GRAND SLAM

Story by Adam Miller

 

Unless you're Amish or over the age of 75, you should be very interested to find out that Tokyo Game Show 2010 is just around the corner. This year the convention is being held between September 16th (Thursday) and September 19th (Sunday), at Makuhari Messe, Mihama-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Exhibition Hall 1-8 and the International Convention Center. The first two days are business only, but the latter two days (which thankfully fall on the weekend) are open to the general public.

 

Even if you just have a fleeting interest in video games, you really should check it out, as heavy-hitting hardware producers Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will all be lobbying to grab your attention with sneak previews and exclusives. Software giants such as Square Enix, Capcom, Bandai Namco Games, Tecmo and Yukes will also square off against each other as they parade their new wears.
This article will give you a brief insight as to what you can expect from the Tokyo Game Show 2010. Sadly, J Select could not give me the 50 pages necessary to cover every aspect of the convention, but hopefully this article will whet your appetite enough to send you on your way to the best video game exhibition you're likely to go to this summer.

MICROSOFT

Seeing as I am an Xbox 360 gamer, it's only fair that I start with Microsoft. The Xbox 360 was launched all the way back in 2005 and sold out in every single region upon release, with one exception: Japan. Microsoft has found it difficult to find a foothold in the land of the rising sun, and although there are currently over 40 million Xbox 360s world wide, only a handful of these are in Japan. Microsoft are pulling out all the stops in trying to attract a new market, however; they have announced a redesigned version which will not only be slimmer (and hopefully less prone to overheat), but will also have integrated WiFi and a 250GB hard drive. It may not have the Japanese public flocking to their local Sofmap, but it is a welcome change. You can currently pick up an Elite Xbox 360 for ¥24,800, but if you really want to be flashy, the new model costs ¥29,800.

SONY

Sony's PS3 is a shade younger than the 360 (coming out late 2006 in Japan and early 2007 in the West), but that also makes it a little newer! The PS3 has had more facelifts than Joan Rivers; with varying hard-drives, leads and ports added or taken away, and last year saw the release of a sleek new model. No matter which console you have, however, you get a built in Blu-ray player, wireless internet access and, best of all, free subscription to play online (unlike the Xbox 360 which charges a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription).



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