Indie Devs!
Submissions for BitSummit The 8th Bit Official Selection end on Monday 13th at 5:00PM JST. (That’s 9:00AM CET, 3:00AM EST, 12:00AM PST.)
Late submissions will be possible for another week, until Monday 20th 5:00PM JST, for an additional cost of 1000JPN.

Japan Independent Games Aggregate would like to announce that Ben Judd has resigned from its Board of Directors and will not be involved in the organization and hosting of BitSummit.

With over 17,000 attendees filling the halls of Kyoto’s Miyako Messe convention center this past June, it was BitSummit’s largest gathering yet. Founded in late-2012, BitSummit is a pioneering and innovative gaming event unlike any other, paving the way for global exposure of Japanese independent developers, resulting in greater distribution and success in Western markets than ever before. In six years, BitSummit has established itself as Japan’s leading indie games festival, growing year after year since its humble beginnings as an industry-only gathering, and blooming into Japan’s second-largest annual gaming event. Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA), the BitSummit organizing committee, is proud to announce the dates of “BitSummit 8th”—the eighth iteration of the summit—and that submissions are now open to developers looking to submit their game(s) to the show.

Developers looking to submit an application to BitSummit 8th can do so between now and January 12th, 2020 here.

BitSummit 8 will take place on the weekend of May 9th and 10th, 2020, and will be open to the public from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm each day. As has been tradition since the second BitSummit, all activities will take place at the Miyako Messe, the expansive and modern convention site of the past festivals.

The event is expected to continue growing in 2020, with over 100 game developers and publishers from both Japan and abroad showcasing their latest works. Attendance has grown year over year and is expected to reach 20,000 visitors over the course of the weekend.  

BitSummit is sponsored and produced by Japan Independent Games Association (JIGA), along with the CrossKyoto Media Partnership (KCROP), The City of Kyoto, and Kyoto CMEX (Cross Media Experience).

Additional information regarding special guest speakers, musicians, and sponsors will be unveiled in the coming months. Please bookmark the BitSummit website or follow our Twitter or Facebook page for the latest announcements as they’re revealed.

一般社団法人 日本インディペンデント・ゲーム協会(略称:JIGA)は、2020年5月9日(土)、10日(日)に、『BitSummit 8 (ビットサミット エイト)(仮)』を京都市勧業館「みやこめっせ」(京都市左京区)において開催いたします。つきましては、本日より一般出展者向けエントリーの受付を開始いたします。

2019年6月 多くの皆様からご支援いただき、「BitSummit 7 Spirits」は前年比約1.6倍の、17,000人以上の来場者数を記録し、盛況のうちに幕を閉じました。「国内のおもしろいインディー ゲームを海外に向けて発信していく」という趣旨のもと、これまで多くのデベロッパーが参加してきたBitSummitが、2020年で開催8回目を迎えます。今回も国内外合わせて数多くのゲームを展示予定ですので、皆様からのエントリーをお待ちしております。

■出展エントリー受付開始

開発者向け出展エントリーの受付を本日、2019年11月12日(火)に開始します。

BitSummit は、個性豊かなゲームに触れることができる日本最大級のインディーゲームイベントです。開発者であれば学生、プロアマ、国籍など問いません。沢山のご応募お待ちしています。(※締め切りは2020年1月10日(金)まで) 

BitSummit 公式サイト:https://bitsummit.org/2024-2/

■開催概要

名称:『BitSummit 8 (ビットサミット エイト)(仮)』

日時:2020年5月9日(土)・10日(日) 10:00 ~ 17:00

会場:京都市勧業館「みやこめっせ」3階 第3展示場

主催:BitSummit 実行委員会

・一般社団法人日本インディペンデント・ゲーム協会 [JIGA]  (キュー・ゲームス/ピグミースタジオ/スケルトンクルースタジオ/デジタルデベロップメントマネジメント/BlackSheep)

・京都コンピュータ学院

・京都府

共催:KYOTO CMEX

■『BitSummit 』とは

BitSummitは、毎年京都で開催される日本最大級のインディーゲームの祭典。「国内のおもしろいインディーゲームを海外に向けて発信していく」という趣旨のもと、2012年後半に発足。2013年、同業者向けの小規模イベントとして開催した初回の来場者は200名ほどだったが、2019年には来場者数17,000人を超える大きなイベントに成長し、年々勢いを増している。

