TGS Coverage Roundup: Day One

Author: by Staff

Gamasutra editors are crawling the halls of the Tokyo Game Show this week -- attending keynotes and sessions, interviewing members of the Japanese development community, and scoring the hottest of hot scoops. The show runs until Sunday, October 12, and with the first day wrapped, we've compiled our first salvo of on-location coverage. Conveniently collected for your consumption: Announcements Microsoft Announces Halo 3: Recon, To Debut Late 2009 "During Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft announced Halo 3: Recon, a new Bungie-developed 'standalone expansion' which uses Halo 3 as a basis for an all-new campaign and multiplayer experience due out in Fall 2009." TGS: Microsoft's Schappert Reveals Tekken On Xbox 360, Nov. 19th Xbox Live Update "Microsoft Xbox corporate VP John Schappert announced a robust line-up of Japanese-developed Xbox 360 titles including a Tekken entry, promised a November 19 debut for the new Xbox Live interface, and teased the new 2009-due Bungie-developed expansion Halo 3: Recon." Grasshopper Announces No More Heroes Sequel "Cult Wii title No More Heroes is getting a sequel, following a surprise announcement by Grasshopper Manufacture CEO Goichi Suda (aka Suda51) at the Tokyo Game Show. The sequel got the greenlight in part because of its warm reception in the West." TGS: Square Enix's Wada: Japanese Industry Has 'Lost Its Position' "At the Tokyo Game Show on Thursday, CESA chairman and Square Enix president Yoichi Wada presented a passionate keynote, suggesting that the Japanese game industry has "lost its position" as the leader in the global marketplace, and offering some possible solutions." Stage Shows, Luck Ceremonies And DBZ: Inside Namco-Bandai's Press Event "Gamasutra attended Namco Bandai's press event at the Tokyo Game Show, which featured an Afro Samurai stage show, among other presentations -- and learned the company's already announced most of its major 2008 titles, save for a We Ski sequel and a new DBZ game." Interviews TGS Exclusive: Yuji Naka's Prope Making a Sonic-Like Action Game "Gamasutra spoke with famed creator Yuji Naka, programmer for and creator of the original Sonic the Hedgehog games, who revealed that his company is currently working on a Sonic-like character action game." Interview: Koei's Matsubara Talks Tecmo Merger, Dynasty Warriors Expanding West "At the Tokyo Game Show, Gamasutra talks with Koei president Kenji Matsubara about specific business advantages of the company's merger with Tecmo -- and Koei's plans to expand the popularity of its Dynasty Warriors franchise in the West, potentially using licenses or more Western-specific material." TGS: Marvelous' Hashimoto: '2D Requires Sacrifice' "Vanillaware, maker of Odin Sphere, is currently developing a high-res 2D game, Oboro Muramasa. Publisher-side producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto describes how making this sort of game requires 'lives and sacrifice.'"