Today, the BitSummit Executive Committee announces the start of ticket sales for BitSummit Drift, which will be held at Kyoto Miyako Messe from July 19 (Friday) to July 21 (Sunday), 2024.
The key visual depicting the theme of this year’s BitSummit, “Step into it with all your might! is also on view.

【About Admission Tickets】
Tickets are divided into “Business Day Tickets” for Friday, July 19 and “General Public Day Tickets” for Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21.This year, tickets can be purchased from Ticket Pia.

How to purchase tickets and notes
Click here for information on how to purchase tickets for Business Day and General Public Days.

【Registration for General Media】
We would like to introduce indie games to a wider audience at BitSummit Drift, and we are looking for general media to attend.You can enter the venue on the day of the event and conduct interviews with exhibitors matched through the business matching system. Please register using the form below.
BitSummit Drift Press Registration / Media Application

The schedule for the BitSummit Let’s Go stage is now available. The updated website details the content showcased on the BitSummit stage, including gameplay reveals, live music, panels, and famous influencer appearances. In addition, the winners of the BitSummit awards will be announced on stage and through social media accounts during the event.

BitSummit Let’sGo Stage Schedule

★BitSummit Let’sGo Distribution Stage Content Grand Reveal! Part 1!

Don’t miss out on the live streaming of the program content held on stage at BitSummit Let’sGo. During the event, you can catch it on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and BitSummit, Japan’s largest independent game exhibition.

★Announcing the dynamic duo co-hosting the BitSummit Main Stage!

This year’s BitSummit program will be hosted by Ai Yokomachi, an announcer and MC for numerous game-related programs known as “Aichii,” and J-mon, a popular bilingual video game influencer in Japan. They will serve as the event’s MCs, bringing their expertise and experience to the show.

★Co-hosts
Ai Yokomachi
Twitter: Yokomachi Ai🎮aichy (@aichy0408) / Twitter
YouTube: Ai Tube – YouTube

J-mon
Twitch:jmondmon – Twitch

★Announcing the official overseas livestream hosts!★

This year, BitSummit is excited to announce that they will host a live webcast for the traditional Chinese-speaking world for the first time! Fans can look forward to seeing “Arson Louis,” a popular game player from Taiwan with over 1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, on-site. “HighGai,” a well-known face at BitSummit in the English-speaking world, will also be participating. The event will feature live coverage of some of the games showcased by BitSummit’s official international distribution platforms!

★Platforms
Greater China Region: https://www.youtube.com/@BitSummit_tw

English-speaking: https://www.twitch.tv/bitsummit

★出演者
Arson Louis
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@louislee0602
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/SetfireYC/

HaiGai
Twitch:https://www.twitch.tv/HighGai
Twitter:https://twitter.com/highgai

★BitSummit x CAMPFIRE Support Project! First release!
Get ready to travel back in time with SUNSOFT Revival! Three classic titles from the ’80s – “Madura’s Wings,” “Ripple Island,” and “The Five Famous Stages of the Tokaido” – may soon be able to play on Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam) with your support! The “SUNSOFT Revival Project” crowdfunding campaign at BitSummit Let’s Go! aims to bring these early ’80s games to modern platforms in honor of the 40th anniversary of the NES. Join us in celebrating the Showa period with these retro games and support the project to enjoy them on Switch and PC (Steam)!

Crowdfunding Details
CAMPFIRE
Project name: SUNSOFT Revival Project! We want to revive three 80’s titles!
Open to the public: July 14, 2023 (Fri.) – August 31, 2023 (Thu.) (scheduled)

Limited availability on CAMPFIRE! Click here for more information!

Limited release on CAMPFIRE!For more information, click here!

SUNSOFT Revival Project! I want to revive 3 80’s titles!

 

KYOTO, JAPAN — July 13, 2022 — BitSummit, now celebrating eleven years of connecting International game developers, publishers, and media with Japanese indies, is proud to announce this year’s lineup of games and open ticket sales. The three-day experience takes place Friday, July 14th thru Sunday, July 16th, in Kyoto and is viewable online through BitSummit’s YouTube, TikTok, and Bahamut and Twitch channels via a special collaboration between BitSummit and The MIX (Media Indie Exchange).

