TGS '07: The masses overrun the Messe

295w ago - The third day of the Tokyo Game Show is the first day that the doors of the Makuhari Messe open to the public. During the prior 48 hours, admittance to the suburban convention centre was reserved solely for members of the media and industry insiders with clout enough to gain entrée.

GameSpot's temporary Tokyo HQ on the 46th floor of the plush Tokyo Bay Makuhari Hotel had a bird's eye view of attendees massing in front of the convention centre hours before it opened. The line's size began to swell around 7 a.m., eventually stretching all the way around the Messe's extensive circumference--five or six people wide--by the time the doors were unlocked at 10 a.m.

The heavy turnout wasn't exactly a big surprise. The event's organisers at the Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association (CESA) had already stated that this year's TGS had record numbers of companies and booths. Indeed, mid-afternoon, the crowd's density made movement within the convention centre difficult, and many game stations were turning away potential players. By CESA's forecast, over 180,000 people will attend this event--a number which seemed conservative to anyone emerging from the jam-packed scrum on the show floor.