Virtual Reality Arrives at Tokyo Game Show To Restore Industry

by Karen Lydelle Linaja / Sep 16, 2016 06:45 AM EDT

Virtual Reality (VR) has arrived at the Tokyo Game Show, which is one of the biggest exhibitions of latest and fun games in the world and to revive the industry.

At the Makuhari Messe hall in Tokyo, many players are wearing headgears that cover their eyes and ears. The players are immersed in their own virtual reality world as they fight imaginary monsters or even dance with their ideal virtual characters.

The game show features around 614 companies promoting more than 1,500 game software titles and gave a preview earlier to the reporters before its official opening to the public.

According to Yasuo Takahashi, the Virtual Reality industry marks its debut year this 2016. And it will help restore and revive the industry which was depleted due to the advent of smart phones. Takahashi is the director of Sony Interactive Entertainment, which is the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant Sony Corp's game division.

"Up to now games were played on a TV set. With VR, players can enter the worlds portrayed in games. It's a totally new experience and VR can't really be played on a cell phone. That also meant VR's impact will be widespread, in genres such as movies and virtual travel," Takahashi added.

Virtual Reality is expected to take control in the gaming industry first, and it can also travel to several applications for real-estate previews, news reporting, education and even job trainings. In a recent survey conducted by 653 industry experts, it stated that the biggest challenge in the future of Virtual Reality is the 'lack of compelling content.'

All the Respondents were mostly into games. The chosen respondents who participated in the survey were planning to invest in the Virtual Reality even they are going to encounter obstacles like technical glitches, huge hardware, and high cost.

Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the game software maker Enhance president and founder, believes that VR is the kind of technology he's been waiting for his game "Rez Infinite." In 2001, the game's original version called Sega Dreamcast went in to sale. While the latest version of the VR game highlights a dreamlike and unforgettable experience at the Tokyo Game Show.

"This is about a new way of storytelling. It's a new journey. And so this is not confined to just realism, but it can provoke the creative imagination," Mizuguchi said.

Furthermore, according to CCS Insight, an industry analyst said that Virtual reality can be one of the most developing technologies in a decade and it has great potential to create huge profit and revenue in a country's economy.