creating Next Generation of Computer Entertainment."Sony asks us to refrain from taking pictures of demo stuff. Fine, we'll oblige, but we won't like it. 'Cause you wouldn't want to show off the product you want everyone to buy in a couple months. Instead, we'll provide some additional color commentary, courtesy the press and attendees hanging out in the DS PictoChat chatroom.
Surprise PS3 news from TGS [update 4]
Right after delivering a keynote address that can best be described as uneventful, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Ken Kutaragi was interviewed by a well-known Japanese reporter and let drop two new details that Kutaragi called "secrets." First: the basic PlayStation 3 will retail for under ¥50,000 in Japan, 5% consumption tax included. Kutaragi quoted a price of ¥49,800 for the console. The announcement met with more enthusiastic applause from the audience than anything said or shown during the keynote in the hour prior. Does this indicate that the PS3 may be up for a price reduction in the United States? (In today's dollars, ¥49,800 yen is approximately $425 USD. The same version of the PS3 has been priced at $499 in the US.) Second: In answer to a question about HD capability, Kutaragi noted that in the days since the E3 press conference, "the importance of HDMI has come earlier than expected." At the time of E3, no television included HDMI support, said Kutaragi. In the months since, however, HDMI has solidified and has been introduced to more products. Therefore, Sony has decided to include HDMI in the console. [Update 1: fixed a typo, added photograph.] [Updates 2, 3: Sony just posted this press release confirming the price drop (Japan only) and HDMI-support. Word in the press room is that HDMI support for the lower-priced console is worldwide. The press release is in Japanese only for now.] [Update 4: Sony has just released an English-language translation of the same information. Click "continue" below for the full text of that release.]
TGS 06: Sony Conference [Updated]
Getting ready for Tokyo Game Show where Sony's press conference is about to begin. They will obviously speak a great deal on PlayStation 3, but will they mention anything about the PSP? Keep refreshing this page throughout the hour to see updates as they happen.9:45PM EST Ken Kutaragi says the internet has gotten much, much faster now. WOW! Thanks!!!9:58PM EST PlayStation 3 will feature downloadable PlayStation games, akin to PSP's ability to download PS1 games. Also, Turbografx and Genesis games will be available for download, a la Wii.10:10PM EST Sony officially has worst press conference ever. Afrika is the only "game" shown.Internet, please start flaming Sony. GO! Just in case it wasn't obvious, that was it. One hour of absolutely nothing. It's going to be hard to be a Sony fanboy after this...
Bleach trailer: ass kicking at its finest
Whether or not you're a fan of the anime Bleach, it's hard to argue with a good round of ass kickery. One of the first things we thought of when the WiiVolution was first introduced, way back in the long ago time of 2005, was a fighting game. What better use for the controller than beating down your best good friends?Bleach looks to do just that. This new trailer is equal parts gameplay footage and hot Wiimote-swinging action. Check it out after the jump.
TGS: Lost Planet and Viva Piata video
We know, it's been a slow couple of days if you don't like RPGs, and even though X360F is the one that brought you videos of all this turn based crap, we feel your pain. As such, we'd like to make amends with not one, but two videos of games that don't star doe-eyed pixie people with spiky hair. The first is a very long video of Viva Piñata that you can see above. The second video -- one we imagine is more interesting to action fans -- is of Lost Planet. Make sure you watch for the multiplayer madness at the end. Let's never fight again, okay?
