Chinese gaming companies in spotlight at Tokyo Game Show 2024

The Chinese game craze is gaining steam at Tokyo Game Show 2024, which kicked off on Thursday, with its high quality and rich culture catching the eyes of game professionals and enthusiasts from across the world.

A record 985 companies and organizations from 44 countries and regions are showcasing their products and services at this year's show held at the convention center of Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo.

The event attracted 535 exhibitors from overseas, including more than 70 Chinese companies. China's mobile gaming industry drew special attention, with the number of Chinese exhibitors accounting for around 80 percent of the sector.

"Adequate talent, solid technology and sufficient funding have guaranteed the rapid growth of the Chinese gaming industry, which boasts the world's highest revenue," said Xue Hui, general manager of Shanghai Lizhi Business Information Consulting Service Center, in charge of coordinating with Chinese exhibitors for the show.

S-GAME presented Phantom Blade Zero, an action role-playing game with hack and slash elements, which attracted more than 500 people to try out this single-player game.

"Traditional Chinese culture has provided significant spiritual connotations and background content support for the game," said Anni Pan, director of marketing/IP operations at the Beijing-based game corporation. "For example, one boss is inspired by the lion dance from Guangzhou, and the mountain path scenes in the game are based on real landscapes of Yandang Mountain, one of top 10 most famous mountains in China," she added.

Dost Kayaoglu, a Turkish YouTuber, said Phantom Blade Zero was an important reason for him to visit the show. "The animations are fluent. Game plays are tight. The period timing is great. I really like it," he said, adding that he really wants to visit China after playing the game.

According to organizer Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, this year there are 3,252 exhibition booths and 2,850 game titles at the show, both hitting a new record.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has returned to the show this year after a five-year absence to unveil its latest console, the PlayStation 5 Pro, featuring upgraded graphics processing units for enhanced image quality.

Launched in 1996, the Tokyo Game Show is one of the world's biggest gaming trade shows, alongside Gamescom in Germany, and ChinaJoy in China. The organizer of E3, another industry show on a similar scale in the U.S, decided last year to no longer hold the event.

(With input from Xinhua)