Far from the chaos of the Makuhari Messe exhibition center, which was filled with tens of thousands of gamers plus noisy games and event stages, members of the press, privileged bloggers and select VIPs saw a different side of the Tokyo Game Show.
New products were unveiled in conference halls and swanky hotel ballrooms, where the favored few could spend quality time playing new games, view special trailers and interview world-famous game directors. At guestlist-only parties, they ate, drank and schmoozed before collecting a bag of freebies to take home. It was a world away from the crush of the expo floor, and an important — if indulgent — component of the multibillion-dollar game industry.
The pick of the parties this year was undoubtedly Capcom's. The Osaka- headquartered game giant — think "Street Fighter," "Resident Evil" and "Monster Hunter" — took over the Nishi-Azabu branch of restaurant Gonpachi, where guests were treated to a complimentary buffet of Kobe beef, tempura, sushi and more, as well as free drinks served by waitresses in kimono-styled mini-dresses.