By 
What is Historica Ozashiki: The 15th Kyoto Historica International Film Festival
Moderator
I would like to begin the first session of the Kyoto Historica International Film Festival titled Historica Ozashiki.
Today, we have Mr. Kimura from Room6 Co., Ltd. and Mr. Harada from Scooter Films Co., Ltd., who will be discussing the possibilities of animation and indie games. Thank you very much.
Kimura
Now, let’s get started. I would like to begin with self-introductions from the speakers.
My name is Kimura. I am the representative of Room6 Co., Ltd. I was born in 1972 and am from Kyoto, my hometown. When I was a student, I wanted to work for a game company, but that didn’t happen at that time. Instead, I worked in completely unrelated industries like business systems and finance until 2009. After the iPhone was introduced, I started a company in (Kyoto’s) Demachiyanagi to develop iPhone applications. Then, from around 2013, I started developing mobile indie games and have been developing games for about 10 years since then. Alongside that, I have participated in many indie game events held in Japan, and since 2017, I have also been involved in developing console games for Nintendo Switch. I have also started a publishing business for indie games.
Harada
I am Harada, the representative of Scooter Films. I was invited by Mr. Kimura to participate in this event. I was born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1976 and spent about ten years in Kyoto during my student days. Like many others, I was deeply immersed in indie films and theater. Towards the end of my student years, before YouTube became popular, I thought about creating drama series for distribution, and I gathered actors from various theater companies in Kyoto to create those series. However, I couldn’t monetize this at all and ended up exhausted. After that, I moved to Tokyo and began working in production at an anime company. The company I joined was not primarily focused on creating anime, but rather specialized in what to do with anime, thus gaining experience in surrounding businesses, including licensing. Later, I was involved in launching an anime planning company, and in 2021, I established Scooter Films as one of the group studios under Twin Engine, leading to where we are today.
Kimura
Yes. Now, I will introduce what both of our businesses are doing. First, let me introduce our company, Room6.
Room6 Co., Ltd. is based in Demachiyanagi, Kyoto, as previously mentioned, and we have been developing and publishing indie games since 2013. One characteristic is that most of our team consists of people from non-gaming industries. While there are some team members from the game industry, around 80% to 90% of our people have non-game backgrounds. Our company focuses on developing beautiful graphics using pixel art, which is a style based on dot graphics.
Since 2019, we’ve also taken on publishing, and in 2020, we launched an indie game label called Yokaze, which focuses on this area.
To give a brief explanation of this label, it encompasses a somewhat vague concept about creating emotional gaming experiences, focusing on elements like story and world-building rather than merely game mechanics. We aim to compile and release games that emphasize world-building and artistry. As seen in the inspiring illustrations, the name Yokaze suggests a collection of games that often feature a delicate, darker graphic touch, leading to a sense of “it feels like Yokaze.” We are carefully selecting titles that immerse players in a vibrant game world for publication.
Now, let me briefly explain what kind of games Room6 is creating and releasing.
First, our representative work is called Unreal Life, which was released in 2020. It’s an adventure game where a girl with the ability to read the memories of the things she touches goes on an adventure with a talking traffic light. This game was developed over four years by a single independent game developer, handling everything from scenario writing, programming, to music. This game won the Newcomer Prize in the entertainment category of the 2021 Media Arts Festival by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Next, we have a game titled Fox and Frog’s Journey: The Kotoroni on Adashi Island, which is in its pre-release stage. It is a 3D action-adventure game set on a mystical Japanese island. This game is a rare 3D title for us. The developer, Rias, is a background artist and world-building artist, and although it is a 3D game, it features an overall hand-drawn aesthetic. This is truly a hand-painted game that uses hand-drawn 3D textures, resulting in a beautifully emotional expression.
Harada
The art is amazing. Just one image can be very captivating.
Kimura
Indeed, it looks great.
This is a highly anticipated work, which we hope to release either the year after next or next year, but it is quite labor-intensive, so I hope everyone can be patient in the meantime.
Here’s another representative title of ours, a pixel art work called Phantom AP – The Empty Heart. This game is based on the world of a musician named Harumaki Gohan, who is known for vocaloid production. Players can walk through his world in this adventure game.
We collaborate with various artists to create games, including musicians and curious creators, thus creating games like this one which involves exploring a pixel art world in 2D. This game is available for free on mobile, so if you’re interested, please download and play it later.
Now here is a game under development titled “Piggy One SUPER SPARK,” which we will discuss briefly later as a case study. The project is based on the world created by an animator named Hanabushi, who has expressed the Piggy One IP through illustrations, and we are developing it into a side-scrolling action game. Hanabushi is a well-known creator who has worked on popular music videos for artists like “Zutto Mayonaka de ii no ni,” gaining significant recognition.
Finally, there’s the completely original project of ours called “Rogue with Dead,” which is a mobile idle development game created entirely by our company. We released this in 2022, and last year we achieved one million downloads, winning the top honors at the Google Special Game Festival event. We also received the prestigious Indie Game Award in the Best Indie Game category at Google Play Best of 2023 at the end of last year, marking it as a highly acclaimed game.
