John Davis: Shueisha Games isn’t limited to just indie games. Our first batch of games originated from an incubator we work with, called Game Creators Camp, which gives them more of an indie feel. However, we have other projects in development with larger budgets, comparable to triple-I indie games or double-A titles.
While we’re starting small, we have several exciting projects in the pipeline that will appeal not only to indie gamers but also to fans of triple-A games and beyond.
John Davis: The competition in both the indie and AAA game spaces is incredibly challenging right now. With so many amazing games and talented creators, it’s hard to capture everyone’s attention. I wouldn’t say it’s easier or harder for one compared to the other—it’s just different.
AAA studios have an advantage in terms of the money they can allocate to marketing, PR, and other resources. However, even with a significant budget, success isn’t guaranteed. You need to find the right balance. Ultimately, it’s a tough landscape for both indie and AAA games.
John Davis: My experience has primarily been in indie games. I've been in the industry for over 15 years now, and most of the projects I’ve worked on have been in the indie or AA space. I wouldn’t say it’s more difficult working with indie developers—it’s just a different kind of stress.
With larger teams, there’s the challenge of managing many people and ensuring everyone is aligned and moving in the right direction. On the other hand, indie games offer the advantage of being more mobile and flexible. You can iterate quickly and make changes on the fly. However, due to smaller team sizes and limited resources, it’s often necessary to scale back your ambitions.
You might have plenty of ideas but lack the time or manpower to execute them all. Each space has its own unique challenges, and I wouldn’t say one is harder than the other—they’re just different.
John Davis: Deciding which platforms to release a game on depends on several factors, including the genre, the potential audience on each platform, and the development team’s resources. Ideally, we’d like to release every game on every platform, but that’s not always feasible. Most lead development is done on PC, making Steam a natural starting point. From there, we usually port to PlayStation and Switch, which are very popular platforms in Asia, where we’re based.
Xbox is also a key platform because of its strong global presence. Ultimately, the decision comes down to where we think the audience for the game will be and the developer’s ability to handle the additional costs of porting. Each platform has its own rules, requirements for assets, and QA processes, which can add significant costs. To manage this, we sometimes stagger releases.
For instance, with Captain Velvet Meteor, we launched on Switch first and later released on Xbox, PC, and Game Pass.
Subscription services like Game Pass and PS Plus can be great for building an install base quickly, but their suitability depends on the game and the offers from platform holders. Every game and platform decision is ultimately evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
John Davis: Subscription services like Game Pass or PS Plus can be very helpful. They provide an opportunity to build a quick install base and get a large number of players engaging with the game right from the start.
However, their effectiveness depends on the specific game and the terms offered by the platform holders. Each case is evaluated individually to determine whether these services are the right fit for the project.
John Davis: At the moment, we don’t have any direct plans for cloud gaming or hybrid platforms. We’re currently focused on traditional consoles and PCs. That said, it’s always a possibility for the future.
As a new publisher, we’re concentrating on excelling in the spaces we’re already in, and we’ll evaluate cloud and hybrid platforms as they become more relevant and useful to our goals.
John Davis: The inspiration for ANTHEM#9 came from the developers' love of Slay the Spire. They wanted to create a game similar to it but more casual and easy to play. The concept of combining three colored gems as a puzzle element felt visually intuitive to them and provided an accessible way to bring Slay the Spire-style gameplay to a broader audience.
Is this kind of genre-blending unique to indie games? Not at all. Plenty of AAA games push boundaries and combine genres. However, in the indie space, developers often have more freedom to experiment because they face fewer risks compared to larger projects with bigger budgets and more stakeholders. Regardless of the scale, most developers aim to create something new and interesting, and blending genres is a fantastic way to achieve that.
John Davis: UNYIELDER is our latest project and our first roguelike looter shooter mashup. It blends elements from roguelike games, looter shooters, FPS games, and high-movement gameplay—essentially a mix of several genres. We released the demo last month, and the development team is hard at work preparing the game for release.
