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Tag: Tokyo Game Show

  • All New Watch Dogs Gameplay Emerges From TGS 2013

    Watch Dogs is already one of the most anticipated fall releases in the West, but what about Japan? The country’s gamers are slowly opening up to Western developed games, and Ubisoft wants to court them with Watch Dogs. That’s why the publishers showed off an all new gameplay demo at last weekend’s Tokyo Game Show.

    In the new 11 minute gameplay demo, we get to see Watch Dogs protagonist Aiden Pearce making his way through a new area of Chicago. In this new area, Aiden meets up with Jordi Chin – a side character that will help him through the game. In this particular mission, Aiden has to take out a target before his cover is blown.

    The Japanese won’t be getting Watch Dogs until next year, but we’ll be getting it on November 19. The PS4 version comes out a bit earlier on November 5 and the Xbox One version launches on November 22.

    [Image: GameSpot]

  • Microsoft: Xbox One’s Disc Drive Prevents It From Being Stood Vertically

    Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 could be stood horizontally or vertically. In fact, Microsoft and Sony would both regularly display their respective consoles standing vertically. That won’t be a possibility with the Xbox One.

    At Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft’s Albert Panello told GameSpot that players shouldn’t stand their Xbox One vertically. It’s not like a vertical Xbox One is impossible as the design would allow for such an orientation. Instead, Panello says that the Xbox One’s slot loading drive was built only for horizontal orientations and that players should go vertical only “at [their] own risk.”

    Why would Microsoft remove the ability to stand the Xbox One vertically? After all, the Xbox 360 let users stand it vertically. Panello says that the majority of Xbox 360 gamers (80 percent) stood their consoles horizontally. Sure, Microsoft may be ignoring 20 percent of its fans who prefer to stand their consoles vertically, but it shouldn’t be a big deal to most players who prefer to go horizontal.

    So, where does this leave the PS4? For both the PS2 and PS3, Sony made a console that could be stood vertically. That’s not going to change with the PS4 despite it also sporting a slot loading drive. In fact, Sony has already shown the PS4 standing vertically in some of its promo videos and photographs.

    Xbox One Wasn't Built To Go Vertical

    Is it a big deal that the Xbox One can’t be stood vertically? That really depends on what kind of space your entertainment center has. Some people prefer to go vertical as it affords them more space, but most Xbox One owners will probably not have any problems.

    [Image: Xbox/YouTube]

  • Microsoft Skips Out On Gamescom And Tokyo Game Show

    Microsoft was probably the most agressive of the big three over the past few years when it came to trade shows. They would be at E3, Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show trying to convince people of all regions that they had the best games. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case this year.

    Larry (Major Nelson) Hryb announced on his blog this morning that Microsoft would be skipping out on Germany’s Gamescom and Japan’s Tokyo Game Show this year. For those unaware, Gamescom and TGS are by far the largest gaming events in their respective region drawing thousands of people who want to try out the new games in store.

    Previously, Microsoft would use Gamescom to display the new content they had in the works from their European studios. The departure of Peter Molyneux, who headed Microsoft Game Studios Europe and Lionhead, may have had something to do with their absence this year.

    The absence from TGS, however, isn’t surprising in the least bit. While the Xbox 360 has enjoyed continued success in the U.S. and Europe, it has never found much of an audience in Japan outside of hardcore otaku who love the console’s selection of visual novels and shmups. It could be a sign that Microsoft has finally given up on trying to reach any kind of success in the country.

    Hryb realizes that this news may be a bit saddening for Xbox fans in these regions who were looking forward to the events. He says that Microsoft will be “focusing on smaller, more localized promotions and experiences for press, partners, retailers and customers around the world.” In a way, it’s pretty smart. Gamers appreciate smaller events instead of the large industry events that are harder to get into. Sony has seen massive success out of its PlayStation meetups and Microsoft could be hoping to achieve similar success.

    The lack of Microsoft and Nintendo at Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show gives Sony a major advantage. They will be the only big player at both of these events so they will be able to grab all of the attention without having to compete. Of course, gamers may flock to Nintendo’s and Microsoft’s smaller events since they promise to be more intimate.

    If all these publishers start skipping out on these big trade shows regularly, it may put them at risk. Gamescom’s relevance is already being questioned and Japan’s games industry is shrinking to the point where TGS might not even be worth it. It’s good to remain optimistic and hope that these trade events stick around, but the industry seems to be heading for what Microsoft and NIntendo are doing now – small, localized events tailored for gamers.