BitSummit, Japan's largest indie game exhibition, successfully held its 14th annual event at Miyako Messe in Kyoto. More than just an exhibition, BitSummit is a global indie game festival where developers, media, sponsors, publishers, and fans from around the world gather to connect in person. This year, INVEN participated as an official media partner, visiting Kyoto to capture the front lines of indie gaming, which are brimming with fresh ideas and passion.

The foundation for this massive festival to firmly establish itself as a global event lies in a key figure who deeply understands the perspectives of both participants and organizers: Masahiko Murakami, a director at the Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) and CEO of Skeleton Crew Studio. He has a unique background, having first participated in BitSummit as an indie developer in 2014, where he won the grand prize for 'Modern Zombie Taxi Driver,' before joining the event's management team in 2015. Because he understands the creator's perspective better than anyone, he has played a pivotal role in developing BitSummit into a true hub for developer exchange.

Over its 13-year journey, BitSummit has grown from a small meetup of 200 people into a massive event attracting nearly 60k. What does the unique indie game ecosystem of 'Kyoto' look like, and how does it differ from the Tokyo Game Show? We met with Director Murakami at the bustling BitSummit venue to discuss the event's philosophy, vision, and the potential for positive collaboration with the Korean indie game industry.

Q. For those in the Korean game industry or gamers who may not be familiar with BitSummit, could you briefly introduce the event.

" BitSummit is the largest indie game exhibition in Japan. It is held annually at Miyako Messe in Kyoto and is now in its 14th year. It is a global event that brings together developers, media, sponsors, publishers, and game fans not only from Japan but from all over the world. Last year, at our 13th event, we welcomed nearly 60k visitors over three days.

The most important thing is that this is not just an event for exhibiting games; it is an 'event for developers' where they can introduce and promote their work directly to attendees. The venue is divided into sponsor booths, publisher booths, and developer booths. The developer booths, in particular, are set up as individual tables so that creators can communicate directly with a wide variety of people.

Q. I heard that you were originally an exhibitor and joined the management team in 2015 after winning the grand prize at the 2014 BitSummit for 'Modern Zombie Taxi Driver.' As someone who has experienced both sides, how do you view BitSummit.

" From an exhibitor's (developer's) perspective, it is realistically quite difficult to get your game introduced in the media, talk directly to publishers, or get sponsors to notice your work. Sending emails rarely yields results. However, at an offline event like this, the ability to meet stakeholders in person and have them play your game is incredibly meaningful.

Furthermore, receiving praise or winning an award on a stage known to fans worldwide creates value that goes beyond just 'making a game,' allowing you to connect with people on a higher level. Since games often improve through feedback, I hope every developer will consider exhibiting or attending to experience the power of this community.

From an organizer's perspective, we started with the desire to 'show the world interesting Japanese games that haven't been discovered yet.' I believe the fact that so many publishers and media representatives from around the world come all the way to Kyoto is of immense value to developers. As we look toward our 15th and 16th years, we are constantly thinking hard about how we can provide more 'chances' to creators.

Q. BitSummit started with about 200 people in 2013 and has grown to attract over 60k in 2025. What do you consider the biggest turning point in this 13-year journey, and what do you think allowed it to become Japan's largest indie game event?

" I believe there have been several turning points, but the first was undoubtedly the formation of the 'organization.' Originally, it felt more like a meetup hosted by a single company, but the establishment of JIGA (Japan Independent Games Aggregate) was a major step forward, as it solidified our resolve to organize and run the event with a proper structure.

Another factor was the continuous participation of major sponsors like Nintendo and Sony, who supported developers releasing games on their platforms. I believe Nintendo joined around 2015, and that was the moment it was clearly recognized as an 'event worth exhibiting at.'

Also, a very difficult but ultimately positive experience was the COVID-19 pandemic, when we couldn't hold offline events at all. By moving the event online, we broke free from the constraint that you had to be in Kyoto at a specific time to enjoy BitSummit, allowing us to reach many more people. We poured a lot of effort into our online presence from then on. While visiting the venue is best, the system we built to ensure information is well-delivered even remotely is a direct result of our online experiments during the 2020 pandemic. I think that period brought the biggest changes in many ways.

In terms of growth, it was a gradual process. As I mentioned, because we value game developers so highly, those who exhibited or attended once would go back home and spread the word that it was 'really great.' I think our growth is the result of that accumulated positive feedback.

Q. Japan has a large event like the Tokyo Game Show, but BitSummit has consistently maintained its identity as an 'indie-specialized festival held in Kyoto.' How does the indie game ecosystem of Kyoto itself influence BitSummit, and how do you build an identity that is distinct from Tokyo.

" I think Tokyo could do something similar in terms of the ecosystem, but Kyoto is a very 'compact city,' so people are close to one another and there is an atmosphere where everyone seems to know each other. For a city of this size, there are a huge number of art universities. It's often called a 'city of students' because of the high number of schools and students.

