The Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA; Chairman: Yoichi Wada; Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo), in cooperation with Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. (Nikkei BP; President & CEO: Yasuo Hirata; Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo), will hold the TOKYO GAME SHOW 2009 based on the theme of "Game, it’s so energetic!" for a four-day period from Thursday, September 24 to Sunday, September 27, 2009 at Makuhari Messe in Mihama-ku, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture. The first two days will be Business Days for visitors from the game industry and the media, while the latter two will be open to the general public. The Show occupies a total of approximately 54,000 sq.m. floor space of Halls 1 through 8 at Makuhari Messe.
As the largest computer entertainment show in the world, TOKYO GAME SHOW 2009 aims to provide people all over the world with a wide variety of the very latest information on games. A total of 758 titles are already registered in advance for exhibition.
There are a total of 180 exhibitors, consisting of 88 from Japan and 92 from 17 other countries and regions: Canada, PR China, Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the UK and the USA. A total of 1,367 booth partition units are being used for exhibitions.
The TGS Forum is scheduled during the two Business Days on September 24 (Thu) and 25 (Fri) to be attended by those in the game business industry. On September 24, keynote lectures will be given by Mr. Kazuo Hirai, President & Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. and other leading figures from Japanese game makers.
The winners of the Japan Game Awards will be announced and commended during TOKYO GAME SHOW 2009. On September 24, the "Japan Game Awards 2009 Games of the Year Division" will be awarded to the best game software selected from those released in 2008, and the "Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award 2009" will be awarded to an individual or entity that is recognized to have contributed to the development of the home-use game industry in Japan. On September 26, the winner of the "Japan Game Awards 2009 Amateur Division" will be selected and commended from among the games developed by amateur entrants, and on September 27, the final day, the winner of the "Japan Game Awards 2009 Future Division" will be selected and commended from the unreleased games on exhibition.
TOKYO GAME SHOW 2009 is linked to the "Japan International Contents Festival" (dubbed CoFesta), commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the "Creators’ Talk Show", "CoFesta Main Booth", and "CoFesta Family Booth" are all being held again this year. The considerable charm and potential of games will be introduced to visitors through these programs.
SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT (SOWN) is a new project introduced last year at the TOKYO GAME SHOW, in cooperation with the International Game Developers Association Japan Chapter. The objective of SOWN is to discover new game ideas that will elicit the sensation that something will change in your world the moment you see or hear about the concept (= "Sense of Wonder"). It spotlights motivated game developers by providing them with an opportunity to present their new game ideas and prototypes. There were a total of 65 entries to SOWN 2009 from 18 countries and regions, and ten ideas have been selected for presentation by five SOWN 2009 Screening Committee members in Japan and one from abroad. All of the ideas will be presented on September 25 (Tue) from 5pm at Room 201 on the second floor of the International Conference Hall at Makuhari Messe.
Museum of Game Science and History, the TGS organizer’s exhibition introducing game technologies, histories, and trends will be held this year in Halls 2, 4, and 8 (Kids’ Corner). Hall 2 will feature games related to Sengoku samurai, a theme that has recently been enjoying great popularity in Japan. There will also be an exhibition of the body armor and helmets of nine of the most popular warlords, with analyses and comments on this trend. Hall 4 will feature easy-to-understand exhibits on the structure of the latest game consoles as well as the latest technology being applied to gaming. In the Kids’ Corner in Hall 8, trends in the evolution of game character graphics will be featured in a way that is easy for children to understand as well.
Many events are being presented at the popular Kids’ Corner for grade school children. Children can try new game software at the "Touch and Try Booth", participate in game contests at the "Kids’ Stage", enjoy analog and arcade games at the "Experience the Toys Corner", and buy snacks and soft drinks at the "Ennichi (Festival) Stalls Corner". The "Kids’ Stage" is featuring "Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Show", with popular TV program characters, as well as "Tsukutte Asobo (Let’s Make and Play Show)" where children can create objects using accessible materials found at home with Waku-waku-san and Gorori-the-Bear. Kids’ Corner will also present game contests on stage sponsored by three exhibitors.
The popular original official goods exclusively designed for TOKYO GAME SHOW 2009 will be on sale again this year. There will be a total of 13 items, and the goods will be on sale at designated booths near the Central Entrance and other locations inside the venue.
The TOKYO GAME SHOW 2009 will be using "green power" – just as it did last year – to contribute to the conservation of the global environment. All 280,000 kWh of the power consumed at the common areas of the show will be generated by a biomass power station. The CO2 reduction impact of this green power will be approximately 119 tons, roughly equivalent to the amount absorbed in one year by a 40-year-old cultivated Japanese cedar forest of 14.1 hectares (calculated based on the CO2 emission intensity of Tokyo Electric Power Company in 2007: 0.425kg – CO2/kWh).
*Please see the separate sheets attached to find out more about the TOKYO GAME SHOW 2009 events outline, list of exhibitors and event stage programs.
