The Tokyo Game Show (TGS) Summer Exhibition is the world's second-largest gaming expo, just behind E3 in the U.S., and its influence is massive.
That's both a blessing and a challenge.
Its huge reach draws tons of attention, but the competition is fierce!
Still, it's a golden opportunity!
With blockbuster titles galore, players are hyped for the event, which means the pie is bigger for everyone!
But to get a slice of that pie…
"We've got to carve a path through this gauntlet of heavy hitters!"
Sipping oolong tea in the Sekiro/Dave the Diver booth, Tetsu Fuyukawa's eyes darted across the rival major game studios' displays, his mind quietly strategizing. Compared to his calm demeanor, the women around him were noticeably more on edge.
Mitei Miyano was holding it together—being an industry veteran with a naturally confident personality, she sat beside him, calmly sipping tea.
Sayoko, on the other hand, was a bundle of nerves, darting back and forth with Aunt Nogi and Kawaguchi to double-check the demo computers. As for Himawari Izumi, the slightly socially anxious girl, she was out front handing out flyers to draw in visitors.
No way around it—the Sekiro/Dave the Diver booth was seeing way less foot traffic than the other booths in Zone 1.
Yup, foot traffic was dismal!
Sekiro and Dave the Diver were both new IPs, and Tetsu Fuyukawa's fame…
Sure, Surrounded by Beauties and The Binding of Isaac had sold over five million copies each, raking in a fortune, but that still wasn't enough to make him a household name.
The gaming industry isn't like showbiz. Game developers usually stay behind the scenes, not bothering with personal branding or hype. The only producers who pull in crowds on name alone are legends like Hideo Kojima, Hidetaka Miyazaki, or Shinji Mikami—the Hydra!
Kojima created Metal Gear, Miyazaki pioneered the Souls genre, and Mikami is the father of Resident Evil!
Tetsu was still light-years away from those titans on their pedestals. His personal clout wasn't enough to draw players, and the booth's sparse attendance caught the eye of Minister Nobi from the Demon King Saga booth across the way.
Nobi didn't come over to gloat—workplace warfare is bloodless, after all.
He just shot a disdainful glance, and when he saw Tetsu calmly meeting his gaze while sipping oolong tea, he frowned, clearly annoyed. "Tch, acting cool? Let's see how long you can keep that up!" he muttered to himself.
No words were spoken, but his smug satisfaction was palpable as he compared the bustling crowd at his booth to Tetsu's ghost town. He was already plotting how to roast Tetsu at the next company meeting!
Tetsu felt Nobi's gaze. So did Mitei Miyano.
Mitei's delicate brows furrowed. "That guy… if he gets the upper hand today, things could get tricky later."
Tetsu shook his head, took a sip of tea, and smiled. "No need to overthink it. This might be the last time he gets to look me in the eye."
"Look you in the eye?" Mitei blinked, then caught his meaning.
Glancing at Tetsu's confident expression and the near-empty booth, she gave him an amused, exasperated eye-roll. "You're one cocky guy, you know that?"
"I'm just stating facts," Tetsu said with a grinning shrug.
Just then—
"Dear visitors, the new game trailers for this year's TGS Summer Exhibition will begin playing on the large screens in each zone in five minutes. Each zone's screen will feature games from its respective booths. The trailers will loop, so feel free to explore at your leisure. Additionally, a compilation of all zone trailers will be shown on the main plaza screen for those interested."
A sweet announcement echoed from the venue's ceiling. The new game trailers were about to play—or rather, TGS Summer was officially kicking off!
The crowd erupted in excitement!
Countless visitors followed their guidebooks to their favorite game zones to watch the trailers, and Zone 1, packed with major titles, was absolutely mobbed!
Not just the attendees—game companies sprang into action, sending cosplayers to the big screens to hype up the crowd!
Zone 1 turned into a chaotic carnival, and amidst the frenzy of people flocking to the screens, Tetsu finally stood up and looked at Mitei. "It's time."
"Alright, showtime!" Mitei grinned, nodding. She pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and directed Kawaguchi and the others to boot up the computers!
That's right—boot up!
While everyone else was rushing to watch trailers, Tetsu wasn't sweating them!
