adminJapanese indie games are drawing attention from major entertainment companies seeking original ideas with the potential to grow across multiple formats. At BitSummit 2026 in Kyoto, publishers, developers and retailers offered a glimpse of how games can become the starting point for wider creative projects—not just standalone products.
Image credit: BitSummit
Japanese indie games attract major entertainment firms
A few weeks before BitSummit, TOEI announced plans for a new gaming subsidiary. The move surprised some observers because the company is known for internationally recognised anime, including One Piece and Dragon Ball. Rather than focusing on those established characters, however, TOEI’s plans turn towards games and the development of original intellectual property.
That approach is part of a broader trend. Shueisha, the publisher of Shonen Jump, established a games division in 2022 and has concentrated largely on original properties. Aniplex, the Sony subsidiary associated with anime and music, has also invested in original games, including indie titles, visual novels and the acclaimed Hundred Line.
Over the past five years, entertainment and consumer-media companies across Japan have increasingly explored game publishing. Some are backing solo creators and small teams rather than simply licensing familiar characters. PARCO Games, for example, is drawing on its retail presence and experience working with companies such as Nintendo and Kojima Productions to support original indie projects and related merchandise.
“Major entertainment companies have set their sights on funding the ideas of talented solo developers and small teams.”
For developers, this kind of backing can offer more than production funding: it may also provide marketing, retail visibility and routes to audiences beyond traditional game buyers. Creators should still assess each publishing agreement carefully, including ownership of the IP and the rights to future adaptations.
BitSummit’s growth reflects a changing industry
BitSummit began as a private business event for developers and creative professionals in Japan and overseas. Its early purpose was to help a then-small domestic indie scene develop and reach audiences at home and internationally. It has since become one of the world’s largest public showcases dedicated to independent games.
The 14th edition returned to May after a period of summer events and presented more than 200 titles. Over three days, it welcomed more than 68,000 visitors. The show now brings together players, developers and companies looking for new properties.
The audience matters to creators as much as the exhibition space. Players can discover upcoming releases, while media attention can help a project build awareness and momentum. For visitors choosing what to try, a useful approach is to look beyond familiar genres and spend time with smaller booths, where new concepts may be easier to encounter.
The arrival of companies including TOEI Games, Shueisha, Aniplex and PARCO Games signals a change in the event’s profile. Japanese indie development has long had creative talent and distinctive ideas; more institutional investment can help address the funding and visibility needed to reach wider markets.
The show now draws both indie developers and companies seeking new IP. | Image credit: Alicia Haddick/GamesIndustry.biz
From indie game to film, anime and more
Exit 8, the short horror game from KODAKA Creates, illustrates how a small project can find a large audience. The developer took part in the Indie Game Incubator programme, which helps emerging creators learn about game development and connect with publishers. Although the earlier project did not receive funding, the experience informed the team’s later work on Exit 8.
Social media and YouTube helped the game spread, and PLAYISM became its publisher. It went on to sell millions of copies and was adapted into a feature film. The film earned more than 5 billion yen in Japan, making it one of the country’s ten highest-grossing films of 2025. Its US release took $2.8 million in its first two weeks.
“The Japanese entertainment landscape historically is one built on the power of IP, not a single piece of media.”
In Japan, a successful property can extend well beyond its first format. Manga may lead to anime, live-action adaptations, merchandise and fan events. The goal is not simply to reproduce the same story in another medium; it is to keep the property visible and create new ways for audiences to engage with it.
That wider strategy can reduce reliance on game sales alone, though it does not guarantee success. Merchandise, licensing and adaptations all require investment and a clear understanding of the audience. Developers considering these opportunities should think early about which elements of a project could translate naturally into other formats.
Other examples show how varied those paths can be. Gnosia, a visual novel by Petit Depotto published by PLAYISM, was adapted into an anime in October 2025 and later became a stage play. Urban Myth Dissolution Center, published by Shueisha Games, has received novel and manga adaptations and collaborated with escape-room creator SCRAP.
Merchandise gives indie projects another route to audiences
At BitSummit, PARCO Games presented merchandise connected to released and upcoming games, working with fashion and creative brands already represented in its department stores. Products included T-shirts inspired by Blue Backpack’s The Berlin Apartment and keychains featuring artwork from Finding Polka, a game still months from release at the time.
Creators selling goods alongside their work is familiar in Japan, with roots in hobbyist game culture and grassroots events such as Comiket. BitSummit also welcomes developers of different sizes selling merchandise directly from their booths. One selected project, Thumbylina, was a digital-pet experiment and a miniature game console about the size of a fingernail, sold by its creator for 5000 yen.
For fans, buying a small item can be a direct way to support a creator. For developers, merchandise can help build a community and provide another point of connection with a project. It works best when products suit the game’s identity and appeal to its intended audience, rather than feeling like an unrelated add-on.
Creators selling merchandise alongside their work have a long history in Japan. | Image credit: Alicia Haddick/GamesIndustry.biz
Public investment points to cross-media ambitions
Japanese media exports were valued at 4.7 trillion yen in 2023, a 12.3% increase year on year. Anime now earns more internationally than it does domestically, and games already have global reach. For companies investing in original games, the larger opportunity may be to own properties that can develop across several forms of entertainment.
The government’s IP360 fund also reflects this ambition. It supports Japanese creative projects, including games, films and television, with production and promotional costs. Its stated focus is not only on financing a single product, but on developing new IP with cross-media potential. The broader goal is to increase overseas media exports from their 2023 value to 20 trillion yen by 2033.
At BitSummit, this model was visible in the presence of publishers and retailers alongside independent creators. Japanese companies are not necessarily trying to become the next Capcom or Nintendo. They are looking for ways to identify promising ideas, help them grow and connect them with international audiences.
What BitSummit 2026 could mean for Japanese indie games
BitSummit 2026 suggested that Japanese indie games are entering a new phase, with more potential routes to revenue and recognition than game sales alone. Investment from established firms, a growing public showcase and opportunities for merchandise and adaptations may help original projects find audiences in Japan and abroad.
This approach differs from simply copying Western models of independent publishing. It builds on Japan’s longstanding interest in developing entertainment properties across media while giving smaller creators a possible route into that system. The trend is still developing, but the combination of creative talent, investment and cross-media thinking makes the future of Japanese indie games worth watching.
