On May 4th, right in the middle of Golden Week, “Tokyo Game Dungeon 5” was held in Hamamatsucho, Tokyo.
Although Tokyo Game Dungeon was only held for the first time in August 2022, it has grown into an event loved by both exhibitors and visitors.
The number of exhibitors, which was high from the beginning, continues to increase, and this time, the fifth time, there are about 260 exhibitors. The event was held on two floors, the 3rd and 4th floors of the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center in Hamamatsucho, and visitors had only one day to look around at the booths they were looking for across the floors.
The driving force behind the growth is the venue’s convenient location, just a few minutes’ walk from Hamamatsucho Station on the JR Yamanote Line, but more importantly, the organizers have a good understanding of the exhibitors’ circumstances. Mr. Iwasaki, the organizer, is also a game developer himself, and from the exhibitor’s side, he is particular about the “wide exhibition tables,” “abundant power supplies,” and “wide aisles that are easy to walk and view the exhibits,” which have been praised by both exhibitors and visitors. It has been well received. The concept of a large exhibition space should be simple, but it is difficult to realize at highly commercial events, and Tokyo Game Dungeon has created a comfortable space unlike any other game event.
When it comes to Japanese indie game exhibitions, BitSummit in Kyoto is the largest, but I wonder if Tokyo Game Dungeon will surpass it in the near future. It’s so powerful that I thought.
Of course, there are issues with the physical capacity of the venue and differences in the management structure, so I can’t make a general argument, but the event has grown to be so good that I think so.
In addition to paying close attention to the exhibition space, another feature of Tokyo Game Dungeon, which I mentioned briefly above, is that it is “non-commercial”. Of course, we have sponsors to help cover costs, but our underlying desire is to provide more exhibition opportunities for indie game developers, and that has not wavered. I feel that it is widely understood in the community. This is probably what makes it different from other exhibitions, including BitSummit.
In the indie game world, where titles are not necessarily focused on business, there are many developers who would prefer to stay away from exhibitions that have a strong business atmosphere, and this is a factor that cannot be ignored.
Tokyo Game Dungeon has been held two or three times a year lately, so there may be another one before the end of the year. Or maybe it will be around January or February next year, so I’m looking forward to the announcement.
Hamamatsucho, where Tokyo Game Dungeon will be held, is easily accessible from Haneda Airport, so I encourage people living in the area to come and check it out. Although it may be difficult to travel from a rural area, I think it is a worthwhile event.
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