Sony‘s bringing PlayStation back to the Tokyo Game Show 2024 after a hiatus lasting several years. The company has largely moved away from physical events, and will be returning to the upcoming show for the first time since 2019.

Microsoft apparently skipping Tokyo Game Show 2024 as PlayStation returns

In a rather strange twist, the exhibitor list does not include Xbox or Microsoft even though the company has been increasing its presence at physical events. Microsoft has also been attempting to increase its visibility specifically in the Japanese market, where it has always been at a disadvantage.

That said, a month prior to TGS 2024, Microsoft will be setting up its “largest booth yet” in Europe at Gamescom. Neither Sony nor Nintendo will be in attendance.

Other notable companies coming to TGS are Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Koei Tecmo, Konami, Sega/Atlus, Square Enix, and Ubisoft.

It’s unclear what Sony will be exhibiting but we do know that the company will be sponsoring the Indie Game Project.

In total, TGS will have 731 exhibitors spread across “the largest-ever 3,190 booths,” according to a press release by the organizer. The event will take place between September 26 and September 29 in Mihama-ku, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture.

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In a statement that may draw ire from gamers who’ve been feeling burned by the rising price of video games in recent years, Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto has said that the price of new games should go up. Under Tsujimoto, the company has seen sales successes with new entries in its Monster Hunter and Resident Evil franchises, with the sales of Capcom games on PC helping to fuel that growth.

Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto says the price of games doesn’t reflect increased development costs

According to a report by Japanese financial outlet Nikkei, Capcom’s president made remarks during the recent Tokyo Game Show suggesting that the price of video games should increase to reflect the rising cost of development. As noted in coverage of the remarks by VGC, Tsujimoto is reported to have said that while “development costs are around 100 times higher” than during the NES era, the price of software has failed to follow suit. In order to continue attracting the sorts of talented developers Capcom relies on to the company, Tsujimoto believes that the option of raising the price of games to offset increased salaries “is a healthy form of business.”

While obviously not what most gamers want to hear, the remarks from Tsujimoto echo similar statements made by other executives in the gaming industry in recent years. In 2020, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick faced backlash from many in the gaming community after stating that “consumers were ready” for the $70 price point for games to become the standard. Despite causing controversy at the time, Zelnick’s statement proved to be prophetic, as both Sony and Microsoft raised the price of first-party games in the years that followed. In both instances, the companies used similar reasoning as Tsujimoto, citing the increased cost of developing the types of AAA titles gamers demanded as the cause for the increase.

With development costs for AAA games now regularly reaching hundreds of millions of dollars, it’s hard to dismiss the financial logic behind Tsujimoto’s proposed price increase for new titles. And although Capcom hasn’t announced any official plans to raise prices on its games, given Tsujimoto’s statements and similar moves throughout the industry, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the iconic publisher follow suit down the line. It would almost certainly not be popular with players, but such a price increase could also help the company stave off the potential of a Capcom acquisition. In an industry that’s become increasingly consolidated, that sort of independence may prove to be worth the extra cost in the eyes of some gamers.

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PlayStation will be largely skipping yet another major industry event with Tokyo Game Show 2023. A newly-unveiled exhibitor list reveals that Sony Interactive Entertainment will only make an appearance in the “indie game area.”

Don’t expect much from Sony at Tokyo Game Show 2023

TGS 2023 will kick off in September, and although Sony has a major exclusive lined up for release in fall, the company has decided to limit its presence at the event. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release on October 20, a month after TGS. Korean PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade is also expected to launch in 2023, although a release date has not been confirmed.

Nevertheless, Sony has seemingly settled for its own digital showcases and PS Blog announcements. PlayStation is also skipping Gamescom 2023.

Meanwhile, Microsoft will be exhibiting at TGS 2023. The company will be joined by the likes of Bandai Namco, Capcom, Konami, and Square Enix among others.

TGS 2023 will run from Thursday, September 21 to Sunday, September 24. Age restrictions will also be lifted at this year’s event, allowing admission to children under 12.

“Gaming is now more than just entertainment content, and its technology is attracting attention and being implemented outside of the gaming industry,” said Japan’s CESA. “The era in which the gaming ecosystem and technology is leading the world is just around the corner.”

