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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%
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."
Square bringing Chrono Trigger, others to iOS (and Android)
The Tokyo Game Show is currently going on in Japan, and here's some news from there that us old school gamers will appreciate: Square Enix is planning on bringing my absolute favorite console RPG ever, Chrono Trigger, over to iOS. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of information on when it'll be out or what's changed from the original (there was a DS version released a few years ago), but I'll wait -- Chrono Trigger is good enough to play through yet again no matter what's different. There are a few other titles also coming to the iPhone and iPad -- Final Fantasy Legends is on its way over, as is Dragon Quest Monsters. It's unclear exactly what Legends is -- it appears to be a new entry in the mobile realm for the Final Fantasy franchise, and nothing to do with the great old GameBoy game Final Fantasy Legend. Dragon Quest Monsters is of course the spin-off series from Enix's Dragon Quest series, so it'll be nice to have that on Apple's platform as well. And there's even more -- a card battle game called Diffusion Million Arthur (your guess is as good as ours on that one), a board game called Itadaki Street, and even a card battling game in conjuction with Epic Games (!) called Demon's Source are all due out at some point. Hopefully all of those will eventually land on the iOS store here in North America. That Epic/Square Enix collab especially sounds really interesting.
ViviTouch haptic technology hands-on: electroactive polymer giving a 'high definition feel'
Haptic feedback isn't exactly something that'd blow people's mind these days, with most mobile devices and gaming controllers already packing a little vibrator to spice up one's gaming experience. While these motors do the job just fine for delivering the sensation of large engines and explosions, their monotonic performance and relatively high minimum output threshold means they can't reproduce finer vibration. For instance, you wouldn't be able to feel a guitar string fade away after a strum, nor would you feel the finer end of a spring recoil. This is where Bayer MaterialScience's ViviTouch -- previously dubbed Reflex -- tries to fill the void. For those who aren't familiar, the magic behind ViviTouch is its electroactive polymer (or EAP in short) -- imagine a thin sheet that consists of two electrode layers sandwiching a dielectric elastomer film, and when a voltage is applied, the two attracting electrodes compress the entire sheet. This slim, low-powered ViviTouch actuator module can be placed underneath an inertial mass (usually a battery) on a tray, thus amplifying the haptic feedback produced by the host device's audio signal between 50Hz and 300Hz (with a 5ms response time). %Gallery-134043%
Inafune: 'Messed up' working relationship led to Bionic Commando's Wifearm
"At the end of developing Bionic Commando, things got really messed up between the two companies," Mega Man creator and former global head of production at Capcom Keiji Inafune told me in an interview this week. Sitting in a quiet corner of Tokyo Game Show's business area, Inafune was addressing the retail version of BC developed by the now shuttered studio Grin -- a game that helped nail the coffin shut on the Swedish dev house, and scared Capcom off of its big third-party push. In case you weren't aware, at the end of BC's main campaign, it's revealed that the protagonist's bionic arm is, at least partially, made from his dead wife. Seriously. "I don't even know what happened there," Inafune lamented. The project was apparently rife with development issues, which Inafune exemplified with a phrase that represented the attitude Grin and Capcom had for each other at the time: "Whatever, do what you want, I don't care." Though he couldn't say what specifically happened to result in such a bizarre game ending, Inafune explained that the issue of foreign companies working with Japanese ones was at the heart of the situation. "At the beginning, things are very, very good between the two companies. Things get kind of weird from the middle, and it gets really bad at the end -- especially for the Japanese companies," he said of the development process. "They should be more flexible about things," Inafune added, no doubt part of his decision to leave his long-time employer late last year. "If you don't do that, everything will become messed up from the middle. And that's the most important part. Not the beginning, but in the middle and finishing the game."
