Smartphones and tablets dominate Tokyo Game Show

MAKUHARI, Japan (AFP) - Sophisticated gameplay and cheap downloads that are fuelling a boom in software for smartphones and tablets were on display on Thursday at the Tokyo Game Show, the biggest of its kind in Asia.

Developers from all over the world flocked to the town of Makuhari outside the Japanese capital to showcase their latest offerings as the world readied for Friday's launch of the iPhone 5.

Even the upcoming launch of faster, slicker and more capacious versions of Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Wii U, set to go head-to-head in the run-up to Christmas, could not take the spotlight off the ever-improving world of smartphone gaming.

"iTunes store has been the main provider of games for smartphones, but now you can download games that you used to play at shopping mall arcades on this Android phone," said Mr Tetsuya Kamoto at Sony Mobile's Xperia booth.