Or, to be precise, he wasn't banking on a trailer to make a splash!
Sekiro had been visually remastered and had new gameplay elements, but those additions were hard to showcase in a trailer alone. And while the graphics were upgraded, they still couldn't compete with the billion-dollar Western AAA juggernauts.
Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses—that's the game!
And how to play to his strengths?
Tetsu's plan was simple: invite top-tier global streamers and reviewers for an in-person demo!
Why were the Sekiro and Dave the Diver posters Himawari saw earlier so low-key, and why were the promotional fans so understated?
Because Tetsu had poured most of the marketing budget into securing a venue and inviting streamers!
The venue alone was a beast—renting a space at TGS big enough for twenty to thirty demo stations ate up a huge chunk of Sekiro's early marketing budget. The rest went to flying in streamers and reviewers!
Don't think inviting big-name streamers and critics is cheap!
For something like Black Myth: Wukong, sure, streamers might come for free or even pay their own way since the game's hype boosts their own clout—a win-win. But Sekiro? It's a new IP with no "first domestic AAA" gimmick.
Getting these folks to fly in from around the world meant covering not just appearance fees but also flights and accommodations!
Renting the venue and hiring streamers cost a fortune, but it was all deliberate!
Sekiro broke out not just because its parry-based combat was easy to grasp and more thrilling than Dark Souls but because players knew it was brutally hard!
That difficulty made skillful plays feel epic, and only when players felt that awe would they organically buzz about the combat system!
Making players know Sekiro is tough was the critical first step!
A trailer couldn't convey that difficulty clearly. Without understanding the Souls-like challenge, players wouldn't appreciate the brilliance of clutch moves. You need commentary to drive it home, and nothing beats the clout of streamers and high-profile Western reviewers!
Hype, gameplay breakdown, and discussion—that's what Tetsu aimed to achieve at this expo, and streamers and reviewers were the perfect vehicles!
Soon, under the curious gazes of nearby studios, Kawaguchi led a swarm of reviewers and streamers into the Sekiro booth, where they started setting up cameras!
"Holy crap, Joseph? They got Joseph?"
"Tsk, tsk, did they dump all their marketing budget into streaming? Joseph's a top-tier YouTube combat game analyst—his livestream fees aren't cheap!"
"We worked with him once. Ten minutes cost us twenty grand!"
"Expensive, but effective. Our data shows most hardcore combat game fans in Europe follow his channel. Problem is, he's brutally honest. Even if you pay him, he'll call out flaws without hesitation. Inviting him to demo a game could backfire."
"Not just Joseph! That Asian Valkyrie, IceRain, is here too! I've seen her vids—her skills are insane. She's got no-damage clear guides for every major action game out there!"
"IceRain? Oh, I know her! Her playstyle's aggressive—she loves dominating bosses! And she's got a sharp tongue. After every no-damage clear, she roasts game devs for making weak bosses. Oh man, I'm skipping the trailer to watch her demo!"
"Holy—LowBinWay?! No way, I'm seeing LowBinWay here?! Everyone, stand up!!"
TGS Summer is the second-biggest gaming expo after E3, but they cater to different crowds.
E3's the largest, but it's more for developers and retailers—a business summit. TGS, though, is all about the players!
The attendees who show up in person are diehard fans, and even if they don't know foreign streamers' names, they recognize faces.
As a crowd of streamers poured into the Sekiro booth, rival studios started with rational analysis, but with Zone 1's massive foot traffic, players quickly spotted the big names!
Trailers were on loop, but Sekiro's demo was only ninety minutes!
Before long, under the "oohs" and "aahs" of rival studios, and with Tetsu and Mitei watching calmly, Sayoko and Himawari buzzing with excitement, the crowd split—some stuck to the trailers, but many flocked to the Sekiro booth!
With limited demo stations, most couldn't play and watched from the sidelines, but Tetsu had planned for this. He'd prepped for streamer-focused marketing!
Kawaguchi and Nogi rolled out a dozen ROG monitors on mobile stands, each streaming the demo gameplay and commentary live!
