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After the recording, I felt that Mr. Kimura’s career at room6 is a story where the changes in the game industry intersect with personal passion. Born in 1972, Mr. Kimura aspired to be a game developer while facing the employment ice age. However, due to the economic conditions of that time, he initially started his career as a business engineer. Nevertheless, his passion did not fade, and it was reignited with the advent of the iPhone.
I would like to recount the story that connects this to his current work at room6.
From Business Engineer to Game Development
In the 1990s, Mr. Kimura started his career by engaging in the development of various business systems, including accounting systems, network security systems, and television station programming systems. The story of spending New Year’s Eve in front of a computer during the “Y2K problem” in 1999 evokes a sense of the times. The technical skills and experience he cultivated during this period became a significant foundation for his later game development.
In 2007, the arrival of the iPhone marked a significant turning point for Mr. Kimura. He was shocked by Steve Jobs’ presentation and felt a strong desire to challenge himself in iPhone app development. However, his conservative workplace did not accept his proposal. This prompted Mr. Kimura to decide to become independent, and he founded his company in 2010.
The Impact of the iPhone and Independence
After becoming independent, Mr. Kimura initially continued with business-related work, but around 2013, he began to seriously engage in game development. The catalyst for this was his fascination with the possibility of creating games alone by utilizing the iPhone framework. The iPhone provided an environment where individual developers could produce high-quality games due to its simple operability and powerful development tools. This allowed Mr. Kimura to find a path to realize his unique ideas.
Having experienced the time around 2009 when I first held the iPhone 3G, I can deeply understand this feeling, as I witnessed in real-time how various services and possibilities unfolded through applications on a device that fits in the palm of my hand. The internet and the iPhone felt like the beginning of my life.
However, it can be assumed that the early stages of game development were filled with trial and error. He likely had to relearn programming details and spent a lot of time building design and user interfaces.
New Possibilities of Indie Games and the Importance of Music
While dedicating himself to game development independently, Mr. Kimura realized the new possibilities of indie games. Nowadays, indie games, which are not bound by the frameworks of large companies, allow for free thinking and maximize individual creativity, creating a fertile ground for innovative ideas and unique stories. However, at that time, there was still an atmosphere of small-scale, low-budget game development.
When asked about the elements he seeks in games, Mr. Kimura emphasized the importance of music in games. Especially in indie games, incorporating live music is quite rare (due to high costs and technical hurdles), but he strongly believes in its value. From his words, I understood that “music shapes the game’s world and has the power to stir players’ emotions.”
His encounter with composer Daisuke Shiiba, who is from Nintendo, had a significant impact on Mr. Kimura’s game production. Shiiba’s music adds depth and realism to the games. Mr. Kimura was strongly attracted to Shiiba’s music and was able to incorporate a unique musical experience into his games through their collaboration. This music functioned not merely as background music but as an essential element of the game.
Moreover, Mr. Kimura states that in his game development, the combination of music, scenario, graphics, and game systems is essential to create captivating works for players. Indeed, the charm of indie games lies in their unique “worldview,” which differs from the meticulous graphics and excellent game systems of major consumer games, and music and scenarios are elements that cultivate such a worldview.
Distinctive features are sometimes avoided in major commercial games aimed at a large number of consumers, leading to the creation of somewhat similar products. However, in indie games, there are no such constraints, allowing developers the freedom to present a somewhat egoistic worldview.
Games as Interactive Media
In game development, feedback from test players is extremely important. Mr. Kimura, while experiencing the difficulty of judgment, continues to respect the opinions of test players and strives to enhance the game’s quality. Feedback from test players plays a crucial role in revealing minor bugs and points for adjusting game balance that developers might overlook. Since indie game development is often carried out by small teams, flexibility in incorporating external opinions is essential to achieve maximum results within limited resources.
Furthermore, by accepting feedback from test players, not only is the quality of the game improved, but the relationship with the player community is also strengthened. I believe that such a strong community is a characteristic of game platforms. This is also an important asset for indie game developers, as the cooperative relationship with players can lead to long-term success.
The medium of video, which I specialize in, is linear, and viewers passively consume its content. However, games possess interactivity, and they are completed only when players actively engage. Players’ choices and actions directly influence the game’s progression, resulting in different experiences for each player, even with the same game. This is one reason why game development is complex, as it requires designing different experiences for each player.
Mr. Kimura also states that game development is the pinnacle of complex systems. While providing players with the freedom to choose, adjustments must be made to ensure that the overall balance of the game is not disrupted, which requires highly advanced skills and insights. To successfully achieve such complex designs, repeated testing and refinement are essential, and this is where the role of test players becomes crucial, highlighting the differences from producing content in the medium of video.
The Miracle of Co-Creation Among Creators
Co-creation among creators is very important. In the co-creation process, the expertise and unique perspectives of each creator merge, creating new value that cannot be produced alone. However, I feel that creating an environment where healthy co-creation can take place is a challenging task. One example of what Mr. Kimura has achieved is “Phantom AP.” This work was created through collaboration among creators, and he mentions that communication progressed smoothly and the project proceeded in an ideal manner. The tension created during such a process was something I felt while playing, leading me to think, “So that was the case.”
An important point of co-creation is to share each other’s visions and collaborate to create new value. The stronger the trust relationship among creators, the greater the effect of co-creation. This is particularly important in indie game development, where small teams can work together to advance projects, resulting in more attractive and innovative games.
The Direction of the Brand and the Importance of Select Shops
The indie game label “Yokaze,” which Mr. Kimura is involved with, aims to provide selected games like a select shop. This is an important strategy to meet consumer needs and avoid wasting time. The modern game market is rich in content, and consumers sometimes find it difficult to discover games that suit them among many options. Therefore, “Yokaze” serves as a guideline for consumers by carefully selecting reliable games.
The select shop approach is not only important for providing high-quality games but also for building brand reliability. Mr. Kimura aims to give players a sense of security and expectation by ensuring that the games offered by “Yokaze” possess consistent quality and unique charm. This is key to building long-term relationships with consumers and is an important element supporting the future of indie games.
Conclusion of This Editorial
Mr. Kimura’s career and his creative philosophy provide guidelines for success in the indie game industry. By incorporating feedback from test players, he enhances the quality of games, understands the complexity of games as interactive media, and creates new value through co-creation among creators. Additionally, by adopting a select shop approach, he builds long-term relationships with consumers by providing reliable games.
I feel that Mr. Kimura’s efforts serve as a model and success story for indie game developers. I hope that his passion and strategies will contribute to the development of the entire indie game industry and help expand the framework of entertainment content from Japan, fostering an environment where interesting content can emerge.
As someone who creates linear entertainment content daily, I also want to take inspiration from Mr. Kimura’s movements and create interesting content that exists in the space between linear and narrative.
(Written by Yuki Sakoda)
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