Tokyo Game Show (東京ゲームショウ, Tōkyō Gēmu Shō), also called TGS, is an annual video game event held in September at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. It is organized by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. The main topic of the event is Japanese games, but some international developers also show new games and related hardware. The event lasts four days. The first two days are for business people in the industry, and the last two days are open to the public.
History
The first Tokyo Game Show took place in 1996. Between 1996 and 2002, the event was held twice each year: once in the spring and once in the autumn at Tokyo Big Sight. After 2002, the show was held once a year. In 2011, the event had more than 200,000 visitors, and in 2012, it had 223,753 visitors. The most attended Tokyo Game Show occurred in 2016, with 271,224 people visiting, and 614 companies displayed their exhibits. The event has been held every year since 1996 and was never canceled. However, the 2020 and 2021 editions were online only because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 edition returned to in-person exhibits. The 20th anniversary of the Tokyo Game Show was celebrated in 2016. In 2018, the event had 298,690 visitors, which was more than the 2016 attendance record.
Layout
The layout of the Tokyo Game Show changes each year. For example, in 2015, the event had eleven exhibition areas, including sections for business, the general public, education, and areas where people could buy merchandise.
The General Exhibition Area is the main part of the show and takes up the most space. It is where digital gaming entertainment and related products or services are displayed. Many well-known companies, such as Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Square Enix, have demo areas here, along with newer companies.
This area includes gaming devices like headphones, controllers, furniture, and other items used with home gaming consoles and portable devices.
At the 2012 Tokyo Game Show, an exhibition was created to highlight new game developers from Asia.
Another area is dedicated to selling game-related goods. Companies like Konami and Square Enix are among the vendors.
A different section focuses on games for smartphones, tablets, and social games. In 2012, many large companies had smaller presences, such as Microsoft, which did not participate. Social and mobile gaming grew in popularity, filling the gap. Microsoft returned in 2013 with the release of the Xbox One.
The PC area features major Japanese computer companies that display products like desktop and notebook computers.
Another section showcases new games designed for younger audiences. Companies like Taito and Sega are located there.
The Game School area provides information about Japanese universities and colleges offering programs related to digital art, animation, computer programming, and other video game industry fields. These booths also display student work. Colleges such as Numazu Professional College of Information Technology and Tokyo Designer Gakuin College are included.
This area is the main place where most sales and business deals between companies and customers happen. Companies like Nikkei Business Publications are located there.
The Tokyo Game Show attracts many cosplayers. Cure, a large cosplay community website, hosts a Cosplay Collection Night event, which is a stage show with over 100 participants on Saturday nights. The event runs from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm and is hosted by Yunmao Ayakawa and Tatsumi Inui from CURE World Cosplay. The background music is provided by DJ & MC: WAN. Participants include members of the Worldcosplay website and some international cosplayers who won contests in countries like Spain, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Turkey, the United States, and China.
This area is reserved for business activities and is not open to the public.
The Cloud/Data Center is focused on improving the systems and environment for social and online games.
Since 2014, the Tokyo Game Show has included a Street Fighter tournament sponsored by Mad Catz. The competition is part of Capcom’s official Pro Tour and serves as a qualifying event for the Capcom Cup. In 2016, the event was not sponsored by Mad Catz, as the company faced serious financial problems during that year.
Sense of Wonder Night
Sense of Wonder Night (SOWN) is an annual event held at TGS to display creative and new computer games. These games are mostly created by small game companies and individual developers from around the world. The event is similar to the GDC Experimental Gameplay Workshop. The first SOWN took place in 2008. Past and present judges include Keita Takahashi and Simon Carless.