WHAT
Independently-developed games are taking the world by storm. Whether on mobile devices, PC, or console, games created by smaller development teams are capturing as much attention as the giant, triple-A games with multi-million dollar budgets. What independent developers may lack in size or resources they make up for in innovation and inspiration. The Western independent gaming scene has been percolating for years, but so too has Japanese independent development been moving steadily towards the future.
WHY
BitSummit was formed to shine a spotlight on the Japanese development community, and bridge the gap between developers, the media, and platform providers like STEAM. Our goal is to help remove the language and communication obstacles that get in the way of relationship-building moments like this. Attending BitSummit can help small developers make meaningful connections with Western media outlets, while media outlets can enrich the depth of their coverage by discovering a whole new layer of the gaming stratosphere. With special guests like Valve/Steam in attendance, developers can learn first-hand how to navigate the publishing and Greenlight process on the popular gaming platform.
OUR MISSION
Help the independent Japanese video game developer get his work in front of a global audience, in front of a European, Latin American, and North American audience. Help the Western markets learn about, anticipate, and appreciate Japan’s home-grown video games, created by teams as small as a single person, or by teams as big as 50 people.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU
For developers, we’ll provide the media, the translators, and event space. You just need to bring your work, your enthusiasm, and a business card, and we’ll let everything else fall into place. For the media, it’s a chance to discover a whole new world of fresh talent, helping you establish meaningful relationships for the development superstars of tomorrow. For sponsors and media partners, this is a chance for you to get your technologies in front of a new generation of dedicated game development talent, and to show your leadership and support in this facet of the industry.
WHO
BitSummit is a labor of love for longtime gaming journalist-turned-video game producer, James Mielke, who in his 15-year career has held the role of editor-in-chief at Electronic Gaming Monthly and 1UP.com, executive editor at GMR, and previews editor at Gamespot.com, while contributing to gaming publications such as Japan’s Xbox Famitsu, and the U.K.’s gamesTM. Recently, he spent three years at Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Q Entertainment in Tokyo, where he worked on acclaimed synaesthesia shooter, Child of Eden, and the highest-rated launch title for PlayStation Vita, Lumines Electronic Symphony. Since leaving Q Entertainment, he has taken residence at Kyoto-based Q-Games, joining them as the producer on the award-winning PixelJunk series of games.
Using his knowledge of both the media, video game development, and the Japanese independent development scene, he identified a major gap between the innovative developments created by small teams, and their relative lack of exposure on a global scale. He seeks to help change this situation for the better, and thus BitSummit was born.
