The indie game scene has never been more thriving, at least here in the United States. This past weekend alone saw the long awaited debut of IndieCade East, and in just a few weeks will be Penny Arcade Expo East, with the highlight expected to be, one again, the Indie Mega Booth.
And just days after that will be the Game Developer's Conference, with the Independent Games Festival expected to steal the show as it does every year. Things are equally happening in various parts of Europe. But Japan? Not so much. Which is why BitSummit is being established.
It's an initiative being spearheaded by Q-Games (best known for the PixelJunk series for PlayStation Network), 8-4, Ltd, Active Gaming Media/Playism (both handle game localization for a number of different clients and publishers), and Digital Development Management.
According to the press release:
"Over the past 10 years cheaper access to tools, hardware, and most importantly digital distribution, has enabled the independent games scene to move from the fringe area of hobbyist to the harbingers of change in this billion-dollar industry. Increasingly, some of the most critically and financially successful games are the result of small, passionate, and talented teams – and not necessarily the mammoth undertakings that are typical of the average triple-A industry.
This burgeoning scene is most often represented by stellar, independent studios in the West that have made a name for themselves on Steam, XBLA, and PSN. But unbeknownst to many, there is a thriving independent scene in Japan packed with talented developers crafting groundbreaking games with the same ethos. Many fans in the West associate Japanese development with the nostalgia of the pixelated adventures and action titles of the 8- and 16-bit eras, the blockbuster, breakout games of the 1990s, and of course the occasional quirky, downright bizarre games that never make the trip West. Although that spirit is of creativity and design is still alive in the Japanese independent development scene, challenges like localization, media connections, and distance make it difficult for many small teams to attract the attention of Western media and gamers."
The importance for the indie scene in Japan cannot be stated enough. After all, it was Daisuke Amaya, a single person, who created the game Cave Story all by himself, and who in the process helped to jump-start the modern indie game movement that is so strong in the West. Hopefully with BitSummit, others like him will find the support and exposure that they so desperately need.