How do they balance such a complex project? The team, while working on their first game as a company, consists of experienced developers. They've done an excellent job of controlling the chaos that comes with such an ambitious project. One of the key challenges in roguelites is the lack of a clear, linear narrative or gameplay path. Players can take vastly different approaches, making testing more difficult. However, the team has managed this complexity well so far.
Do roguelites work better as indie projects? The genre seems to lend itself well to indie games, likely because of its smaller, bite-sized gameplay experiences. It's rare to see popular AAA roguelites, possibly because AAA studios tend to focus on larger, more linear experiences. Indie developers, on the other hand, may gravitate toward roguelites because they are often easier to develop within smaller teams and budgets.
John Davis: The Japanese indie scene has changed significantly over the past 15 years since I first entered the games industry. One of the pivotal projects I worked on during my time at Q-Games was the creation of BitSummit, and I’ve since become one of its founders, owners, and organizers. Over the 13 years since BitSummit started, the quality of games and enthusiasm for indie game development in Japan has grown immensely.
In the early years, the scene was much smaller, with fewer indie studios and games that, while creative, often felt raw. But in the past decade, we’ve seen a major shift—more polish, more submissions, and greater acceptance of indie games among developers, publishers, and media. This is especially notable in a market traditionally dominated by a few big publishers.
Eking out a space for indie games here has been fascinating to witness, and I’m excited for next year’s BitSummit to see what new, innovative titles emerge.
John Davis: Digital distribution platforms like Steam, eShop, and others are incredibly important—they’re where the bulk of sales happen today. While some players still enjoy buying physical games at retail stores, this isn’t the main focus for most publishers anymore, especially for indies.
Unless you’re a massive AAA publisher looking to stock your games in big-box stores like Walmart or Best Buy, physical releases can be a significant drain on time and resources and may not be profitable. For indie games, it’s much easier and more efficient to use digital platforms that allow global releases with a single setup. These platforms eliminate the complexities of region-specific physical distribution and provide an accessible way to reach players worldwide.
John Davis: AI is definitely the elephant in the room right now. I see it as a powerful tool for developers, as long as it’s used ethically and not as a replacement for people. AI has the potential to speed up processes like concepting or prototyping, making development much more efficient.
That said, AI still requires a human touch—someone with a vision to guide it. Like any great tool, whether it’s a hammer or Photoshop, mastery of those tools can lead to incredible results and faster workflows. However, it’s critical not to leave artists, programmers, and other creatives behind. It has to be a synergy between human creativity and machine capability.
As an industry, we’re still figuring out how to navigate this. It could either lead to extraordinary advancements or, as my inner sci-fi fan fears, go full Skynet on us. There’s a lot of uncertainty, but also a lot of promise.
John Davis: Our most successful project right now is Urban Myth Disillusion Center. It originated from our collaboration with developers through the Shueisha Game Creators Camp. Since we joined as the publisher in 2023, the game has gained significant attention, especially for a mystery-adventure title focused on point-and-click detective work—a genre that typically doesn’t attract massive mainstream viewership.
The game’s striking visuals have been a key factor in its appeal, and our team has worked hard to highlight its unique qualities to both players and the media. We’ll see how it performs when it launches in February, but we’re optimistic and hope everyone supports the four developers based in Kansai who’ve poured their hearts into this project.
John Davis: The biggest challenges for Japanese indies are similar to those faced by all indie developers: gaining visibility in an industry flooded with games and competing for the audience’s divided attention. The hardest part is finding a core audience that connects with your game, engages with it, and becomes passionate enough to share and recommend it to others.
However, there are also significant opportunities. The Japanese market is relatively small compared to the global market. If a developer can create a game with appeal beyond Japan or Asia, the potential to make a name for themselves and support future projects is enormous.
It’s a risky venture, but the rewards can be great. Success requires a mix of diligence, creativity, some funding—and, of course, plenty of good luck.
