The annual Tokyo Game Show has opened today at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, Japan and it’s clear that the focus is on 3D gaming this year.
Almost 200 hardware and software manufacturers have come together to showcase their products just in time for the holiday season for an audience of what is expected to be around 180,000 attendees over the four-day span.
"Games will lead the 3D revolution, there is no doubt," said SCE executive Hiroshi Kawano during a press conference at the show.
Sony is, of course, one of the major exhibitors at the Tokyo Game Show. This year they are displaying several titles for their soon-to-be-released PlayStation Move, which will allow players to engage in active 3D games using a motion-sensing controller. The company announced that they expect 35 titles to be available for the Move’s launch in Japan late next month.
Microsoft is also on-hand this week to showcase the Kinect motion sensing add-on for the Xbox 360. Unlike Sony’s Move, Kinect uses only a 3D camera and sensors to detect players’ movements, so no special controller is required.
3D games for all ages were being previewed on the show floor. Killzone 3, a shooter designed for a more mature audience, gives players with 3D capable hardware the experience of flying bullets and blood in a more up-close and personal way. Meanwhile, for the kids there are titles like Me & My pet, which puts the player right in the game with a 3D pet monkey to care for.
One notable absence from the event is Nintendo Corporation, which is surprising since the 3DS handheld gaming system is a highly anticipated 3D device that will not require special glasses for use.
While the industry is really excited about 3D technology and consumers no doubt think it’s cool, whether or not people will be willing to pay for these systems remains to be seen. The affordability of most 3D hardware is just not yet to the point where I think it’s going to be a big seller this holiday season. Maybe next year, if there are some significant economic improvements across the world’s industrialized nations.
