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So I'm finally getting around to posting about TGS. I apologize as I still do not have internet on my laptop and I am having to borrow the laptop of person I'm staying with. It's been kinda a pain (I hate Internet Explorer) to get on the internet especially with most of my day spent either communting or running around Tokyo Game Show.
Real quick though, there were a couple of things I wanted to chime in on.
This year's TGS compared to the last couple years was hugely disappointing for me. I'm beginning to feel like maybe Japan is going through a recession as well or something because all these companies aren't taking any risks and are only interested in the safe move. Level-5, which was massive last year, had next to nothing new playable. Capcom lacked anything impressive and half their booth was Monster Hunter Portable. SEGA was relying soley on Yakuza again. Square-Enix is a joke and has become "the company that is publishing Western Games in Japan." Microsoft and Sony were both all about their motion games. Namco Bandai was, suprise surprise, Dragon Ball and Naruto. Tecmo Koei, guess what they're putting out? There was a company called Gamania? I can only cringe when I think of companies who were here in the past that didn't bother to come out since I was here in 2008.
I'll maybe go into a little more detail on those but here's the rest of the checklist of things I'm preparing to run down.
I basically finished Layton on the plane ride. Is it that good?
It should say...If you can't join them, beat them.
Impressions of Mega Man Universe. It was playable and it didn't play well. There is some hope to the situation and I'll post about it.
El Shaddai Impressions. Also Playable. I came out pretty positive, how much of it was because of the visuals?
Galgun. I've got footage. Needs to be seen to be understood.
Valkyria Chronicles 3 Playable. Call me excited.
I played Marvel vs Capcom 3 finally, and instead Rediscovered My Love for Arcana Heart.
Crossboard for Kinect. First time I played Kinect. My opinions about how we game players interpret Microsoft's Game Periherial.
Dance Evolution (Masters?) Why it will fail but also why I'm way more excited about it than Dance Central or even Just Dance 2.
What does it mean to be Media?
Best outfits for TGS 2010.
The future of the Tokyo Game Show, The Industry, and what that means for 4Player Podcast.
Take care,
David
Comments
14 years, 2 months ago
Thanks for the report David, it is a shame that they are not taking risks anymore.
14 years, 2 months ago
It's really sad that Japanese developers are trying to emulate Western developers these days. Especially always taking the safe route.
14 years, 2 months ago
''As long as Capcom is around Japanese Games Industry is Not Dead''right?RIGHT? ,)
14 years, 2 months ago
There's lots of irony in the whole mess.
Last year, Keiji Inafune says that Japanese game development was dead, I agreed back then, and still do now. Not much is coming out of Japan that I care about aside from a few strays like Vanquish, though Capcom and Inafune himself are guilty of the same sort of development stagnation.
I don't mind if they go the safe route as long as the game is still good, but even that isn't really happening anymore. Level-5 and Platinum Games are like the only developer making anything interesting these days, though, I can always fall back on SEGA for old school favorites (Phantasy Star Online, Phantasy Star Portable, Valkyria Chronicles).
14 years, 2 months ago
Wow, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on Valkyria 3. I saw some footage and was furious. Outside of everything but the most basic gameplay level, it's starting to look like every other anime heap out these days.
One of the reason I like the Professor Layton universe so much is because it's so different from everything else out there. You talk about hating the character designs. But if they were generic anime guys and girls, and the music predictably fitting to that, the game wouldn't have half the charm and whimsy that is has.
I do hope you positive impressions of Valkyria are related to gameplay.
14 years, 2 months ago
Wow I am surprised you are finding TGS so disappointing. From afar it looks like it has been quite a success and way better then E3 or PAX of this year. You make a great point about companies playing it safe. I guess things look different when you are actually there and not just reading news from RSS feeds. Such a shame.
14 years, 2 months ago
David, theres a reason it's called the global recession... Japans been hit hard by it, and last I heard their industry is worse off than the American one.
14 years, 2 months ago
Japanese development is dying for sure. The gaming industry evolved and Japan forgot to follow. I strongly believe that its the culture. Ive studied Japanese culture for years (and can speak semi-fluently). Their too self involved and proud of a people to look at what other countries are doing even if its better than their own. Kojima seems to be the only one to understand that Japan is getting left in the dust when it comes to game dev.
14 years, 2 months ago
Nice post, look forward to further discussion.
So you didn't get to play Ni No Kuni? A friend of mine was at the show and managed to play a fair bit AND record it. Guess it was behind closed doors...
Either way, would like to hear your, and the other guys' thoughts on said game.
:)