Tokyo, Japan-Part 4

Day 3 was a big day for us.  This was one of the major reasons that I'm in Tokyo this week - to attend the Tokyo Game Show (TGS).  This is a yearly event, where all of the major Japanese game publishers show off their upcoming games.  It's a large event, with thousands in attendance.  The first two days of the show are for industry and press only.  The last two days are open to the public - and the crowds that descend on that show are overwhelming.

The show itself is held outside of Tokyo - about an hour away in an area called Chiba.  It's right near Tokyo Disneyland (a much smaller version of the Happiest Place On Earth).  The show is held in a convention center unlike anything you've ever seen.  It's called Makuhari Messe. I don't have a camera with a lens wide-enough to show the entire complex.  Trust me - it's big.  When you enter the cavernous building, you immediately see the spectacle that is TGS:

We found several games that looked really fun.  One game - for the Wii - came with a little Taiko drum, that required you to play it in rhythm:

I sure hope they bring this to the U.S.

C-Rob and I were really impressed with the games at the Xbox 360 booth.  Lots of great games coming up in the next 6 months.

Chris stands - happily - in front of the Microsoft booth

Sony Playstation Booth - a game called "Little Big Planet"

C-Rob plays "Killzone 2" inside the Sony Playstation booth

The Sega booth - I was so proud...

C-Rob hangs out with one of the "Xbox Girls" - but in a really respectful way

This last game is unusual...but very unique.  We found it at the Sega booth.  It's called "Let's Tap".  Basically, it's a Wii game that has you "tapping" on a board, with the movements registered by the Wii controller.  Your tapping controls characters on the screen.  Sounds weird - but it looked like fun:

That evening, we decided to go to Akihabara - which is lit up like Times Square or Las Vegas day-or-night:

C-Rob shows of just a few of the millions of vending machines in Japan