From revolutionary new controllers Kinect and Move to 3D gardening, Giles Richards samples the delights of the Tokyo Game Show and looks ahead to London's Eurogamer Expo
Presenting a visual and aural assault that befits gaming's last hurrah of the year, the Tokyo Game Show swarms with the most enthusiastic fans (a record-breaking 200,000 of them) in the world ? it's the perfect opportunity to showcase upcoming titles ahead of the packed Christmas release schedule. Here, beneath arching lighting rigs and the hypnotic flickering of monitors, amid thundering music and bellowing megaphones, the game is all about making yourself heard.
Understandably, on the eve of the release of their Kinect controller-free motion sensor system for Xbox 360 (out 10 November), Microsoft were keenest to take centre stage, presenting the keynote address. Celebrating the scale of the industry ? Halo: Reach took $200m on launch day ? the manufacturer was intent on proving a commitment to Kinect that has similar targets in mind.
Five exclusives were revealed as coming to the platform. Firstly, Killer7 creator Suda 51's involvement with codename D, placing gamers controller-free in an evil amusement park, then more horror from Sega's Rise of Nightmares ? both expanding on the genres on offer for Kinect. Haunt was a light-hearted take on the same, while the flying-stood-atop-enormous-dragons of Project Draco will be embraced by fans of Panzer Dragoon. There was also a welcome return for an original Xbox title in Steel Battalion: Heavy Armour ? the original, a mech-battler with a huge, multi-buttoned joystick add-on, upgraded in the sequel for full body control ? an example of one direction the new hardware may take. Aimed at core gamers, the trailer nailed its target audience ? D-Day, on Manhattan island, set in the future. With mechs.
Other standouts included a demo of the disarmingly accurate swordplay coming in Metal Gear Solid: Rising and, for Kinect, the spectacular colours and soundscapes of the shooter you "conduct" to play, Child of Eden, while, for old-school fans of the same genre but with classic controls, Radiant Silvergun is to be revived on Xbox Live Arcade.
Microsoft are behind rivals Sony and Nintendo (the latter, oddly, do not usually attend their home show and did not this year) in Japan, but came out fighting here with Kinect, and it may be working: Japanese newspaper the Asahi Shimbun reported, with not a little surprise, queues of an hour and a half for hands-on time with Kinect on a day the floor was open only to trade; they were even longer when the public entered.
Electronic Arts also joined the fray, with highlights including Suda 51 showcasing his new title for them, Shadows of the Damned, a distinctive but apparently less-than-wholly-serious horror outing; an equally intriguing title for the 3DS, horticulture sim My Garden (tend plants to attract animals ? not everyone's first guess for 3D) which will be a launch release for the console; and designer American McGee showcasing the sequel to his own Alice, Alice: Madness Returns, due out at the end of next year.
Sony, unsurprisingly, were right behind their new controller Move, not least with forthcoming titles like Killzone 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2. They also whetted the appetite of racers in the form of dynamic weather during night racing in the long-awaited Gran Turismo 5 (out 3 November) that looked stunning. 3D demos of the same game were hugely popular ? driving games may benefit from the technology more than most.
Real excitement ensued when Sony confirmed that Team Ico's The Last Guardian will be out at the end of next year and showed more impressive footage ? judging by fans' reactions, it will feel like a long wait. There was also a big buzz as Capcom joined the manufacturer to announce a "dark, more brutal" instalment of the Devil May Cry series.
Elsewhere, the team behind Demon's Souls previewed its spiritual successor with action role-player Project Dark. Capcom's fighter Marvel vs Capcom 3, which will feature Resident Evil villain Albert Wesker, drew big crowds. Sega revealed a lurch in a new direction for the Yakuza series from goons with guns to hitmen and huuurgh as Yakuza: Of the End pits players against zombies. Ubisoft trailed Michael Jackson: The Experience, no doubt destined for huge sales, and although the most exciting versions for Kinect and Move are only out next year, the DS iteration (out 23 November, along with Wii and PSP versions) plays very much like the marvellous Elite Beat Agents. Square Enix had fun with team-based shooter Gun Loco (360, out next year) in which interstellar criminals have at one another, and offered an enjoyable, frenetic romp. Finally, there was no better place than Tokyo to sample Level 5's take on animation giants Studio Ghibli's style in the PS3 version of RPG Ni no Kuni (out next year); featuring beautifully rendered cel-shading, with breathtaking character animation, its evocative, quiet charm amid the pandemonium was a show stealer.
Eurogamer Expo
Earls Court, London SW5,1-3 OctFortunately for UK gamers some of the titles on show in Tokyo will not remain distant promises delivered some 6,000 miles away but are on offer to view and, most importantly play at the Eurogamer Expo. Part of the London Games festival, a month-long celebration of the industry throughout the capital, the show, organised by independent website Eurogamer, will be offering hands-and-full-body-on with Kinect and other major games from Japan such as Gran Turismo 5, LittleBigPlanet 2 and Killzone 3correct, as well as some of the biggest forthcoming releases. Playable titles include: the big football face-off of Fifa 11 and Pro Evo 2011, Gears of War 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fable III, the new Medal of Honor, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Crysis 2, the throwing shapes and spinning discs of Just Dance 2 and Def Jam Rapstar, Dead Space 2, Vanquish and the Andy "Gollum" Serkis-voiced Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.
Interestingly, given the increase in numbers of young people who now want to work in gaming, it's good to see the show (unusually for a games event) also featuring a careers fair offering advice and information for anyone seeking a future in the industry. Professionals from Sega, Microsoft's Rare studio, Sports Interactive, Crytek and Creative Assembly, alongside representatives from universities and colleges will be on hand to help guide budding young talent towards putting all those hours of joypad bashing to good use.
Details and tickets: http://www. eurogamer.net
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