 

The complete roster of the BitSummit Let’s Go!! Indie Game Selection is now available on the BitSummit website. Gamers can now get a preview of over 90 diverse titles from Japan and across the globe that will be playable in Kyoto next month. These include a mix of award-winning, critically-acclaimed games alongside soon-to-be-discovered gems. Get ready to experience the best of indie gaming from around the world as BitSummit Let’s Go! showcases a diverse selection of award-winning and up-and-coming titles on live streams across multiple platforms.

 

BitSummit Let’s Go! (2023) Official Selections


BitSummit Let’s Go!! will take place Friday, July 14th, thru Sunday, July 16th. Operation hours are from 10:00 AM JST until 5:00 PM JST. BitSummit, Let’s Go!!  will broadcast from the main stage on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Bahamut in Japanese, English, and Chinese. Additional information regarding participating titles, special guest speakers, streaming booths, influencers, and sponsors will be unveiled in the coming weeks. For more information, please visit the BitSummit website and Discord server or follow BitSummit on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Press and influencers registrations are now open here until July 13th. 

 

Tickets 

General admission tickets and business tickets are available on the BitSummit Official website

BitSummit Let’s Go!! will open to the game industry and media on Friday and open to the public over the weekend.

For more information concerning business tickets and regular visitor passes, please visit the BitSummit Official website.  

【Late entry will start from 2/1!】

General exhibitor entries for BitSummit Let’Go! will close on Tuesday, January 31st. Thank you to everyone who entered!

If you didn’t make it in time, don’t worry! Late entry will be available from February 1st to February 15th. This period is your last chance to submit for an exhibition! Please check the late entry details and apply now!

Submissions Criteria and FAQ available here


【Late Entry Period】
Tuesday, February 1st, 16:00 – Wednesday, February 15th, 16:00 Deadline

【Late Entry Fee】
Fee: 5,500 yen per title (tax included) 

*The entry fee covers the cost of judging the application for the title.
*Please note that the late entry fee of 5,500 yen (tax included) is non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the judging.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) and the BitSummit organizing committee are pleased to announce BitSummit 2023, titled “BitSummit Let’s Go!!,” will be held on Friday, July 14th, through Sunday, July 16th at the Kyoto International Exhibition Hall, Miyakomesse. The first day specializes in B2B, focusing on attending developers, publishers, media, and sponsors, while the second and third days welcome general attendees.

Submissions are now open through January 31st, 2023, to developers looking to enter their games into the show. More information on the application process is available on the BitSummit website, and developers can begin the submission process here.

BitSummit will again be open to the public. Thanks to relaxed travel restrictions, we’re happy to welcome back developers, publishers, and sponsors from outside of Japan this year! We will continue to follow coronavirus measures to ensure BitSummit remains as safe as possible.

Thanks to our experience hosting BitSummit X-Roads last year, we plan to increase the number of ways for fans to participate online. Fans will connect with each other and developers via the BitSummit Discord and other social media channels. The accompanying live stream during BitSummit will highlight game reveals, plays, and panels led by industry-leading talent.

Finally, to facilitate more opportunities for people to connect, BitSummit will again partner with MeetToMatch to help coordinate B2B connections between developers, publishers, and media.

BitSummit is sponsored and produced by Japan Independent Games Association (JIGA) along with The Kyoto Prefecture, and KYOTO CMEX (Cross Media Experience).

Expect the unveiling of additional information regarding special guest speakers, musicians, and sponsors in the coming months. Please bookmark the BitSummit website or follow our Twitter or Facebook channels for the latest announcements.

For more information regarding sponsorship, game submissions, news, and more, please visit the BitSummit website.

General Press Inquiries

Email: contact@bitsummit.org

Website: BitSummit

Twitter: @BitSummit, @BitSummitJP

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bitsummit

 

BitSummit organizing committee :

・Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA)

Q-Games Ltd., Pygmy Studio Co. Ltd., Skeleton Crew Studio, BlackSheep Consulting.

