Microsoft to miss Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show

The lineup for the 2012 editions of Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show just got smaller today with news that Microsoft will be passing on the popular overseas gaming expos to concentrate on smaller press events.

Larry Hyrb – aka Major Nelson – confirmed Microsoft's 2012 plans today on his blog, explaining, “As you saw at E3, we have a solid line-up of games launching this holiday, along with other entertainment experiences. We’ve changed our approach a little, though. This year, Xbox will be focusing on smaller, more localized promotions and experiences for press, partners, retailers and customers around the world.”

The news follows Microsoft's high-profile appearance at last week's E3 2012, which you can relive without the filler in Microsoft E3 2012 conference: Everything you need to know in 3 minutes. Major Nelson did not offer a reason why Microsoft is avoiding two of the biggest international gaming conferences, only to say they are “important shows for the industry” nonetheless, and that he wishes the organizers well. Considering Nintendo confirmed it will not be attending Gamescom back in April, this leaves Sony as the only one of the “Big 3” still slated for Germany's big show.

Let us know your thoughts and/or conspiracy theories in the comments below.

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Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries.