TGS (Tokyo Game Show) 2014

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So… the Tokyo Game Show (TGS), what is it and what is the big deal about it, you ask? Simply put, its Japan’s equivalent to Germany’s ‘gamescom’ or America’s ‘E3’ (Electronics Entertainment Expo).

Answering complexly, basically with more words than the previous sentence, the TGS is an exhibition where Japanese video game developers (and an increasing amount of international game developers) are given the opportunity to showcase upcoming video games and related hardware. Since its first opening in 1996, the convention has been held in the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan has continued to do so annually, with more and more people attending each year. 

The Tokyo Game Show convention is held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan 

 Phew! Boring stuff out of the way, basically anyone who has an interest in video games (particularly Japanese Role-Playing Games (J-RPGs)), Japanese culture, or digital art could ultimately find something to get behind at the TGS. As a person who has spent over 6 years learning Japanese, has a deep interest in video games and adores the ‘kawaii’ anime-style characters, art and stuff, the convention is a dream playland… Literally. Not only are there plenty of hands-on demos and teasers of upcoming video game titles, there are tons of booths and merchandise stalls where something is bound to catch the apple of your eye!

SO! I guess your next question is

 “Can anyone go to this radically awesome Japanese gaming convention?” 

Yes, so long as you are in Japan at the time, and only on the final 2 days of the expo (as the first two days are reserved for press and business people/companies). The expo features Sony (a Japan-based company) games and hardware primarily, and with current generation consoles such as the PlayStation 4 looking and running titles so spectacularly, it was no surprise how big the line-up for this year was for Sony! Though, despite this, almost every major video game developer was there showing off something or other (eg. Nintendo and Microsoft).

Some of the biggest/best titles that were playable/displayed at the TGS include well known franchises and sequels, as well as some remastered ones. These include (in no particular order and from a variety of consoles and companies) but are not limited to:

·       Tales of Hearts R

·       Tales of Zestiria

·       Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS)

·       EVE Valkyrie

·       Bloodborne

·       Final Fantasy XV

·       Final Fantasy Explorers

·       Final Fantasy Type-0

·       Kingdom Hearts III

·       Kingdom Hearts II.5 HD Remix

·       Persona 5

·       Zodiac

·       Dragon Ball Xenoverse

·       D4 (a.k.a. Dark Dreams Don’t Die)

·       Resident Evil Revelations 2

·       Bravely Second

·       Dead or Alive 5: Last Round

·       Fatal Frame

Though the concept of the "best games" are always subjective, a few of the IGN (formerly Imagine Games Network) editors have voiced their opinions of some of their "favourite" games of the convention. In the event that there are still comes curious chipmunks out there that would like to know more about some of the other titles that were showcased, the link directly below the video will take you to a list detailing more info about some of the other titles (as complied by IGN).

http://au.ign.com/wikis/tokyogameshow/List_of_Games_at_Tokyo_Game_Show_2014

All in all the TGS is a fantastic event for nerds/otaku, gamers and collectors. The best thing about the  convention  is that not only are people, usually who are apart of imagined communities and other various internet fandoms, actually given the opportunity to unite, they are also able to share and support the hard work of game developers that they admire. Though people all over the world have deemed video games to be a "dorky" or "nerdy" hobby, there literally is a game for every type of person out there, which is one of the more appealing aspects to the hobby. Whether you are the artistic designer, the level-headed adventurer, or the hardcore Street Fighter, somewhere out there, there is a soul game for you! (...get it? instead of 'soul mate', I wrote 'soul game'. yeah? no? okay.)

- Mel

TGS 2014 Promotional Poster