This morning we sent out an email to journalists with details about our TGS Announcements.
I thought you’d like to see the highlights first hand:
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We’re about to enter one of the most exciting holiday seasons for Xbox 360 and Kinect worldwide. And today we kick off the 2011 Tokyo Game Show (TGS) with updates to Forza Motorsport 4, Dance Central 2, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Gears of War 3, among many other titles.
Core gamers who’ve been fans for years – and families who are new to the console – will find the most anticipated titles of the season for Xbox 360 and Kinect on hand and playable at TGS. The show is expected to attract entertainment enthusiasts from around the world, and provide the ultimate gaming experience in Japan this year.
- Some of Xbox’s biggest blockbuster titles including Forza Motorsport 4, Gears of War 3, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and two Xbox Live Arcade titles – Diabolical Pitch and Haunt – will be on display for the first time in Japan.• For Forza Motorsport 4, Turn 10 Studios will reveal that the game will include four legendary Japanese tracks – Motegi, Fujimi Kaido, Tsukuba and Suzuka – when it launches on Oct. 11 in North America, Oct. 14 in Europe and Oct. 20 in the rest of the world.
Seven new tracks for Dance Central 2 will be unveiled as a part of the 40+ songs that will be available on-disc:
- Mary J. Blige – Real Love
- Chingy – Right Thurr
- Missy Elliott – Get Ur Freak On
- Kevin Lyttle – Turn Me On
- New Boyz – You’re A Jerk
- Atlantic Connection and Armanni Reign – Reach
- Remy Ma – Conceited (There’s Something About Remy)
• Sports fans will be able to put on some downhill skis or step into the batter’s box as the bestselling franchise on Kinect – Kinect Sports: Season Two – will showcase Baseball, and debut Downhill Skiing and the new Challenge Play mode at TGS.
• Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary will add the classic Halo 2 map ‘Headlong’ to its growing cavalcade of multiplayer arenas. And 343 Industries will reveal new details for the upcoming Halo: Reach title update, including the launch of beta playlists on Oct. 4.
TGS is also about marking the Xbox commitment to Japan, which is home to some of the most legendary games creators in our industry. One of the most important aspects of the Xbox business in Japan is the relationship with our third party development houses, and the news from those creators is plentiful:
- In addition to the five titles from Japanese creators announced at last year’s Tokyo Games Show, Microsoft will announce that Happy Wars, a new title from Toylogic, will be coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade.
- A demo of Project Draco from Grounding will be shown for the first time to media in an exclusive setting.
- Diabolical Pitch (announced at TGS 2010 as codename D) from Grasshopper Manufacture, and Haunt from NanaOn-Sha, will be playable at Microsoft’s booth. Diabolical Pitch will be released on Xbox LIVE Arcade next year.
