Our man at Tokyo Game Show: The Eastern Hemisphere’s biggest gaming show with mobile at its heart

• Thanks to a late workation idea, I got the opportunity to cover the Tokyo Game Show 2024
• This enormous expo in Chiba rivals some of the biggest Western gaming shows
• Find out what I saw, did and thought about this enormous gaming event

So, some of you regular readers will (hopefully) have been wondering where I’ve been. Well, I’ve been on vacation; to Tokyo! But don’t worry, this isn’t just going to be me recounting my sightseeing recommendations or sharing my holiday snaps. Because I decided that while I was there – since it happened to coincide with the Tokyo Games Show 2024 – that I would attend and see what it was all about.

So, one press ticket and a long, long train ride to Chiba later, and this past September 25th and 26th I was at Makuhari Messe exploring one of the biggest gaming shows in the eastern hemisphere! Set over four days – two business and two consumer – famous names like Konami, Capcom, and Sega all flocked to this massive show to connect with fans, press and businesspersons alike.

What did I see? What did I do? And where did mobile fit in amongst some gaming’s heavyweights? Let’s dig in and find out!

The show in general

The first thing I noticed is that the show floor is a much different beast to some of the others I’ve visited, like Gamescom in Cologne. Rather than being split over multiple floors and annexes, TGS covers several main halls that you move between, which makes it feel very open and expansive. Compared to the labyrinthine halls of Koelnmesse it’s simplicity itself to find your way around.

You also can’t quite get the same experience until you go there and hear all the noise for yourself. Whether that’s cheering, general crowd murmur or some of the more explosive and colourful displays, even on the business days (which are usually much quieter) it was overwhelming. That’s not to say it was a bad thing, however, and I’m very glad to have attended on the business days before the enormous snaking queues appeared on the weekend.

The thing that sets Tokyo apart from many other gaming shows is the sheer quality and quantity of booths on display, with each vying for attention with bigger and flashier displays, lights and effects to bring in prospective attendees. Naturally, cosplayers, merchandise and more abounded to try and draw attention to their games and within a few hours I was lumbered with an enormous bag of leaflets and other handouts.

The presence of mobile

It really shouldn’t surprise you that some major Japanese gacha titles were showcased at the Tokyo Game Show. Goddess of Victory: Nikke had its “real-life gacha” and the presence of cosplayers for Arknights, Duet Night Abyss and more. In fact, by sheer number, I’d say mobile outnumbered some of the larger titles, especially when you consider games like Sonic Rumble were part of the publisher booths.

But one thing that really surprised me was the other mobile games that appeared. Hillclimb Racing 2 was there, thanks to its new Bomberman R collab, while Warframe has been trying to break into the Japanese market in a big way. Finally, Century Games’ Whiteout Survival had probably one of the more complex booths, with cosplayers and a scale model of their Frostpunk-inspired heating generator.

I think the presence of mobile at the Tokyo Game Show really sets it apart from other expos, as rather than being restricted to smaller areas or more niche, specialist booths it was front-and-centre with some of the most amazing displays I’ve seen at a gaming show. Not to mention a surprising number of cars, bikes and other amazing displays that somehow made it into the building.

What I thought

It’s hard to break down my views on the Tokyo Game Show, especially given how enormous the event was. But as you can probably tell I was pleasantly surprised to see mobile, console and PC presented on such an even footing. I also noticed that there was an enormous space for indies to be showcased with small, simple demo stations showing them off.

Compared to the more ‘glamorous’ expos I’ve been to in my fairly brief career, Tokyo Game Show feels as if it’s genuinely built from the ground up to appeal to the average gamer in Japan. And the fact that you can walk a mere five minutes from a booth dedicated to mega-publishers like Sega and Konami and instead see something published by a one-man studio is also worthy of praise.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with what I saw, and it felt like a really worthwhile trip to go and see the Tokyo Game Show! Especially given how much it showed me about Japan and its gaming scene, a place which is still shrouded in mystique since, as someone put it to me, nobody bothers to ask and find out what it’s like for themselves.

Games on display

Speaking of which, here are my own personal picks for the most distinct and memorable displays at the Tokyo Game Show 2024.

• Warframe Mobile’s “Jetstream Sam” display: I joked with the developers that Warframe: 1999’s principal character Arthur bore quite the resemblance to another famed cyber-ninja. However, what I can say was definitely distinct was the display consisting of a life-size statue, bike and impressive blade-spin mechanism that was the centrepiece of Digital Extremes’ Japanese expedition.

• Goddess of Victory: Nikke’s “real-life gacha”: This display, which encouraged attendees to head up and press a big red button for a “real-life” gacha pull of cosplayers is probably going to attract a mixed reaction. But I think the sheer size and complexity of the display is at the very least undeniably impressive. You certainly couldn’t pay me enough to clamber up a four-tier rickety scaffolding to pose for however many hours this was open.
• Whiteout Survival’s “mini-booth”: I think the most distinctive thing I saw at TGS was how many Western studios have tried to lean into the Japanese audience’s love of cosplayers and enormous displays. So while Whiteout Survival’s booth was miniscule compared to some of the others, it was undeniably impressive to see them make an appearance, especially given the competition.
• The Google Play “castle”: Despite iOS having such a major competitive edge in many markets, I noticed Google Play was far more forward with their presence at TGS. An enormous castle-like display offered attendees a chance to play a bespoke platformer in return for a free infusion of Google Play Points depending on their performance. An enormous screen meant you could follow what other players were doing as you queued, or merely passed by, and it was definitely an eye-catching sight.

Conclusion(?)

So that’s what I thought about the Tokyo Game Show, for now. Because my trip led me to see a lot more than just what I’ve listed here. So stay tuned because, in the coming days, I’ll have a lot more to tell you about just what things are like in the Eastern Hemisphere when it comes to mobile gaming!

And if you’re looking for other suggestions on what to play, why not check out some of our latest reviews, like for Choice of Life: Wild Islands and see how this new visual novel-slash-card game measures up?

Better yet, you can dig into the latest entry in our regular feature of the top five new mobile games to try this week and play some of the best launches from the last seven days!