CESA, the organizer of Tokyo Game Show, recently signed an agreement with TCA, the organizer of Taipei Game Show, as a first step to expand cross-promotion and communication with video game exhibitions outside of Japan. [Thanks, Bahamut!]
Sega Sammy Holdings president and CESA chairman Hideki Okamura went to Taipei this past weekend to announce and sign the agreement on the first day of the Taipei Game Show. He announced that this is the first time in CESA’s 22 years of history that they have signed an agreement with a foreign game show organizer, and is a big step for CESA. He hopes that they can work out the finer details in the future, and thanked Taiwanese players for their support for the Tokyo Game Show.
Here are the highlights of the interview with CESA chairman Hideki Okamura, taken a day before the agreement was signed:
Bahamut: What led to this cooperative agreement?
Hideki Okamura, CESA chairman: “Last year the TCA (Taipei Computer Association) came to TGS, and visited the director of CESA, inviting him to come to the Taipei Game Show, which was how communication began.
So far, the opening ceremony and Indie Game Festa have been quite good, and the TCA have been very friendly and trustworthy. We hope to expand our exchange through tomorrow’s agreement, and we can really feel the 16 years of history behind the Taipei Game Show.”
Bahamut: What are your thoughts on Tokyo Game Show, compared to E3 in the USA?
Okamura: “The purpose of the Tokyo Game Show is to act as a festival for video game players, and focuses on catering to gamers from a gamer perspective. While E3 is primarily B2B.
On the other hand, there are many gamers attending Taipei Game Show, so the show is likely similar in nature to TGS in Japan. From my previous impressions, Taiwanese gamers are more passionate compared to Japanese gamers, and I am looking forward to experiencing this myself tomorrow.”