Halo Anniversary's Kinect functionality partially explained
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary may be just a couple months away, but Halo franchise development director Frank O'Connor is still keeping mum on some of the remake's Kinect functionality. He did let a few bits of info slip, however. "For example, you can switch to Classic or Anniversary mode using voice commands," he explained to me in a meeting at TGS 2011 this week. Wait, really? That's it? "We actually have some more story content in the game that's gonna be supported by Kinect," he added. Unfortunately, either the folks at 343 Industries or its corporate benefactors at Microsoft Studios have deemed the rest of the information too early to mete out. "We've added a really interesting feature we're gonna talk about in October that uses Kinect to add some story to the game." As interesting as the content may be, it may never make it to the final product -- apparently the October reveal is about more than a carefully timed marketing plan for the re-release of a decade old game. "We're still testing the features, so if it doesn't work, we're gonna change it." And with just under two months to go until launch, 343 had better get a move on. [Image credit: 'LaughPong']
NIS America bringing Disgaea to Android, Vita; Neptunia and Clan of Champions headed to NA
In NIS America's continued efforts to put Disgaea games on more and more platforms, the company today announced that Disgaea: Netherworld Unbound is headed to Android devices later this year. Netherworld Unbound is an Android-optimized version of the original Disgaea game, though NIS says it'll expand on that by selling "characters, items, features, and more." The Disgaea heading to PlayStation Vita will also be launching in the US sometime in spring 2012. Beyond renaming the subtitle "Absence of Detention" (rather than the original's "Absence of Justice"), the Vita port adds "all-new characters, stories, and game systems." Beyond the Disgaea series, NIS is bringing "everyone's favorite JRPG with Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune as a weapon," Neptunia MK-II, to the US. Like in Japan, the game will remain exclusive to Sony's PlayStation 3, and it's expected to launch in spring 2012 as well. The company also announced intentions to bring the tentatively titled "Clan of Champions" from Tenchu dev Acquire Corp. to the US, and to both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. [Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice for PlayStation 3 pictured above.]
Visualized: PS Vita in eight unlikely colors, mockup game cards chill on the sidelines
We found a veritable rainbow of PlayStation Vita prototypes hiding out in the rear of Sony's TGS setup, surrounded by accessories, mock retail packaging, and faux game cards. PlayStation representatives assured us the colorful consoles were just for looks, and only the basic black will be available when the system launches in December. Hit the gallery below for a multicolored peek, or just skip past the break for a view of Gravity Daze's mockup retail box.%Gallery-134025%
Seen@TGS: Physical copies of PlayStation Vita games
You've heard about the "NGV," right? Sony's proprietary media format for the PlayStation Vita? If you haven't, that's totally okay, as Sony hasn't exactly been speaking about it very much. The company didn't actually mention it during its Vita-focused TGS 2011 press conference, or during its similarly Vita-heavy keynote. In fact, outside of a generic version shown off over the past year, we'd never actually seen a physical copy of a game for the upcoming PlayStation Vita. That all changed this morning, as we spotted the little NGV cards hiding in a glass case at the Sony booth, alongside their housing -- small blue Vita game boxes. Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Gravity Daze, and Hot Shots Golf (Everybody's Golf 6 in Japan) were all on display, as seen in the gallery below. Take a peek, they're adorable!%Gallery-134015%
Dante takes on the surrealist carnival in latest DMC trailer
You've seen Dante take on some smaller demons, sure, but have you seen him take on a giant beast in a terrifying surrealist carnival? Neither had we until the just released Devil May Cry trailer from TGS 2011 arrived, but now we're feeling like maybe Dante's in deeper than we'd originally thought.
PlayStation Vita augmented reality comes in two very different flavors
Sony Computer Entertainment head of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida has a carpet with a little monkey in it. Except the monkey's virtual, and he's using a PlayStation Vita to make the little guy appear. Thus is the Vita's "Markerless AR," an augmented reality application that Yoshida demonstrated with a smile on-stage during Sony's TGS 2011 keynote this afternoon in Tokyo. Yoshida also had a set of marker cards and "Wide Area" AR to boot, showing off a full-scale game played across a table with a handful of marker cards laid out to assist in the process. Yoshida's demonstration seems to indicate the the Vita will ship with a variety of AR applications when it launches this December in Japan -- perhaps even more than the handful of AR games that Nintendo's 3DS came packed with earlier this year. We'll do our best to nail down some more specifics this week as TGS continues.
The Persona fighting game caught on video, straight from TGS 2011
When we first heard about a rumored Persona-based fighting game from BlazBlue dev Arc System Works, we couldn't believe our eyes. And then Famitsu's full report on Persona: The Ultimate In Mayonaka Arena went live, officially detailing the bizarre mashup of Persona and the fighting game genre.Now, just a few short weeks later, we've got a full 10 minutes of the game being played on video, courtesy of Japanese video sharing site Niconico. If you woke up this morning hoping to see a virtual female viciously beaten with a chair, look no further -- this video's just for you.
Project Draco flying to XBLA in 2012
Previously announced as a 2011 title, Joystiq learned today that Project Draco, the Grounding Inc. Kinect project "inspired" by Panzer Dragoon, will actually be released in 2012. We can also reveal that the title is much more than inspired by Team Andromeda's seminal on-rails shooter. Straight up: Project Draco is basically Panzer Dragoon Kinect. We'll have our full hands-on impressions up soon.
