Tokyo Game Show 2023 outline announced

Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association has announced the official outline for Tokyo Game Show 2023, which will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan from September 21 to 24, and take up the entirety of the event venue’s halls for the first time in four years.

Get the details below.

■ Outline

Tokyo Game Show 2023 will be held for four days from Thursday, September 21 to Sunday, September 24. At Makuhari Messe (Chiba), September 21 (Thursday) and 22 (Friday) will be Business Days, and September 23 (Saturday) and 24 (Sunday) will be held as Public Days. The exhibition focusing on games will invite a wide range of visitors, including business professionals and families.

Moreover, the virtual venue “Tokyo Game Show VR 2023” will be held for the same four days as the real venue. The exhibition at the virtual venue will be held for one week longer than the real venue, until October 1 (Sunday).

• Physical Venue – New areas are set up to meet the expanding game industry. Family and cosplay areas are revived for the first time in four years. Stage events are also refreshed to deliver more enjoyable entertainment.
• Virtual Venue – The virtual venue “Tokyo Gmae Show VR” first appeared in 2021. In this third year, visitors can access the venue by smartphones in addition to HMDs and PCs. The world is evolving and powered up.
• Online – TGS offers online programs again this year. Check out the exhibitors via official streaming programs, and play trial versions of indie games and big-name titles on the special Steam site.

■ Tokyo Game Show 2023 Will Increase its Appeal and Communication as the Game Industry Evolves and Expand

The value of games attracted much attention as entertainment that connects people during the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, the ways to enjoy games, such as e-sports and game commentary, are diversifying, and the market for related products such as gaming PCs and gaming furniture is expanding. Technologies such as Metaverse and NFT have developed from games, and the technologies cultivated in games are now being used in other industries. Games are becoming more influential, and new entrants into the game business are rising.

At Tokyo Game Show 2023, in response to the growing interest in such “games”, we will use all platforms, physical venue, virtual venue, and online, to let the world know what is happening at the forefront of the game industry. For the first time in four years, Tokyo Game Show will take up the entire Makuhari Messe halls for the physical exhibition, and the admission of elementary school students and younger, which was not possible last year, will open as well as the cosplay area. In addition, we will further strengthen the virtual venue and online projects to realize the largest-ever hybrid event.

Please look forward to TOKYO GAME SHOW 2023, whose appeal and communication will increase as the game industry evolves and expands.

■ Features of Tokyo Game Show 2023

Exhibition at its Largest-Ever Scale

Last year, despite restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 140,000 people visited the real venue during the four days of the exhibition. Official programs recorded 26.98 million views, and the number of viewers of Tokyo Game Show VR was about 400,000, showing great momentum.

Tokyo Game Show 2023 will be held as the largest-ever hybrid event to meet further expectations of exhibitors and visitors. For the first time in four years, the event will take up Makuhari Messe Halls 1-11, International Conference Hall, and Event Hall for physical exhibition. More than 2,000 booths and 200,000 visitors are expected. To enjoy the Tokyo Game Show VR anytime and anywhere, smartphones have been added to compatible devices, as well as PCs and head-mounted displays (HMD). The official program will be streamed simultaneously on various platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and niconico. Like last year, the programs will be delivered with simultaneous Japanese-English interpretation, while also streaming programs for viewers in China.

Also, in response to the growing variety of PC games, Tokyo Game Show will set up a special Steam site again this year to support sales of compatible game software, and free trial play, among other content.

Various Exhibition Areas and Content

In response to various ways to enjoy games and the expanding game industry, Tokyo Game Show 2023 will newly set up the “Gaming Hardware Area” exhibiting gaming PCs and peripherals as well as the “Gaming Lifestyle Area” introducing gaming furniture and game room.

Moreover, the Game School Area is renamed “Game Academy Area,” lowering the barrier for exhibition from a wide range of educational institutions, including high schools, technical colleges, vocational schools, universities, graduate schools, and research institutes developing and producing human resources for the game industry. In addition to reviving the cosplay area, we are also planning the stage event with the appearance of famous streamers and cosplayers.

What is more, the Family and Kids Area will be set up for the first time in four years. Based on the themes of “learning” and “playing,” the Area will host a programming section where you can learn the fun of creating games, a work experience area where you can learn about jobs in the game industry, and a game experience area where families can enjoy the trial play of various game titles. The Area will convey a multi-faceted attractiveness and depth of games to the children responsible for the next generation.

From the World to Japan, from Japan to the World

Last year (2022), many exhibitors and visitors from overseas participated in Tokyo Game Show . However, there were still restrictions on entering Japan, and many people had to give up participating in Tokyo Game Show or visiting the physical venue. Since such restrictions will be lowered this year, we are focusing even more on attracting exhibitors from overseas and inviting visitors to the physical venue.

Specifically, on Business Days, we will expand the business meeting area for responding to many requests for face-to-face international business negotiations. We also plan to revive the International Party as a platform to promote international exchange. Please look forward to TOKYO GAME SHOW 2023, which will serve as a hub for global game businesses and a gateway to the world.

■ Tokyo Game Show 2023 Theme

“Games in motion, the world in revolution.”

Headwinds continued to blow in the world over the past few years. Still, games never stopped making breakthroughs.

New technologies bloomed one after another from games. New industries were developed one after another by joining hands with games. New excitement brought our days to the bright side.

Games have the power to lead the world, even the strength to repaint someone’s life. Many of us might have felt that way.

That’s why we want to make more challenges that only games can do. Games will lead the world, and become a tailwind for global growth. Because when games are in motion, the world is on the way to revolution.

In 2023, Tokyo Game Show will return in a more powerful form. We hope to share the first step to changing the world, with many game lovers in Japan and overseas