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Razer's customizable fight stick returns to TGS for final beta, is still nameless (video)
Remember that disassembly friendly, unnamed Xbox 360 arcade stick Razer trotted out at TGS last year? It's back, and while it hasn't gained any traction in the moniker category, it's received a few notable hardware tweaks. Razer's TGS team told us the stick has been through a total of thirteen revisions since it entered closed beta last year, and is now entering its final beta before production. Leveraging feedback from over 200 enthusiasts, Razer has made a number of tweaks to the controller, including alternative joystick tops, an included miniature screwdriver and a honeycomb screw-mount bottom so modders can install custom PCBs. The new unit also wears an acrylic cover, allowing perspective buyers to swap Razer's default artwork for a custom inlay. Just like last year, this unit features Sanwa Denshi components -- but picky players will be able to swap them out for their preferred parts without fear of voiding their warranty. Razer couldn't tell us how long the final beta phase would last, and only said that the stick would be released once it was "perfect." Our host did hazard a guess, however, that it would be out by early next year. Want to see more? Relive our TGS booth visit after the break.
Turtle Beach Ear Force NLa and N11 stereo Wii U headsets hands-on (video)
Nintendo may be MIA at TGS this year (as usual), but that hasn't stopped Turtle Beach -- it brought a pair of Wii U headsets to the show anyway. We dropped by the outfit's booth to take a peek, finding seemingly empty boxes in lieu of product. Turns out they weren't so empty -- the Ear Force N11 and NLa headsets are so lightweight, we didn't even notice they were there. After a brief unboxing, this editor wrapped each set around his head, finding the headband tension of both the over-ear N11 and the on-ear NLa to be just as light as the accessories themselves, squeezing my skull with only the gentlest of pressure. The sets' earmuffs seemed built for comfort as well, soft, and not the least bit irritating. Staff on hand told us that the internals weren't quite final, but sound quality aside, we could easily see settling in with either of these products for a long, comfortable gaming session. Both sets arrive later this year -- $35 for the white, on-ear Ear Force NLa cans, and $50 for its black over-ear cousin. See our impressions for yourself in the video after the break.
Sony PlayStation Vita Sapphire Blue hands-on (video)
After breaking from cover at yesterday's pre-TGS presser, the two new PlayStation Vita color variants have gotten cozy at the Sony booth on the show floor. Unlike the quick photo opp that we snagged a few hours ago, we were able to actually fondle the "sapphire blue" model in all its metallic-hued glory. Speaking of shiny exteriors, both the blue and red schemes feature a bit of sparkle along with the slathering of new paint. The duo look quite glittery, giving the two some added flair over the regular ol' black and white versions in addition to the color change. The hardware is the same as the existing models and the key difference is strictly visual. As you can see in the gallery below, the backsides of these Vitas is also covered with the same shimmering color as their facades. The pair will arrive in Japan in November and we're keeping a close watch on availability elsewhere.
Redesigned PS3 caught on camera, up close and personal
After Sony's Tokyo Game Show 2012 press conference, our compadres at Engadget got lots of close-up shots of the re-redesigned PlayStation 3 hardware. While they weren't able to get hands on the unit, it appears that the disc-tray now operates on a sliding mechanism. Furthermore, the newer, slimmer unit seems to come with a stand to stabilize the console in the vertical position.Head over to Engadget for lots of pictures.