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Konami has shown off a direct comparison between the upcoming Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster and the original PlayStation games respectively released in December 1995 and December 1998 in Japan. Posted on the official Twitter account for the Suikoden series, two side-by-side, before-and-after screenshots show the extent of the changes the developer is making to the backgrounds.

Suikoden remaster upgrades illustrations to 16:9 HD resolution

Here is a before and after shot of Suikoden I&II HD Remaster in development compared to the original PlayStation version from 1995!??

The completely redesigned graphics allow players to fully immerse themselves in the world and storyline.?#Suikoden pic.twitter.com/F1wHGAByMO

— @Suikoden (@Suikoden) September 19, 2022

As revealed on Friday at Tokyo Game Show 2022, the Suikoden 1 and 2 remaster plans to upgrade all the background illustrations to HD and add new effects to “breathe new life into the pixel art animation.” Konami, in the tweet above, believes that “the completely redesigned graphics allow players to fully immerse themselves in the world and storyline.” And looking at the screenshot on the right, it seems that the developer is, perhaps surprisingly, right on track.

Compared to the screenshot on the left, the cliffside has been entirely revamped with a soft light bloom and lovely hues in blue and purple highlighting the stones. Several pine trees pepper the landscape, giving dimension to both the foreground and background. A shooting star and a full moon have been added to the sky with their light reflecting off the waterfall. It’s unclear if the water is animated in any way, but we imagine that it will sparkle beneath the moonlight. Altogether, the widescreen screenshot looks like it would fit nicely in other modern pixel-based JRPGs like Octopath Traveler, whose sequel was announced last week as well.

Some fans reacting to the comparison screenshots are shocked that Konami seems to delivering a proper remaster and not just a port with HD resolution, given the low expectations from the publisher over the last several years. The Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is slated to release in 2023 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam.

In other news, the massive GTA 6 leak has been confirmed to be real and Rockstar has addressed the leak, saying that a delay is not expected.

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Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars has been announced, with Konami revealing that the remastered RPG collection would be released in 2023.

The compilation of the first two Suikoden games, originally released in 1997 and 2000 respectively, will be available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It was revealed during Tokyo Game Show 2022 — after being heavily rumored — with it set to be published by Konami.

What’s new in the Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster?

The new features included in the Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster is as follows (via Steam):

• All background illustrations have been upgraded to HD
• Updated effects breathe new life into the pixel art animation
• New environmental sounds effects to immerse yourself in this fantasy world
• Battle SFX are also now HD and add a new level of realism
• Newly added auto-save
• Battle Fast Forward
• Conversation Log

The reveal trailer can also be viewed below:

Suikoden 1 and 2 are cult classics, famous for boasting over 100 playable characters and widely known as one of the best RPG series ever made. Though the series doesn’t follow a typical chronological series of events, they all take place within the same world.

The Suikoden remastered compilation will launch in the same year as Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, a spiritual successor to the Suikoden games boasting a similar 2D stylized design.

In other news, Hideo Kojima has teased a project with actress Elle Fanning. The Gran Turismo movie has also cast Stranger Things’ David Harbour.

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A trademark renewal suggests that the announcement Konami was teasing for Tokyo Game Show 2022 is for a new Suikoden game (or project), not Silent Hill. We did ask fans to keep their expectations in check but given recent leaks and rumors, many thought that Silent Hill was finally going to get some love. Perhaps not.

New Suikoden game speculations fueled by voice actor’s attendance

When it comes to Konami, it’s hard to get hopes up for anything since the company has a habit of announcing merchandise and pachinko machines when fans expect a new game or IP. But there’s reason to believe that a new Suikoden game might be announced at Tokyo Game Show 2022. “Voice actor Yuji Kaji will be invited as a guest to represent the fans of a series which is loved all over the world, on the announcement stage for a new Konami title,” the publisher recently said. And Kaji happens to be the voice behind Jowy in Suikoden 2.

That said, reports suggest that the aforementioned announcement is for a smaller project so we can’t rule out the possibility of a mobile game here.

