Tokyo Game Show 2012 Gets Live Video Feed, e-Sports Tourney

You won't need to catch a flight to watch this year's Tokyo Game Show. For the first time in its 22-year history the video game expo will offer an official live channel streaming video from the show floor and exhibitor stage performances, the organizers said today.

The video streaming channel is one of the ways the organizers are trying to "convey the excitement of Tokyo Game Show to international game fans," according to a press release put out this morning. The release also notes that the show will run from Sept. 20 to Sept 23 this year.

The Tokyo Game Show topped 220,000 people over its four day run last year, up from about 207,000 the previous year. A good number, but still not quite enough to hit the show's goal of being the largest video game show in the world. Cologne, Germany's Gamecom drew in about 275,000 people last year. The Asia Game Show, in Hong Kong, brought in an astounding 472,000 people in four days.

But that isn't stopping the TGS organizers from trying to become "The World's Largest Event." The show organizers say this year's theme will be Spreading Smiles Through Games. Another way they'll be spreading those smiles, and maybe juicing their headcount, is by hosting an Asia e-Sports Cup. The cup will have Asia's top players gathering to compete in real-time strategy games and sports games. Finally, the show is also expanding their already mammoth cosplay area.