After all of the exciting news that had come out of Gamescom last week, the next big showcase that companies will be gearing up for is Tokyo Game Show Online 2021. A few days ago, the schedule was revealed by Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications. Some of the participating companies in this year's event include Xbox, Capcom, Bandai Namco, and Square Enix. Square Enix itself will be giving a presentation focused on the hotly-anticipated Project Triangle Strategy on the Nintendo Switch. Many fans noted that there is one notable absence from the schedule, where Nintendo doesn't have a block dedicated anywhere. Earlier today, the company confirmed it will not be in attendance this year.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many big-scale industry events were forced to either be cancelled or hosted online. Tokyo Game Show is no exception, as last year the event was held in a digital only format. However, this year's Tokyo Game Show will be a combination of online and physical formats. The physical show will only be available to the press however, where they will have the chance to try out hands-on demos and interview the participating developers.
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A tweet was posted to Nintendo's Japanese Twitter account, confirming its absence from the Tokyo Game Show schedule. Through a rough Google translation, it confirmed that there would be no physical booths for any kind of Nintendo's games, nor will there be an online event at TGS. The tweet however did say that it would be co-operating with exhibiting other indie games that would be showing up at TGS. Nintendo then tells everyone who will be attending to stay safe during the show.
This is a bit of a departure from the norm, as last year, Nintendo appeared at TGS Online 2020, where it gave an extended presentation for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. With hotly anticipated big-name titles like the Breath of Wild sequel and Splatoon 3 coming next year, the company's absence seems a bit strange for most. Perhaps considering that the Tokyo Game Show will be mostly online again this year, there would be little room to make announcements alongside its competitors.
Some fans theorize that this absence ties into a rumored Nintendo Direct this month. Many Nintendo Directs have been held within the month of September, and it would be a great chance to give details regarding any upcoming projects releasing next year. However, this is only a rumor, so fans should take this with a grain of salt until Nintendo makes an official announcement of any kind.
Tokyo Game Show Online 2021 will take place from September 30th to October 3rd 2021.
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