Japan’s biggest gaming convention, the Tokyo Game Show 2016, is just days away and it’s ramping up to be EPIC this year! Not only are there a lot of activities lined up for the show itself but a huge number of gaming news is expected to be released at the event.
Much like E3 in the U.S. and Gamescom in Germany, Tokyo Game Show (commonly known as TGS) is the largest gaming convention held in Japan. It is held annually in Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan and will run from September 15-18, with the last 2 days (Sept 17-18) being open to the general public.
Here’s a taste of what you can expect from this year’s TGS:
ATLUS
Believe it or not, Persona 5 will actually be released in Japan this coming Thursday! And those who will attend will have the chance to try out this game first, 5 months before the actual release date!
On September 17, there will be a Release Commemoration! 20th Special Concert, featuring a stage show with the Persona series’ wonderful voice talents most notably Lyn, Yumi Kawamura, Lotus Juice, Shihoko Hirata, and others.
BANDAI-NAMCO
We finally see a release date for their much-anticipated fighting game franchise Tekken 7. The game got a limited arcade release in Japan but now, we might get a release date beyond its previously announced “Early 2017.”
CAPCOM
It is quite possible that Capcom will feature their upcoming games – Monster Hunter Stories and Resident Evil 7. There are some rumors circulating about a possible Devil May Cry 5, so keep your eyes peeled for that as well.
FROMSOFTWARE
The Dark Souls series is very popular in Japan right now. With the 3rd installment in the franchise, it’s first expansion Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel might make an appearance here to hype things up before its late-October release date.
NINTENDO
There have been rumors circulating of a possible reveal of their new NX console at TGS. But sadly, both Nintendo and Microsoft will not be making it at the event. I guess we will have to wait for the next Nintendo Direct, which is scheduled sometime in early October.
SEGA
On September 15, Satoshi Sakai (producer), Yuya Kimura (director), and others with announce details for their new Phantasy Star Online 2 along with a new collaboration, game contents, and new MC for the Niconico live program.
Fans of the blue blitzer will want to check out details for Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice as Takashi Iizuka (series producer) and Harumasa Nakajima (director) demonstrates the actual gameplay live.
Also on the same day, for those eagerly awaiting for Yakuza 6, series general supervisor Toshihiro Nagoshi will share the latest info regarding the game. It is said that this game will be the most graphically impressive from Sega’s lineup.
Though not part of the lineup (more of a personal wish), I’m hoping that the successfully backed project Shenmue 3 will make an appearance here. The game made its debut on the Dreamcast and after 15 years, fans have longed to continue Yu Suzuki’s masterpiece of a story.
SONY
To kick off the TGS, much like last year, Sony will be holding their annual press conference. You might remember in our previous article that they announced a plethora of new gaming hardware, notably the PS4 Pro and the Playstation VR. It is most likely that this time they will focus more on their software, announcing upcoming games that will support the updated consoles and peripherals.
Speaking of forward compatibility, expect to see the upcoming RPG Horizon Zero Dawn and the recently delayed The Last Guardian.
They could also touch on the Playstation VR and its supporting games, since the peripheral is expected to roll out on October 13, it’s essentially just around the corner so I won’t be surprised if Sony will further push the headset.
SQUARE ENIX
Given the recent delay of Final Fantasy XV, they might use the time to hype up the game even further. It is, after all, 10 years since we’ve seen a new FF title.
The popular collaboration from Disney-SE, Kingdom Hearts 2.8, will make an appearance here as well as Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Dragon Quest X, and NieR: Automata.
Notably absent from this year’s lineup (and personally, some of my most anticipated titles) are Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Final Fantasy VII remake… But who knows? We might get a huge surprise from them this year!
COSPLAY!
Had your fill of gaming news? Well, you can feast your eyes at all the amazing cosplayers roaming around at the event. Take a look at some of the highlights from last year, to give you an idea on how awesome the people celebrate their love of anything geeky. It is Japan after all!
Reporting to you LIVE at the Tokyo Game Show from September 15 to 18!
And there you have it! We’re super excited to be here in Japan and be part of this grand event! Be sure to stay tuned to the site and our Facebook page as well for all the live updates and fresh details as they happen. Keep on gaming!
The boys are out and about at Shinjuku!