TGS 2022 - Reasons to be Excited

I'll be attending Tokyo Game Show on September 15th and 16th and covering the show here, on Twitter and my podcast

I've really missed Tokyo Game Show over the last three years. Thanks to you-know-what, TGS went online-only in 2020, and the 2021 show was a hybrid, business-only affair. Both were non-events, thoroughly ignored by the masses. 

The big industry shows went away the last two years, and to be honest I don't think they were missed by the vast majority of the game-playing public. Who needs an E3 when publishers can craft their own effective, online events, perfectly focussed and exquisitely timed? Why wait for TGS when you can expect several Directs, State of Plays or Microsoft Showcases each year?

I missed it though. 

I missed being surrounded by games, and I missed being spoilt rotten. The din and busyness of the show floor. Knowing that for two days, I was going to have the opportunity to play games that were still months, if not years, away from general release. I'd play, I'd write and I'd socialize. 

I am very ready for TGS to come back.

I'm excited, and here's why.

1. New Computer Games

All the other stuff is nice, but the main purpose of TGS is to play new games. To get to grips with them in the space of 10-15 minutes, to get a feel for what they are and project what they might become. All while other people are watching you. It's a good thing that I'm highly skilled at video gaming, otherwise this may prove quite challenging.

When the doors open on day one, I'll probably head for Square Enix and Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion. While I'm at the Square Enix booth, I'm also keen to try Forspoken, and I'll keep an eye open for new Tactics Ogre and FFXVI footage, both of which we already know won't be playable.

Street Fighter 6 lends itself perfectly to a ten-minute sampling. Ten minutes to get my arse handed to me by a stranger before skulking off to find something I'm good at. Sticking with Capcom, I'm hoping to have the chance to try Resident Evil Village on PSVR 2, which will be hands-on for the first time. Also dinosaur-shooty game Exoprimal will probably be worth a look. Konami have been teasing an unannounced, soon-to-be-announced, entry in a well-loved series. I'm led to believe that it's a remake or rehash of Suikoden, Silent Hill or maybe even that long rumoured Metal Gear Solid revisit. If it's the latter, I can assure you I'll be all over it.

The Sega booth will be a lonely place without a playable demo for the next Yakuza, but hopefully tonight's Ryu ga Gotoku stream will whet our appetite for what's to come. I'll try Sonic Frontiers, because what else am I going to do, being the hopeless Sega-liker that I am? I'll have a good wander around the indie hall, and I'll also keep my eyes peeled for the slew of retro remakes that have been rumoured.

We're not going to get any earth-shattering anounncements at TGS, but depending on what you're into, you might be in for a few pleasant surprises.

2. Other New Computer Games

We had a perfectly-entertaining Nintendo Direct last night and a half-decent State of Play from Sony this morning. Breath of the Wild 2 is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and it's coming next May. Pikimin 4 is a thing, new Fire Emblem is doing its very best to make me hate it, visually at least; Crisis Core got its release date (12/13), Radiant Silvergun is available now, and farming is the new hotness. Honestly, I can't remember what gaming was like before quaint farming sims came along, and I don't care to. State of Play was shorter on content and left anyone expecting FFXVI updates bitterly disappointed. However, I can assure you that localized Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a good thing indeed.

We're also expecting a Ryu ga Gotoku Studio stream later today, and Microsoft will have a Japan-focussed show tomorrow evening. It's a great week to be into games.

3. Getting Out The House

While I've definitely eased up on staying at home this year, I still don't go out anywhere near as much as I used to. Also, working from home means my opportunities to go into town are few and far between. It's nice to have a big event to look forward to, even if I may be a little nervous about social distancing etc.

I'm not sure what a Covid-TGS is going to look like. Somewhat pared-down, I'd imagine, with lots of hand gel and hopefully better queuing systems. I know a lot of people just aren't bothering with the show or the after-events this year, but that won't stop me having fun, albeit responsibly.

Anyone up for a pint?

4. Gathering Junk

You accumulate so much promotional shit at TGS. Glorious shit. It has definitely been scaled back over the years, but you can still expect to leave the show with at least eight colourful bags, six printed fans, a keyring of some appalling looking character from a game you've never heard of, and a box of Yakuza-branded tissues. It makes you feel special, until most of it goes in the bin.

There is also junk that you have to pay for. The merch area is full of game-branded thingamabobs - stuff that you never knew you wanted until you saw it. I might be up for purchasing a grotesque t-shirt or two, something I wouldn't be caught dead wearing in normal, respectable company, but I wouldn't hesitate to wear at TGS with the other freaks.

5. Writing

Words are alright. I enjoy wrestling with them to express myself, moving them around until they flow just so. TGS is a great excuse, and even better motivator, to write. Sitting down to construct a preview can be daunting, but it's also thoroughly enjoyable. And let's not forget Twitter and the immediacy and effectiveness of a good tweet. As much as I enjoyed the announcements in the Nintendo Direct last night, the true highlight was perusing Twitter, as we all reacted in the moment with excitement, disappointment and farm jokes. 

Words are alright, and TGS makes for an outstanding muse.

6. The Industry

The game industry has a good energy. The opportunity to be around that, even just for two days, is one I always look forward to. I like to dip my toe every now and again, and hope I might fall in. What I really need to do, however, is jump. I'll be on the lookout for opportunities.

Be sure to check back tomorrow, as I'll be posting a Day One round-up. In-depth hands-on impressions will follow in the coming days. Cheers!

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By the way, this was my 500th post at Toomanywires. I wanted to do something special, or something clever, to mark the occasion but there wasn't enough time and I'm not nearly clever enough. Maybe we'll do something in a week or two. Thanks for reading.