"Thanks for the assist," Tetsu said, his eyes gleaming with growing excitement as the booth filled up. He shot Mitei a grateful grin.
Mitei flicked her short hair with a playful smirk. "Please, I was in this game when you were still in diapers."
"You," Tetsu chuckled, shaking his head.
The tide was turning, and Mitei's mood was loosening up, letting her playful side slip out.
Rarely seeing her like this, Tetsu smiled, but Mitei, arms crossed under her ample chest, turned with a grin. "The setup's perfect—gear, venue, people. But whether this Wolf howls depends on how fun your game is. If it flops…"
"I know," Tetsu cut in.
With this much hype, if the game didn't click with players, it'd be a trainwreck!
Would this world's players embrace a Souls-like game?
"Let's find out!" Tetsu clenched his fists, eyes burning with anticipation.
Soon, with the recording setup ready, the streamers in the booth went live.
---
"Alright, good afternoon, everyone! Joseph here. As you can see, I'm in Chiba, Tokyo, for a hands-on game demo.
Yup, Tokyo Game Show, Japan. Been a few years since I was last here, but I flew out at the developer's invite. Today, we're checking out a game called Sekiro. According to the devs, it's a 'Souls-like' game."
Sporting headphones, controller in hand, and a long beard and hair, Joseph stood at the demo station, idly fiddling with the joystick while talking to his laptop's livestream.
The term "Souls-like" sparked a flurry of question marks in the chat.
"Whoa, bro, you traveled far."
"Souls-like? What's that? (curious)"
"Japanese game? Did they just slap a new name on turn-based combat? (Doge)"
"Does it mean you fight as a ghost? Cool, I've always wanted to be an invisible creep! (smirk)"
Chat went wild, and Joseph, glancing at the loading screen and spotting Tetsu weaving through the booth, grinned. "Not ghosts or turn-based. This is from NTsoft's Lightbird Studio, made by Tetsu Fuyukawa—the guy behind The Binding of Isaac."
"Isaac's dev?! HOOOOO! For real? His new game's dropping this fast?!"
"Another roguelike? But why do a live demo for a roguelike?"
"Motherf—! Tell him to ditch this Sekiro crap and make Isaac DLC!"
"Sekiro? Nah. Isaac DLC? Hell yeah."
The mention of The Binding of Isaac lit up the chat as fans recognized Tetsu's name.
Grinning at the comments, Joseph said, "I know you all want Isaac DLC—I do too—but let's check out this demo first. Genre? I talked to Mr. Fuyukawa, and he calls it 'Souls-like.' From what he said, it's all about high-difficulty combat."
"High-difficulty combat?! Hell yeah, brother, I live for that! Show me how tough it is! (hype)"
"Every action game brags about epic boss fights, but most suck. (fox emoji)"
"With Joseph's skills, Fuyukawa's probably gonna get humbled fast. (Doge)"
"Ten-minute clear! I'll tip if you do it! Go, Joseph! (cheer)"
The mention of high difficulty sent the chat into a frenzy. Joseph's lips curved into a confident smirk. He was a pro reviewer, not just sharp at analyzing mechanics but a skilled player too, having cut his teeth in strategy forums teaching newbies how to beat bosses.
Boss fights? That's his bread and butter!
Feeling cocky, Joseph eagerly worked the controller. "Alright, we're in. The demo's got three stages: Ghostly Executioner, Blazing Bull, and Guardian Ape. Which one should we tackle first?"
"Ghostly Executioner sounds tough—save it for last!"
"Devs are sneaky! They put the hardest boss first to wow us, so the weaker ones later don't seem as bad!"
"Makes sense! Hit Guardian Ape first! Sounds cute—wreck it!"
"Guardian Ape +1!"
"How long till Joseph clears it?"
"Three bosses? Thirty minutes, tops."
Chat buzzed, and Joseph navigated to the Guardian Ape option. "Alright, Guardian Ape it is. Don't stress, folks—we've got ninety minutes. Plenty of time to clear everything."
Confidently, he hit confirm. The screen faded to black, then lit up, revealing a massive white ape sulking on a cliff, looming before Joseph and his viewers.
"Big boy boss? Probably just a giant target!"
"Speedrun it!"