A three-day trade fair featuring new video game software by 63 makers kicked off Friday at the international trade fair venue here.
A range of new software for Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s PlayStation2 video game consoles, which have been hit with complaints over a lack of game software, are likely to be scrutinized during Tokyo Game Show 2000 Autumn, organizers said.
Video game software manufacturers are set to offer a range of software for Internet-capable i-mode mobile phones from NTT DoCoMo Inc., organizers at the Computer Entertainment Software Association said.
CESA, which groups video game software makers in Japan, set aside Friday for the press preview and for industry professionals who want to examine the 400 software products on display.
The software can be examined by the public today and Sunday, the organizers said, adding that they expect at least 150,000 video game fans to visit the trade fair.
Sega Enterprises Ltd., which is competing with archrival Sony on the strength of its Dreamcast video game console, will stay away from this year's trade show, the ninth of its kind.
Square Co., which has drawn lots of fans with its Final Fantasy software, will also not participate.
Quiet Windows debut
The Japanese subsidiary of U.S. computer software giant Microsoft Corp. on Friday released the Japanese-language version of the Windows Me operating system.
The release of Windows Me, short for Millennium Edition, took place in a much more subdued atmosphere compared with the releases of its predecessors, Windows 95 and Windows 98, which threw consumers into a frenzy.
Police have told Microsoft to tone down the sensational releases, including midnight sales, a company official said.
Features of Windows Me include the easy recovery of programs erased by mistake.