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EGSonikku writes "Microsoft has released an official press release regarding the XBox 360 world wide launch just prior to the Tokyo Game Show. Looks like the US will be getting it just prior to Thanksgiving on November 22nd. Europe will get it on December 2nd, and Japan on December 10th."

Asriel86 writes "Tokyo Game Show has just kicked off, and with quite a bang. Sony just officially announced the PStwociting a stateside release date of November 1st, 2004. The system will be 25% smaller than the current model, will feature a sleeker design, and a built-in Ethernet port (no adapter required). Sony also says that there will be 120 new Playstation 2 games with online compatibility by the end of the year. That equates to thirty games per month or about one game per day for the rest of 2004."

Asriel86 writes "Sony will be officially unveiling twenty titles for their upcoming handheld, according to Gaming Horizon. These games will be revealed for the Playstation Portable (PSP) this week at the Tokyo Game Show, and will include an Ape Escape and Metal Gear Solid title."

Thanks to 1UP for its note discussing a report on the state of the Japanese videogame market in 2003, as tallied by the CESA (Computer Entertainment Software Association) trade body. The result was an "11% decline in total hardware and software sales in Japan, to 446 billion yen ($4.1 billion), in the past year", and apparently: "2003's sales figure represents a slide of approximately 40% since 1997, when the Japanese games market last peaked at the height of the PlayStation's popularity." The news story author goes on to suggest: "CESA's report blames a significant loss of audience for the continual decline of the Japanese games market, partially thanks to the increasing complexity of big-ticket games. The upcoming debut of new handheld platforms from Nintendo and Sony represent the industry's next chance to bounce back and regain their audience in Japan." What's the difference between the Japanese experience and the relatively buoyant Western gaming market?

Thanks to GameSpot for their article discussing the results of a survey of over 1,000 Japanese gamers, conducted at this year's Tokyo Game Show. Among the more telling trends was a definite lack of interest in Western-developed games: "The percentage of respondents currently own non-Japanese software? Just over 1 percent. And only 4 percent expressed interest in buying such software in the future." The survey also revealed the true dominance of the RPG in Japan, as "...39 percent of respondents identified it as their favorite genre. This is far ahead of every other genre: strategy gaming, the second most popular choice, tallied only 7 percent of the votes." Finally, although it may be that Tokyo Game Show attendees "tend to be hardcore gamers", thus skewing the results, "ownership of [Xbox] ranked lower than five consoles that aren't even in production", including the Dreamcast and Saturn.

Thanks to various sources for their continued Tokyo Game Show coverage, as GameSpot cover the show in full and GameSpy is also showcasing regular TGS updates, with their Tokyo Game Show pictorial giving a good flavor for the sights and sounds of the show. Elsewhere, IGN's coverage is spread all over their console-specific sites, and there's more personal takes from Video-Fenky, who comments that "Sony is to TGS what Nintendo is to E3 - they always rent out huge spaces not to show off new games, but to make a point to the game industry", and NFG, who noted that the "cellular phone gaming sector was booming... [and] is Namco's biggest source of profit by division."

Thanks to various sources for covering Tokyo Game Show game announcements, including multiple new Capcom titles, from a Nightmare Before Christmas game for PlayStation 2, to a new multi-platform Mega Man RPG for PS2 and GameCube, and confirmed details on the Street Fighter II Anniversary Edition, which "contains every incarnation of every character from each game released under the Street Fighter II name." Apart from the Final Fantasy VII-based CG movie DVD we mentioned earlier, SquareEnix has also revealed details and initial screenshots for "Kingdom Hearts II for the PlayStation 2 and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for the Game Boy Advance", and Famitsu.com has breaking news on two new SquareEnix PS2 online RPGs, the action-orientated Ambrosia Odyssey and Front Mission Online, though there'll be much more comprehensive coverage soon.

poshul the hyper puppy writes "Is Square Enix planning on doing a follow up to its best-selling game of all time? Nearing press time at this year's Tokyo Game Show 2003 - it appears a scan from the upcoming V-Jump magazine has given away Square's surprise by revealing Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Leaked by Japanese site Quiter the details say it takes two years after the original, should be released on some form of DVD media (looks like this could this be a movie, not a game?), and involves our legendary hero Cloud. So either bust out Babelfish to read the details directly at Quiter or get the news from SquareAMP: Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children." Update: 09/25 18:54 GMT by S : IGN PS2 are pretty sure that this is a direct-to-DVD CG movie, as the poster suggested above, not a videogame.

