The organizers of the Tokyo Game Show have announced that this year’s show will be an online only event, though there will be a press-only event as well. The announcement was made in a press release from Nikkei, and it seems that the show’s organizers will build on the format used for last year’s digital event. All feeds will be accompanied by an English translation, and virtual attendees can expect to see some playable demos available. There will also be a system available for exhibitors and attendees to have private meetings during the event. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the show.
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The Tokyo Game Show 2021 will be held Thursday September 30th through Sunday October 3rd. While that’s still some time away, a lot of planning goes into in-person events such as these, and making the announcement now allows publishers and members of the press to plan accordingly. By the fall, it’s entirely possible that global vaccinations could be in a great place, but a lot of unknown factors remain. According to a previous press release from Nikkei, TGS 2018 drew in nearly 300,000 attendees, so it’s not hard to imagine why the organizers are proceeding with caution this year.
The coronavirus pandemic seems to be nearing an end, but the Tokyo Game Show’s change to a digital format highlights the issues that still remain for the video game industry. Most industry events have followed suit, including E3. However, there will be other long-term effects from the pandemic. Several games have seemingly been delayed or pushed back thanks to the shift to work-from-home, and a global chip shortage could make next-gen consoles even harder to come by than they already are. It’s clear that there are many aspects of the industry that will take longer to recover than others.
Hopefully, the virtual format will allow more people to enjoy the events! It might not be the same for those that enjoy attending in person, but the virtual options have been a blessing for those unable to go. Hopefully shows like TGS will continue to offer these options once the pandemic has truly come to an end!
Do you plan on checking out the Tokyo Game Show 2021 digital event? Are you disappointed that video game events will remain digital this year? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!
