Amin Abbas

TOKYO: More than 240,000 people attended this year’s in-person Tokyo Game Show from Sep. 21 to 24, according to Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association, which makes the major gaming event a huge success.

Tokyo Game Show 2023 (TGS2023) was held under the theme of ‘Games in Motion, the World in Revolution.’ For the first time in four years, it took place in all areas of Makuhari Messe and showcased exhibits from a record-high number of 787 companies and organizations from 44 countries and regions.

At the in-person venue, new game titles made their debut for various platforms, including home-use game consoles, smart devices, PCs, and VR.

A wide range of game-related products, services, solutions, and goods were also exhibited, showcasing the ever-growing world of the gaming industry. The Family Game Park and the Cosplay Area returned to the venue after a four-year hiatus.

Moreover, the event hall’s main stage hosted a variety of programs, including keynote speeches, e-sports, fashion, and music.

The official online programs that began with TGS 2020 were distributed across various platforms such as the TGS official YouTube channel and X account, as well as Niconico, Twitch, and Steam Special Venue. For China, programs were distributed on video media such as DouYu, bilibili and HUYA.

TGS collaborated with IGN, one of the world’s largest game media companies, to distribute programs in Europe and the United States. Most of the programs were available in both English and Japanese with simultaneous interpretation and subtitles. Some programs were also streamed with simultaneous interpretation in Chinese, attracting many viewers from overseas.

The total number of views for both live and archived distributions was 22,399,426, calculated from Sep. 21 to Oct. 2.

The organizers and exhibitors distributed official programs and hosted online projects, including the VR venue ‘Tokyo Game Show VR 2023 (TGSVR2023),’ making it the largest hybrid event to date in TGS history.

TGSVR2023 celebrated its third anniversary, with an event that ran for 18 days and was newly made accessible through smartphones. This year’s TGSVR was set on Game Island, a virtual island that floats in the sky. Visitors were able to explore the world of games and participate in quests and theaters while travelling around the venue.

The event was a huge success with a total number of visitors counting 319,967 and an average stay time of approximately 48 minutes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made games increasingly popular for their ability to bring people together for entertainment. The ways in which games are enjoyed, such as through e-sports and game commentaries, have become more diverse, and related products, such as gaming PCs and furniture, are growing in variety.

Technologies like Metaverse and NFT, which were originally created for gaming purposes, are now spreading to other industries. Due to this, the impact of games is growing, and more people are entering the gaming industry.

The 2024 edition will be held from Sept. 26 to 29, 2024.