Tokyo Games Show opens physically for 1st time in 3 years

The Yomiuri Shimbun
A visitor tries out video game hardware at the Tokyo Game Show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City on Thursday. The exposition is being held physically for the first time since 2019.

The Tokyo Game Show, the nation’s largest exposition of video games, opened at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City on Thursday.

The four-day event organized by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association will be open to members of the general public on Saturday and Sunday. The organizers expect that the show will draw about 150,000 people. This is the first time since 2019 for the event to be held physically, with general visitors admitted.

About 600 game manufacturers and suppliers from Japan and overseas are participating in the exhibition, about 50 of them remotely. They will unveil about 1,800 new video game titles and other new products.

In the video game industry, the use of the metaverse, or virtual space on the internet, is making great strides. Meta, the major U.S. information technology company formerly known as Facebook, is taking part in the Tokyo Game Show for the first time and is exhibiting virtual reality goggles for video games using the metaverse.

Square Enix Co. is showing a new Final Fantasy title at a section devoted to the popular video game series.

The Tokyo Game Show is being held remotely as well. Remote participants can watch official streaming programs for details about the exhibits, keynote speeches and other content, in addition to introductions of new game titles and other products.