Just a few years ago, Sony was the undisputed king of video game press conferences, delivering news on a huge number of exclusive games to the cheers of fans. Recently, however, the company has been taking a different approach, opting not to host its own conference at E3 or Gamescom in 2019. That trend continues at the Tokyo Game Show this year, as Sony is once again not hosting a press conference.
Sony Interactive Entertainment will be attending the Tokyo Game Show — or TGS — from September 12 to 14, but the company’s presence will be limited to gameplay demonstrations for upcoming titles. This includes the “PlayStation presents Live Show” stage event, but it will be more of a gameplay deep dive than a traditional press conference. Games shown from Sony’s booths will include Nioh 2, as well as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Sony’s strategy for the remainder of the year seems to be focused on increasing visibility for upcoming PlayStation 4 games that have already been announced, including Death Stranding, which will also be featured on a large screen at TGS 2019. The game will launch as an exclusive just two months later, and is the first game produced by Hideo Kojima since his public split with previous employer Konami.
Sony’s shift away from huge events actually began in 2018, when it elected to not host a PlayStation Experience event. In the past, this event was an opportunity for fans to see and play the latest PlayStation games, as well as learn about all-new projects. Of course, there have to be new projects for that to happen.
We anticipate Sony will shift back to hosting traditional press conferences in 2020, as it’s preparing for the launch of its next-generation PlayStation. Typically, Sony announces new gaming hardware around February before releasing it at the end of the year, and an E3 conference focused on the power of a new PlayStation is sure to turn heads. For now, however, PS4 owners have plenty to look forward to. Alongside Death Stranding, huge exclusives such as The Last of Us: Part II and Ghost of Tsushima are still on the way.
