TGS keynotes from Iwata, Bach

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and Microsoft's chief Xbox officer Robbie Bach are both set to deliver keynote addresses on the first day of this year's Tokyo Game Show, which takes place from September 16th to 18th.

Iwata will be speaking at the event despite the fact that Nintendo itself won't be exhibiting at the show; the company has traditionally skipped TGS in favour of its own show, Spaceworld, and more recently in favour of consumer-facing activities around Japan.

That hasn't stopped Iwata from speaking at the show before, however, and he delivered a keynote there in 2003 where he announced the wireless adapter for the GBA which was launched with Pokemon Fire Red and Pokemon Leaf Green the following year, as well as discussing the company's now well-explored view that technological progress isn't the main key to success in the marketplace.

This year's TGS will also see a keynote from Microsoft's top Xbox executive Robbie Bach, who will be discussing the firm's Xbox 360 plans in the region just a few months ahead of its planned worldwide launch.

Both keynotes are set to take place on the 16th of September, which is the industry-only day of the show - which then opens up to the public on the 17th and 18th.