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TGS 06: Monster Hunter 2 features long lines
Unlike the now-defunct E3, Tokyo Game Show has always been an event for the masses. The public could wait on enormous lines to get their hands on upcoming video games (something I'd love to have here in the States!). The general success of an upcoming product can usually be seen by the approximate wait for the product.Enter Monster Hunter Portable 2nd, the sequel to Japan's top-selling PSP game so far. The Japanese absolutely love this game, and according to Gamespot, were willing to wait for two hours to get their hands on it. Wow. (And they say the PSP is dead in Japan. Wrong!) Although the sequel will not feature any online gameplay, it does appear that the beautiful graphics will be enough to make the game an instant bestseller in Japan.
TGS 06: Best in Show, according to CESA
The mighty Computer Entertainment Software Association of Japan revealed the eleven titles they thought were the "best in show." Of those titles, two were exclusives for the PSP. Here are the winners, in no particular order: Elebits (Konami) for the Wii Gyakuten Saiban 4 [Phoenix Wright] (Capcom) for the DS Gran Turismo HD (Sony) for the PS3 The Eye of Judgment (Sony) for the PS3 Seiken Densetsu 4 [Dawn of Mana] (Square Enix) for the PS2 Tales of Destiny (Namco Bandai) for the PS2 Blue Dragon (Microsoft) for the Xbox 360 Heavenly Sword (Sony) for the PS3 Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops (Konami) for the PSP Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (Capcom) for the PSP Lost Planet (Capcom) for the Xbox 360 This should come as no surprise. There are so many excellent games at TGS this year, that it must've been nigh impossible to even narrow the list down. But, for those of you that are battling a fanboy war, you might want to note that PSP got two titles, and the DS only got one.[Via Joystiq]
Forget the Wii line, behold the TGS line
Sure, the Wii line consumed entire days of weary E3 visitor's schedules, as Nintendo bottlenecked the fawning throngs into a single drip feed. But the open-to-the-public TGS line is on a scale all its own, extending from the entrance of the Makuhari Messe convention cener in Chiba, all the way to the trains from Tokyo that appeared to be delivering eager pilgrims to the event quicker than the event could absorb them into its fold.This video clocks in at a foot-anchingly long twelve minutes. We don't recommend watching the entire thing ... maybe just jump from part to part. Or use a stopwatch to count down twelve minutes and then check in at the end. If we can assume that our walking speed was about 4mph (the average is three, but we were walking pretty fast), and it took us twelve minutes, the line was roughly 0.8 miles. And growing.
TGS: Viewing Viva Piata
Viva Piñata was our first in a series of Microsoft press events being held yesterday during the first day of the open-to-the-public portion of the Tokyo Game Show. Safely huddled away from the unwashed gaming masses filling the Makuhari Messe convention center to within an inch of its legal limitations, I pulled up a chair to be walked through Rare's holiday hopeful by Michael Johnson, a Global Product Manager at MicrosoftThough we're inclined to process their insistence that Viva Piñata offers a depth of play that makes the kiddie-happy "life simulator" appealing to older audiences as self serving (of course they think it will be), there are several elements of the game that strike me as a bit twisted, in a wry, British sort of way. In addition to being able to crack open your piñatas and watch their sugary entrails pour out, the sensitive issue of procreation is handled quite literally through a "romance dance." No Hot Coffee minigame here, just the right tunes and the right moves, and somehow a stork gets the message that he should whip up some offspring to be delivered in egg format -- no icky birthing process necessary!
Gears of War MIA, Japanese consumers for 360 also MIA
If anything were going to drive sales up in the Japanese market for Microsoft's XBox360, Gears of War would have been a good bet. So, where is it? Oh, that's right, it's too graphic so Microsoft wasn't allowed to let people play it at the Tokyo Game Show. That sucks. It's one of the few games worth getting excited for and has received the most royal of hype treatments, but no. No show. Too bad, Microsoft. Time to pull out of Japan... and give Sony Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata while you're at it. So, let's see a show of hands -- who thinks Sony delivered at the Tokyo Game Show? By that, we mean had a better showing than its competitors. I'll raise both of mine. Multiple times.[via Joystiq]
Heavenly Sword screens and vid... Sony owns TGS!
