Thursday 19 September 2013

Tokyo Game Show 2013: Happy Photo Funtimes!

Day one of TGS 2013 is done and dusted, and boy, that sure was a lot of iPhone, tablet and 3DS games I just saw. No wonder, really, given that handheld is king here, but still, you'd barely know a new generation of consoles was just around the corner. Well, somewhat around the corner if you live in Japan.

Anyway, it's hard to convey just how strange and different Tokyo Game Show is through words alone (what am I, a professional writer?), so I figured I'd take you on a photo tour of the show. Bear in mind that today wasn't open to the public, so there aren't crazy cosplayers everywhere, nor will you get a sense of just how busy TGS is on a public day. Consider this a more leisurely, yet still entirely bonkers, introduction...

I still think they should have gone with the original name "Tokyo Super Happy Gametacular Plus Alpha."

"Limitless Evolution"... within a handful of dominant genres.

See that? Over in the corner of the food and merch hall? That's Sony's press conference. Well, to be fair, it's the TGS stage... which probably accounts for the lack of flair. Sony typically likes to have the world's most impressive screen for its pressers.

See that? Over in the corner of the food and merch hall? That's Sony's press conference. Well, to be fair, it's the TGS stage... which probably accounts for the lack of flair. Sony typically likes to have the world's most impressive screen for its pressers. This was Powerpoint all the way.

So I walk into one of the two main halls and quite literally the first thing I see is a girl in a cage at the Rhythm & Battle! part of Capcom's booth. Bravo Japan.

So I walk into one of the two main halls and quite literally the first thing I see is a girl in a cage at the Rhythm & Battle! part of Capcom's booth. Classic Japan.

And the second thing I see is this creepy f**k on the same booth. Again, bravo Japan.

And the second thing I see is this creepy f**k on the same booth. Also classic Japan.

Capcom's booth really does have it all: girls inexplicably in cages, weird human fly things and huge dragon heads. That's the sort of display mad Monster Hunter cash pays for.

Yo, Monster Hunter makes so much money Capcom had an actual taxidermied dragon's head shipped from Shikoku. (Where the Japanese dragon parks are.)

And speaking of cash... boy, these World of Tanks dudes seem to be swimming in it.

And speaking of cash... boy, those World of Tanks dudes seem to be swimming in it.

Cage-free farm fresh women too.

And unlike Capcom, their booth staff are cage-free farm fresh. (But definitely seem more Valkyria Chronicles than World of Tanks in my books.)

Dragon's Dogma Quest! For Vita and iOS! (Of course.) AND NOW YOU CAN BUY THE JEWELLERY TO PROVE HOW MUCH YOU LOVE IT!

Dragon's Dogma Quest! For Vita and iOS! (Of course.) AND NOW YOU CAN BUY THE JEWELLERY TO PROVE HOW MUCH YOU LOVE IT!

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This Capcom dev has a bright pink shirt with a cat emitting a mushroom cloud fart, with the speech bubble "I don't care." Heart you dude.

Capcom's Basara 4... one of about a billion Dynasty Warriors-style games at the show. Can you feel my excitement? Cool booth though.

Capcom's Basara 4... one of about a billion Dynasty Warriors-style games at the show. Can you feel my excitement? Cool booth though.

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That staple of Japanese culture - the young boy inexplicably given power over giant robots, or, in this case, a mech dog thing.

Kissing young anime boys brings good luck. Or so I've been told.

And kissing them brings good luck. Or so I've been told.

GTA V - a strong contender for game of show. Seriously.

GTA V - a strong contender for game of show. Seriously.

Plus, it's pretty cool that Rockstar Japan staffed the booth with ACTUAL Japanese gangsters. This guys is flashing his "Wakarimasen" gang sign. Straight up.

Plus, it's pretty cool that Rockstar Japan staffed the booth with ACTUAL Japanese gangsters. This guys is flashing his "Wakarimasen" gang sign. Straight up.

TGS 2013 also played host to a number of colleges with game design/development courses. "Do you come with the graduate diploma?"

TGS 2013 also played host to a number of colleges with game design/development courses. "Do you come with the graduate diploma?" "Oh you, tee hee."

What better way to spruik a college than with a sexy high school girl? Mind you, in Japan, "spruik a college" could be replaced by ANYTHING.

What better way to spruik a college than with a sexy high school girl? Mind you, in Japan, "a college" could be replaced by ANYTHING.

Aaaaaaaand this happened. I have no idea what this was about, but it wasn't an infrequent sight on the show floor. Like I said, booth babes are still a big thing here.

Aaaaaaaand this happened. I have no idea what this was about, but this is in no way unusual at TGS. It's basically the land that time forgot, where the only dialogue around booth babes is whether each booth has enough of them.

And to keep things balanced, the reverse shot. If this was a public day that would be about a hundred dudes.

And to keep things balanced, the reverse shot. If this was a public day that would be about a hundred dudes.

Ah hell, I'll just show you. Public day TGS 2010, exhibit A.

Ah, to hell with it, I'll just show you: public day TGS 2010, exhibit A.

Exhibit B.

Exhibit B.

Exhibit C.

Exhibit C.


Source : ign[dot]com

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