As far as Silent Hill is concerned, it seems that we are stuck in an endless loop of leaks and disappointments. By now, it’s evident that a Silent Hill project (or two) does exist but who’s working on it and when we’ll see it is anybody’s guess. Bloober Team has been associated with the title and so has Sony Interactive Entertainment. There’s talk of PS5 exclusivity and there’s also talk of a Silent Hill 2 remake alongside an entirely new game.

I guess we’ll find out in due course.

In other news, The Last of Us Part 1’s physical sales in the UK are off to a slow start, and The Callisto Protocol boss is under fire for appearing to promote crunch.

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The streaming schedule for the Tokyo Game Show 2022 has been revealed by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association and there is one notable absentee: Sony and PlayStation. The absence of the company is made even more pronounced by rival Microsoft’s scheduled show on September 15.

Sony has a limited presence at Tokyo Game Show

Sony’s absence from the streaming schedule (thanks Gematsu) is not too surprising when coupled with earlier news that the publisher was not part of the “General Exhibition” list, meaning they weren’t expected to have a significant presence on the show floor either. Sony Interactive Entertainment is listed under the “Indie Game Corner” section of the show, which suggests PlayStation Indies will at least be turning up.

The streaming schedule also doesn’t feature Japan’s other major platform holder, Nintendo, but the company doesn’t usually attend the game show so this is more expected. Tokyo Game Show will run from September 15-18 and feature streams throughout the four days. Major exhibitors here include Bandai Namco, Capcom, SEGA, Konami, and Square Enix. The full schedule can be seen below with all times being Japanese Standard Time:

September 15

• 10:00 AM – Tokyo Game Show 2022 Opening Program
• 11:00 AM – Keynote
• 12:00 PM – Gamera Games
• 13:00 PM – Japane Esports Union
• 15:00 PM – BenQ Japan
• 16:00 PM – Japan Game Awards 2022
• 18:00 PM – Microsoft
• 19:00 PM – Archosaur Games
• 20:00 PM – GREE
• 22:00 PM – Bandai Namco Entertainment
• 23:00 PM – Capcom

September 16

• 12:00 PM – Prime Gaming
• 16:00 PM – Sense of Wonder Night 2022
• 18:00 PM – 505 Games
• 19:00 PM – Koei Tecmo Games
• 20:00 PM – SEGA / ATLUS
• 21:00 PM – Konami
• 22:00 PM – Square Enix

September 17

• 0:00 AM – Capcom
• 11:00 AM – D3 Publisher
• 12:00 PM – Donuts Games
• 13:00 PM – Qookka Entertainment
• 13:00 PM – Japan Game Awards 2022
• 15:00 PM – GungHo Online Entertainment
• 17:00 PM – Happinet
• 18:00 PM – miHoYo
• 20:00 PM – fingger
• 21:00 PM – LEVEL-5
• 22:00 PM – Aniplex
• 23:00 PM – ProjectMoon

September 18

• 10:00 AM – Online Experience Tour
• 10:00 AM – Japan Game Awards 2022
• 12:00 PM – Japan Electronics College
• 13:00 PM – Japan Game Awards 2022
• 16:00 PM – GungHo Online Entertainment
• 17:00 PM – 110 Industries
• 18:00 PM – Happinet
• 19:00 PM – Tokyo Game Show 2022 Ending Program

In other news, Quantic Dream has been acquired by Netease. Elsewhere, Konami is apparently using TGS 2022 to announce a new game from a world-famous series.

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Konami is announcing a mystery game at Tokyo Game Show, and fans of Castlevania, Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and Suikoden are bracing themselves for disappointment. The reveal will come on September 16 as part of a 45-minute long segment, which voice actor Yuki Kaji will host.

What new game is Konami revealing at TGS?

Konami’s official TGS line-up describes the mystery game presentation as:

Voice actor Yuki Kaji is invited to represent fans of a world-famous series and announce a new Konami release on stage.

Kaji has voiced characters in two Suikoden games, which initially made us think that series might finally be getting a revival. However, the way the above description is worded makes us think it’s not a series he necessarily has been a part of in the past.

Given Konami’s extensive catalog, it’s hard to predict which series will be making a comeback. Despite multiple rumors of Metal Gear and Silent Hill revivals over the years, the company has kept mum about its plans for those series.

Silent Hill is the most likely candidate among the usual suspects. Multiple games are rumored to be in development, including one from Bloober Team and another from Annapurna Interactive.