・Kyoto Prefecture

Co-sponsored: KYOTO CMEX (Cross Media Experience)

 

ABOUT BitSummit

BitSummit is an annual festival based in Kyoto, celebrating independent game developers and development in Japan. Founded in late 2012 to support, unify, and evangelize the vibrant and innovative Japanese independent game development scene to the world at large, BitSummit has established itself as Japan’s premier independent gaming event, attracting thousands of visitors annually, as well as a notable, international media presence. BitSummit has been covered by every leading gaming website worldwide and featured in print publications such as Weekly Famitsu, Dengeki PlayStation, Games™, EDGE, and more. BitSummit has also been the focus of panel discussions at the Game Developers Conference, IndieCade, IndieCade East, and CEDEC. BitSummit continues to grow alongside the burgeoning Japanese independent development scene in its tenth year running.

If you have submitted your game for BitSummit X-Roads, we have sent out the FIRST ROUND of invitations to the game we have accepted. We are now waiting for all invited developers to confirm their participation until June 15.

If by June 15 you fail to reply, or if you have to cancel your participation, we will reach out to the games on the waiting list to fill the open spots for ROUND TWO of invitations on June 16.

We apologize for the confusion. If you haven’t received any email from us, please be patient; you might get one next week!

We will send everyone a final answer on June 23 upon confirming everyone’s participation, including the games we, unfortunately, had to turn away this time.

Thank you for your understanding.

indiePlay 2022 – China Indie Game Awards

Starting from 2015, the indiePlay China indie Game Awards have been successfully held for seven years and are the most influential indie game award event in China. The event is organized by CiGA (China indie Game Alliance) and supported by many gaming media and international associations. In addition to the increasing participation of university Student developers, more and more overseas games have participated in the competition in recent years.

The 2022 indiePlay submissions are now open and close on July 22nd. All games submitted will go to Jury members for reviewing and judging from August to September, and nominations will be announced at the end of September. All nominations will join the Annual WePlay Game Expo in Shanghai in November, where the final winners will be announced during the award ceremony at WePlay.

With many years of working in the indie game industry, indiePlay provides opportunities for indie developers to show their games and communicate with players while providing them with rich resources and information for industry connection. Overseas games participants will have the opportunity to be shortlisted in “Best Overseas Games.”

Submission details and regulations can be found on the submissions page. Please visit http://indieplay.cn/ for more information!

Life can be challenging. And game development? Even more so!

But we’re here to offer some relief!

We’ve extended the deadline to submit games to BitSummit X-Roads by one week to April 22nd!

Submit your games here: https://submit.bitsummit.org/

BitSummit 10th Anniversary in Kyoto this August

Submissions Now Open!

Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) and the BitSummit organizing committee, are pleased to announce BitSummit 2022, titled “BitSummit X-Roads,” will be held on Saturday, August 6th and Sunday, August 7th at the Kyoto International Exhibition Hall, Miyakomesse. The first day specializes in B2B, focusing only on attending developers, publishers, media, and sponsors, and the second day will welcome general attendees.

Submissions are now open thru April 15th to developers looking to enter their games into the show. More information on the application process is available on the BitSummit website, and begin the submission process here.

Building on our experiences last year, BitSummit X-Roads will be open to the public for the first time since 2019. In addition, we’re happy to welcome back developers, publishers, and sponsors from outside of Japan for this year’s event! Because of the procedure of the coronavirus measures, we will monitor the situation in Japan and follow all guidelines set by public health officials to make adjustments for safety.

Thanks to our experience hosting BitSummit THE 8th BIT last year, we plan to increase the number of ways for fans to participate online as well. Fans will connect with each other and developers via the BitSummit Discord and other social media channels. The accompanying live stream during BitSummit will focus on game reveals and plays and panels led by industry-leading talent.

Finally, to facilitate more opportunities for people to connect in these trying times, as last year, BitSummit will be organizing B2B meeting systems for developers, publishers, and media to strengthen more than the previous year.

BitSummit is sponsored and produced by Japan Independent Games Association (JIGA) along with The Kyoto Prefecture, 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 channels for the latest announcements.

For more information regarding sponsorship, game submissions, news, and more, please visit the BitSummit website.