This is also a pixel art game; I wonder if it’s okay to introduce it? Right now, one of our illustrators who created these illustrations is present here!
That’s how we create mobile games, and we also have many other game releases. Currently, we have about 16 titles, and in addition to these, we have several projects in progress, resulting in about 20 or so active or released projects. Though we are a small company, we’ve been surprisingly active.
What are “Indie Games”?
In line with this discussion, I’d like to take a moment to briefly explain indie games. The definition tends to be a bit vague, as beginning to define it could spark debate. Definitions of indie games vary among individuals. However, generally speaking, indie games are those developed by individuals or small teams rather than being released by major game companies. It is commonly accepted that they do not prioritize sales or marketing but are driven by the motivation of wanting to create and present something they truly want to build, which is what defines indie games.
They often engage in game development that is not influenced by corporate finance, decision-making, or marketing strategies, which allows for a kind of riskier creation that can lead to more avant-garde, artistic, and innovative products. Recently, indie games have garnered high popularity due to the fascinating content they deliver.
Famous examples include Undertale, which became incredibly popular worldwide, as well as Cuphead, resembling Pixar or Disney cartoons, and Minecraft, which was originally an indie game developed by a single individual.
Harada
You wouldn’t really think of Minecraft as an indie game, would you?
Kimura
That’s right. It has become the best-selling game in the world now. However, it is understood as an indie game from the perspective of its development starting from a single developer.
Other notable indie games include Valheim, a survival crafting game set in a Nordic theme, Stardew Valley, Papers, Please, and Baba Is You. From Japan, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin achieved a million hits.
Harada
Is Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin also an indie game?
Kimura
Yes, it is. Originally developed by a team that created doujin games over a long period, it was published by a large company, Marvelous, but the development was primarily handled by that doujin team, so it can be considered an indie game.
Harada
When it was released, it was often termed as an agriculture-themed game…
Kimura
Exactly, I remember seeing a lot of articles about it. I believe there has never been a role-playing game about growing rice before, and the innovative ideas like this are what make indie games interesting. Now, I will pass the baton to Mr. Harada.
Harada
Yes, let me start with an introduction to our company, Scooter Films. The company was established in 2021, and perhaps some of you might know the Twin Engine, which is a relatively large studio group. If you visit their page, you will see works like “Mononoke,” which was presented in this summer’s showcase as a feature film title. We are one of the many studios under that umbrella. Since the company is quite new, I would first like to share what I’ve done prior to this.
As I mentioned during my self-introduction, I worked at DLE from 2006, where I was involved in producing character animations. Perhaps some of you may recognize DLE from keywords like “The Secret Society Taka no Tsume.” For instance, at TOHO Cinemas, they used to show short promotional animated films in between screenings. I also did a lot of animation work in collaboration with Chinese teams and original projects, including a Chinese version of Shima Jiro movies.
Since joining Scooter Films, I’ve often worked on creating mini anime series that are spin-offs from well-known game titles. For example, “UmaYuru” is distributed via our YouTube channel and features characters from Uma Musume in mini-animation forms. This is what we’ve been doing. Regarding the company’s concept since its inception, we’ve constantly been thinking about how to come up with original projects in animation. We understand that having a studio function is necessary for creating original projects, which is quite fundamental but crucial. The company I previously worked for focused primarily on planning, and while they had leading creators, they didn’t own studio space. This often limited their ability to take projects to completion. Therefore, it became clear to us that we must have the capacity to create our own projects responsibly to succeed.
Additionally, having core creators is extremely important. We believe it’s essential to connect not just with internal creators but also with interesting individuals outside the company, including indie game developers. If we only rely on our internal team, it can become overly burdensome, which is why meeting various creators is vital.
Kimura
It feels similar; we also have many companies that focus only on planning, and in that sense, it’s similar that we prefer to hold creators within our company.
Harada
Exactly. As I listen to your story, I see the internal capability to produce as well as a willingness to hire external creators. This is quite similar.
Kimura
Indeed.
Harada
Another aspect, especially for anime, is where to distribute it. Anime visuals often lack a straightforward marketplace. There are only a handful of platforms that allow animation studios to continuously create works. Traditional avenues include television, which has been the case for much time, and more recently, streaming platforms and films. Thus, having strong channels that connect producers and creators with audiences is essential. As is often discussed, it’s believed that if a film becomes a hit at Toho, it attracts many good projects to their door. Having a strong media link is paramount.
Moreover, my parent company Twin Engine, known for founding the famous Noitamina late-night anime time slot on Fuji TV, is also significant. At that time, Noitamina was a powerful platform that birthed many anime projects. Therefore, having a “strong place = owning media” is crucial to succeed. However, realizing this with a small company is quite challenging, and it poses a dilemma.
On a related note, another important factor is how we can conduct ourselves and our branding. Simply having a strong media presence does not guarantee sales. The success can greatly vary from one scenario to another. If we merely create a piece and then expect it to prosper without further engagement, the project is unlikely to flourish. Therefore, we need to commit to how we can connect our creations to the audience and build a fan base through branding, even though it may seem vague.
