Japanese video game and computer game show in Tokyo

Source: CCTV.com | 10-12-2008 10:08

A video game show in Tokyo, featuring hundreds of the most recent and sophisticated video and computer games, is expected to attract over 180 thousand people this weekend.

It's a gamers paradise, with the biggest and best just waiting to be tried out, and this year it has nearly 900 game titles and more than 200 exhibitors.

Some of the most exciting and anticipated products are mobile phone games, especially with the technological advancements of Japanese cell phones in the past decade.

Another major growth is in handheld games such as Nintendo DS and Sony's PlayStation PSP.

The President of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan insists Sony has plenty to be optimistic about.

Shawn Layden, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, said, "Playstation portable is enormous for us here in Japan. That market has taken off like wildfire. It has been driven by titles that are focused on a younger audience, as more social kind of gaming experience through portable gaming, and now we're going to take that trend into the home with Playstation 3 and titles that allow the whole family to play together in the living room."

But there is fierce competition, and Microsoft Xbox has long been eager to get a piece of the country's estimated 6.8-billion-US-dollar video game market.

John Schappert, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, said, "Its all about focussing on the social communications. The largest social network connected to your television. We've got 14 million people connected on Xbox live. What I want you to do, to be able to do is turn on your Xbox and easily find the content that you want, that you might own and is on our service.I want you to find new friends, find new experiences that you can enjoy with your friends, or make new friends, which is why we've launched our live parties, which is why we have focused a lot of friends and experiences outside just playing games."