Maybe that last phrase was unnecessary, but it doesn't matter. There has been so much eyebrow-raising at Sony's stuff at the Tokyo Game Show that all the bad news prior seems to be fading into, er, oblivion. Anyway, Heavenly Sword has a few high-res screens up here, and also a video to download. Just navigate around the question marks and the video's under the blue question marks next to the "mpg". If that doesn't work, you can always look for another video... there's a few over at IGN. It's more arena brawling, but it doesn't matter when the game looks this fun. November is so far away... not that this is a launch title, but even so, we want our PS3. We knew the Tokyo Game Show would change many people's minds! Hooray![creds to Ruliweb for the image (and Sony, of course)]
TGS: Gears of War, WRU?!
Killzone 2 isn't the only highly anticipated shooter not rocking the TGS show floor this year. Epic Games' upcoming 360 would-be killer-app Gears of War isn't playable on the show floor, though it is represented in video and pamphlet form at Microsoft's booth.So why is it that a surefire hit, just a couple months from shipping, isn't playable? Microsoft is doing everything they can to woo the heretofore elusive Japanese gamer, so why not trot out their prize-winning pony? Sure, they want to focus all eyes on Hironobu Sakaguchi's 360-exclusive JRPGs Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, but there's plenty of room for all three at TGS. And we know Japanese gamers tend to shy away from the hardcore shooters, but every little bit helps, right?In reality, the real reason Gears of War isn't at TGS isn't as shady as the complete disappearance of Killzone 2 from all Sony communications, it's a problem with Japan's censors. You see, the extremely graphic nature of the game is currently giving Microsoft a little bit of trouble getting it approved. During a press screening of Gears, a Microsoft rep did note that while a TGS showing just wasn't to be, the game will be playable at next week's X06 event in Barcelona. Unfortunately, the European Xbox 360 market doesn't need all the help it can get. Japan does.[Grotesque headshot image, courtesy carbonscoring.]
White Knight Story trailer! Hold onto your jaws...
After a nice nap, we're ready to bring you the White Knight Story trailer. Some of you may have already seen it, but if you haven't (even if you have) then check this out. This is gameplay footage and an actual RPG battle that takes place. It's unreal. Simply unreal. Hopefully we can see more of this game and soon. Another draw of the game is the sheer scale of it -- gigantic monsters, etc. While we don't see that in the trailer, it gives us something else to look forward to. By the way, the trailer's here.
Sony cuts Japan PS3 price 20%, adds HDMI to 20GB model
We think the Playstation 3 seems nice, but the fact is it costs a lot and lack of HDMI on the cheaper model is a severe buzzkill to anyone looking to get this as a "cheap" Blu-ray player. Apparently, Sony agrees because they've announced a 20% price cut for the low-end 20GB model -- only in Japan so far -- and added HDMI 1.3 as well. You read that right, all Playstation 3 consoles will come with digital video outputs (we suppose asking for a cable too would be out of line?). Adding features and cutting prices is something we can't really argue with, although glass half-empty individuals could see this as more incentive for studios to possibly introduce ICT in the future, since digital output is now standard on the PS3. They've also been taking shots at Microsoft's 1080p support and showing off several games (Ridge Racer 7, Gran Turismo HD, Virtua Tennis 3 and Mobile Suit Gundam) running 1080p natively at 60 frames per second, despite some saying we wouldn't see that many this soon. Now all we need is a US price drop and we'll forget all about how Sony is ignoring our European friends this year.
Yowzer! 100 PS3 titles in development
If you want to get technical, Sony has over 190 titles in the works across all consoles (PS3, PS2, PSP), but Phil Harrison confirmed to Famitsu.com that 100 are for the PS3. While this may seem like Sony has moved on to the next-gen system, we must recall that the PS2 is still getting some massive titles released into next year (Final Fantasy XII, God of War 2). Who would ever completely drop their previous console right after the next-gen edition is released, anyway? Oops! Nevermind.So what does Phil Harrison recommend for us? He didn't actually "recommend" anything so much as recite the obvious: that Resistance: Fall of Man is garnering a lot of attention in the U.S. and European and White Knight Story is gathering steam worldwide. We'll just say those are the games he wants us to watch out for. Lots of gaming, coming our way!
