The Tokyo Game Show kicked off Thursday with the usual assortment of bells and whistles, while Sony Corp., Sega Sammy Holdings Inc., Square Enix Holdings Co. and the other usual suspects all occupied large swaths of the convention halls at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture.

What's different this year is the increased presence of esports.

The show has devoted a much larger space to competitive video gaming this year, and competitions will be held on all four days. If this year's TGS is any indication, Japanese companies are diving into the esports phenomenon.