The theme for the 2009 Tokyo Game Show is "Game, it's so energetic!" Ironic, as the energy for this year's show was less palpable than for previous ones.
Organized by Japan's Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, Tokyo Game Show is the premier domestic industry event, attracting buyers, press and fans from around the globe. Blame swine flu fears or the fact that the show was scheduled on the tail-end of the "silver week" holidays, but attendance was down on Saturday, the first public day: 62,138 visitors compared to 71,639 in 2008.
It also could be that this year's Tokyo Game Show just didn't pack much of a wow or buzz factor. The keynote address by Sony Computer Entertainment President Kazuo Hirai didn't include any announcements about new games or hardware.