My tips for avoiding newbie mistakes at Tokyo Game Show

Image via Tokyo Game Show.

The Tokyo Game Show 2024 is over!

This was my first time presenting my game to the public at the Tokyo Game Show, and it was an incredible experience, with its own unique characteristics compared to the conventions I’ve attended in France.

For those who may not know, the Tokyo Game Show is a video game convention held near Tokyo over four days in September. The first two days are reserved for professionals (people working in the video game industry, journalists, etc.), while the last two days (the weekend) are open to the public. Around 250,000 people attend the event each year.

I’m writing this article to reflect on the mistakes I made and the things I would do differently if I had the chance to do it again. If it can help others, even better!

Hopefully, you’ll find the information you’re looking for!

How to Register for TGSFrom what I understand, there are three ways to attend TGS:

Get invited to the “80 Selected Indie”: You just need to apply by presenting your game. If your game is selected by the jury, you will be invited and given a booth in the  “80 Selected Indie” section. I feel like this is the best option: you get a free booth, and your game is highlighted by TGS.
           

Join a delegation that’s attending: I noticed that several countries were represented (Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, etc.). I’m not sure how it works exactly, but there might be opportunities where the price and professional connections make it worth it. Some delegations have their own stands with featured games, while others just attend in the business area.
           

Pay for a booth (around $1000): This is what I did. It allows you to get a space in the indie game area, which you can customize according to your needs.

For my part, I tried to get invited to the “80 Selected Indie,” but I wasn’t chosen… Since I really wanted to attend the event, I opted to pay for a booth instead.

I didn’t know it at the time, but a French delegation was present. Maybe I could have joined them, but I’m not sure if I would have been accepted, given that I’m probably not yet professional enough in the industry.

Organizing with TGSI’m describing my experience as someone who paid for a booth to participate in TGS. I’m not sure how it works if you attend in another way.

Once your registration is confirmed, TGS gives you access to three online platforms:

To manage the organization of your booth.
           

To arrange meetings with the press (this access becomes available about 1.5 to 2 months before TGS).
           

To arrange meetings with professionals (this access also becomes available about 1.5 to 2 months before TGS).

The platform to organize your boothIt seems intimidating at first. You’re given access to a 200-page PDF that provides all the information you need. It gave me a headache at first, and with all that information, I wasn’t even sure if I could bring my own equipment… But in fact, you can! Despite the lengthy process you have to follow, you actually have a lot of freedom in organizing your booth.

There are many forms to fill out, some mandatory and some optional. Deadlines are always indicated, and you’ll receive email reminders as the deadlines approach. The forms cover everything from renting computer equipment to having food delivered to your booth.

For me, it was overwhelming to handle all this information while also preparing the game demo. I ended up filling out the forms close to their deadlines. However, the best approach, in my opinion, would be to dedicate one or two days to complete all the necessary forms.

Keep in mind that depending on your requests, you may incur additional costs (such as renting equipment).
But if you panic like I did, don’t worry! You can always email the TGS contacts, and they respond quickly and clearly. They were very efficient in helping me.

Platforms for organizing press/professional meetingsYou get access to two separate platforms: one for the press and one for professionals. These platforms allow you to see who’s attending and send invitations with proposed meeting times.

Here are two mistakes I made and what to avoid:

Time zone difference: When I scheduled my meetings, I didn’t realize that the platform was displaying French time… So I ended up scheduling meetings for the middle of the night >