 

General Press Inquiries
Email: contact@bitsummit.org
Twitter: @BitSummit, @BitSummitJP
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bitsummit

 

BitSummit organizing committee :
・Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA)
Q-Games Ltd., Pygmy Studio Co. Ltd., Skeleton Crew Studio, BlackSheep Consulting.
・Kyoto Prefecture

Co-Sponsor: KYOTO CMEX (Cross Media Experience)

ABOUT BitSummit

BitSummit is an annual festival based in Kyoto, celebrating independent game developers and development in Japan. Founded in late-2012 to support, unify, and evangelize the vibrant and innovative Japanese independent game development scene to the world at large, BitSummit has established itself as Japan’s premier independent gaming event, attracting thousands of visitors annually, as well as a notable, international media presence. BitSummit has been covered by every leading gaming website worldwide and featured in print publications such as Weekly Famitsu, Dengeki PlayStation, Games™, EDGE, and more. BitSummit has also been the focus of panel discussions at the Game Developers Conference, IndieCade, IndieCade East, and CEDEC. BitSummit continues to grow alongside the burgeoning Japanese independent development scene in its tenth year running.

Over 100 Indie Games, Unique B2B Opportunities

BitSummit, the pioneering Japanese indie showcase, returns to Miyako Messe and Discord for its first hybrid event on September 2nd and September 3rd. BitSummit THE 8th BIT will feature games from some of the world’s most talented creators, brought to you by our gracious sponsors. Thanks to the support of B2B matching service Jublia, attendees both on and offline will be able to network with attendees of the event from all over the world. Business tickets for those in the industry go on sale this week.

BitSummit has fully embraced the hybrid format and will have over 100 games, selected from developers from all over the world, playable on the show floor and through the developer’s channels on Discord. The server will host live dev chats, Let’s Plays, and giveaways throughout the celebration alongside programming on the BitSummit YouTube channel. The BitSummit Heroes are back again, and all of the developers are divided into teams to make it easier for attendees to find games on the Discord server. 

Click here for a complete list of the games.

Again, BitSummit is brought to you by Platinum Sponsors Nintendo, Tencent, Cygames, and the numerous other generous sponsors who continue to pledge their support to the event and indies all over the world. For a full list of sponsors, please see the BitSummit website.

Additionally, we’re excited to share details of our partnership with business matching service Jublia. Through their platform, all sponsors, exhibitors, media partners, and ticket holders will be able to take advantage of networking with BitSummit attendees, no matter if they participate in the event online or in person.

We’re also happy to announce that a very limited amount of Business Tickets will be available for those in the games industry to attend. Tickets will give access to the event on the day of for those living in Japan and access to the business matching platform, Jublia. Those who can’t attend in person can buy tickets to gain access to Jublia, as well. For more information on purchasing tickets, please see this form.

BitSummit continues to work closely with the city of Kyoto to ensure that the event can be as safe as possible. We understand that this can be difficult and will follow all recommendations from health officials regarding the number of attendees and safety measures.Additional information regarding special guest speakers, influencers, and sponsors will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Please visit the BitSummit website and Discord server or follow BitSummit on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information.

About Jublia

Jublia is a global leader and AI engagement hub pioneer covering business matchmaking and hybrid event platforms for the past eight years and counting. We partner closely with top organisers, event agencies, corporates, associations and governments to provide the best end-to-end audience engagement experience. Our projects include conferences, exhibitions, trade shows and internal meetings of any size and format.

 

BitSummit is proud to announce its partnership with TikTok during the upcoming BitSummit THE 8th BIT, held online and at Kyoto’s Miyako Messe on September 2nd and 3rd. Famous Japanese TikTok star “Wai Wai” will participate in a unique Indie Game Endurance Challenge, live from the TikTok booth at BitSummit. 

For the Challenge, Wai Wai will compete to see how many indie games he can introduce within a 14-hour time limit, from 10:00 to 17:00 on September 2nd and 10:00 to 17:00 on September 3rd during BitSummit. Dice will randomly select the order of the titles, and Wai Wai won’t proceed to the next game until the fans watching say it’s “okay”, meaning they will control his fate!

 

 

There will be a series of checkpoints based on how many games Wai Wai has played during the Challenge. If he fails to reach them, he’ll have to face a “punishment”, such as losing some of his cigarettes. However, depending on the number of checkpoints cleared, BitSummit and TikTok will give Nintendo Switch Lites prizes to the fans, with eight going out if he can introduce 20 games.

