TheTokyo Game Showis one of the largest events in Japanese gaming. Similar to other gaming expos like E3, the Tokyo Game Show has often been a place for major gaming platforms to gather in order to show off new titles and upcoming changes. Last year, Xbox platform owner Microsoft took to streaming its event, showing off two new games that would be launching on theJapanese Xbox Game Pass.
Due to the COVID 19 pandemic though, many gaming exhibitions and events were transferred from being physical events to online experiences. This was the case for2020 and 2021’s E3, and the Tokyo Game Show has also suffered from a couple of years spent in lockdown. Japan is looking towards a staggered reopening this March, though already some events have been revealed to being physical again.
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According to representatives for theTokyo Game Show, the theme for this year’s event will be “Nothing Stops Gaming,” which will center around how videogames allowed an escape for many people during the tough times of the pandemic. “2022 is the year to show the real spirit of games,” says the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association. “Let’s open the gate to the forefront of games. Give courage and enthusiasm to everyone. Show your love of games to each other.” This year’s Tokyo Game Show will then be a celebration of gaming’s recent past then, as much as it is a focus on the future of gaming.
2022 is set to be an exciting year for gaming, with major titles likeElden RingandHorizon Forbidden Westalready having dropped. Yet, there’s plenty more for this year to offer, and though games can be great on their own, there’s something that often feels missing with the absence of physical gaming events. A return to live stage shows and reveals is something that many have been waiting for, as these expos are often where hype is created for upcoming games and reveals.
This year will mark the first time since 2019 then that the Tokyo Games Show is returning to a fully physical event. In 2021, the event mixed both virtual and business-only physical showcases, while in 2020 it remained entirely virtual. So far, the run down of the event involves free demos for upcoming games, a virtual tour of the event, and the Tokyo Game Show Virtual Reality area. Some of these programs are borrowed from the2021 Tokyo Game Show, though there are likely to be some new additions to mark this return to normality.
Tokyo Game Show will start on 15th September for business visitors and will then be open to the public from the 17th.