Sony's PlayStation Vita gets a blue and red-hued makeover, we take a closer look (eyes-on)
After the new PS3s had their moment in the spotlight at Sony's pre-TGS press event, the company also announced color variants for the PS Vita. We weren't able to fondle the pair just yet, the key difference is quite obvious: "cosmic red" and "sapphire blue" exteriors. Both of the new models share the same glossy coating as the original model, so they're sure to attract your fingerprints. These two round out the paint schemes at four when you include the "crystal white" version that's already been unveiled. While we snag a spot in line for a hands-on at the Sony booth, take a peek at the gallery that follows for a quick look at the duo.%Gallery-165877%
Sony PlayStation 3 (2012) up close and personal (eyes-on)
Just after their pre-TGS announcement, we were able to snag a closer look at Sony's new slimmed-down PlayStation 3 consoles. While we weren't able to put our grubby mitts on the pair, we did get a peek at some of the exterior differences. Aside from the obvious color variations (at least in the white model that's definitely headed for Japan), the first change that immediately jumps out is the absence of the visible disc slot on the console's front. We surmise that discs now load via a sliding tray mechanism of some sort -- a feature that we'll definitely take a closer look at when we grab a full hands-on on the show floor. There's also a grooved design up top, which makes a departure from the smooth casing from the previous models. From the display we took a gander at, an attachable base is included to secure the unit when used vertically. Want a closer look for yourself? Dive in to the gallery below to do just that. %Gallery-165865%
Sony announces a slimmer PlayStation 3, 250GB bundle launches September 25th for $269
A few years ago, Sony pulled the curtain back on a slimmed-down version of its PlayStation 3, and yet another Japan-only version since then. Today at the company's pre-Tokyo Game Show press event, the latest rumored redesign to the PS3 was announced. The new duo gets even smaller in stature and will arrive in stores with both black and white offerings, available in 250GB and 500GB models. The "charcoal black" option has a September 25th launch date for the 250GB bundle (with Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception "Game of the Year Edition") and a $269.99 price tag, while the "classic white" model arrives on November 22 (at least in Japan -- this is a TGS presser after all). For those looking for more storage space, the 500GB, charcoal-only option will be available on October 30th in conjunction with the Assassin's Creed III release -- no word on pricing just yet, though. Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House introduced the new model, calling it 50 percent smaller than the original (rather large) PS3, and 25 percent smaller than the previous slimmed-down version. Sean Buckley and Ben Gilbert contributed to this report. %Gallery-165870% %Gallery-165860% %Gallery-165859%
We're live from Tokyo Game Show 2012 in Tokyo, Japan!
This week Japan's capital city welcomes gamers from around the globe for some show and tell with the country's finest at TGS. As for us, we're particularly anxious to see what Sony may have in store. Will we see another PS3 redesign? Perhaps some buzz about it's next-gen console? Will we see some energized color options for the PS Vita? We're eager to find out. Worried you're too far away to be in the loop with the happenings here? Fret not! We've got you covered on all of the proceedings at Makuhari Messe, so keep your peepers locked here for all of the latest news over the next few days. Sean Buckley contributed to this report.
Microsoft skipping Tokyo Game Show and Gamescom to focus on 'smaller, more localized promotions'
Microsoft's scaling back its three-fold approach to annual gaming conventions, today announcing that it'll skip both Germany's Gamescom in August and Japan's Tokyo Game Show in September. "This year, Xbox will be focusing on smaller, more localized promotions and experiences for press, partners, retailers and customers around the world," Microsoft director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb said on his blog this morning.As a result of that "smaller, more localized" marketing focus, Microsoft's wares "won't be taking part in Gamescom or Tokyo Games Show this year." Hryb noted that "both are still important shows for the industry, and we do wish the organizers well." Microsoft is the second of the big three console manufacturers to bow out of Gamescom, with Nintendo announcing as much earlier this year. Microsoft also attended its last Consumer Electronics Show this past January, signaling to many that the company was turning to Apple-style one-off press events.The Kirkland, Washington-based publisher showed off Halo 4 and "Smart Glass" as major components of its E3 2012 press conference. The company is apparently confident enough in its already announced holiday lineup to skip the largest public game show on the planet.
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.
We don't object to this Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright trailer one bit
Sure, it's all in Japanese. And sure, we're not really sure what's going on as a result, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the latest trailer for Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright on Nintendo 3DS. No plans exist for a US release yet, but Level 5 gives us hope with its recent news about Ni no Kuni. Layton next, please!
Inafune's next game was ready to show at TGS, but he wasn't
Ex-Capcom head of production Keiji Inafune has announced a couple of social titles in development at his company Comcept, and some form of involvement in a female dating sim for PSP, but he's yet to speak about anything in the console realm from his other company, Intercept. He had plans to show off his first console title since leaving Capcom in late 2010 at this year's Tokyo Game Show. So, what happened? "We decided not to," he told me this past weekend. "As for titles which aren't social games," he noted, it would be "very, very soon." He specifically pointed out that his company already had work ready to show, but due to the crowded space, he decided against it. "By the time you guys get back to North America, we might have something releasing," he said. When I told him we'd be flying back the following Monday, September 19, he just laughed and added, "That's a bit too soon, it's going to be a little longer."
