JAPAN TRENDS


 

Tokyo Game Show 2016 opened yesterday and, as expected, is dominated by virtual reality.

This year there are 614 exhibitors — the highest number ever — and over 100 VR systems and games are showcased at Japan’s premier gaming event.

Making a comeback after Sony canceled its Project Morpheus HMD demo at Tokyo Game Show 2014 due to controversy over the sexualized content, the PlayStation VR is finally about to launch domestically.

 

The much-anticipated, Japan-grown 360-degree VR headset is released on October 13th, following the launches of rival systems HTC Vive and Oculus Rift earlier this year. The PlayStation VR is expected to retail considerably below the prices of those competitors.

 

Sony has gone all out for its booth at the show, which includes partnering with fashion brand Anrealage to create special PlayStation-themed uniforms for the event. All 160 male and female staff at the PlayStation exhibition are wearing custom-designed clothes in the classic blue and white PlayStation colors. Made with retroreflective materials, the clothing reveals the controller button symbols when exposed to camera flashes.

 

The uniforms will be used at other PlayStation promotional events in the future.

https://youtu.be/CRHOLdMv8Dw

Other VR games showcased at Tokyo Game Show 2016 include virtual dating, indicating how romance might work in the years to come. Expected to attract 230,000 visitors, Tokyo Game Show runs until September 18th at Makuhari Messe.

 

There has been a virtual reality blitz in Japan this year, from Edo-era Tokyo to future retail applications for VR as well as virtual reality entertaiment initiatives such as a Gundam experience and an entire gaming facility set up by Bandai Namco.