Checkpoint Rules
September 2, 14:00 – 5 games played.
September 2, 17:00 – 10 games played.
September 3, 13:00 – 13 games played.
September 3, 16:00 – 16 games played.

Nintendo Switch Lite Giveaways!
1 to 5 games played: No giveaway!
6 to 9 games played: Nintendo Switch Lite x 1
10 to 14 games played: Nintendo Switch Lite x 2
15 to 19 games played: Nintendo Switch Lite x 4 units
20 games played: Nintendo Switch Lite x 8 units

 

 

Rules

  • Follow the official Twitter @BitSummitJP or @BitSummit 
  • Tweet your support with the hashtags #BitSummit #YatareWaiWai
  • Participation period: September 2, 10:00 JST – September 3, 17:00 JST
  • We will select winners from those who tweet with the hashtags.

BitSummit will contact the winners via the official BitSummit account will contact winners via Direct Message on Twitter by September 10, 2021. Prizes will ship by the end of October.

If you’d like to give Wai Wai some love in this endeavour, we’re also setting up a colossal canvas board to post your messages of support! Send your messages, pictures, or illustrations to the official BitSummit Twitter accounts, and we’ll post them to the wall during the show!

 

What to submit:

  • Your name (or a nickname)
  • Message (within 30 characters)
  • Illustration (PNG or JPEG data within 10MB)
  • Size should be within 1000 pixels (width x height)

Entry deadline: From August 4th to August 10th JST

Please note:

  • The contents of the contest are subject to change without notice.
  • If you do not follow the BitSummit account before announcing the winners, you will not be eligible.
  • Tweets with only one of the hashtags #BitSummit #YatareWaiWai will not be eligible.
  • The name and message on the canvas will be changed to the font size and style specified by the BitSummit Management Office.

 

OSAKA, Japan, May, 2021 — Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) today announced a partnership with the Japanese VR startup HIKKY Co., Ltd. with the goal to further develop indie game culture with XR.

The novel coronavirus has had an enormous impact on the events industry, both for event organizers who can no longer bring large communities together in one physical space, and also for creators who can no longer share their work at these events.

A new way to host events post-pandemic

BitSummit — the largest indie game show in Japan organized by the Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) — has been no exception to these challenges. Last year, JIGA had to cancel the in-person event due to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, HIKKY hosts a virtual reality (VR) event called Virtual Market that saw over 1,000,000 visitors in its latest iteration. The firm’s Virtual Market (abbreviated “Vket”) series is the largest VR event in the world.

In April this year, HIKKY held their first indie game convention called GameVketZero, with the goal to create a space where attendees could discover new games even amidst the current pandemic. GameVketZero had a total of 200,000 visitors.

This partnership between HIKKY and JIGA was formed from a mutual desire to create a space where creators can display and promote their work, and thus further develop the indie games industry. By merging HIKKY’s proficiency in XR events and JIGA’s expertise in running the in-person BitSummit event, the companies aim to create new value in the indie game industry both in VR and real life.


Visitors excitedly checking out booths at indie game show BitSummit in 2019

About HIKKY

Founded in 2018, HIKKY is a VR company that organizes, produces, and promotes large-scale VR/AR events and contents. Its founding members include top-level creatives who lead the entertainment VR scene and are collectively committed to shedding light on talents that comprise the virtual communities. HIKKY’s proprietary VR event, the Virtual Market series, has been held bi-annually since 2018 and has won several awards including grand prizes at the internationally acclaimed VR Awards and Japan-based XR Creative Awards.

What is BitSummit?

BitSummit is Japan’s largest indie game festival and is held annually in Tokyo. The festival is organized by JIGA and was established in late 2012 to promote domestic indie games internationally.

In 2013, BitSummit held their first small-scale event for game developers, which had around 200 attendees. Since then, the event has skyrocketed to over 17,000 visitors in 2019. The 8th edition of BitSummit will be held this year, and with more fervor than ever.

The game show has been featured on several major gaming websites, as well as Japanese and international magazines including Famitsu, Dengeki PlayStation, GamesTM, and Edge. The festival has also been a central topic of discussion at the Game Developers Conference, IndieCade, and the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference.

