I rolled my eyes when my boys ask me to take the to this tomorrow with some of their friends. I was suspecious that they were asking me, but after looking into I just didn't seem to care. I saw some of the photos of the exhibitors and the uh.. video games... and I'm like, "Yeah that looks quite appealing and fun!" :)
So with my new found interest, I pulled up the trade show's website site to read about it. I didn't realize this show has been going now for 20 years (where was i?) ,and it's one of the biggest video game exhibition in the world with over 1,500 gaming titles and 600 exhibotors from all over the global -- No Nintendo though which was odd to hear, but they are questioning how deeply they want to be involved in virtual reality apps. But most likely they have enough on their plate with semi-virtual reality pokemon go game, and it's huge user base that already has them overwhelmed.
Virtual Relationshp Apps
One big sector is a newer type of virtual gaming where the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred. These gaming companies are targeting mostly lonely awkward guys that find real relationships with a real women diffcult, so they have made apps that creates a virtual mate that interacts with them throughout the day in a loving and romantical way.
Bandai Namco, which a big software developer, has there app for this called,"'Summer Lesson" where they put most of their development into try to make it feel as much like interacting with an actual person as possible.
At first when I heard about this, it honestly creaped me out a bit. But then I saw a documantary about a few young men that have totally become emersed in relationships with a virtual girl to the point they feel it's real, and one guy that was in a long relationship that failed said he preferred this because he can't get hurt like he did before when he was dumped. So I get it from that aspect of helping those that would otherwise be possible outcasts or even suicdial as one guy admitted he was before finding one of these apps.
Another Couple Notable Attactions
They are expecting a number of attendess to be dressed in "cosplay" for their favority video game characters. And for dressing in eleborate costumes, it's done like no whereelse in Japan because this is where the word originated.There will also be music concerts that feature virtual digital characters. There is one character that has became very famous called Hatsune Miku, and it a completely made up anime type character that appears on stage to sing and dance. But you can see wth this video that there are a ton of fans.
It's beyond me why, but my youngest boy says it's just the anime geeks get enjoyment of seeing a character appear to come to life and perform for them music that they can try to grove to.
Who really knows where any of this is going, but it could very well be our grand kids that will prefer interacting in virtual reality character over bothering with the complexities of actual human relationships.
Tokyo Game Show website: http://expo.nikkeibp.co.jp/tgs/2016/public/en/index.html
(available in English, Chinese, Korean and well Japanese of course)
Update - I've been voted out of going :(
I'm up here writing about it and coop appears to have happened downstairs. I'm being told that Dad doesn't get to go tomorrow which seems like a consorted effort pushed on the boys by the wife. And now I'm hearing my wife is going to take them.WHY???
All I wanted to go see was some cool new virtual technology being present by a number of young professionals... what's the harm in that!?
You probably are not buying this and neither did they, dang it.
So poor ole Dad will just be at home sulking while making chocolate thanks to @knozaki2015 's post here:
https://steemit.com/food/@knozaki2015/the-tastiest-and-healthiest-raw-chocolate-in-the-world
My last comment back at them was yelling back down that stairs that while they are there to please look for a good virtual interactive family app for me because it looks like my real family is abandoning me. LMAO