<本件に関するお問い合わせ>

一般社団法人 日本インディペンデント・ゲーム協会

TEL:06-6210-4188  FAX:06-6210-4739

一般問い合わせ:contact@bitsummit.org メディア問い合わせ:press@bitsummit.org

BitSummit, in partnership with sponsors Platinum Sponsor Cygames and with the support of Sony Music Entertainment / Unties, DANGEN Entertainment, and Unity, is proud to host the second BitSummit Roadshow: Tokyo event during Tokyo Game Show on Friday, September 13th at LIQUIDROOM in Ebisu, Tokyo. LIQUIDROOM is a legendary club in the Tokyo scene and we’re honored to be the first game event held there!

BitSummit has been a mainstay in the Japanese indie game scene for the past seven years and the Roadshow events are part of the effort to spread the experience from Kyoto to other parts of Japan and the world. That experience of great indie games, amazing live acts, and panels with some of the industry’s most influential developers, is BitSummit’s hallmark and we’re excited to bring it back to Tokyo once more!

Headlining the stage this year will be a special concert and talk by Deemo -Reborn- developer RayArk. A true success story in indie games, RayArk’s Deemo has been downloaded over 23 million times, helping propel the small studio into an indie success story. With the upcoming remake of Deemo on PS4, we’re excited to have them on the BitSummit stage to talk about their journey.

This year’s BitSummit Roadshow: Tokyo features another stunning line-up. Showgoers can expect to play great indie games from Unties, DANGEN Entertainment, Raw Fury and Utomik.

Doors open at 18:00. Tickets for BitSummit Roadshow: Tokyo are on sale now at Peatix! For just 2000 yen, enjoy awesome indie games, music, and guests!

🄫2019 Rayark Inc. DEEMO -Reborn-®
Published by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.

In its seventh year, BitSummit aims to expand even further by supporting up-and-coming game developers in Japan. With BitSummit’s reach across the industry and in an effort to discover talented creators and provide them more visibility, we’re proud to introduce our latest project: BitSummit Game Jam.

The first ever BitSummit Game Jam was held on May 11 and 12 at the National Institute of Global Environmental Studies (Earth Research) in Kyoto. The chosen theme was “Complete Harmony: Becoming One Together”. A total of 52 students from 6 different schools and universities specializing in game development from Kyoto and Osaka participated.

It is important for us to give a voice to the next generation of game creators and we are proud to do so by giving them the opportunity to show their skills on our show floor. Please make sure to stop by their booth to try their games, and don’t miss the little documentary we’ve created around our very first BitSummit Game Jam we will be showing on our main stage during session breaks throughout the event.

Thank you to all the schools and universities who participated

Ritsumeikan University

Kyoto Computer Gakuin

Osaka Electro Communication University

Kyoto Seika University

Kyoto University Of Art And Design

ECC Computer Specialization School

The first collaboration between leading East/West indie game events presents a first-time pre-event gathering on May 31 in Kyoto, Japan

Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA), in partnership with Media Indie Exchange (The MIX), will host an exclusive reception on Friday, May 31 at 6:30 pm for developers to share their games exclusively first with press and industry partners in an intimate pre-event preview on the Miyako Messe show floor before BitSummit 7 Spirits opens to the general public on Saturday, June 1st.

The BitSummit x The MIX reception will feature new custom samurai-inspired artwork by artist David Hellman (Braid, Second Quest) in the theme of BitSummit 7 Spirits, along with delicious sake from one of Japan’s most celebrated sake breweries Ofuku Shuzo, and Japanese delicacies from CanvasKyoto.

“We’re extremely excited to partner with The MIX for their first event in Japan,” says JIGA member and BlackSheep president John Davis. “Their events have become a mainstay for showcasing the best of indies at events like GDC, PAX, and E3. We hope that this partnership encourages more indies in Japan to look towards The MIX for showcasing their games overseas.”

