Tokyo Game Show returns bigger than ever

Good news for game fans lamenting the loss of E3 arrived yesterday when the organiser of the Tokyo Game Show ( TGS ) announced that the 2007 edition will be extended when it returns this September.

The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association ( CESA ) held a press conference to reveal that this year's TGS will run from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 September, which is one day longer than in 2006. The extra day will be given over to 'business purposes', meaning that press and those in the industry are supposed to get exclusive access to new games software and hardware before the public.

However gamers needn't grumble, as the normal TGS business days have always been simple to crash, much to the annoyance of hassled media like us desperate to avoid being trampled underfoot by 150kg Halo diehards.

Split show rumoured

The extended show is a little surprising, as we had heard from a CESA insider at last year's show that it was considering splitting the event in two, with one part being for the public and another, in a more central Tokyo location than at present, for those actually doing business.

While it's disappointing to hear that we're not going to get the VIP treatment we'd hoped for at the TGS this year (no sympathy, please), rest assured that we'll be there bringing you news from the world's biggest, most exciting game show come September.

J Mark Lytle was an International Editor for TechRadar, based out of Tokyo, who now works as a Script Editor, Consultant at NHK, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. Writer, multi-platform journalist, all-round editorial and PR consultant with many years' experience as a professional writer, their bylines include CNN, Snap Media and IDG.