Tokyo Game Show 2013

The Tokyo Game Show 2013 highlighted new computer and video game software and hardware for a variety of platforms. With this year's theme, "Gaming: Limitless Evolution", the show aimed to enter a new stage of game evolution, globalizing it with more participants from more countries and expanding the venue to increase visitor and exhibitor satisfaction.

Making a Difference for Companies Outside Japan
Besides companies from the USA, Sweden, Switzerland, Holland and other European countries, there was a special "Asia New Stars" section featured products from Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, even Cambodia and Laos. A Cambodian developer said, "I'm here to introduce my smartphone social game and to make business contacts", and a Taiwanese manager remarked, "Our main reason for coming is to view new trends and make contacts with developers. Everything at this show is very efficient."

The "Business Solution Area" exhibited game-related companies seeking partners in the industry, and the "Cloud Computing/Data Center Pavilion" introduced cloud computing and data center services to enable social game and network games with online infrastructure. The "Business Startup Area" is for newer companies (established since January 2011) attempting to break into the industry.

JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organization, in cooperation with the show, hosted a seminar titled "The Attractions and Possibilities of Japanese Games as seen by Overseas Publishers", to generate international interest in the Japanese game industry.

To accommodate the huge numbers of visitors the show was expanded to include Hall 9, and walkways were widened. A young woman said this was noticeable: "Floor arrangements were more spacious than last year. It's easier to look around. I would love to come next year too." Waiting times at popular booths were clearly displayed, a free TGS Guidebook was available, and a show smartphone application was released. Game-related movies were shown, and even a concert and a lottery were held.

Overwhelming Response from Visitors and Exhibitors
The organizers' efforts to enhance the show's impact paid off with over 270,000 people attending and, which exhibited products and services from 352 companies hailing from 33 countries and regions. The efforts to improve the show means it is now assuming an increasingly important role in the diversification of game platforms, and helping the expansion of gaming markets into the emerging economies concentrated mainly in Southeast Asia.