BitSummit x The MIX highlights:

  • Over 100 exhibiting indie games including a special selection of VR games from Oculus
  • Amazing local treats from renowned caterers CanvasKyoto and legendary sake brewery, Ofuku Shuzo (while they last!)
  • Music from Doseone (Enter the Gungeon, Samurai Gunn 1 & 2, Gang Beasts)
  • Live stream on Twitch featuring selected games from the event to share with audiences worldwide

Lead sponsor Oculus has helped make this event possible, along with supporting sponsors Limited Run Games, 2P GAMES and Another Indie.

Media/Influencers can register at https://bitsummit.org/2024-2/en/press-influencers/. Others from the game industry can email contact@bitsummit.org to request a guest pass.

About The MIX

The Media Indie Exchange (MIX) is all about the games – created by indies and indie game enthusiasts to provide a casual yet professional setting for developers to showcase their projects to top journalists, influencers, gamers and key folks in the industry to help build visibility. Beginning with the first event hosted at IGN’s offices in 2012, MIX recent events have included Game Developer’s Conference, E3, PAX West, Evo, Unite Amsterdam, Taipei Game Developer’s Forum, SIGGRAPH and more.  MIX events feature award-winning games from developers around the world for all platforms and channels. Learn more at mediaindiexchange.com

JIGA is proud to reveal this year’s stellar line-up of award nominees for the BitSummit Awards. The nominees represent some of the best of the games submitted to BitSummit 7 Spirits. After much deliberation by JIGA, Japanese industry veterans, select media, and fellow developers, a handful of prominent titles will stand as candidates for the coveted awards.

VERMILION GATE AWARD

Best of Show

RPG Time: The Legend of Wright by DESKWORKS
Unpacking by Witch Beam
WORLD OF HORROR by panstasz / Ysbryd Games
39 Days to Mars by It’s Anecdota
BELOW by CAPY GAMES

INTERNATIONAL AWARD

Best of International Games

Star Renegades by Massive Damage, Inc.
Tunche by LEAP Game Studios
Mørkredd by Hyper Games
Legal Dungeon by Somi
Tale of Ronin by Dead Mage

INNOVATIVE OUTLAW AWARD

Innovation in Technology or Ideas

Unpacking by Witch Beam
ONKOU CHA-HAN by Wataru Nakano × MIYAZAWORKS
Symbio by Jesper Bergman, Hangning Zhang, Kaijun Wang, Kristina Stiskaite, Alexander Sinn, Merve Metinkol
Madorica Real Estate by GIFT TEN INDUSTRY K.K.
Legal Dungeon by Somi

EXCELLENCE IN GAME DESIGN AWARD

RPG Time: The Legend of Wright by DESKWORKS
The MISSING – J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories by 株式会社White Owls
Sweep It! by Omoplata Games
BELOW by CAPY GAMES
Mørkredd by Hyper Games

VISUAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

RPG Time: The Legend of Wright by DESKWORKS
39 Days to Mars by It’s Anecdotal
Star Renegades by Massive Damage, Inc.
Tales of the Neon Sea by Zodiac Interactive
Lost Ember by Mooneye Studios

EXCELLENCE IN SOUND DESIGN AWARD

Unpacking by Witch Beam
Invisible by Invisible制作チーム
NO STRAIGHT ROADS by METRONOMIK
BELOW by CAPY GAMES
PHOGS! by Coatsink

In addition to these awards, showgoers can vote on their favorite games for the Popular Selection Award by stopping by the voting booth at the show. BitSummit media partners will also award their favorite games of the show.

The award ceremony will start from the main stage on Sunday, June 2nd at 4 PM JST. Twitch will stream the entire affair on their BitSummit stage channel here: https://www.twitch.tv/bitsummit/

Our list of Indie Publishers participating at BitSummit 7 Spirits is finaly online! We’re proud to have the support of all of these wonderful publishers.

Come have a look and keep an eye on our social media channels for more information on the titles they are brining!

Welcome to the new BitSummit website! We are thrilled to finally share the games that will be showcased at BitSummit 7 Spirits this year and the sponsors that have made it possible! Please check-in here as we get closer to the show for announcements about the schedule, guest speakers, musicians, and a whole lot more!

We are also planning to keep this platform alive through out the year to let you know more about us and our new satellite events BitSummit: Roadshows !

Make sure to visit our website regularly as we will be updating more and more!