(KPL/KYODO NEWS) The Tokyo Game Show kicked off Thursday with a special area showcasing the latest artificial intelligence technology to help develop video games, as the industry grapples with a chronic labor shortage.

A record 985 exhibitors from 44 countries and regions are participating this year, displaying their newest titles in one of the world's biggest gaming trade fairs.

One of the key highlights is the AI technology pavilion, where select firms are exhibiting various ways in which the ever-evolving technology can be applied to the development of games.

HechicerIA, a Spain-based AI startup, is showcasing software that instantly converts texts into 3D videos, as it seeks to shorten the time required to develop games.

The software can produce appropriate 3D movies by typing in such sentences as "a man approaches a woman in a cabin" and "a man walks in a jungle," sparing game developers the burden of creating such materials from scratch.

"We are aiming to achieve an 80 percent reduction in the development cost of games," said Alvaro Saez, the company's CEO, adding the firm's technology is already attracting interest from major gaming companies. The software can "convert scripts into final videos or animation so fast."

Techno-Speech Inc., a Nagoya-based startup, is demonstrating its technology to create smooth live commentaries for sports games using AI. Its service has already been adopted by Konami Digital Entertainment Co.'s latest baseball game, it said.

Tokyo-based gaming company Drecom Co. has developed a system to automatically generate lines for game characters utilizing AI based on their envisaged personalities and characteristics input beforehand in an effort to increase efficiency in scenario making.

The number of exhibitors is up from last year's 787, with a record 2,850 game titles on display, according to the organizer, the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. A record 535 foreign firms participated, accounting for more than half of the total.

Among the overseas exhibitors that joined the event was Saudi Arabia's Qiddiya. The company is building a massive entertainment city outside of Riyadh that will include a stadium, Formula One track, e-sports facilities, and the world's first theme park devoted to the globally popular anime and manga series "Dragon Ball."

Its cyberpunk-themed booth featuring crane games was designed to offer a glimpse into part of the experimental city it is creating in a country that has been trying to shift its focus from oil to entertainment, it said.

Among big names, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. has returned after a five-year absence to unveil its latest console, the PlayStation 5 Pro, featuring upgraded graphics processing units for enhanced image quality. The console will go on sale on Nov. 7.

Square Enix Co. and Capcom Co. revealed the latest iterations of their popular game series "Dragon Quest" and "Monster Hunter," respectively.

Around 250,000 visitors are expected at the four-day annual extravaganza, held at Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, according to the organizer.

The first two days are mainly reserved for industry officials and media reporters, with general visitors allowed in from Saturday.

Tickets for the general public, priced at 3,000 yen ($21) for one day, are not sold at the venue and need to be purchased online in advance. Children of elementary school age and under can enter free of charge.

Launched in 1996, the Tokyo Game Show is in league with Germany's Gamescom as a top gaming trade show, particularly in Asia. E3, once a comparable event in the United States, was discontinued last year.

KPL