Alan Wake To Appear At TGS For Sure (Maybe)

Remedy's Alan Wake was noticeably absent at E3 2008, a void left even more dark and encompassing by the inclusion of titles like You're In The Movies. Fear not, fans of mysterious mysteries, as the Xbox 360 and Windows Vista title is going to make its next public appearance at Tokyo Game Show at the latest, according to one web site.

A Windows branded contest — one that actually dates back to March of last year(!) — tells us that we'll be seeing Alan Wake in Tokyo, at least in trailer form. It's entirely possible that we'll see the title as Games Convention, PAX or some other big gaming get together. But for now, pencil in a date with Mr. Wake for October. That's pencil, not pen.

"WOW" Be A Face In The Game [Microsoft - thanks, SS!]

Even though E3 is next week, it's never too early to talk about the Tokyo Game Show. So! For those interested in attending TGS 2008, good news: You'll be able to buy tickets beforehand. That's right, convenience stores across the country will be selling them via Electronic Ticket Pia for ¥1,000 (¥1,200 with tax). That's ten bucks plus tax in U.S. money. But what does that matter? You'll have to be in Japan if you want to buy tickets early.

TGS tickets go on sale starting July 16th.

前売入場券は2008年7月16日より販売 [Famitsu] [Pic]

Test Out SEGA-AM2's New Arcade Racer

This Friday (today!), SEGA is location testing new street racing game from its famed AM2 division. Dubbed R-Tuned: Ulimate Street Racing, the arcade game runs on SEGA's Lindbergh arcade system board and supports up to four players. Apparently there is also a home version in development, but that's unconfirmed. The location test kicked off today at 10:00AM Japan Time at the Shinjuku Club SEGA and will wrap up next Monday. Stop by, check it out. Tell 'em Kotaku sent cha!

R-Tuned [Official Site via Game Watch]

For those who missed meeting Hideo Kojima in the States and Europe and for those living in Japan, listen up. Konami has announced dates and places for the Metal Gear Solid 4 autographing spectacular. Kojima, illustrator Yoji Shinkawa and actress Yumi Kikuchi are slated to appear with signing pen. The dates and places and times are:

June 28th, Saturday
•Yodobashi Camera Shinjuku 10:00AM - 11:00AM
•Sofmap Omiya 2:30PM - 3:30PM
•Yodobashi Camera Yokohama 5:30PM - 7:00

June 29th, Sunday
•Nagoya Station Bic Camera 10:30AM - NOON
•Osaka Yamada Denki Labi1 4:00PM - 5:30PM

Seems like signatures are mostly being limited to game packaging (Premium Pack is okay!), so that means no Kojima signed cigarette boxes. Bummer.

GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS　ワールドツアー　in JAPAN [IT Media] [Pic]

This morning, Metal Gear Solid 4 launched in Tokyo, Japan. According to Famitsu, there was a line of twenty or so in front of the Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku at 8:30 this morning. By 9:15am, the line grew to about 50 people, and swelled to around 100 customers thirty minutes before the store opened.

TGS 2008 Official Poster And Slogan (Both Kinda Stink)

The Tokyo Game Show has announced its official poster and slogan. The poster (pictured) features sayings in various languages. The English ones are "Go for it!", "Fantastic!!" and "Here's a break!" Pretty sure I've never said "Here's a break!" in my life. Like ever. The official slogan doesn't get much better. It is:

Saa, ikou! GAME no jikan desu. (Let's go! It's GAME time.)

So profound. Makes "Here's a break!" sound like utter drivel. TGS runs October 9th to the 12th with the first two days being business days. Over 170 companies will be participating and organizers expect 180,000 total attendees.

TGS 2008 [CESA]

Racism In Tokyo

Hit the jump for a totally non-game related clip from YouTuber tokyocooney. A totally brilliant non-game related one.

English Book To Help Guide Foreign Nerds

Pokemon Event Threatened, Event So Cancelled

We thought the safety of our customers is our top priority. We deeply apologize for the cancellation.

It wasn't until Team Ninja's Yosuke Hayashi stepped off the plane in the States this week that he heard about the connection some in the Japanese media were trying to draw between his recently released Ninja Gaiden game and the rampage of a disenfranchised gamer at a shopping center near Tokyo.

"We were just talking about it. We didn't fly in until last night and I didn't know about it until I got off the plane," Hayashi said through a translator Wednesday afternoon. "They told me there is stuff going on in the media in Japan, there is a game that was involved and it just so happens it was Ninja Gaiden DS."

Masahiro Kanagawa, 24, told police that on March 19 he decided he wanted to attack his sister and a local elementary school, but changed his mind and instead randomly picked a home and went inside and killed a 72-year-old man. Four days later, police say Kanagawa went to a shopping center and stabbed eight people, one of which later died.

The day after the stabbings, at least one television station pointed out that Kanagawa had a copy of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword in his bag when he was arrested. The game went on sale in Japan on March 20 and police told at least one outlet they are looking into a possible connection.

Toshihiro Nagoshi? Dirty Pants.

Just when you all are starting to get GDC fever, Japan comes along to steal its thunder and announces the theme for this year's Tokyo Game Show. Are you ready for that excitement? Here goes:

Theme: "Ready for GAME Time!"

Let both experienced players and first-time users get even more enjoyment from games — the aspiration has led to creation of a variety of new content and driven astonishing growth of the computer entertainment industry.

Otaku Screams, Kicks Counter

Crazy Otaku Dude [fuckedgaijin]

'Til DS Do Us Part

Wind breakers to keep warm, check. Hiking boots for climbing mountains, check. Backpacks for carrying stuff, check. DSes with earphones to ignore one's better half, check. The Tokyo Times spotted this on a Tokyo train, telling us that this couple "never spoke to each other the whole time they were on the train." They didn't have to. With coordination like that, they can read each other's minds. Either that, or they're in Pictochat.
Touching Tokyo [Tokyo Times]

Julian Eggebrecht Defends Lair. Again.

Factor 5 honcho Julian Eggebrecht must be exhausted from constantly "defending" his company's poorly received PLAYSTATION 3 title Lair and its hit-or-miss SIXAXIS controls. G4 caught up with the Dragon's Lair fanboy at Tokyo Game Show to get one more justification out of Mr. Eggebrecht whose game has been retitled Rise From Lair in Japan. I respect what Factor 5 was trying to do, but trying to target gamers who aren't hardcore with a PS3 game? Simply puzzling.

Bashcraft's Kotaku Party Hang Over Ramblings

TGS Attendance Numbers Padded Nicely By Press

Nintendo may be expanding the video game market in Japan, but their refusal to attend the biggest gaming expo in their homeland is doing nothing to help out this year's numbers for Tokyo Game Show. In 2006, TGS pulled in some 192,411 attendees over the course of three days. The first public day last year saw some 84,823 gamers stink up the halls of the Makuhari Messe. This year? Only 64,795. We won't know the final figure for Sunday for a while, but based on the feeling that it's much more manageable to walk the show floor, expect less than yesterday's figure.

Granted, last year saw the opportunity for a nation to get their hands on PLAYSTATION 3 and Wii games for the first time, so a drop from last year isn't shocking. But we hope that Nintendo will come to TGS 2008 and make next year's show a more disgusting sea of putrid otaku.