Taiwan’s largest gaming event has come to a successful close! The 2024 Taipei Game Show has drawn the curtains, and despite the incursion of a near-arctic cold front pushing temperatures below 10 degrees, the enthusiasm of gamers remained undiminished. The weekend saw the crowd swell in numbers, and official tallies over the four-day event counted an impressive 360,000 attendees. The TGS, the largest in nearly three years, was enthusiastically supported by domestic and international exhibitors alike, with gamers actively showing their support with many exclaiming, “This year was incredibly fun!”

Furthermore, affirming Taiwan’s role as a crucial hub in the Asia-Pacific gaming market, the TGS B2B Zone this year drew in more than 1,800 business visitors from 35 countries and regions within a mere two days, leading to almost 2,000 business discussions. The Asia Pacific Game Summit, which addressed the latest industry trends, was filled to capacity, with numerous attendees even standing and taking notes, a testament to the substantial and enriching content of the presentations.

The TGS organizer has also revealed that the next TGS will take place from January 23rd to 26th, 2025. They invite gamers to reserve the time for the most exciting gaming event early next year and encourage exhibitors to secure their spots early.

Exhibitors’ Final Showcases Draw Eyes

Gamers Queue Up for Final Opportunity to Trial Unreleased Games

As Sunday approached, exhibitors were playing their strongest hand, showcasing thrilling events like the Jesu Cup “Street Fighter 6” tournament. After intense matchups, the champion title was clinched by player Ugang, who received a console and a large joystick  as winning prizes. KOEI TECMO’s two special stage events invited famous live streamers for audience interactions, with simultaneous online broadcasts, allowing gaming fans to join in the fun online. Additionally, 17 LIVE featured a dreamlike Japan-Taiwan collaboration between V-LIVER and Yakushiji Akira, crossing the boundary between the virtual world and reality.

The final day of the show still saw a continuous stream of visitors. Nintendo showcased over 20 games and hundreds of test play consoles, including many highly anticipated unreleased titles. For example, the long-awaited Traditional Chinese trial version of “Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban!” made a grand appearance, raising high hopes for more games to be localized. SHUEISHA GAMES, making its debut in Taiwan, not only offered new game trials and exclusive merchandise but also presented several manga titles in oversized physical book formats, sharing fun facts about the adorable works. Fans commented with a smile that the games felt fresh and seeing classic manga was a delightful experience.

Furthermore, Aniplex’s “Hookah Haze,” which opened globally for trial play, has been a sensation, featuring cosplayer YuiRi as the protagonist “Aijou Amu ” for four consecutive days, sparking a frenzy among attendees eager to take photos. “Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat” prepared exclusive limited gifts and dazzled fans on the final day with a dashing appearance by the cosplayer of the character V. “GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE” planned a reward event, inviting all commanders over level 100 to participate in an exclusive lucky draw at the booth. “GIRLS FRONTLINE 2: EXILIUM” brought its charming characters to life with an engaging challenge event where fans could win a photo session with cosplayers by succeeding in a shooting challenge. Competitively vying for a photo with their favorite character, players were eager and excited, with many inquiring, “When will it be released? I can’t wait to play!”

Board Game Wonderland’s Final Day Offers Jaw-Dropping Discounts

Final Opportunity at STEAM Sale Event for All Game Titles in Indie House

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Board Game Wonderland this year not only featured local designers but also welcomed numerous board game enterprises and studios from Japan and Hong Kong. A diverse array of games caught the attention of both children and adults alike. Paired with a variety of interactive activities, many took advantage of the last day to try games and collect points for the draw, with exhibitors offering steep discounts that were too good to pass up, creating an exceptionally vibrant buying atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the largest-ever Indie House area was not just a playground for gamers but also a meeting point for developers. They not only shared their experiences of trial plays but engaged in in-depth discussions about game design, turning the space into a massive collaborative forum. Some developers even tweaked their games on the spot in response to player feedback, exemplifying the core value of the Indie House area: to garner diverse input and refine their creations to perfection.

The Taipei Game Show’s STEAM sale is still going strong, with over 200 games available at fantastic discounts starting from 70% off. The event runs until the 30th, offering gamers the chance to purchase the games they’ve enjoyed testing at TGS.

Non-Stop Networking in B2B Zone for 14 Hours

2000 Meetings Connect the Gaming Industry Chain

The B2B Zone this year was buzzing with activity over two days and a total of 14 hours. The meeting spaces were filled with business visitors, with over 1,800 business visitors from 35 countries and regions representing the entire spectrum of the gaming industry chain, engaged in conversation. According to statistics, there were up to 2,000 business meetings. International visitors commented that the meetings went on from morning until night without a break, and while exhausting, the outcomes were highly rewarding. The entire event served as an excellent stepping stone to unlock new business opportunities.

More than that, The B2B Zone biz-matching system will continue to offer the business card exchange feature for a month, allowing all business visitors to extend their networking beyond the physical venue. TGS will also periodically host various themed business networking events and continue collaborations with global expos, urging industry professionals to stay updated on the latest information and not miss any business opportunities.

APGS Packed to Capacity, Covers Comprehensive Topics

Bandai Namco Entertainment, SQUARE ENIX, SHUEISHA GAMES, and Ubisoft Montpellier, who shared their diverse experiences of major game titles. Industry experts from companies such as Moloco, Xsolla, Google, Worldpay, Cloudflare, and The Game Marketer also participated, dissecting from multiple angles how game operators can address pain points in marketing, payments, cybersecurity, localization, and cloud applications, sharing secrets to exploring new blue ocean markets.

In addition, the dedicated session “Metaverse Forum,” in collaboration with the Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency, gathered experts from BEARVFX Co., Ltd., KryptoGO, and HTC VIVERSE. With the guidance of Paul Lee, CAO of the Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency, the speakers engaged in dialogue that illustrated the future landscape of the metaverse industry. The dedicated session “Emerging Technologies in Game Development” saw a convergence of cross-industry vendors like Alibaba Cloud Intelligence International, Toii Games, Skvader Entertainment, and Gaia Information Technology, sharing their insights and expectations for emerging technologies and their transformative trends, from game development to player experience, delving into the integration and innovation possibilities within Web 3.0, blockchain, and other future domains.