Tokyo Game Show Returns After 3 Years... Nexon, Netmarble, and Others Participate

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Choi] Japan's "Tokyo Game Show," considered one of the world's top three game shows, will be held offline for the first time in three years. Among domestic game companies, Nexon and Netmarble will showcase new titles, while indie game developers will also meet visitors.

According to the gaming industry on the 17th, the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) of Japan will hold "Tokyo Game Show 2022" at Makuhari Messe in Tokyo, Japan, until the 18th.

Tokyo Game Show is regarded as one of the global top three game shows alongside the US E3 and Germany's Gamescom. Due to the impact of COVID-19, it was held online but has switched back to offline this year after three years. The scale of the event has also expanded. Last year, 339 companies participated, but this year about 600 companies are participating.

Among domestic game companies, Nexon will present new titles online. They will exhibit the new root shooter (a shooting game emphasizing item collection) "First Descendant" and the third-person shooter "Veiled Expert."

"First Descendant," developed by subsidiary Nexon Games, will be introduced through a new promotional video featuring characters and actual gameplay scenes. The video showcases real gameplay, including attacking enemy weak points with various firearms and evading attacks, and especially cooperative play (CO-OP) targeting giant bosses with different gimmicks.

PD Beomjun Lee of Nexon Games said, "Along with exhibiting at Tokyo Game Show, one of the world's top three game shows, we have prepared a new promotional video featuring attractive characters and actual gameplay scenes," adding, "From October 20, it will be available in a Steam beta test."

Netmarble will showcase "King of Fighters Arena," a blockchain-based fighting game by its blockchain-specialized subsidiary Mavrex.

"King of Fighters Arena" is the second collaboration between Netmarble and the Japanese game company SNK. It is being developed by Netmarble Neo, which has accumulated various global know-how through the service of the previous title "King of Fighters Allstar."

The game incorporates blockchain systems such as character non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and game tokens. A key feature is that players can freely select one of the characters appearing in the "King of Fighters" series and participate in real-time player-versus-player (PvP) battles with simple controls.

Mavrex will present the latest build of "King of Fighters Arena," which supports real-time 1-on-1 battles, to users at the game show. Through a separate presentation session, they will also reveal the core fun elements the game pursues and the token economy design.

A Mavrex representative stated, "We aim to create a universal blockchain-based fighting game that not only fans of the existing King of Fighters series but also NFT holders and crypto users can all participate in," adding, "It is scheduled for a global launch in the second half of this year."

Meanwhile, the Korea Creative Content Agency has set up a Korean joint pavilion to exhibit general displays from 15 companies, including mobile games and virtual reality (VR). Domestic indie game developers are scheduled to hold an online session on the same day.