John Davis: Over the past 15 years, particularly during my time at Grasshopper Manufacture and Q-Games, I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors—well-known developers like Akira Yamaoka, Suda51, and Dylan Cuthbert, as well as countless unsung heroes of game development. These experiences taught me a lot, but the most valuable lessons are universal:
- Be patient.
- Listen to your team.
- Approach everything with humility.
The games industry is small, and you often encounter the same people repeatedly. Being a good person, considering others’ perspectives—whether it’s in gameplay, development, PR, or marketing—is essential. You can’t approach this work thinking you know everything or expecting everyone to follow you. Building genuine bonds and taking care of the people you work with are the most important things I’ve learned.
These lessons aren’t just specific to gaming; they’re life lessons. They’ve helped me forge connections and friendships that have supported me throughout my career. I’m incredibly grateful for the time I spent at two esteemed companies early in my career, as they gave me credibility, connections, and invaluable friendships. Those experiences have deeply shaped how I work at Shueisha Games today.
John Davis: I don’t think gaming media in Japan has changed drastically, aside from the growing recognition of indie games within major outlets like Famitsu. Events like BitSummit have also garnered more attention, helping to elevate indie games in the public eye.
Content-wise, Japanese media has done a better job of covering a broader range of games, including indies, which were traditionally overlooked in favor of AAA titles. However, functionally, the way Japanese media operates hasn’t changed much. Japan’s business culture is conservative and slow to evolve. While the pandemic accelerated progress in some areas, there’s still a long way to go in others.
The biggest shift I’ve noticed since I started freelancing 20 years ago is the increasing acceptance and attention given to indie games. While AAA games still dominate, indie titles are carving out a small but growing piece of the pie. Media outlets like Famitsu have been fantastic partners for BitSummit, consistently supporting and championing Japanese indies. This growing recognition is the most significant change I’ve seen, and I hope it continues to expand.
John Davis: Marketing is often the weakest area for indie developers. Typically, developers are focused on making the game itself, and marketing becomes an afterthought. This leads to either hiring community or marketing teams late in the process or relying on a publisher. Sometimes, this can create disconnects between publishers and developers regarding expectations and strategies.
At Shueisha Games, we try to be upfront and transparent with developers about how we plan to market their games and what resources we’ll need. While I don’t have extensive experience with large publishers like Capcom, I’d say Shueisha Games is still learning, evolving, and refining its strategies with each project. For example, with Urban Myth Disillusion Center, releasing next month, we’ve seen great results so far, including strong wishlists and media attention.
That said, every project is different, so each marketing strategy needs to be tailored to the game. The key is maintaining open communication with developers, managing expectations, and maximizing the budget to reach the players most likely to connect with the game.
It might sound like a simple approach, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. If there were, we’d all be selling millions of copies. Growth in marketing is about learning from each project, improving continuously, and adjusting to the unique needs of each title.
John Davis: I studied journalism in school because I wanted to be a games journalist. Writing was something I loved, and that passion has followed me throughout my career. My background in journalism has shaped the way I approach writing copy, although I don’t write nearly as much as I used to. These days, most of my writing is internal, focusing on editing copy from others or reviewing materials my assistant sends me.
Earlier in my career, I did a lot of social media work, and my journalism and copywriting experience were incredibly valuable. However, it also made every post a stressful process—especially in the days when platforms like Facebook and Twitter made it easier to go viral. Back then, I worried constantly about how each post would perform: Was it snappy enough? Grammatically correct?
Did I make a mistake? Living in Japan for a long time, my English could get muddled at times, which added to the pressure.
Even though I don’t write as much now, having a solid foundation in writing has been instrumental in my career. It taught me to pay attention to detail, think critically about messaging, and understand the impact of words. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without that experience.
John Davis: Thank you for saying that about BitSummit—it’s my baby, and I love it. Over the years, BitSummit has grown significantly. This year will mark either the 13th or 14th event. Last year, for the first time, we expanded to two floors at our usual venue, effectively doubling the size of the event. We were initially nervous about the change, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Developers, publishers, sponsors, and fans all loved it, and we had around 40,000 attendees—double the number from the previous year.
