Category Archives: TGS 2017
In last year's version of this article, I talked about how the various companies at the Tokyo Game Show were clearly tightening their belts year-over-year. That seems to have continued this year, with some of the smallest booths I've seen from certain publishers. Again, the big mobile companies chose to largely sit things out, settling for business desks in an adjoining building over lavish, prop-filled money sinks. While there were many great games on display, one can't help but feel like this year's show was missing the spark of previous years. With Nintendo taking their usual pass on the show, VR being on the market for a while, and other hardware platforms hitting maturity, there was no new puppy to fawn over at Tokyo Game Show 2017...
As usual, the mobile gaming part of the Tokyo Game Show was scattered all over the massive Makuhari Messe exhibition center. The big companies of course had their own booths, where they were showing off some of their mobile offerings alongside their titles for other platforms. Smaller mobile developers were everywhere, however. Some were grouped and set up near the busier areas of the floor thanks to local publishers, while the bulk were once again found in the Indie Corner in Hall 9. In addition to the returning Merchandise Corner and Virtual Reality Corner, Hall 9 was also host to a new face at the Tokyo Game Show: eSports. This helped attract even more traffic to the Indie Corner. I've already covered some of the games found there, but I want to mention a few others that I saw that are worth a mention...
It feels like cute characters plus strategy game is a go-to approach for a lot of mobile developers these days, perhaps in the hopes of catching some of the run-off from Clash of Clans and its brethren. Battlesky Brigade is another such attempt, but apart from its frankly adorable character designs, it doesn't seem to have a lot of the necessary hooks to stand out. I had a chance to play a little of the game at the Tokyo Game Show, and while it's fun enough, I wonder if it can compete in a very difficult genre...
It seems like every year, I find one hidden gem that really jumps out from the rest. This year, that game was Shurado, a new action game from Ganbarion. If that name is ringing a bell for you, it's possible you saw it on any number licensed games based on properties like Dragon Ball or One Piece. Their most famous games in the West are probably the Nintendo DS Jump Stars fighting games that mash up a variety of manga characters. Shurado is something different for the traditionally console-based developer, but if what I played is indicative of the final game, they may have something big on their hands here...
One of the things about making your way through the indie game section of the Tokyo Game Show is that some of the games you play come from developers who haven't yet found a publishing partner and are unable to take their game worldwide as a result. One such developer at this year's show was Glaciwaker Entertainment, a Taiwan-based developer who had two interesting games at their station. Both of these games have already soft-launched in a few regions but haven't yet made the jump to a wider launch...
To be frank, I'm surprised that there aren't more clones of Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven out there. Especially on mobile devices, where the touch-friendly controls would be right at home. But when you really think about it, as simple as those games appear to be in some ways, they're probably really tough to pull off. Every once in a while, we do see games that try to channel its spirit, even if they're not exactly the same thing. Such is Rhythm Doctor, an upcoming release from 7th Beat Games. I got to give the game a try at the Tokyo Game Show and was even able to grab a video of one of the hardest stages...
Developer Firi Games is best known for their Phoenix series of hardcore bullet-hell shoot-em-ups. While their presence at the Tokyo Game Show was mainly to show off the latest in that series, Phoenix 2, to Japanese audiences, I managed to convince them to show me something from their next game, which is a slightly unexpected change from their usual fare. Pocket Quest is an RPG that Firi games has been planning for a very long time, and with Phoenix 2 settling a bit following its anniversary update, they've finally had the chance to dedicate their full attention to this charming little game. They even allowed me to capture some footage of an early version of the game...
It's hard to believe that only a couple of years ago, Square Enix was dedicating a significant portion of its booth space to mobile games. This year, it was hard to see anything but Final Fantasy 15 spin-offs and add-ons in Square's space. They had a dedicated area for the upcoming PlayStation anniversary edition of Itadaki Street, a small space for Secret of Mana's remake, and an area for the popular MMO Final Fantasy 14. The only speck of mobile gaming to be found was in a video showing off the upcoming Final Fantasy 15: Pocket Edition...
It's often said that SEGA of Japan and the Western branches of SEGA operate in very different ways, and that's always apparent at their Tokyo Game Show showings. Mainstay mobile products of the Western side like Sonic Dash and SEGA Forever are rarely seen, while the games they do tend to show almost never make it to the West. Still, it's always interesting to see just what kinds of games the company is putting out there, especially for a market as competitive as Japanese mobile gaming. This year, they didn't really have anything playable, but they did make a show of at least two mobile games in their booth...
With mobile phones and tablets practically becoming everyday tools for many, they present a unique narrative opportunity for certain types of games. We use our mobile devices for all kinds of things: making calls, sending texts, checking the web, watching videos, listening to music, and more. They're a window into the larger world, and with that being their established role in our lives, there's no reason they can't also be a plausible window into a fictional world. We've seen some games play with this concept already, from games like Republique to Lifeline. The upcoming release Stay, from Appnormals, looks to build on this idea with an even greater level of immersion. I was able to give it a spin at the Tokyo Game Show and record it for you...
