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Microsoft kicked off the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, presenting this year’s keynote address and wowing the crowd with the announcement of a new expansion in the "Halo" series.

And while the newly announced "Halo 3: Recon" wasn’t actually on hand at the show, tens of thousands of gamers packed the halls of the Makuhari Messe convention center, eager to get the chance to play or even look at some of the latest in video gaming technology.

From game demos to movies, booth babes and cosplayers, TGS 2008 had something for nearly every video game fan.

A few of the highlights of the show included:

• Microsoft showed off or announced a series of new Xbox 360 titles produced by Japanese developers including "Star Ocean," "The Last Remnant," "Resident Evil 5," "Tekken 6" and "Ninety Nine Nights 2"

• "Space Invaders Extreme," "Arkanoid Live" and "R-Type Dimensions" are among several new versions of classic Japanese titles that will appear soon on Xbox Live Arcade.

• Microsoft says its update to the Xbox 360, dubbed the "New Xbox Experience" will be released worldwide on Nov. 19. The new experience allows users to create avatars as well, which will be displayed along with a more detailed and accessible Gamercard.

• Sony had a playable demonstration of its upcoming "PlayStation Home." An online virtual world, "Home" allows users to create a custom avatar that can navigate through a series of environments.

• Leaders from three of Japan’s major game developers — Square Enix, Namco Bandai Games and Capcom — discussed why the Japanese game industry is no longer the power it once was.

Showing a vast disparity in sales between the Western and Japanese markets, the three business leaders admitted that the Japanese gaming industry tends to look inward to its home market rather than develop more global products.

• Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine showed off a new Web concept being developed for the "Lord of the Rings Online," which gives the user a place to post character profiles and stats linked directly from the game.

It also has a space for posting blogs, screenshots and other information.

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