In cooperation with Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. (Nikkei BP, President: Naoto Yoshida) and DENTSU, Inc. (Representative Director: Hiroshi Igarashi), Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA, Chairman: Hideki Hayakawa) has announced that it will be holding TOKYO GAME SHOW 2020 ONLINE (TGS2020 ONLINE) for five days from Wednesday, September 23 to Sunday, September 27.

TGS2020 ONLINE will be the first-ever digital exhibition in the history of TGS, and the annually-held project to support independent game (indie game) developers is also decided to be held online this year: one is “Selected Exhibit” in the Indie Game area on the TGS2020 ONLINE official website, which requires no fee to exhibit digitally, and the other is “SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT 2020 (SOWN2020),” the competition to recognize outstanding game ideas from the exhibitors showcasing at the “Selected Exhibit” area.

Since it was launched for the first time in TGS 2013, the Indie Game Area “Selected Exhibitor” has offered to exhibit the titles which pass the screening and will have many visitors including the game industry professionals to gamer funs every year. In TGS2019, 86 developers from 22 countries/regions, screened from 322 applicants around the world, had exhibited in the Indie Game Area “Selected Exhibitor.”

On the other hand, SOWN was established in 2008 as a project to showcase game ideas that will give the players “Sense of Wonder” － a feeling that something will change in players’ world. This had been originally held alone, but has changed to the project to give a chance to be the SOWN presenters selected from Indie Game Area “Selected Exhibitor”, to present their own game ideas from 2017. In the TGS2019, eight developers appeared on the stage as the presenters of SOWN.

The two sponsors, Nintendo Co., Ltd. and Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (SIE) are now announced to support indie game developers for the both projects. Developers whose titles selected by the TGS Management Office get to exhibit in the Indie Game Area “Selected Exhibit” for free. Also, Nintendo and SIE will also co-sponsor SOWN2020. Both projects will be carried out with the cooperation of International Game Developers Association Japan Chapter (IGDA Japan).

Through these projects, TGS2020 ONLINE will provide opportunities to disseminate new games created by independent game developers to the world.