Kimura
This sounds great.
Harada
Meanwhile, our studio has around ten members, so our capacity is limited. However, we want to maximize our capabilities within that scope. Our animation production will be conducted within the studio. As for media, we are exploring the notion of owned media by launching our web media platform. Though its immediate impact as a media outlet is still growing, it’s an excellent place to meet people like Mr. Kimura, other creators, and brainstorm ideas.
Building strictly work-based relationships limits our ability to explore innovative and enjoyable concepts. Therefore, we are operating our media not just for orders but as a space to explore new企画. For instance, we are currently managing a few creative collaborations, including one with a creator duo called “Minami-Kata Research Institute.” They are behind the trendy MV type digital content, but are now developing an original game with us.
We are also engaging a creator who recently graduated from university, JINO, who creates intriguing MV-style animations, but also has an affinity for story writing and is collaboratively crafting a WEBTOON with us.
Furthermore, we have toubou., a talented illustrator and animator who recently created a short film. We are collaboratively working to expand this concept into the game space.
We also have “Shiohigari,” a creator known for sharing one-panel comics on social media, who has also been working with us to create a new WEBTOON and to develop a murder mystery project together.
As for media, we are currently emphasizing SKOOTA, where we just published an article featuring Mr. Kimura.
Kimura
Thank you very much.
Harada
Essentially, our podcast features a variety of conversations with different individuals that we later turn into articles, with a vision of becoming a platform to share game projects and eventually publish WEBTOON. When we launched Scooter Films, we thought about how to introduce original projects, and given the rising popularity of WEBTOON, we decided to initiate that route. We’ve been developing an original WEBTOON with JINO, realizing that for web comics, it feels a little casual to just start serializing and getting it out there. However, when we approached specialized web media, they typically require a substantial amount of content up front, making the process cumbersome.
So, we have been secretly working on this for over a year and are finally nearing a public release this year. We feel confident about the quality and uniqueness of the content, and while our production pace has been slow, we also plan to experiment by launching lighter projects for quicker releases.
Having said that, our focus remains on doing what we can for our game projects. Recently, we are coordinating with our management team to prepare a more extensive game content collaboration.
Originally, we considered whether to develop it into a movie or a streaming original animated series, but due to the challenge of getting something none knows into distribution, we are looking to expand it into the game space first, before later exploring its potential for adaptations in other media.
We believe Mr. Kimura’s Yokaze label might share a thematic proximity to our project’s world concept, and we would love the opportunity to collaborate with him as a partner.
Next is a summary of our internal projects, where we already have three titles launched on Steam. We’ve been able to produce high-quality content relatively quickly, creating everything from concept to visuals, storylines, trailers, and setting up Steam listings within 3-4 months.
Kimura
That’s amazing! The visuals and overall world are truly aligned. I feel this nature of creation is well-suited to animation studios.
Harada
Yes, while we strive for creativity and artistic expression without solely falling into the trend of anime, we seek out what we genuinely want to pursue. This interplay is essential since engaging in original projects grants us the opportunity to explore our creative core.
Some projects might have taken on humorous angles, allowing us to experience unbounded creativity. One project, for instance, emerged from an animator’s affection for drawing thighs and is centering around drawing cute girl’s resources.
We have many more projects like this and I personally felt it was more meaningful to exhibit rather than merely being an audience member. With that in mind, we will participate in the TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT 2024 event happening in early March in Kichijoji.
Kimura
Our booths will be adjacent.
Harada
Exactly! We plan to exhibit side by side, collaborating and promoting each other’s works. Additionally, we also plan to participate in this year’s Bit Summit.
Kimura
That’s right; we will be exhibiting together, and I hope we can maintain that adjacency.
Harada
Indeed, I’d like that too!
Kimura
As we continue our friendship, we will leverage our indie game promotion and production know-how to create fantastic games together.
Harada
Yes! After hearing your thoughts, I feel greatly motivated. By actively engaging in projects ourselves and exchanging ideas, there’s no progress without action.
Kimura
Absolutely! After seeing Mr. Harada’s passion, I recognized this endeavor is serious. I have always believed that the domains of animation and indie gaming have high compatibility. Through our discussions and outcomes so far, I am glad to have met someone with such good intentions as Mr. Harada, given that I am also an avid fan of anime and manga.
Harada
Since I come from a film and animation background, I can anticipate encountering various challenges in the game industry ahead.
Kimura
Absolutely. Game development often takes much longer than expected, especially in the indie scene. So let’s take our time and work hard together.
Harada
Indeed. As mentioned earlier, the wish list feature on Steam is remarkable. If you search for Scooter Films on Steam, you will find our three titles available.
Kimura
That’s right! You can also search for games by Room6; while not all are released yet, we invite you to explore and register if you’re interested.
In conclusion, we feel a significant potential in the collaboration between animation and indie games. We are quite excited about what this partnership can create.
Although we have run over time, thank you very much for your attention today.
Harada
Thank you!
Moderator
Thank you, Mr. Kimura and Mr. Harada.
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