Inafune asked to keep working on canned Mega Man projects post-Capcom; Capcom declined
When Mega Man co-creator and former head of production at Capcom Keiji Inafune vacated his long-held position late last year, it was unclear what would happen with the two projects he had just fought to get going -- a long-awaited sequel in the Mega Man Legends series and an ambitious XBLA/PSN Mega Man mashup title. Despite a brief period of support from his former employer, the two games were eventually canceled. Inafune, however, was still fighting for the games after his employment ended. "I really wanted to finish those two projects, especially Legends," Inafune told me in an interview this past weekend at the Tokyo Game Show. "It's really up to Capcom to let me do it or not, and for the moment I don't think they're gonna let me do it," he resignedly added. Apparently after leaving his position at his former employer, he requested to continue working on the project in some capacity as a contractor. Cacpom, however, wasn't interested in that idea. But rather than directly blame Capcom for canceling the two projects -- he's not into pointing fingers, as we already know -- Inafune spoke to his struggle even getting them going.
Let's play the blame game: Inafune on what went wrong with Capcom's original IP push
In the latter half of 2009 and early 2010, Capcom released two major retail games in collaboration with prominent Western devs: Crimson Skies dev Airtight Games created Dark Void, and gun-for-hire Grin rebooted Bionic Commando. Those two games, however, were prominent sales flops. One even contributed to the eventual closure of Swedish dev Grin. For its part, Capcom promptly returned to its tried and true franchises, with a lineup today featuring many more sequels than back in 2009. At the time, Mega Man co-creator Keiji Inafune was overseeing production on Capcom's retail titles, and when I spoke with him this past week at the Tokyo Game Show, I wanted to know what went wrong. Beyond sales, neither game was particularly loved by critics, especially Dark Void. "[It's] very, very simple: The publisher was Japanese and the developer was foreign. Even inside Japan, when you work in two different companies, they always blame each other for any small mistakes, so that's pretty much what happened in those two games -- blaming each other," Inafune explained. He went on to compare those development experiences with that of Dead Rising -- a game that has since become a major franchise for Capcom, not to mention a commercial success.
Tokyo Game Show 2011 wrap-up
All good things must come to an end, and likewise with this year's Tokyo Game Show which wrapped up yesterday. Despite the PS Vita's dominance and the lack of newly-announced hero hardware at the show, we were still able to keep ourselves entertained with the odd peripherals here and there, alongside some very interesting exhibits both at TGS and the Amusement Machine Show next door -- head past the break to humor yourselves. Alternatively, feel free to catch up on our TGS coverage while you're here (we have a list after the break as well), and don't forget to check out our awesome buddies over at Joystiq for even more gaming news. %Gallery-134244%
Crazy Eddie's TGS 2011 Trailer Blowout! It's an Asura's Dogma Army Online of savings!
That's right folks, it may still be Sunday here in the states, but in glorious Nippon it's already Monday, and that means these Tokyo Game Show trailers are priced to move! Our manager is out of town and we've gone crazy!! Just look at these prices: Army Corps of Hell Trailer - Free! Dragon's Dogma Trailer - Free!! Asura's Wrath Trailer - Free!!! Phantasy Star Online 2 Trailer - Price too low to print!! Resident Evil Revelations Trailer - 100 percent off!! Are you still reading this? You'd have to have a toolbox for a head to pass up an opportunity this golden! Jump past the break and find out why Crazy Eddie's Discount Trailer Emporium and Rustic Furniture Showcase is still your number one source for new and used video game footage!
Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos explains what happened to Rock Band Japan
After announcing intentions to bring its Rock Band franchise to the Japanese market way back in the summer of 2008, Harmonix and co-developer Q Entertainment quietly walked away from the project. "Never say never," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos said of the project in a group interview session this week at Tokyo Game Show, answering a question asked by Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft. "We were very much interested in bringing that experience in some form to the Japanese market," he explained. "There were a couple of significant challenges." Beyond the whole "manufacturing and shipping hundreds of thousands more plastic peripherals to an island country" ... thing, Rigopulos lamented issues with licensing Japanese music for the game, which he characterized as "very difficult in Japan, relative to other countries." He also pointed to a rather obvious concern: space limitations in Japanese households. "Even for people who have the space, Japanese families tend to not make a lot of noise in their homes. They generally have a quieter lifestyle at home 'cause they're living in closer quarters, and also Japanese families don't entertain in their homes as much." Given the original inspiration for Harmonix' franchises Guitar Hero and Rock Band was the arcade-born Guitar/Drum Freaks franchise, I wondered if Harmonix had looked at Japanese arcades as an option instead of a home console release. "That's something we considered," he admitted. "One of the challenges is that arcades are very, very noisy, and so if you're trying to make something that's really a musical experience and you've got 37 other arcade machines all turned up to full volume, it kind of impairs the musicality of the experience." Again, Rigopulos said Harmonix has yet to give up on the concept of Rock Band in Japan, but from the sound of things, it's not exactly at the top of his priority list. [Image credit: ShonenKnife.com]
Harmonix interested in branching out beyond music with Kinect
Many years ago, before Harmonix was the dev house that birthed Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Dance Central, the company created EyeToy: AntiGrav -- a motion-controlled game for Sony's PlayStation 2 "EyeToy" camera peripheral. Despite strong sales, that was the last time that the Massachusetts-based developer created a project not steeped in music. But it seems that the studio may not have abandoned its one-time interest in non-music motion-based games. "I think we're always open-minded about new opportunities," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos told me in an interview this week at the Tokyo Game Show. "Certainly our focus always has been and probably always will be on music-themed games," he added, but his company's involvement with Dance Central has rekindled the studio's interest in other types of motion-based gaming. "A perfect example is the Kinect, which I think that through our work on Dance Central we've developed an affinity for -- towards motion gaming." Though Rigopulos wouldn't speak to specifics, he would say that, "It wouldn't be surprising if in the future we took some steps outside of our wheelhouse in music to try some new things in non-music focused motion gaming." Harmonix' latest release, VidRhythm for iOS devices, may also be on the cards for some type of Kinect-based adaptation. "Of course our hope is to keep improving it and expanding it, including bringing it to other platforms, such as possibly Kinect," Rigopulos explained. That said, with VidRhythm having just launched in the past few weeks, he's not even sure of initial sales reports just yet, so it may be a few before we hear more about the application headed to other devices.
Inafune envisions a future where portable gaming consoles and Smartphones coexist
When Nintendo president Satoru Iwata delivered the keynote back in March at this year's Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, he spoke of the "commoditization" of gaming, and the resultant devaluing of games. But given his position as head of a company leading the charge in the dedicated gaming portable market, it was difficult to see past his highly vested interests in this stance. To put it more bluntly, Iwata is a man who relies on people buying his portable console's games for $30 to $40, and thusly his ideas on the subject are tainted by his own vested interests. But when Mega Man co-creator and ex-Capcom head of production Keiji Inafune feels similarly, we can't help but take note. I asked him during an interview this week at the Tokyo Game Show how he felt about Mr. Iwata's keynote, and if the Nintendo 3DS -- as well as the PlayStation Vita -- stand a chance against the rise of the Smartphone. "I think it's very similar between cell phone cameras and professional digital cameras [DSLRs]. You don't use a Smartphone camera for an interview, and you don't use a really professional camera to take some small pictures when you're going to work," he told me, drawing a comparison between the DSLR my colleague was holding and the iPhone 4 I was recording the interview with. "I think that's the same thing that happens with game consoles as well," he continued. "If you want to play a good game, you get a PS3 or Xbox or that kind of thing. You don't stay on your iPhone or on a Smartphone game for three or five hours, nobody would do that. So I think the needs difference is happening here."
TGS 2011's shopping area, in (too many) pictures
We can't buy everything in the TGS merchandise sales area -- of course, some of the merch is, like, pillowcases with naughty pictures on them, so maybe we don't want to buy everything. Regardless, it's much cheaper to just take a bunch of pictures of the stuff there and remember it that way. So that's exactly what we did, to excess. Enjoy a super-sized gallery of the convention's shopping area, and try to imagine what your house would look like with that much Monster Hunter swag in it.%Gallery-134184%
