From September 26th to 29th, the 2024 edition of the Tokyo Game Show took place, the main Asian video game event held annually in Japan’s capital at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba – commonly known as TGS. Excaliber did not miss this important occasion and was present in the Selected Indie 80 area, the showcase dedicated to indie developers, where the video game The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles was exhibited – a title developed by the studio Fix-A-Bug, with which Excaliber is collaborating.
The following is a story by Giorgio Catania, Founder of Excaliber, written to share his experience during the days of the TGS and his journey to Japan.
I begin my story with a fundamental detail: this was the first time I participated in the Tokyo Game Show. And, even more importantly, it was the first time I visited Japan, a country for which I’ve always had an immense interest and always wanted to visit. First and foremost, to gain a deeper understanding of its fascinating culture and ancient traditions. But also to enjoy its excellent cuisine, which I love: onigiri, sushi, ramen, takoyaki, sashimi, and many other delicacies. Not to mention that Japan is an endless source of inspiration for anyone working in the video game industry, being the birthplace of some of my favorite works – Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, and Silent Hill, above all.
I departed from Venice on the morning of September 23rd, and after a journey lasting over 20 hours – which included a particularly long layover in Helsinki, where I met a colleague I hadn’t seen in years who now works for ByteRockers’ Games – I arrived in Tokyo, full of expectations. After dropping off my luggage at the hotel, located just a ten-minute walk from Tokyo Station, I immediately joined the colleagues and friends from Trinity Team for a drink and a Kobe beef dinner at a fantastic restaurant. The perfect way to start my adventure in Japan!
The next day, after a night’s sleep unaffected by jet lag, a hearty and nutritious breakfast, and a morning excursion to the Kokyo Gaien National Garden and Hibiya Park, I made my way to Makuhari Messe to meet the Fix-A-Bug team and set up the exhibition booth for The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles in the Selected Indie 80 showcase area. Getting there was a breeze thanks to the punctuality of the Japanese metro. Walking through the halls of Makuhari Messe during the setup was an exciting experience: I had the chance to preview the wonders that would bring the event to life starting the following day.
After finishing the setup, I headed to an important event: the welcome evening organized by the Italian Ambassador in Tokyo at his residence to celebrate the participation of Italian development studios at the TGS. It was a great opportunity to meet many people and reconnect with colleagues and friends I hadn’t seen in a long time!
The next day, the Tokyo Game Show finally began. The significance of this event, which over its four days hosted more than 270,000 visitors, is easy to understand. Starting with its scale and contents. Few international events can compete with the size of the TGS, which this year filled all the 11 halls of the Makuhari Messe with hundreds of booths packed with gaming stations showcasing both the latest blockbuster titles and upcoming releases. All the major gaming brands from Japan, China, and Korea participated in this gaming parade, alongside several prominent Western names. Walking through the immense corridors of the TGS, you could easily spot prestigious brands such as PlayStation, Capcom, Square Enix, THQ Nordic, SEGA, Atlus, Konami, Bandai Namco, Devolver Digital, WhisperGames, SNK, Level 5, and many more.
However, there was no shortage of spaces dedicated to smaller realities. Starting with the Selected Indie 80 showcase, which brought together dozens and dozens of independent productions from around the world under one banner. For Italy, in addition to the aforementioned The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles by Fix-A-Bug, there was Cinema by Trinity Team – a studio famous for the two Bud Spencer & Terence Hill: Slaps And Beans games and The Darkest Tales. But how could I not mention some of the many other deserving productions? Such as the touching Hollow Home by the Ukrainian studio Twigames; Haneda Girl and Neon Blood, respectively from the Spanish teams Studio Koba and ChaoticBrain Studios; the experimental Hyper Wobbler by Wobbly Labs or the original Videoverse by Kinmoku from Germany; Iron Hive from the Brazilian Wondernaut Studio; the award-winning Korean productions Killa created by Black Tangerine and No Case Should Remain Unsolved developed by Somi; Let’s Build a Dungeon by Singapore-based Springloaded; Neko Odyssey by Secret Character from Thailand; and then moving to distant Australia with Copycat by Spoonful of Wonder. Not to forget the many Japanese works present. Rustil: Eternal Labyrinth Castle by KIC Games; Saeko: Giantess Dating Sim by Safe Havn Studio; Cassette Boy by Wonderland Kazakiri; the peculiar HoooPizza by DOI Nobuhiro; and many more.
The first two days of the TGS were particularly intense, as they were exclusively dedicated to business meetings – the main reason I was at the event. Throughout the various halls of the show you could only encounter developers, publishers, investors, journalists, influencers, and other professionals from all corners of the globe, all there to expand their networks or strike business deals. Then, on Saturday and Sunday, it was time to meet the general public: hundreds of thousands of fans poured in from the subway station, eager to try or purchase their favorite video games. Or to take selfies with the hundreds of cosplayers who were present in every corner of Makuhari Messe – I had never seen so many in one event!
The days of the Tokyo Game Show truly flew by, filled with a lot of work (and I mean a lot, as so many people tried The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles!), but also just as much fun and plenty of laughter.
Once the event ended, a new adventure began right away: the following week, indeed, I stayed in Japan to explore the wonders of Kyoto (again in the company of the friends from Trinity Team), the beauties of Nara, and finally returned to Tokyo, dedicating the last two days of my trip to some serious shopping. This gave me the opportunity to see in person the extraordinary places I had read about in books and glimpsed in anime. Starting with the Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine and the thousands of torii that line the ascent of Mount Inari. Or Nijo Castle and the Ninomaru Palace, whose golden walls and screens painted by the famous artists Kano Tanyu and Naonobu I will never forget. The pristine beauty of the Arashiyama bamboo forest. The golden pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, gleaming like the richest of jewels under the warm sun. And, of course, Nara Park, dotted with numerous shrines and inhabited by thousands of deer always ready to perform charming bows in exchange for food from visitors.
To complete this colorful tapestry of landscapes were three important districts of Tokyo: Shibuya, with its famous crossing known worldwide; Akihabara, with its shops teeming daily with enthusiasts in search of manga, anime, action figures, and all kinds of electronics; and Minato, where the Tokyo Tower offered a breathtaking view of the capital of the Land of the Rising Sun.
My vacation ended in the blink of an eye. And when the time came to head to Tokyo airport to board the flight that would take me back to Italy, I made a promise to myself: I will return to Japan. To visit Osaka and Hiroshima, which so many friends have told me about. Maybe to take a trip to Hokkaido when the foliage colors its lands with autumn hues. Perhaps to climb Mount Fuji, which this time remained shyly hidden behind thick clouds. And certainly to return to the Tokyo Game Show and meet many colleagues once again.
And, who knows… maybe even to show the world my own video game. But that’s a story I will tell on another occasion!
