CESA Gives Dates, Theme for 2005 Tokyo Game Show

The Computer Entertainment Software Association, Japan's equivalent to American's Entertainment Software Alliance, has confirmed the dates for this year's Tokyo Game Show: the convention will take place at the Japan Convention Center in Makuhari Messe from September 16th to 18th. As usual, the first day will be for media only, while the general public is invited to try out the next generation of games on the second and third day. The "theme" of this year's show is online gaming, both on consoles and in portable or mobile games. In addition to the special pavilion being constructed to highlight new online technology for mobile games, there will be 130 companies exhibiting new software and hardware at their own individual stalls. More foreign companies (meaning American and European, in this case) are expected to show product there, and the show's timing means that if Microsoft does intend to launch a new console before the end of the year, TGS may be the first place to see final versions of next-generation Xbox software. (Nintendo's Revolution may also debut in some early form this year, but Nintendo has traditionally not maintained any sort of TGS presence.) Over 150,000 attendees are expected for this year's convention, the 16th since the Tokyo Game Show's inception in 1996 -- the show was formerly held twice annually, with a spring and fall convention every year, until the show settled into its annual form in 2002.