Microsoft's shindig took place at the New Otani hotel, right next to Makuhari Messe. This was a poolside affair, which mixed Japanese celebs, foreign press, and community people with good food and plenty of Japanese beer.
The j-celebrities took up controllers in a Japanese version of Microsoft's Game with Fame events, with gamers fighting it out in games like Rainbow Six and Bomberman Live on big plasma screens and in front of colored spotlights. Aside from this event and some Microsoft XNA kiosks, not much gaming took place.
Most attendees spent their time reflecting on the events and highlights of the first day of TGS. Bloggers, industry figures, and exhibitors complained of sore feet and exhaustion while knocking back Asahi and munching on breaded seafood.
The party had a slightly better showing than yesterday's Sony event, though that probably had more to do with location and timing than anything else. Many of the same people showed face, including both Morgan and Adam of X-Play, our boys from GayGamer.net, most of our pals from Kotaku, the linkable/likeable Spencer from Siliconera, and of course our "Japan lighthouse" Cheapy D, from Cheap Ass Gamer.
Cheapy D happened to walk in on a conversation where someone named "Frenchy D" or "Cheapy F" was being mentioned. We told him that we found a French doppelganger who was just as bald and almost the same height, and we named him "Frenchy D." Curious, Cheapy sought out this Frenchy D to judge the similarities himself. He came back and insisted that he was "way better looking."
Again, keep on the lookout for our official TGS party review rundown, giving scores to food menu, attendance, games and more.
Contest:
1:39 PM on 09.20.2007
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I'm really enjoying these pictures. It makes Japan look like it isn't a colony on the moon. Even though I can't possibly believe that.
Are you staging all of this from a warehouse in Nevada?