A video game enthusiast tries out Sony's HMZ-T2 Personal 3D viewer at the 2012 Tokyo Game Show. (Grant Okubo/Stars and Stripes)
Wii U
Nintendo didn’t have a booth, but gamers got a couple of chances to try out the new Wii U console, which is scheduled for release in November.
The improved graphics looked as good as the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. Whether the improvements warrant getting the system will likely be determined by the exclusive titles this console can offer. The Wii U might get Nintendo back in the game — at least until Sony and Microsoft upgrade their consoles.
Sony
Unlike past years, Sony didn’t showcase much hardware. They offered two new colors for the PlayStation Vita — red and blue — and a slimmer version of the PlayStation 3 in charcoal black and classic white.
The console game display seemed just as strong as previous shows but was missing a few games that fans hoped to see, such as “Final Fantasy Versus XIII” or “The Last Guardian.”
3-D
LG has introduced a surprising gaming feature on its new Cinema 3D Smart TVs that will eliminate split screens and put an end to two major multiplayer problems: cheating and confusion over which screen to watch.
3-D works by showing two different pictures on the same screen. Each lens in 3-D glasses shows one image, and your brain combines the images into 3-D.
LG has separated those lenses and put them on different pairs of glasses. So Player 1, when wearing his glasses, can only see his own channel full screen while Player 2 can only see his.
Another interesting 3-D peripheral comes from Sony. The second-generation HMZ-T2 Personal 3D Viewer looks like something out of a futuristic sci-fi movie. This rather sleek and surprisingly light miniature visor rests on your head and forehead, providing a pretty decent 3-D view. It requires a lot of adjustments to make it comfortable in a serviceable way to play in 3-D.Cosplayers
What would a Tokyo Game Show be without its notorious cosplayers? This year’s show featured many more female cosplayers, or fans dressed as their favorite characters. Cutesy costumes were out while skin was in.