<Contact>
Japan Independent Games Aggregate
E-mail:contact@bitsummit.org

Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA), the BitSummit organizing committee, is pleased to announce that BitSummit 2021, titled “BitSummit THE 8th BIT,” will be held on Thursday, September 2nd and Friday, September 3rd at the Kyoto International Exhibition Hall, Miyakomesse. Submissions are now open thru May 28th to developers looking to enter their games into the show. More information on the application process can be found on the BitSummit homepage.

In consideration of the Coronavirus pandemic, we will be limiting the number of attendees to developers, publishers, media, and sponsors based in Japan. Because of the nature of the pandemic, we will monitor the situation in Japan and follow all guidelines set by public health officials to make adjustments for safety. And thanks to our experience hosting BitSummit Gaiden last year, we plan to have a number of ways for developers and fans to participate online as well.

To encourage games from around the globe, BitSummit will be providing remote booths for officially selected developers with live support from staff on the event floor. As with Gaiden, fans will also be able to connect with each other and developers via the BitSummit Discord, and other social media channels. There will be an accompanying live stream held during BitSummit with a focus not only on game reveals and Let’s Plays but also panels, led by industry-leading talent, on game development during the pandemic.

Finally, in order to facilitate more opportunities for people to connect in these trying times, BitSummit will be organizing B2B meeting systems for developers, publishers, and media.

BitSummit is sponsored and produced by Japan Independent Games Association (JIGA) along with The City of Kyoto, Kyoto CMEX (Cross Media Experience), and 802 MediaWorks.

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 channels for the latest announcements.

For more information regarding sponsorship, game submissions, news, and more, please visit the BitSummit website: https://bitsummit.org/2024-2

General Press Inquiries

Email: contact@bitsummit.org

Website: https://bitsummit.org/2024-2

Press kit

Twitter: @bitsummit, @bitsummitJP

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bitsummit

Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) Members: Q-Games Ltd., Pygmy Studio Co. Ltd., Skeleton Crew Studio, BlackSheep Consulting.

ABOUT BitSummit

BitSummit is an annual festival based in Kyoto, celebrating independent game developers and development in Japan. Founded in late-2012 to support, unify, and evangelize the vibrant and innovative Japanese independent game development scene to the world at large, BitSummit has established itself as Japan’s premier independent gaming event, attracting thousands of visitors annually, as well as a notable, international media presence. BitSummit has been covered by every leading gaming website around the world and featured in print publications such as Weekly Famitsu, Dengeki PlayStation, Games™, EDGE and more. BitSummit has also been the focus of panel discussions at the Game Developers Conference, IndieCade, IndieCade East, and CEDEC. Coming into its eighth year running, BitSummit continues to grow alongside the burgeoning Japanese independent development scene.


BitSummit Gaiden Takes Discord, Twitch by Storm June 27-28

Partner Utomik Hosts Hands-On Demos Free for Two Weeks

TOKYO – May 28, 2020  – BitSummit, the pioneering indie showcase brimming with the spirit of Japan, is back in the game with its first-ever online edition, BitSummit Gaiden. Taking place June 27 – 28, 2020, BitSummit Gaiden will feature more than 75 games from Japan and around the world via a newly launched permanent BitSummit Discord server, the BitSummit Twitch channel, and streamable demos hosted on Utomik.

BitSummit Gaiden has partnered with Utomik to make a selection of BitSummit Gaiden titles available on their platform for free from June 26 – July 11 included. Attendees will find links on the BitSummit Discord server which will give them access to official game selections plus the entire Utomik catalog of more than 1,000 games.

The Discord server will host live dev chats, Let’s Plays, and giveaways throughout the celebration alongside programming on the BitSummit Twitch channel. The fun doesn’t end there, though, as the year-round addition of the Discord server to the BitSummit lineup will bring fans of indie games from around the globe together in celebration of developers’ creativity and the impact of Japanese culture on gaming.

To make it easier for attendees to find games on the Discord server and inspire a sense of community and competition among the devs, the titles and companies will be divided into five teams inspired by BitSummit Heroes of the past including the BitSamurai, BitRobots, and BitKaiju. Attendees will root for the BitSummit Heroes by joining channels, playing or watching the games, and voting on their favorites.

