Shueisha Games' Quest to Establish Itself as a Major Indie Publisher

A year has passed since Shueisha, a Japanese manga publishing giant, launched its dedicated gaming division. The idea for this venture was born out of Shueisha's Game Creators Camp, an incubator for indie developers in Japan, as described by John Davis, the western PR manager and co-founder of the Kyoto-based indie games festival BitSummit. Since its inception, Shueisha Games has successfully released several titles, including Oni: Road to be the Mightiest Oni and Arcana of Paradise - The Tower, with most of its games originating from the Creators Camp. The primary goal of the Creators Camp is not merely to identify and support promising projects but to foster a community of developers, artists, engineers, and influencers, providing a platform for resource sharing and collaboration among Asian publishers and developers. Shueisha Games' first published project was Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions, featuring eight IPs from Shueisha's broader portfolio. While leveraging the mother company's IPs is central to its gaming branch, the team aims to expand beyond these boundaries. The company aspires to build a global indie publishing brand, utilizing some of its IPs to create interesting projects without being exclusive to them. Shueisha Games differentiates itself from larger publishers like Bandai Namco by focusing on smaller teams, games, and fewer restrictions, allowing for greater flexibility and innovation. The comparison to Devolver Digital, a publishing label known for its distinct personality and strong brand identity, is an interesting one, as Shueisha Games strives to emulate this approach in Japan. By supporting Japanese indies and those worldwide, the company aims to create a diverse catalog of games showcasing various artists, not solely tied to Shueisha-owned IPs. The common thread among Shueisha's games is their 'Japanese sensibility,' although the team is open to exploring beyond this identity. The publisher remains platform-agnostic, with a focus on releasing games on Steam, Switch, and PlayStation, while also exploring mobile projects. With a significant budget courtesy of its parent company, Shueisha Games is well-positioned to invest in projects and talent, offering a long-term vision that sets it apart from other indie publishers. The potential for crossover between mediums is substantial, with the company already releasing board games and a one-shot manga alongside its digital projects. By leveraging its strengths and creating multiple entry points into its IPs, Shueisha Games aims to attract a broader audience and avoid being pigeonholed into a specific category. The indie development scene in Japan is evolving, with a growing number of developers leaving large studios to start their own ventures. Shueisha Games hopes to be part of this movement, focusing on creating high-quality games that can win awards and achieve commercial recognition, ultimately becoming a profitable company that can continue to receive funding from its parent company and expand its global sales.