Written by Fraser Overington and Jack Neighbour
We had the pleasure of attending the Tokyo Game Show; an enormous sprawl of nerdy madness (nine halls to be exact), full to the brim with thoroughly overexcited gaming enthusiasts, having wilfully abandoned their jobs and families to attend. Wives have been neglected, children left to fend for themselves in the street, picking through bins with spindly, emaciated little fingers. Was it worth all this? Of course it was!
It’s a maniacal wonderland dedicated to the pixel, with every big name in the business making full effort to show off the fruits of their labour. They certainly know how; utilising scantily clad women to entice professional photographers and keen amateurs with iPhones alike.
Some really exciting new releases are on the horizon, notably Resident Evil: Revelations 2, Bloodborne, Final Fantasy Type-0, Bravely Second, the list can go on and on. There’s also a booth dedicated to Indie games in various stages of development, really nice if you want to see some truly innovative and creative story ideas that have been lovingly slaved over without the oppression of a large studio or pressing deadlines (unless you count the show itself).
Veterans of these shows know how it’s done when it comes to the freebies. The camera is slung around the neck, leaving the backpack relatively empty for flyers, fans, artwork, or many other promotional materials that are passed around to commemorate the occasion.
The Holy Grail is and will always be the merch, there’s plenty of it. Two of the nine halls dedicated to memorabilia you just can’t get anywhere else, it’s bustling with people spending their bonuses, monthly wages and their baby savings on the things they love most in this world. It’s the best example we’ve seen yet of ‘shut up and take my money, my credit cards and the deed to my house.’ Totally worth it and after all, it’s only once a year.
Check out some trailers from the event.
Bloodborne:
Final Fantasy Type-0:
Metal Gear Solid V:
Which game are you most excited about?