BitSummit has also partnered with Asobu, a collective of like-minded developers and allies, to assist in organizing the Discord and other tasks for this new version of the event.

Content creators who would like to participate can do so by simply playing BitSummit Gaiden games during the event dates and using the #BitSummitGaiden hashtag to promote them on social media.

“Gaiden loosely translates to ‘side-story’ in Japanese and while this new incarnation has a different format, we’re bringing back all the things that make BitSummit special,” John Davis, BitSummit Organizing Committee. “BitSummit Gaiden will still have great indie games, amazing music, thought-provoking talks with game industry luminaries, and a thriving community eager to check out the fun and innovative titles.”

Additional information regarding special guest speakers, influencers, and sponsors will be unveiled in the coming weeks. For more information, please visit the BitSummit website and Discord server or follow BitSummit on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To learn more about streaming games during BitSummit Gaiden, please reach out to the media contacts below.

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

2020 has been a challenging year. It was heartbreaking for everyone working on BitSummit to cancel the show after months of preparation. We’ve revived it through Gaiden, but one of the elements that make BitSummit shine is the sense of community it inspires year after year.

This new format brings opportunities to introduce more community elements to the BitSummit formula. In addition to Discord, we’re calling on our roster of former BitSummit mascots to help usher us into this BitSummit-online-only world!

Inspired by Japanese traditions of teamwork, we’ve grouped the devs into 5 teams helmed by BitSummit mascots. With everyone connecting virtually for Gaiden, we hope this will establish a greater sense of community among devs and fans while making it easier for everyone to find the games on Discord!

We have a variety of activities planned for the teams during BitSummit Gaiden. Join us on Discord and support your favorite team!

BitRobots – Led by our original mascot, BitKing, the BitRobots were created by Dr. Yamamu in his secret base underneath Daimonjiyama. Piloted by Milk and his band of misfit game devs, they guard the indie world!


BitRiders – Salaryman by day, masked BitRider by night, the leader of this team debuted in our second event and recruited allies to join him in the third edition! Now they are a trio of game dev bikers racing through the streets of Neo-Kyoto dishing out vigilante justice!


BitRangers – The BitRangers’ love for indie games is overshadowed only by their love for Matcha Tea! This foursome made their first appearance during BitSummit Force (4th), and they were instrumental in defeating Nekora during the BitRumble of A 5th of BitSummit. Since then, they have quietly practiced “chanoyu” in anticipation of the day they are needed again.


BitSamurai – Seven Spirits were transported through time to the modern world during a battle with the same ancient spirit that would eventually become Nekora. Today, these samurai wander the world lending their blades to any who need help.


BitKaiju – Born in an atomic accident near the Fox Shrines of Kyoto, Nekora has often been at odds with the Rangers, Robots, Riders, and Samurai. Its first appearance during A 5th of BitSummit led to the BitRumble, a huge battle that decimated Miyakomesse! Since its defeat, Nekora has become a friend to all children.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, people and businesses around the world have had to adjust to the new realities of day-to-day life. In the gaming industry, events have had to pivot from holding huge events with thousands of people in order to curtail the spread of the virus. BitSummit is no different and since deciding to cancel the main Kyoto event this year, the Japanese Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) will now hold BitSummit Gaiden, an online festival celebrating indie games, on June 27th and 28th, 2020.

BitSummit Gaiden (Gaiden loosely translates to “side-story” in Japanese) will be BitSummit’s first foray into an online event and aims to preserve the spirit of BitSummit through digital mediums. Gaiden will be a celebration of indie games from all over the world, streamed live through BitSummit’s Twitch channels with the new BitSummit Discord serving as its “virtual show floor”. Fans of indie games will be able to chat with indie developers, watch live streams of Let’s Plays from some of the largest media outlets and most popular influencers in the world, download and play demos of games from a selection curated by the BitSummit committee, and take part in contests to win prizes.

Partnering with BitSummit to help make BitSummit Gaiden a global event are some of gaming’s biggest media outlets, including Famitsu, IGN, Dengeki, GameSpark, Gadget Tsushin, 4Gamer, and US Gamer, with more expected to join the festival. Influencers who would like to be a part of the event can do so from the comfort of their regular platforms by simply playing BitSummit Gaiden games and using the #BitSummitGaiden hashtag to promote them.