PlayStation 3 and packaging spotted in the wild
Oh deary us, pictures of the PlayStation 3 before it's launched? Looks a lot like some Sony dudes setting up at TGS when these were snapped, we can't imagine anywhere else in the world right now that would require such a setup. So what if we want our cake (Wii), and to eat it too (PS3) -- we could live with all three next-gen consoles.[Thanks, Iboro Ekpo]
Metal Gear Solid 4 in late 2007, hopefully -- new trailer for now
According to a Famitsu report, Hideo Kojima estimates that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will need at least another year's worth of development time before it's finished. While Kojima had previously promised to deliver in 2007, he's narrowed that window to late 2007 -- at the earliest. For now, Konami is offering a new trailer, which is currently premiering at Tokyo Game Show.The new trailer -- partially captured in bootleg form from the show floor here & here -- is allegedly 100% gameplay, although Konami has tweaked the camera perspective for clarity. At just 6 minutes, it's significantly shorter than the E3 presentation, but reveals new gameplay elements, including stealth items (e.g. an oil drum), the Octocam suit, and a shift from stealth-orientated missions to player's choice gameplay (i.e. you have a goal and are free to decide how to achieve it).[Thanks, nijah]
Microsoft TGS briefing video now available
If there is one completely memorable moment for us in the Microsoft TGS press briefing, it was seeing DOAX2 announced as a "sports" title. That ... is hilarious. Xbox.com has posted two videos of the Microsoft TGS briefing. One is the entire briefing, full of Japanese goodness, and the other is only Peter Moore's remarks. The whole conference clocks in at just under an hour. There are no trailers or anything we typically associate with press briefings so, if you don't speak Japanese, we'd suggest you stick with the Peter More video.The conference does a good job of emphasizing all things Japanese -- complete with Peter Moore humbling himself to Pac-Man creator, Toru Iwatani. Of course, Blue Dragon gets its fair share -- Sakaguchi-san talks it up for quite a while near the end. Perhaps the most bizarre bit is Microsoft's marketing slogan for Japan: "Do! Do! Do!" Let's hope that didn't come from the same marketing team that did all those "playtests" of the original Xbox control.We'll go ahead and say that things look better than they have in the past for MS in Japan. As usual, it's the games stupid, and Microsoft showed up with more actual Japanese titles than ever before. Will it help? Who knows, but they're definitely heading in the right direction.[Via Major Nelson]360 at the Tokyo Game Show:Today's Marketplace content, 9/21DOAX2 video makes us feel naughtyLost Odyssey intro videoVideo of Trusty BellSee Blue Dragon gameplay (finally)
TGS: Today's Marketplace content, 9/21 [update 1]
Another day, another batch of content. TGS rolls on, and Microsoft gives us more to drool over. Now, without further ado, today's content:Vista Game MontageFusion Frenzy 2 trailer (Weren't we just talking about this?)Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom trailerTeam Fortress 2 trailerTable Tennis trailer (Japan only)TGS ThemeWe haven't had a chance to watch any of these, but we'll give you the skinny once we do. If anybody spots one of these trailers floating around the interweb, send us a tip and we'll post it.360 at the Tokyo Game Show:DOAX2 video makes us feel naughtyLost Odyssey intro videoVideo of Trusty BellSee Blue Dragon gameplay (finally)And the mystery XBLA game is ...Update: We've realized there will be a lot of content in the next few weeks. Changed headline to reflect the date that the content went up.
TGS: DOAX2 video makes us feel naughty
The TGS video madness continues with this clip of Dead or Alive Xtreme 2. We all know DOAX2 is about watching digital hotties in swimsuits, but this is just south of ridiculous. Just when you thought Itagaki and friends couldn't get any raunchier (remember the E3 video?), they go and make this. Let's just say this: the video is technically safe for work, but don't let anyone catch you watching it. Before checking out the video, we would be remiss if we didn't note a few things. One, it looks like the hair physics have improved since DOA4. Two, the game should hit the States on November 15th (before Japan actually). Our Japanese is rusty, but we're guessing that the date mentioned for Europe was "coming soon" -- can anyone translate? Click onward if you dare; you have been warned.
Mysterious XBLA franchise still a mystery?
When my esteemed colleague Richard Mitchell reported that Microsoft's hyped-up XBLA news turned out to be four fun, but admittledly underwhelming titles, he said he hoped he was wrong. Now Godfree from GamerTag Radio is ready to make Richard's day with some quotes that indicate MS is saving their biggest arcade announcement for next week at X06:If you head over to Gamerscoreblog.com they posted TGS 2006 Xbox Media Briefing news & pictures on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 2:07 AM. But here where you can tell [360 PR dude] John [Porcaro] is playing with our minds with a hint. On the post Xbox Crew Running Wild in Tokyo Streets" posted on September 20, 2006 8:36 AM after the Media Briefing:We swore him to secrecy on a number of things... Peter Moore reminded us all that "what happens in Shinjuku stays in Shinjuku." I'm not sure what he meant by that....Porcaro himself posted this comment on the thread:Or maybe I should have said "what happens in Montana stays in Montana"Montana? Is this some sort of clue to the identity of the new game, or does John just have some secrets buried in Big Sky Country?
Video of Xbox 360 HD DVD player in action
We've already got the info on the Japanese prices and 1080p support (whether it's really necessary/useful or not), but how about we see the thing in action. Microsoft gave a live demo of the HD DVD drive at the Tokyo Game Show and the guys from Xboxyde were there to see it. The cam video isn't HD, only 960x540, but you can get a good look at the much-ballyhooed special interactive features of the Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift HD DVD coming soon, as well as the Xbox 360's ability to bring the guide up as the movie continues to play in the background. Even if you're not thinking of getting the HD DVD add-on, who could miss a moment of the glory that is Fast and the Furious 3? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
TGS: Lost Odyssey intro video
Yet more cinematic RPG goodness from the Tokyo Game Show, this time from the other Mistwalker game, Lost Odyssey. Lost Odyssey is a game about a man who has lived for over a thousand years. If this intro video is any indication, he apparently lived that long by kicking ass. Check out the video after the break. Be sure and watch the very end when the intro snaps right into real time play. Very slick.