TGS 2006: Sonic and the Secret Rings trailer
With the Tokyo Game Show in full swing, we're sure there will be plenty of posts like these to follow. While it may seem suffocating, these videos are for your own good. You need to see them. You want to see them. And this latest trailer for Sonic and the Secret Rings is no exception.Continue into the post to see the embedded video.
More White Knight Story info
Did Enchanted Arms not deliver on the "next-gen RPG" front? Are you looking for something that is promising to blow you away? White Knight Story is starting to shape into that game we RPG freaks will count the days to. Perhaps it's IGN delivering a rosy, flattering preview, but even if so, the meaning behind the words remains the same -- this game is next-gen. All. The. Way.Let's start off with a favorite quote from IGN's article. "With Level 5's animation system, swords realistically strike other swords and shields, rather than cutting right through characters. If a character blocks an incoming attack, you'll see his shield go up and physically block the sword. The collision is perfect. In White Knight Story, two characters sparring really look like they're sparring." No more magical sword-passing-through-enemy stuff! If the collision really is perfect (especially on the finished product) then that is quite an astonishing feat.There's some more blah-blah-blah about the visuals and trust us, we bet they're damn gorgeous too, but until we get to see some screens for ourselves, we'll not hype up the graphics just yet. Check out what else IGN had to say and let's get a "oooooh yeeeeeah" if you're looking forward to what may be the first true next-gen RPG experience. Oh, and no, I didn't draw the image. I suck at drawing.
Metal Slug rolling onto XBLA
1UP reports of an SNK Playmore pamphlet circulating the halls of Tokyo Game Show, advertising Metal Slug for Xbox Live Arcade. Allegedly, the text translates to "the original," suggesting that Metal Slug 1 will arrive on Microsoft's download service. But when?Aside from the XBLA pipeline being jammed full of pending titles, Metal Slug also has its unofficial successor, Alien Hominid, to contend with. With Hominid well ahead of Metal Slug in the queue, and (hopefully) a more dedicated effort from Microsoft to diversify XBLA content as the service evolves, SNK's classic could fall by the wayside. We predict a late 2007 rollout.
TGS Marketplace content, 9/22
Here's the rundown of today's Marketplace content.Fuzion Frenzy 2 demoPortal TrailerTGS Showfloor video 1TGS Showfloor video Day 1 (Japan)GM Sensui Interview (Japan)Xbox Live The Party #1 (Japan)Xbox Live The Party #2 (Japan)Xbox Live The Party #3 (Japan)Xbox Live The Party #4 (Japan)Not much for those of us outside Japan., but the Fuzion Frenzy 2 demo is certainly welcome. We guess that whole "no demos on Friday" thing is pretty much dead by now.360 at the Tokyo Game Show:Lost Planet and Viva Piñata videoMicrosoft TGS briefing video now availableToday's Marketplace content, 9/21DOAX2 video makes us feel naughtyLost Odyssey intro videoVideo of Trusty Bell
A trinity of new Unknown Realms screenshots
You may be wondering why, all of a sudden, we're doing an entire post on a few measly screenshots? Fanboyism, of course! Unknown Realms has been a fairly elusive PS3 title, and for good reason. Kouji Okada is behind this game -- for those who are really into knowing the names of people behind their games, he's renowned for his work on the Shin Megami Tensei series (one of my favorites!).We finally have some details about the game. An occult journalist gets a call for help from a girl and when he arrives to assist her, she's dead. He decides to investigate. A second character ends up in the same place as the journalist, following a letter from her mother who has been dead for a good while. It's dark fantasy, as the characters are transported to dream-like areas with whacky and amazing lighting effects. Not to mention insane monster designs. Anyway, maybe more details will surface. In the meantime, gawk at the above screen and check out the others listed at IGN.
Percentages for PS3 games and whatnot... more lists...
