It is honest to say that the Tokyo Recreation Present is again. This may increasingly have been the case over the previous couple of years, to be sincere – however this yr marked my first post-pandemic return to Japan’s premier gaming competition – and in honesty, strolling across the venue, I used to be shocked.
I’ve obtained a little bit of a historical past with TGS. For a few years I did one thing which few Western video games media did: I went virtually yearly. That is the affect of co-owning an internet site devoted to role-playing video games, a style that has all the time been pretty Japan-centric. However that additionally meant that over the course of the 2010s I obtained to look at TGS dwindle. We speak rather a lot concerning the brutally swift decline of E3, however in these years the disintegration of TGS was arguably worse. By 2018, we might reached the purpose the place the present wasn’t even price the price of getting on the market even to an internet site like RPG Website, the place JRPGs had been bread and butter. I tapped out.
This yr, I returned to Chiba’s Makuhari conference centre on a little bit of a whim. I did not actually anticipate the present to be all that good, and I wasn’t actually left all that excited by the snaking traces to get in on enterprise day, for even when TGS was garbage loads of punters used to point out up. However after a brief exploration of the halls, I noticed one thing: this present is sensible once more.
Watching the present from afar over livestreams, you would be forgiven for not essentially recognizing that. In true Japanese business custom there’s loads of stage exhibits the place builders vaguely waffle with out truly saying a lot whereas voice actors do little celeb turns and the like. The dwell streams beamed westwards had been comparatively inconsequential too – a meagre obligation of a present from Xbox, informal streams from the massive Japanese publishers, and a PlayStation State of Play that, whereas good, had subsequent to nothing to do with what Sony was displaying off in Tokyo.
This does not essentially really feel distinctive to TGS, although. It charts the general arc of the business within the sense that publishers have moved away from eager to showcase large drops all collectively and multi function place, subsequently combating amongst themselves for eyeballs and protection. It is simpler to select your personal distinctive spot on your recreation’s large second. That harm all exhibits; simply as we’re by no means getting E3 press conferences again once more, Sq. Enix is unlikely to revive the legendary Closed Mega Theatre which was such a supply of enterprise for me again within the day.
TGS has pivoted, and in a way the present has broadly develop into extra about context. Take Capcom, as an example: it is this present the place it selected to contextualize the gameplay techniques and general loop of Pragmata after holding it again in order that gamers might first perceive its core shooting-meets-hacking fight idea. Likewise for getting deeper into how a lot Monster Hunter Tales 3 is breaking from its predecessors to strive one thing new. There’s information available right here, however not as large splashes – however on this new world, that is fantastic.
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The proof that it is fantastic is within the present ground, which in 2018 was anemic and primarily populated by the worst sorts of predatory cell video games and infinite merch stands. I bear in mind meandering the present ground with Martin Robinson, who was then again on Eurogamer, and the pair of us simply turning to one another after a number of hours and going: “is that it?” I bear in mind I used to be clutching some TGS-exclusive vinyl document printing of the Mega Man 2 soundtrack, my solely main achieve of the day and completely ineffective from a piece perspective. Martin characteristically had purchased some Mega Drive stuff, I feel. “Is it pub time already?” It was. However in 2025, the present ground is vibrant and thrilling as soon as once more.
That is the place you get the picture of a resurgent Japan. Which, to be honest, everyone knows they’re – all of us see that in Capcom’s climb to develop into arguably one of the best third celebration writer in video games, in Konami returning to gaming correct after years away, and in a Sega that appears to have an exhilarating plan to chase in Capcom’s wake. However all of that is extra corporeal on the bottom with huge stands and excited throngs of excited players. You sense it extra. You additionally sense that the significance of TGS, and Japan generally, is not only within the large Japanese publishers.
The sport combine has shifted, as an example. Cell gaming continues to be massively essential – one of many largest tradition shocks visiting Japan as a gamer is all the time how everyone seems to be gaming on their telephones, all ages, all genders – they’re multi function gacha mine or one other on their commutes. That is not going away, but it surely appears like console video games are cemented once more, not in retreat.
The acknowledged significance of Japan comes within the type of an enormous worldwide presence. The massive Chinese language and Korean manufacturers have completely huge stands. The largest recreation of the present is undoubtedly Ananta, the fascinating free-to-play motion recreation out of China which without delay channels GTA, Spider-Man, Genshin, and numerous different issues. Indie-signing publishers like Annapurna Interactive and Pink Dunes Video games present up large. There’s big authorities and commerce physique sponsored stands from international locations like Italy, Germany, and France, the place native commerce exhibits are peddled to the Japanese and chosen indies get to ply their wares to an entire new viewers.
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As Eurogamer, it feels essential to notice that Britain had no such presence in any respect – which appears like an enormous loss and error on the a part of the UK authorities, UKIE and the like. However the truth I’m saying that’s in itself an indication of how TGS has modified: a number of years in the past, I’d’ve been calling these international locations absurd, rolling my eyes at a waste of cash on an undynamic market that did not seem to care. Now, nonetheless, I am pissed off to see my very own nation lacking the chance. In brief, it feels that TGS is as soon as once more a spot to be seen internationally.
After which there’s the after hours. Grabbing a drink or dinner, catching up with business colleagues in Japan, one actually does get the impression that this nation’s business is as soon as once more blissful, assured, and constructing. As soon as once more, it is a huge distinction to the vaguely panicked and misplaced Japanese business I skilled within the 2010s.
It additionally attracts a pointy distinction to the West. At one level I sat with some Western-based writer staff and one in every of them principally described strolling round TGS within the phrases of that basic “I am beginning to get this sense…” scene from Peep Present. Issues on our facet look so dangerous – and Japan seems so good. The very fact a superb TGS has been adopted with one other spherical of brutal studio layoffs and an EA deal that’s positive to have horrible penalties appears to solely underline issues.
However Japan? Japan feels prefer it has discovered its mojo once more. TGS is a illustration of not solely its business, however in how it’s perceived by the remainder of the world – and it appears like the great occasions are again once more. Is it essentially price all that outlay to journey there as media, in uncooked enter/output phrases? Effectively, I am positive my accountant would say no. However being there feels proper once more – which hasn’t been the case for years.
