The Tokyo Game Show Turns 30: Tracing the History of Video Game Evolution
Nippon.com takes a look at the Tokyo Game Show 2026, held in nearby Chiba in late September this year. What does this storied gathering have to tell us about the present and the future of the video game scene in Japan and elsewhere around the world?
The Tokyo Game Show (TGS), one of the world's largest gaming events, was established in August 1996. Initially drawing over 100,000 visitors in its first three days, the show has maintained an attendance of at least 100,000 attendees, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 when the event shifted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, the show welcomed 298,690 visitors over four days. The number of exhibitors has steadily risen, from just 87 in 1996 to a record 1,138 in 2026.
Masuda Tsutomu, the managing director of the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) that organizes the event, emphasizes that TGS aims to develop games into a major industry with cultural value. CESA was founded in 1995, the year preceding the inaugural TGS, with members from various game industry companies. Masuda, a former Capcom marketing executive, has been involved with TGS as both an exhibitor and organizer.
During the show's first year, Japan's home console market was undergoing a significant transformation. Once-noble Nintendo's Super Famicom (Super NES) faced competition from new hardware capable of producing high-quality 3D graphics. Systems like the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, and Sony's PlayStation battled for market share and broadened gaming's appeal to diverse age groups.
Notably, the inaugural TGS featured a demo disc for the highly anticipated Final Fantasy VII. The anticipation surrounding the demo led to long lines at the game's booth, with worldwide sales ultimately surpassing 10 million copies when the game was released the following January.
The second TGS introduced the CESA Awards, now known as the Japan Game Awards. The inaugural awards ceremony recognized Sakura Wars as the year's top title. Subsequently, the event transitioned to a biannual format in 1997 to strengthen its presence within the game industry. In the 2000s, the console market shifted once again, with new systems such as the Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo's GameCube, and Microsoft's Xbox entering the market, offering improved graphics capabilities.
As game development became more complex and costly due to enhanced hardware, TGS consolidated into a once-a-year event in 2002, timing it with the crucial year-end and New Year sales season. Japan remained a dominant market for dedicated gaming hardware, with home consoles accounting for approximately 90% of the market until the later half of the 2000s.
Handheld systems also gained popularity, with devices like the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable featuring wireless connectivity, enabling cooperative play in multiplayer games. The 2010s saw the rise of smartphones and their impact on gaming habits, as mobile games allowed players to download and play apps anytime and anywhere.
Japan's pop culture gained international recognition through its dedicated craftsmanship, often surpassing global marketing strategies. Concurrently, game development adopted multiplatform models, with titles released across multiple hardware types, including smartphones and PCs. Despite its growing presence, Japan lagged in esports, a competitive online gaming scene centered around PC gaming.
TGS has worked to promote esports by hosting tournaments and events that attract professional players and fans.
Written by urgent.news from Nippon.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
