Mobile phone games at the center of TGS2004

by Gerhard Fasol

Docomo at the center of attention with JAVA native mobile games for i-Mode

The annual “Tokyo Game Show” sets trends and is a must for game professionals and fans. More than 100 companies exhibit.

This years highlight is the SONY “PlayStation Portable” – PSP – to be introduced towards the end of 2004. SONY prepared a huge arena with an gigantic models of a PSP hanging overhead where visitors to the show could try out advance models of the PSP.

SONY also displayed the new “Gran Turismo 4” game, the release is scheduled for Dec 3, 2004. “Gran Turismo 4” was not the only car racing game at the show, we counted at least three more in this hugely popular category.

Japan game market report (398 pages, pdf-file):

Japan’s game makers and markets (32nd edition) – disruption by smartphone games

Docomo dominates Tokyo Game Show TGS2004 with JAVA native mobile games for i-Mode

The DoCoMo pavillion highlighted 15 of the most important i-Mode game partners. These 15 were selected from over 4000 i-mode content partners. Games are one of the most important sectors on the i-mode menu – many customers are driven by games to buy the next handset upgrade. Therefore DoCoMo has a great interest in mobile games. DoCoMos focus at the game show were games for the 900i FOMA/3G series.

SONY previews PSP – Playstation Portable:

SONY PSP mock up for Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

In a stunning arena around a gigantic hyper-real model of the PSP PlayStation Portable (PSP), visitors try out the PSP. PSP is announced to be released towards the end of 2004.

SONY PSP arena previewing the PSP at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

SONY offered a preview of “Gran Turismo 4” representing the enormously popular segmet of car racing games with realistic landscapes and surroundings.

SONY's Gran Tourismo at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004 — SONY’s Gran Tourismo at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

DoCoMo presented an intense show of 15 key i-mode partners focusing on games. The map immediately below shows the lay-out of DoCoMos exhibition area, together with small pictures of the main display of each of the 15 DoCoMo partners

NTT DoCoMo exhibit at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

One of the most important DoCoMo game partners is Square Enix with the best selling Final Fantasy series. Final Fantasy is a “role playing game” where the player joins a group of fighters. This photograph shows the Square Enix presentation in the DoCoMo display. Square Enix also had its own presentation area – complete with models, preview area, shows etc.