Tokyo Game Show 2020 won’t have a physical event this year as the organization has shifted to a digital format over COVID-19 concerns.
Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association, CESA, has mentioned that the situation remains unpredictable in Japan due to the novel coronavirus and that the global scenario doesn’t allow to make the proper plans for such a big event to be set up in just a few months.
TGS 2020 was slated for September 24-27, and it is clearly unlikely that the sanitary emergency would be totally behind our shoulders by that time.
A digital event is being developed instead, but details are sparse on that front right now as press releases on the matter will be dispatched starting late May.
Tokyo Game Show 2020 not being held traditionally is just the latest hit to the gaming industry in the year of COVID-19.
The industry already had to face major events being canceled or shifted over a digital format, such as the E3 2020 being entirely replaced by online presentations held by individual publishers, including Xbox.
Gamescom has gone through a similar transition, and more details on that should be provided by the end of the month. On August 24, 2020, it is already known it will be kickstarted up by Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live conference.
Only a few hours ahead of TGS, Paris Games Week 2020, which was set to be hosted in France during October, was canceled.
Not only events but game development had to face several hurdles this year, as the process of creation and quality assurance of multiple titles has not been made possible by the current condition.
Ninjala was just delayed by one month, while others like The Last of Us Part II have long stayed without a release date due to logistical challenges despite being almost complete.
As the world slowly begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel, though, other publishers and developers are still suffering the COVID-19’s consequences.
Nintendo could be forced to delay more titles in the short term and hasn’t committed to a game release schedule for the year at all since it has only unveiled Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition as major 2020 Switch launch.
