The Tokyo Game Show opened to media and industry figures Thursday, with the general public permitted to attend in the coming days for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus, bringing the latest in metaverse and virtual reality titles and technologies into the spotlight.
The annual extravaganza for video-game lovers, one of the biggest of its kind in the world, is being held at Chiba’s Makuhari Messe convention center, near Tokyo, through Sunday. The general public can access the show from Friday afternoon.
The show was held largely online for the past two years due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions and the organizer expects to attract some 150,000 visitors across the four days this year.
About 600 companies and organizations from 37 countries and regions, including Japanese giants Capcom Co. and Square Enix Co., are participating in the event. Despite opening to the public again, some of the exhibitions can still be accessed online, according to the organizer, the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association.
“People have come to re-evaluate the intrinsic value of games during the pandemic as they serve as a communication tool,” Hideki Hayakawa, the head of the organizer, said during the opening ceremony.
“We want people to enjoy the thrill of games both in the real world and online.”
The metaverse has become a buzzword in the game industry and beyond as more companies from game developers to banks have begun to see the business potential of a virtual world that allows users to experience shopping, attend events and communicate with each other from anywhere.
Credit Source
Kyodo News
