SKOOTA GAMES Journey So Far Part 2

The game development that suddenly started in September 2023 began with about 10 projects, and by the end of the first month, we narrowed it down to around half. After further discussions within each team, we ultimately selected three titles and decided to start by producing trailers (PV).

During this process, what the production team emphasized from the beginning was that it is a teamwork endeavor, and we must get something out into the world, no matter what!

Regarding teamwork, it’s natural since we are a company, but I feel that this sense is something that Japanese organizations are not particularly good at. I might not know much about sales or athletic organizations, and it could be that they are not all like that, but there seems to be a strong ideal image of “a town factory led by a genius master.” That’s not something everyone can do, and honestly, I don’t think it lasts long, so we are trying to build a team that matches us.

Additionally, the idea of getting something out into the world might be the biggest difference from the anime industry. After attending several indie game events, I noticed that everyone is actively presenting at events during the planning stages, saying things like, “We’ve accomplished this much!” and “We’ll probably finish it by next year!” When you listen to them, it seems unclear whether they will really complete it by next year. However, they return to events and say, “Look at what we’ve done so far!” Viewers respond positively with excitement, acknowledging the progress made. As they attend events multiple times, the number of people familiar with that game project gradually increases, creating a buzz. I sensed that there is a certain flow or cultural vibe to this.

I thought this was an incredibly ideal culture for creating a project from scratch. Such a culture is rarely heard of in the anime industry. I suspect that in the mainstream part of the game industry, which is primarily led by large companies, such a culture isn’t common either. This may also relate to the context of indie gaming that has existed continuously as a part of the doujin game scene. I felt that the behaviors of so-called game-related ventures combined with this contributed to what seems to be an optimal blend now. Am I being overly optimistic?

(I would like to touch on the movements of “indie” in the anime industry in another place! That topic is also very exciting.)

So, somewhat audaciously, we decided to fully embrace this vibe and, while we just started creating projects, let’s make something and participate in events. However, we can’t just create a game right away since we are an anime studio. Therefore, our days continued with diligently refining the content of the game projects into trailers.

At this time, while aiming for game development, we also articulated our fundamental stance: we are ultimately creating IP, so we will carefully develop the characters, worldviews, and stories.

A PV created with a focus on the worldview of “月の鱗”.

A PV for “色あせの果てに,” created with an emphasis on the worldview. The production is ongoing to delve deeper into the worldview and create appealing character designs.

These trailers are all about demonstrating what we want to create with full commitment.

The first event we attended was at BIT SUMMIT, where we greeted the organizers at Phoenixx Inc. and decided to participate in the “TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT 2024,” which they personally told us about. It’s also a positive factor that it’s close to Kichijoji, and not very large. The timing was just right. Our production team had experience in event-related work from previous jobs, so we were able to set up a booth that looked the part, even if we were just mimicking what we saw.

The concept of our booth, which was fully focused on the trailers, probably intrigued many people with the idea of “we are an anime studio, and we have started making games.” And of course, there’s the “Momo Club”!

The completed PV of “Momo Club” can be seen here. On the day of the event, this PV was playing continuously at the venue, and the sound sticks in your ears.

Thank you very much to everyone who stopped by and tweeted about us!

So, with gratitude towards everyone in the indie game community who warmly welcomed us as we joined the event with just our PV, I boldly declared to Kimura from room6, “Next time, I will definitely bring a playable demo!” and “I will take a demo to BitSummit!” What should I do?

Let me repeat: we are an anime studio!

SKOOTA GAMES will be exhibiting in the indie game corner! We will keep releasing the latest information through X, so please follow us and turn on notifications to await further updates!