Today the Japanese CESA (Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association) which organizes Tokyo Game Show every year announced some juicy details about the 2023 edition.
Exhibitors' applications start today and will close on May 26. We already know that the show will be hosted at the traditional Makuhari Messe in Chiba, near Tokyo between September 21 and September 24. As usual, the first two days will be reserved for industry and media visitors, while the weekend will be open to the public.
The Virtual Reality venue Tokyo Game Show VR 2023 will be available during the same four days and extended a further week until October 1.
While the show has fully embraced the hybrid nature with plenty of livestreams to reach a wider audience side-by-side with its physical presence, the venue is perhaps the biggest news. While the location is the same, this edition will occupy all eleven halls of the Makuhari Messe.
This brings the size of the physical exhibition back to what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. While Tokyo Game Show returned to its in-person nature in 2022, its size was quite limited, occupying only some of the available halls.
The CESA expects to host 2,000 booths and 200,000 visitors. If that number is achieved, it'd be significantly higher than the 140,000 visitors of the 2022 edition, albeit it wouldn't be as high as the over 260,000 people who attended in 2019.
Speaking of the livestreamed part of the event, it'll come on YouTube, Twitter, and Nico Nico with simultaneous interpretation in English.
Among the areas that we'll be able to enjoy there will be a Gaming hardware corner dedicated to gaming PCs and peripherals, while a Gaming Lifestyle corner will be dedicated to gamer-centric furniture.
In 2022, the show was affected by leftover restrictions for foreigners entering Japan, which caused many exhibitors to give up on the show. This year, that won't be a problem, so the organizers will redouble their efforts to attract foreign developers and encourage visitors to attend in person.
The theme for this year will be "Games in motion, the world in revolution."
If you know me, you also know that I'll be treading the show floor for TechRaptor, ready to bring you all the news from Tokyo Game Show 2023.
