(Yicai) June 25 -- Some 237 foreign exhibitors from 37 countries and regions will attend this year's ChinaJoy, the country's biggest gaming and digital entertainment exhibition.

The four-day event, which will kick off in Shanghai on Aug. 1, has seen 743 exhibitors sign up, with foreign participants from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and others, the organizers said at a conference for the 22nd ChinaJoy yesterday.

This year's ChinaJoy will focus on innovations in artificial intelligence technology and new consumption scenarios, with many technology products to be collectively unveiled at the Smart Hardware Pavilion. In addition, a new Smart Entertainment Robot Area will bring an AI tech experience.

Attendees will be able to try various game trials and stage activities at the booths of Tencent Games and Sony's PlayStation, the organizer noted. They could also test Mecha BREAK, a new multiplayer game by California developer Amazing Seasun Games.

NetEase Games will exhibit more than 40 games, including Sixteen Voices of Yanyun, The Fifth Personality, Naraka: Bladepoint, and Blood Message, and new games Leisurely Life, Destiny: Rising, Infinite Borders: Three Kingdoms, Wildgate," and Spirit Beast Adventure.

As an important part of the digital cultural sector, games have appeared in the overall national-level strategy of service consumption and have been included in the macro issues of the development of the digital economy, said Tang Jiajun, deputy secretary-general of the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association.

Games are positioned as an important engine to drive economic growth and have become a significant force to boost service consumption, unleash cultural potential, and drive industrial upgrading, Tang added.

The 22nd ChinaJoy will also feature the ChinaJoy AI-Generated Content Conference and the first Digiloong Cup Global AI Game and Application Innovation Competition, with Chinese gaming firm Century Huatong Group as co-organizer of the contest.

Editor: Martin Kadiev