Taipei Game Show readies for record attendance

2016/01/28

Taipei Game Show gets underway Jan. 28 at Taipei World Trade Center, with 2,000 booths by 300-plus exhibitors worldwide set to draw a record attendance of 450,000 during the six-day show.

Themed Games Connect, the TGS lineup features some of the biggest names in the industry. These include Taiwan’s Softstar Entertainment Inc., French multiplatform publisher Ubisoft Entertainment S.A., Hong Kong mobile game developer Mad Head Ltd., Japan’s Bandai Namco Entertainment and Singapore online gaming outfit Garena Group.

Organized by Taipei Computer Association, the annual event is seen as a major trade platform in the Asia-Pacific gaming sector.

“We anticipate a 73 percent increase in business-to-business transactions for the 2016 edition, with 5,000 professional buyers from 30 countries participating in trade talks with 221 firms from all over the world,” a TCA official said, adding that the figures mark a new milestone in the 14-year history of the show.

In addition to software titles, an eye-catching feature of the show is the array of new-generation gaming gadgets on display. A diverse assortment of innovative devices with augmented or virtual reality capabilities is expected to be unveiled by electronics heavyweights.

Taiwan’s HTC Corp. will roll out Vive Pre, a VR headset boasting enhanced resolution and wearing comfort. It is up against Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s Gear VR and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.’s PlayStation VR head-mounted display.

Capitalizing on the potential of the VR trend, the global gaming industry is likely to rack up substantive growth going forward, the official said. “A strengthening of industry activities should see TGS continue consolidating its presence as a major trade event in the Asia-Pacific.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=241729&ctNode=2194&mp=9)