Agh! It's yet another lengthy bulleted list. We thought it'd be nice to know how far along a multitude of PS3 games are, so we'll pass this knowledge onto you if you'd care to know as well. Virtua Fighter 5: 70% Sega Golf Club: 70% Sonic the Hedgehog: 75% Armored Core 4: 80% Coded Arms Assault: 50% Ridge Racer 7: 100% Gundam Target in Sight: 80% Gran Turismo HD: 50% Warhawk: 50% Unknown Realms: 30% Lair: 35% Motorstorm: 60% The Eye of Judgment: 70% Genji 2: 70% Resistance: 85% Minna no Golf 5: 30% Heavenly Sword: 65% Earlier we gave the list of confirmed Japanese PS3 launch titles and among them was Sega Golf Club and Genji 2. If they're listed as only 70% complete, could we possibly (pleeeease?) hypothesize that percentages of 70+ have a chance of being launch titles? That would be so awesome, you can't deny it. That would also make some of the other titles a lot closer to completion than we'd imagined.
Joystiq's hands-on with Devil May Cry 4... a kind rebuttal
All right, so the fellows at Joystiq did not think Devil May Cry 4 was all that (yet they simply won't shut up about the mediocre hack fest that is Dead Rising, also by Capcom), but we here at PS3Fanboy love a good argument (and a seemingly unrelated comparison). Let's strip down the problems they had with the game and give 'em our two cents. "...feels neither new nor exciting." It's a sequel. It's supposed to be a familiar scheme, but with different content (weapons, etc... like Nero's arm. Of course, that wasn't commented on at all). If games were judged by how new and exciting they felt, how many times would Madden have to reinvent their franchise? If it's game #213523 (MegaMan, we're looking at you) then okay, but this is a pretty new franchise and deserves its familiarity. "Nero felt particularly clumsy in this build, going from a standstill to a full sprint with almost no transitional animation, a far cry form the series trademark fluidity." We disagree. Dante always busted into a full sprint with hardly any animation transitions and that's fine. If you want him to walk, hold R1. Otherwise, you're busting ass. How does that detract from gameplay, again? "The enemies were also repetitive and uninspired and, perhaps due to the controller's lack of rumble, pounding on them lacked the visceral oomph the series is known for. The experience felt particularly detached." Again, let's compare to the Joystiq-ly hailed Dead Rising. Because you know, hordes of zombies don't grow repetitive and uninspired at all. Even so, it's a demo. They aren't going to throw a multitude of baddies at you yet -- they want you to survive the demo. But the rumble thing? We agree. Everything is going to take a hit from that crucial missing feature. His other reactions were cautiously optimistic and understandably so. Still, Joystiq's spin train seems to be following a different set of rails than the PS3fanboy track. We're still excited for this game and all lovers of previous entries should be, too -- with the gameplay videos and reactions popping up, it seems few can deny the beauty the PS3 is putting out.[via Joystiq]
PS3 game case revealed! And it's not blue!
Our good buddy Ross Miller over at Joystiq snapped a picture of what appears to be the final design for the game casings for the Playstation 3. It contrasts what all the fakes circulating the web assumed -- a large, nasty blue border sporting a large Blu-ray logo. These cylindrically encased, pressure sensored, infrared laser guarded boxes don't have that, clearly... forgive the poor, poor pun. Regardless! The casing is clear with a small Blu-ray logo in the upper left. They look snazzy, don't you think?[via Joystiq]
TGS videos attack! Pick your poison... or wine... whichever
A gameplay video of Coded Arms Assault is now available for your viewing pleasure. It looks all right. It doesn't seem like too much of a separation from standard FPS titles, but it's worth a look if you're an FPS junkie. There's also a gorgeous Ridge Racer 7 gameply video. It looks better than all right. Mostly awesome. Just look at that gorgeous car go around that gorgeous track... and rear-end that other car. It's pretty sweet. Also, a Ninja Gaiden Sigma trailer is up and running. If you guys were right, those who've played Ninja Gaiden Black won't see too much new here. But then again, maybe so. Let us know. Here's a gameplay video of Lair also. What can we say? Dragons, flying, destruction... it's something special, to be sure. Lastly, there's a gameplay video of Devil May Cry 4. Besides the fact the person playing it has no idea what he's doing (sorry, but it's true, unless the controls have changed completely), the game looks astoundingly good. Bias? Sure. But it does. If you mention the cape/sword clipping, that's true, but that in no way should detract from your enjoyment of the game. Anyway, we'll keep you informed of other game videos and other stuff as we get our news from the Joystiq staff that had the honor of being there.
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!