Thanks to Gamers.com for the news that Namco has announced a PlayStation 2 spin-off title starring Tekken's Nina Williams, according to this week's issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu Weekly. It seems this Nina-starring game "...has the look of a 3D brawler along the lines of [but hopefully with better playability than!] Dream Factory's The Bouncer. It's tentatively scheduled for release in 2004" - more details/screens are likely at the Tokyo Game Show next week. In other Japanese news, the same issue of Famitsu also rated the Capcom-published Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto, giving it a relatively lofty 32/40, and a Gold award.

Thanks to ShackNews for pointing out Capcom's announcement of Hyper Street Fighter II X for PlayStation 2, which is due out this December in Japan, and will be properly showcased at the Tokyo Game Show later this month. Since Capcom are celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Street Fighter series, it's likely the game will sport a best-of character roster - although, as ShackNews notes, "...you gotta admire Capcom's ability to create ever-more-ridiculous Street Fighter names (although personally, my favorite is still Street Fighter EX 2 + Alpha)." While awaiting the official unveiling, you can check out the original series via classic RePlay arcade magazine scans from SNK-Capcom.com.

Thanks to TeamXbox for their round-up of the new Japanese-developed titles Microsoft is showing at this year's Tokyo Game Show, which starts September 26th. They include first-party titles like Phantom Dust, which Gamers.com describes as "...an action game in the Devil May Cry mold [from] Yukio Futatsugi, who in a past generation was the director of Sega's Panzer Dragoon", as well as Magatama, portrayed as "...a 3D action game set in a fantastic version of ancient Japan - comparisons to Onimusha wouldn't be too far of a stretch." A notable non-Japanese Xbox title that will also debut at TGS is BioWare's Jade Empire, "an action-RPG from the creators of Star Wars: KotOR [in which you play] a young martial arts student, trying to gain the respect and admiration of your teacher and the townsfolk."

Thanks to InsertCredit.com for their brief summary of the ever-more-complicated question - is Sega's Shenmue III in production? The site condenses: "Nov. 2001 - AM2 confirms production of Shenmue III is underway... Mar. 2002 - Shin Izakawa, new Shenmue series producer, says Shenmue II XBOX sales will determine release of Shenmue III... Jan. 2003 - Yu Suzuki reveals Shenmue III game designs, expresses desire to make it movie rather than game... July 2003 - Websites report that AM2 confirms Shenmue III will be released, but not where, when or on what. Minor controversy and buzz ensues." GamePro also has a good summary of recent rumors, most of which have either been unattributable or mistranslated. But clearly, Shenmue III was planned at one point - maybe we'll finally find out if it's still being developed at the next Tokyo Game Show?

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out a downloadable demo of Japanese PC videogame Chair Chaser is available over at Gamershell. A little research uncovers that this unique racing game, subtitled 'Let's Get The President's Seat!!' and developed by (the student part of?) Konami Osaka, has you racing round a skyscraper astride office chairs. It was part of the 2002-2003 CESA Amateur Awards, entering a competition organized by the Japanese game trade organization body (who have a demo mirror on their site.) Nice to see a game adding to the 'office action' genre popularized by Ambrosia's Harry The Handsome Executive.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out a downloadable demo of Japanese PC videogame Chair Chaser is available over at Gamershell. A little research uncovers that this unique racing game, subtitled 'Let's Get The President's Seat!!' and developed by (the student part of?) Konami Osaka, has you racing round a skyscraper astride office chairs. It was part of the 2002-2003 CESA Amateur Awards, entering a competition organized by the Japanese game trade organization body (who have a demo mirror on their site.) Nice to see a game adding to the 'office action' genre popularized by Ambrosia's Harry The Handsome Executive.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out a downloadable demo of Japanese PC videogame Chair Chaser is available over at Gamershell. A little research uncovers that this unique racing game, subtitled 'Let's Get The President's Seat!!' and developed by (the student part of?) Konami Osaka, has you racing round a skyscraper astride office chairs. It was part of the 2002-2003 CESA Amateur Awards, entering a competition organized by the Japanese game trade organization body (who have a demo mirror on their site.) Nice to see a game adding to the 'office action' genre popularized by Ambrosia's Harry The Handsome Executive.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out a downloadable demo of Japanese PC videogame Chair Chaser is available over at Gamershell. A little research uncovers that this unique racing game, subtitled 'Let's Get The President's Seat!!' and developed by (the student part of?) Konami Osaka, has you racing round a skyscraper astride office chairs. It was part of the 2002-2003 CESA Amateur Awards, entering a competition organized by the Japanese game trade organization body (who have a demo mirror on their site.) Nice to see a game adding to the 'office action' genre popularized by Ambrosia's Harry The Handsome Executive.