Tokyo Game Show opens with stronger presence of Chinese exhibitors

TOKYO, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2023 kicked off here on Thursday with a record number of exhibitors, among which Chinese firms caught the eyes of game professionals and enthusiasts.

A record total of 787 companies and organizations from 44 countries and regions are showcasing their products and services at this year's show held at the convention center of Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo.

Occupying the whole of Makuhari Messe for the first time in four years following the lifting of COVID-19-related restrictions, the in-person event is forecast to attract some 200,000 visitors over the four days through Sunday.

The event has attracted 406 exhibitors from overseas, including 78 Chinese firms such as well-known developers NetEase Games and Hoyoverse, whose booths were crowded with game lovers and professionals from all over the world.

While Chinese-made titles such as Genshin Impact and Knives Out are becoming globally acclaimed, many Chinese exhibitors at TGS 2023, including game art solution provider Sheer Tianyi Technology, also expressed their ambitions for business expansion and transformation to garner a stronger presence in the global market.

"In the last four years, a lot of really big mobile game companies like Hoyoverse, for example, have released a huge amount of titles, which have brought mobile gaming into a much bigger player base outside of East Asia as well," Bradley Thomas Jolly, a game enthusiast originally from Australia, told Xinhua.

The frequent TGS visitor said this year's event, with a much larger focus on mobile gaming given its increasing popularity, also features a large number of indie games, which boasts a growing space here in the country.

According to the organizer, the number of exhibition booths at TGS 2023 almost doubled from the 2022 level to 2,682, while a total of 2,291 game titles covering various genres will be showcased during the event.

In addition, themed seminars, business forums, and Japan Game Awards 2023 will be also held online on the sidelines of TGS 2023.