Girls for G-Cluster advertise the mobile game ''ZOIDS Material Hunters'' at the Tokyo Game Show in Makuhari, Japan Sept. 18, 2014. The game will be available in Japan on iOS and Android next spring. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Girls for G-Cluster advertise the mobile game ''ZOIDS Material Hunters'' at the Tokyo Game Show in Makuhari, Japan Sept. 18, 2014. The game will be available in Japan on iOS and Android next spring. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
A gamer plays a pre-released game at the Sony Playstation booth at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Makuhari, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
A cosplay actress from Capcom passes out programs at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Makuhari, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Two women play video games at the Monster Energy Drinks booth at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Makuhari, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Members of the media get a sneak peak at the pre-release copy of ''Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare'' on XBox One at the Tokyo Game Show on Sept. 18, 2014, in Makuhari, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Gamers get a sneak peak at ''Evolve'' for XBox One at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Makuhari, Japan. The first-person shooter is due out in February. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
A cosplay actress from Fuji and Gumi Games advertises the game developer's new game, ''Phantom of the Kill,'' at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Makuhari, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Akibaman, a lead character from mobile game developer Prodigy, poses outside the Akihabara-based company's booth at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Makuhari, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Attendees start to file in to Makuhari Messe for the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Makuhari, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
A cosplay actress for DMM.com poses at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Makuhari, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
Alienware introduces its new streaming game console Alpha at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Maruhaki, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
A model for the mobile game developer Galboa assists a customer with one of the company's games at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Maruhaki, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
A model for Alienware explains her company's new streaming game console, Alpha, to a game tester at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Maruhaki, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
A gamer tests out a pre-release from the ''Earth Defense Force'' series at the D3 Publisher booth at the Tokyo Game Show Sept. 18, 2014, in Maruhaki, Japan. (James Kimber/Stars and Stripes)
TOKYO — Tokyo Game Show 2014’s theme is “Changing Games: The Transformation of Fun,” and from the looks of things, organizers have made good on their promise to present the best and brightest of what the future of gaming has to offer.
With the gaming industry’s shift toward support for the next-generation Playstation 4 and XBox One consoles, the possibilities to transform the end-user gaming experience are greater than ever. These powerful machines are capable of such things as motion-control, streaming video and connectivity to social networks — all seen in the previous-generation consoles, but yet to be perfected until now.
Your dad’s Atari machines these aren’t.
Sony seems to have stolen the show this year, showcasing hotly anticipated games like “Bloodborne” and “Destiny” to eager visitors. Both were received well by crowds, particularly Destiny’s groundbreaking persistent world first-person shooter gameplay and the role-playing game character-building style.
Kojima Productions also made a great showing, with its director, Hideo Kojima, making an appearance during a “Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain” question-and-answer session. A video trailer for both MGS and the “Silent Hill’ sequel — featuring Norman Reedus from “The Walking Dead” and directing assistance from Guillermo Del Toro — played during demonstrations in the Kojima Productions booth.
The XBox One booth, though not exactly groundbreaking, showed how hard Microsoft has been working to polish technologies that debuted with the XBox One. The Kinect peripheral has received a lot of attention from guests this year, in stark contrast to last year’s TGS, due to its improved performance.
“Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare” is one of the XBox One’s more popular titles this year, and following right behind is “Evolve,” 2K Games’ collaboration with Turtle Rock Studios. Both look ready to cement the XBox One’s place as king of the first-person shooter.
Square Enix, which had possibly the most hotly anticipated releases this year, didn’t disappoint with their showing of crossover action role-player hit “Kingdom Hearts 3” and the continuation of their staple “Final Fantasy” franchise, “Final Fantasy XV.” The gameplay in FFXV is packed with action and completely different from what any dedicated follower of the series has seen before.
Tokyo Game Show 2014 has shown not only how far gaming has come in the last year, but also how far it has progressed since it started. First the Nintendo Power Glove, now the XBox One Kinect. From the pixel pong games of the Atari 2600 to the Hollywood-esque events that are Playstation 4 games.
Tokyo Game Show 2014, with a record-setting 421 exhibitors, has made it clear that they’re here to show journalists and gamers that the future is now.
The event opens to the general public over the weekend at Chiba’s Makuhari Messe convention hall. A record 270,000 people attended last year’s Tokyo Game Show.
-------------------------
IF YOU GO:Tokyo Game Show
What: One of the biggest game shows globally, introducing advanced games, software and cellular phone content.When: Sept. 20 & 21.Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.Where: Makuhari Messe, five-minute walk from Kaihin Makuhari Station on JR Keiyo-Line.Costs: 1,200 yen.