Razer unveils arcade fightstick prototype at TGS, looks to gaming community to hammer out the details
It seems like the folks at Razer are taking the company's "for gamers, by gamers" motto to heart, today unveiling a new customizable PC / Xbox 360 arcade stick at Tokyo Game Show that won't even hit production until the fightstick community disassembles, mods, and judges the heck out of it. The yet-to-be-named arcade controller will first make its way to select applicants of a closed beta program, putting the rig in the hands of some 200-plus gamers who, after having their way with it, will provide the outfit with tips on how to fine-tune the final product. Razer's TGS staff gave us a brief overview of the unit, and let us swap around wires, pop out buttons, and fiddle with the rig's faceplate. The prototype unit is built with Sanwa Denshi components, but Razer tells us that mod-minded gamers are free replace, modify, or otherwise tinker with any of the controller's major parts without fear of voiding its warranty -- only the stick's control board is off limits. Beta registration is already open, and the first test units should ship out sometime next month. Check out the gallery below for an eyeful, or point your peepers up top for a demo straight from the TGS show floor. Want more text? Hit the break for an official press release. %Gallery-133861%
PlayStation Vita's Torne app pulls in live TV streams served up from a PS3
Need another reason to be interested in the PlayStation Vita? Sony announced during tonight's press conference that it will tie in with the only-available-in-Japan Torne DVR adapter (PlayTV in Europe and nonexistent in NA) for the PlayStation 3. Once synced up, it allows users to remotely tune into live TV streams Slingbox-style, browse listings and remotely schedule recordings via an app on the portable device. It should be ready to go at launch, while the ability to export recorded shows to the Vita like one of Monsoon's boxes will be added later. For now however, we can only look on in envy and hope rumors of a PlayTV 2 eventually come true, and come out here.
We get up close and personal with the Nintendo 3DS Slidepad attachment
As per usual, Nintendo's skipping out on the Tokyo Game Show, despite being kind of a big deal in Japan. But that doesn't mean that the Slidepad -- the 3DS' bizarro circle pad attachment -- is skipping the show as well. Capcom had Slidepads equipped on two Nintendo 3DS units at its TGS booth, and we headed over promptly this afternoon to check it out. Here's the skinny: it's another circle pad on a 3DS. Shocking? Not exactly, but the circle pad attachment feels fine, if a bit bulky. For reasons unknown, Capcom wasn't allowing TGS attendees to use the Slidepad with any games, so we can't say for sure how it'll change gameplay. That said, the circle pad itself is identical to the already existing circle pad on the left side of the 3DS. More interestingly, the attachment also adds triggers and bolsters already existing shoulder buttons, giving the entire console more of an actual controller feel. No doubt about it, the Slidepad is bulky and, for sure, kind of silly looking, but it also makes the portable feel more substantial in terms of control. We'll reserve our final judgment until we can spend some real time with the attachment in the coming months. That is, if it even heads to North American markets -- the Slidepad is currently slated for a December 10 launch in Japan.%Gallery-133856%
Torne application on PS Vita allows for remote TV recording and viewing
Sony's hardware-based Torne service is heading to the PlayStation Vita, albeit in application form. Sony head of worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida introduced the application live on-stage during today's second keynote, demonstrating the ability to navigate television listings, remotely set up recordings, and stream television, all via the PlayStation Vita and its Torne application. Yoshida never stated an exact release date, but he implied that the application would launch with the Vita in Japan this December. And as you might expect, the application is thus far only slated for the Japanese market.
Nintendo 3DS extended slide pad add-on, first hands-on
Nintendo may be AWOL on the TGS show floor (as usual), but that's not stopping Capcom from strutting the big-N's hardware in its stead -- we dropped by its booth for a gameplay-free handling of the 3DS extended slide pad add-on. The control-extending cradle is every bit as bulky as it looks, killing any hope we had of cramming the rig into our pocket. The trade-off? It's much more comfortable to hold than the naked 3DS, giving our meaty hands a smooth, contoured surface to grip. The new right-hand circle pad feels just as solid as the handheld's dedicated pad, and didn't significantly obstruct our access to the 3DS' face buttons. All in all, the cradle is a comfortable, if awkwardly large extension to the 3DS that doesn't seem to compromise the handheld's existing input. Hit up the gallery below to size up the plump peripheral for yourself. %Gallery-133843%
