It is truthful to say that the Tokyo Recreation Present is again. This may occasionally have been the case over the previous couple of years, to be trustworthy – however this yr marked my first post-pandemic return to Japan’s premier gaming pageant – and in honesty, strolling across the venue, I used to be shocked.
I’ve acquired 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 a web 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 acquired to observe TGS dwindle. We speak lots in regards to 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 a web 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 strains to get in on enterprise day, for even when TGS was garbage numerous punters used to indicate up. However after a brief exploration of the halls, I spotted one thing: this present is sensible once more.
Watching the present from afar over livestreams, you could possibly be forgiven for not essentially recognizing that. In true Japanese trade custom there’s numerous stage reveals the place builders vaguely waffle with out really saying a lot whereas voice actors do little movie star turns and the like. The stay streams beamed westwards had been comparatively inconsequential too – a meagre obligation of a present from Xbox, informal streams from the large 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 trade within the sense that publishers have moved away from desirous to showcase large drops all collectively and multi functional place, subsequently preventing amongst themselves for eyeballs and protection. It is simpler to choose your individual distinctive spot to your recreation’s large second. That harm all reveals; 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 grow to be extra about context. Take Capcom, as an example: it is this present the place it selected to contextualize the gameplay programs and total 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 positive.
Ain’t that the sales space. | Picture credit score: Eurogamer
The proof that it is positive is within the present flooring, which in 2018 was anemic and primarily populated by the worst sorts of predatory cellular video games and limitless merch stands. I keep in mind meandering the present flooring 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 keep in mind I used to be clutching some TGS-exclusive vinyl file 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 believe. “Is it pub time already?” It was. However in 2025, the present flooring is vibrant and thrilling as soon as once more.
That is the place you get the picture of a resurgent Japan. Which, to be truthful, everyone knows they’re – all of us see that in Capcom’s climb to grow to be arguably the perfect third social gathering 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 avid gamers. You sense it extra. You additionally sense that the significance of TGS, and Japan typically, isn’t just within the large Japanese publishers.
The sport combine has shifted, as an example. Cell gaming remains to be massively necessary – one of many greatest 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 functional gacha mine or one other on their commutes. That is not going away, however it looks 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 most important 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 Purple Dunes Video games present up large. There’s enormous authorities and commerce physique sponsored stands from nations like Italy, Germany, and France, the place native commerce reveals are peddled to the Japanese and chosen indies get to ply their wares to a complete new viewers.
Is Konami actually, really, again? | Picture credit score: Eurogamer
As Eurogamer, it feels necessary to notice that Britain had no such presence in any respect – which looks like an enormous loss and error on the a part of the UK authorities, UKIE and the like. However the reality I’m saying that’s in itself an indication of how TGS has modified: a number of years in the past, I might’ve been calling these nations absurd, rolling my eyes at a waste of cash on an undynamic market that did not seem to care. Now, nevertheless, 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 trade colleagues in Japan, one actually does get the impression that this nation’s trade is as soon as once more completely happy, assured, and constructing. As soon as once more, it is a large distinction to the vaguely panicked and misplaced Japanese trade I skilled within the 2010s.
It additionally attracts a pointy distinction to the West. At one level I sat with some Western-based writer workers and certainly one 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 unhealthy – and Japan seems to be so good. The very fact a wonderful 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 trade, however in how it’s perceived by the remainder of the world – and it looks like the great instances are again once more. Is it essentially price all that outlay to journey there as media, in uncooked enter/output phrases? Nicely, I am positive my accountant would say no. However being there feels proper once more – which hasn’t been the case for years.