However, Konami owns a dizzying amount of IPs. We could see a new game from any one of these franchises:

• Azure Dreams
• Beatmania
• Bomberman
• Castlevania
• Contra
• Dance Dance Revolution
• DrumMania
• Frogger
• Gitadora
• Goemon
• Gradius
• GuitarFreaks
• Jubeat
• Lethal Enforcers
• Metal Gear
• ParaParaParadise
• Parodius
• Policenauts
• Pop’n Music
• Poy Poy
• Silent Hill
• Silent Scope
• Snatcher
• Sound Voltex
• Suikoden
• Sunset Riders
• Tiny Toon Adventures
• Tokimeki Memorial
• Twinbee
• Vandal Hearts
• Zone of the Enders

Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Maybe this game will be the one that finally redeems Konami in the eyes of gamers.

In other news, Horizon Forbidden West got a new patch, and Sony increased its shares in FromSoftware.

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The Resident Evil 4 remake is one of the most highly-anticipated upcoming games, and after it missed Gamescom, we hoped we’d get a peek of it at Tokyo Game Show 2022. But, unfortunately, it looks like that’s not part of the plan for Capcom.

Resident Evil 4 remake not part of Capcom’s TGS line-up

Capcom released its TGS 2022 line-up today, and fans immediately noticed an omission. Resident Evil Village Gold Edition made the cut, but it looks like we won’t get an update on Resident Evil 4 remake. Aside from Village, we’ll see news on Exoprimal, Street Fighter 6, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Title Update 2, and Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection. All in all, it’s a pretty lean TGS for Capcom this year.

Despite its absence, we’re not too worried about the game’s status, and there’s no indicator it’s slipped from its March 24, 2023 release date. It makes sense for Capcom to focus on building hype for Resident Evil Village Gold Edition at TGS since it’s coming out on October 28, 2022.

The TGS2022 Capcom Online Program (which is what the company is calling its stream) will premiere on September 15 at 7 a.m. PDT/10 a.m. EDT. There will also be a TGS2022 Street Fighter 6 Special Program on September 16 at 8 a.m. PDT/11 a.m. EDT that will drive into the Fighting Ground and World Tour modes with real-time gameplay.

As for when we’ll see Resident Evil 4 remake next is anyone’s guess. We didn’t get a ton of info about it when it was announced at the June State of Play, and it’s due for a bigger reveal. Hopefully, we’ll see it at the next State of Play, but no date has been revealed for one yet.

In other news, Gran Turismo 7 Hagerty car prices have raised again, and the GPD Win 4 looks a lot like the PS Vita.

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For the first time since 2019, Tokyo Game Show 2022 will return as an in-person event later this year. From September 15 to September 18 in the Makuhari Meese in Chiba, Japan, fans and press will turn up to try out the latest games. The first two days of the event will be media only, with the final two also being open to the public. Tokyo Game Show 2022 will be the first fully in-person gaming event in Japan since the pandemic. 2020’s show was all online, 2021 took on a hybrid approach between online and in-person.

‘Nothing Stops Gaming’ as Tokyo Game Show 2022 returns as an in-person event

Organizers say the theme for this year’s show is ‘Nothing Stops Gaming.’ “Over these two years, various fun events disappeared from our daily life, but games still lightened up our days,” read the official press release. “Games will continue to brighten up the days of everybody now and forever―this year’s theme implies such strong determination.”

As the Japanese government tries to prevent the spread of Covid-19, a limited number of tickets will be made available. Unlike in past events, children will not be allowed to attend TGS 2022. Organizers say this is due to the “uncertainties of vaccination situations” with younger people.

For fans not able to attend, the show will continue to have online elements this year. These include streamed conferences, free demo trials, a virtual show floor experience, and much more! Tickets are expected to go on sale this summer.

Sony remains quiet on its plans for Tokyo Game Show 2022. Last year, there was no conference or substantial announcements out of the company. With Sony’s high profile in Japan, some announcements could be on the card for later this year.

In other news, the Uncharted movie has recently grossed over $225 million. Meanwhile, data mining reveals more details surrounding classes and armor in a The Last of Us 2 multiplayer experience.

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