Tokyo Game Show stakes a claim for Japan on the global stage | Opinion
Why did E3 die, yet Tokyo Game Show endured? Leaving Japan's premier gaming trade show, this was the question dominating my thoughts.
It was an unusual event compared to previous years. Many major publishers attended as normal, but without the big games to show for it. Bandai Namco's booth was dominated by Dragon Ball Z and Sword Art Online tie-in games, while Square Enix's biggest showing was a remake of Dragon Quest 3.
It was the year Sony made their first appearance at the show since 2019, yet that too was without a major new game to show for it, its presence half-accosted by Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds that also dominated the partner company's booth. Sony's booth was otherwise a mishmash of a gacha machine to win Astro Bot t-shirts if you were lucky to get access to one of the four booths at their station with a demo of the already-released title, and two demo units showcasing PS5 Pro to a very select group of press and players.
They did help out Kojima for his stage show revealing new information about Death Stranding 2, but it's not like the game was playable, nor was there even as much as a mention of the game anywhere near the otherwise sterile-feeling booth (by comparison, at Sony's last showcase in 2019, the booth prominently featured images promoting the first Death Stranding title).
Wandering the floor, with the exception of SEGA who prominently celebrated its upcoming releases for Metaphor ReFantazio, Sonic + Shadow Generations, and Like a Dragon titles with cosplayers and stage shows abound, the more exciting booths were taken up by smaller publishers punching above their weight to make a statement.
Level-5's booth was a dominating presence, with Professor Layton and the New World of Steam a particularly big hit with attendees. Recent investments in SNK helped the firm make its biggest ever showcase at the event, promoting the latest Fatal Fury, and Palworld's booth, while somewhat overshadowed by the news of Nintendo's lawsuit against the company just
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