Yesterday at the Tokyo Game Show 2006, Microsoft Corp. delivered information on new and improved entertainment experiences for Japanese gamers, including details of the Xbox 360 library of nearly 110 high-definition games available this holiday season in Japan, which will include the highly anticipated [i]Blue Dragon[/i] from Microsoft Game Studios. Microsoft also paid tribute to NAMCO BANDAI Games and [i]Pac-Man[/i], announcing that the first [i]Pac-Man[/i] World Championship will be held in early 2007 using Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade. Microsoft also revealed details of other entertainment offerings enabled through Xbox 360, with availability date and pricing provided for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player in Japan, as well as news of an update that will allow the Xbox 360 console to output full 1080p games and video.
At the best-attended gaming convention in the world, Microsoft showcased games that will boost the Xbox 360 software library in Japan to nearly 110 titles by Christmas 2006 as well as more titles coming well into 2007. The Xbox 360 games showcased include [i]Blue Dragon[/i] (Microsoft Game Studios), [i]Lost Planet: Extreme Condition[/i] (Capcom), [i]Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2[/i] (Tecmo Inc.) and the newly announced [i]Trusty Bell[/i] (NAMCO BANDAI Games), and a host of anticipated Xbox Live Arcade titles. For 2007, Microsoft also announced a pipeline of great games that include the epic role-playing game (RPG) [i]Infinite Undiscovery[/i] (Microsoft Game Studios).
Continuing its tremendous momentum, Xbox Live Arcade has also announced in Tokyo a host of exciting new games, including some that will be exclusive to the Japanese market. Gamers will have the opportunity to try a host of new games on the show floor, including the classic side-scroller [i]Contra[/i] (Konami Corp.), the space-shooter [i]Gyruss[/i] (Konami), the enemy-popping classic [i]Dig Dug[/i] (NAMCO BANDAI Games), arcade favorite [i]Track & Field[/i] (Konami), [i]New Rally-X[/i] (NAMCO BANDAI Games) [i]Rush'n Attack[/i] (Konami), a favorite 1980s side-scroller, and the inimitable [i]Ms. Pac-Man[/i] (NAMCO BANDAI Games). In addition, the Japan-exclusive Xbox Live Arcade game [i]Yie Ar Kung Fu[/i] (Konami), one of the very first fighting games, was announced for release in 2007.
"The key to winning the hearts and minds of the Japanese market is great games, and this great lineup demonstrates that Xbox 360 has those games in spades," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "Our lineup of role-playing games from the acknowledged masters of the genre is proof positive that there has never been a better time for Japanese gamers to jump in and pick up an Xbox 360 system."
Written By: Travis Johnson (tjohnson@forumwizard.net)