While BitSummit is getting bigger, we’re careful not to lose what makes it special. I don’t want BitSummit to become like PAX. It’s meant to be a more personal, smaller event that makes it easy for developers, sponsors, and publishers to connect. The B2B aspect is a huge draw because it’s straightforward and avoids the hoops you’d encounter at larger events like GDC. Everyone is close, making it easy to network and build relationships.
I think where we are now—with two floors—is a great balance. This year’s BitSummit will be held from July 18th to 20th in Japan. It’s going to be hot (July is brutal!), but hopefully, this will be the last year we have it during this time of year. I’ve said that before, though, so don’t quote me on it! If you can make it, I highly encourage you to come—it’s a fantastic event.
John Davis: I have two main pieces of advice for developers looking to work in Japan:
- Study Japanese.
You don’t need to be fluent or at a native level—I'm not, despite living here for a long time—but learning some Japanese will open up more opportunities. It’s particularly helpful if you want to work in a Japanese studio, as being able to communicate with your coworkers is invaluable. The more you learn, the more immersed you’ll be in the culture and the better you’ll connect with your colleagues, which is especially important in game development.
- Make connections.
There are expat-friendly studios in Japan, such as Q-Games and 17-Bit in Kyoto, where you don’t necessarily need to speak Japanese to work. However, building connections can make all the difference. Attending events like BitSummit or Tokyo Game Show (TGS) is a great way to meet people. BitSummit, in particular, is an excellent place to network with indie and AAA developers alike. Many people who attend one year return the next either living in Japan, working here, or submitting a game they developed with someone they met at the event.
If you want to work in Japan, studying the language and taking the time to connect with the industry here are essential steps. And if you can, come out to BitSummit—you’ll meet amazing people and find plenty of opportunities to get your foot in the door.
John Davis: We started BitSummit in the early 2010s because, at the time, indie games were making waves globally, with self-publishing becoming more accessible and vibrant indie communities forming worldwide. However, Japan wasn’t well-represented in that movement. Culturally, people here often stick to their specific circles—work, friends, etc.—and within game development, there wasn’t much sharing or collaboration between developers. There also wasn’t an event to celebrate indie games and the indie spirit in Japan.
The idea for BitSummit came from James Mielke, who was working with me at Q-Games at the time. We were between projects, and he suggested starting an indie game show. At first, it sounded crazy to me, but as we worked on it, the idea started to make sense. Our first event was small, with about 200 attendees in a school auditorium. The following year, we moved to Miyako Messe, where we’ve been ever since, and saw attendance jump to 3,000.
BitSummit has grown steadily since then, becoming a rite of passage for many Japanese indie developers. It’s surreal to hear developers and sponsors say how important it is for them to attend or exhibit at BitSummit. Today, BitSummit is not just for Japanese developers but for indies worldwide, though we prioritize supporting Japanese studios. Out of the 400–500 games submitted each year, we curate around 100, with about 50–60 coming from Japanese developers or studios based in Japan. Our definition of a "Japanese studio" is inclusive—if your studio operates in Japan, regardless of staff composition, we consider you a Japanese developer.
I’m incredibly humbled and grateful for how much BitSummit has grown and how it has become a platform to celebrate indie games in Japan and beyond.
John Davis: This is a complex question because the approach really depends on the specific project. At Shueisha Games, we try to maintain an editorial tone and voice that aligns with how our manga editors approach storytelling. We aim to create cohesive narratives and immersive worlds that players can connect with, live in, and become a part of.
For projects based on Shueisha IP, the collaboration between the manga and game divisions is even more integral. Shueisha Games is deeply involved in ensuring the narrative and world-building remain true to the source material while also making it engaging for players.
I can’t share too many details about unannounced projects, but I can say that the manga and game sides of the company work closely together to create unique and compelling experiences. This synergy is one of the things that makes Shueisha Game’s approach stand out.