Furthermore, local government agencies are very close to us. In Tokyo, administrative agencies have to look after a massive number of people, but in Kyoto, they can focus on specific points, so the distance between us and the administration is very short. And because 'Nintendo' is here, there are many small development studios. There are many developers, many students, and the administrative agencies are cooperative and accessible.

Another factor is that Kyoto itself is a place where foreigners 'want to visit or live,' so there is a relatively large pool of global talent nearby. That made it very easy to gather as a community when we first held this event, and we still work in conjunction with local developers, government agencies, and schools today.

In that sense, if we tried to do this in Tokyo, people would be too scattered to gather easily. I believe we were able to cooperate and succeed even back when we had no money because of Kyoto's compact size, the intimacy among people, and the close proximity between the administration, schools, and developers.

Q. This year's BitSummit title is 'BitSummit Punch' and the theme is 'High Impact.' What is the background behind this concept, and are there any new or strengthened elements compared to last year.

" BitSummit highlights a specific game genre every year, and this year's theme is 'fighting games.' Since around last year, the global game industry has been somewhat stagnant, with a lot of depressing news about studio closures and mass layoffs. Amidst this gloomy atmosphere, we wanted to convey a message of 'cheering on' the industry by showing the world that "Japanese games are this fun!" and by breaking through the wall of stagnation to inject new vitality. We wanted to empower not just games, but content itself, and deliver a positive message.

As for the differences between last year and this year, we used the entire venue for the first time last year to significantly increase the scale, but since it was our first time, there were some rough edges in operations. So this year, we focused on improving the 'quality' of our new initiatives based on the expanded stage. For example, we introduced or significantly strengthened booths where people can enjoy 'game culture' itself, such as analog and board games, experiential game booths using special sensors or devices, food booths decorated with a fantasy tavern concept, and dedicated booths where influencers can broadcast live from the venue.

Q. I heard that about 120 titles were selected from around 600 general applications this year. What are the criteria for selecting these titles, and does BitSummit have a specific philosophy.

" Actually, we received a bit more applications this year, with about 650 titles submitted. We have collaborators around the world who help us with the screening process; they play the games thoroughly and leave evaluations and comments. We base our final selection on those voting results, but we add a touch of 'BitSummit-ness' to the final decision.

Here, 'BitSummit-ness' doesn't just mean picking games that are highly polished or already famous. We look into the story behind the developer and the philosophy behind the creation to find a balance. In other words, we deliberate and strive to ensure that opportunities are distributed as fairly as possible to people with diverse backgrounds.

Q. BitSummit is not just a fan event; it emphasizes business matching between publishers, media, sponsors, and indie developers through the Business Day on the first day. Could you introduce any success stories where exhibited titles led to publishing contracts or overseas expansion.

" Regarding B2B (business matching), we actually leave the environment open for participants to interact freely rather than the organizers getting deeply involved. We can't be involved in every contract. However, clear results are consistently emerging. Works like the past mega-hit 'Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin' or the recently buzzed-about 'Urban Myth Dissolution Center' are great examples of games that started by exhibiting at BitSummit as individual developers, met publishers here at the venue, and grew into excellent games before launching. Seeing great meetings happen on-site and lead to wonderful stories is a great reward for us.

Q. You are cooperating with various organizations, including Korea's BIC and KOCCA. How is the Korean indie game market interacting with BitSummit?

" We have been in partnership and exchanging with Korea's BIC (Busan Indie Connect Festival) since its inception. The founding members, including the then-organizing committee chair of BIC, visited BitSummit and told us they were inspired. Since then, we have been communicating closely, maintaining a strong, long-term partnership by setting up cross-booths at each other's events and dispatching developers from both Korea and Japan. As Asian countries with similar cultural backgrounds, Korea and Japan are building a positive relationship of cooperation and mutual support.

In addition to these institution-led collaborations, there have recently been various attempts at exchange that encompass the private sector and offline venues. For instance, a Japanese game pop-up store was held at Mario Outlet in Seoul, Korea, and I personally helped with network connections and local coordination to ensure the event was held successfully and ran smoothly. I think it is very meaningful that opportunities for users in both countries to experience each other's game culture firsthand are increasing.

Q. Korea has its own game events like G-STAR and BIC, and the indie scene is growing rapidly. Nevertheless, why should the Korean game industry and indie developers pay attention to BitSummit, and what value or differentiation can only BitSummit provide?

" I think the Korean indie market has a relatively small population and not many publishers, so 'overseas expansion' is ultimately essential. However, jumping straight into markets with extremely fierce competition like North America or Europe from the start carries high risks. Therefore, I recommend trying your luck in the 'Japanese market' first, as it is geographically close, has no time difference, and has a high level of cultural understanding. It would be a very advantageous strategy for Korean developers to take natural steps, such as testing their games here, getting media exposure, and building a fandom.

Q. Lastly, do you have any words for Korean users and industry officials.

" We want to showcase more of Korea's excellent indie games—especially the passionate works created by Korean developers—to more Japanese users. Furthermore, I sincerely hope that positive attempts like 'Korea-Japan joint projects,' where creators from both countries collaborate to produce new games or invest in each other's funding, will flourish more actively in both countries.