Finally, because the global pandemic has disrupted so many lives around the world, BitSummit will be mobilizing our community to contribute to various charities to aid with relief. Please look for more details on this next month.

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

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

For more information regarding sponsorship, news, and more, please visit the BitSummit website: https://bitsummit.org/2024-2

General Press Inquiries
Email: contact@bitsummit.org
Website: https://bitsummit.org/2024-2
Twitter: @bitsummit, @bitsummitJP
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bitsummit

Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) Members: Q-Games Ltd., Pygmy Studio Co. Ltd., Skeleton Crew Studio, BlackSheep Consulting

ABOUT BitSummit
BitSummit is an annual festival based in Kyoto, celebrating independent game developers and development in Japan. Founded in late-2012 to support, unify, and evangelize the vibrant and innovative Japanese independent game development scene to the world at large, BitSummit has established itself as Japan’s premier independent gaming event, attracting thousands of visitors annually, as well as a notable, international media presence. BitSummit has been covered by every leading gaming website around the world and featured in print publications such as Weekly Famitsu, Dengeki PlayStation, Games™, EDGE, and more. BitSummit has also been the focus of panel discussions at the Game Developers Conference, IndieCade, IndieCade East, and CEDEC. Coming into its eighth year running, BitSummit continues to grow alongside the burgeoning Japanese independent development scene.

Due to the growing concerns of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we are very sad to inform you that BitSummit The 8th Bit will no longer be held on May 9th and 10th as planned, as the spread does not show any sign of slowing down.

We would like to extend our deepest apologies for this inconvenience to all of our partners, supporters, exhibitors and long-time visitors who were eager to participate in the 8th edition of BitSummit.


With the safety of our visitors and participants being our very first priority, we have made the difficult decision to avoid any chance of the virus spreading any further.


We are incredibly thankful for all the support, advice and encouragement we’ve received from all our partners and patrons. Our plans are to continue working on BitSummit The 8th Bit, and we will share more information on the status of the show in the coming weeks.

The BitSummit Organizing Team.

February 27, 2020

Regarding concerns about the global coronavirus outbreak, presently BitSummit The 8th Bit will continue to be held as planned on May 9th and 10th, 2020.

The BitSummit Organizing Committee is currently following all the latest news and collecting the most accurate information as provided by the Japanese Government and relevant organization. Based on the information currently available, we are confident that we can hold a safe event by following the health security measures listed below.

Unfortunately, there are a number of circumstances that we cannot control. For example, if the virus spreads violently and the Japanese government asks for all events to be postponed, or if there is an unexpected ban on international travel. As much as we would like to hold the event, we are obligated to let you know that it might still change based on the situation.

With that being said, we are doing everything in our power to continue with BitSummit 2020. It’s our aim to hold as safe an event as possible. We will be posting announcements concerning this matter on our website and social media so please check for updates there.

Thank you for your understanding.

New sanitary measures in consideration for BitSummit The 8th Bit

Measures for the operational team

  • Installation of increased sanitary measures for the venue in collaboration with Miyako Messe
  • Mandatory use of surgical masks for all staff and volunteers
  • Recommend the use of surgical masks for exhibitors
  • Providing hand wipes for all exhibitor booths
  • Visual check of all our staff, volunteers and exhibitors on set-up day and both show days at the entrance
  • Regular disinfection of all commonly touched areas, such as doorknobs, controllers, VR headsets, escalator handrails, elevator buttons, vending machines, bathroom area, etc
  • Requesting thorough cooperation from all our exhibitors and guidelines regarding the implementation of safety measures

Requests for our visitors

  • If you suspect an infection, we recommend that you consult with a health professional before attending the event.
  • If you have symptoms such as fever on the day, please refrain from coming to the event.
  • There is a possibility that we will be scanning the temperature of all incoming visitors on both days of the show.
  • To prevent infection, please wear a surgical mask when visiting.
  • If you feel ill during your participation, please let the management staff know.
  • After eating in the food area or after going to the bathroom, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, wash your hands with soap and water for 30 seconds.
  • If your hands are dirty, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water, and do not touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.