JAPANESE INDIES
The wind rises
How Japan’s Indie Game Incubator is helping build a quiet revolution for the region’s dev scene
Given the huge cultural impact Japan has had on videogames since the 1970s, it is a surprise to learn that there have been no government initiatives to support the industry in the same way as, say, Canada’s tax incentives or Games London’s accelerator programmes. “There are subsidies through the Agency For Cultural Affairs that can be used by game companies, but it’s not a subsidy made especially for them,” explains Sho Sato, co-founder of Japan’s first Indie Game Incubator (IGI). One theory here is that the government doesn’t feel the game industry needs help, and would rather “support the industries that are facing difficulties”.
The tide, however, is turning. Earlier this year, Japan’s Ministry Of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced a project called So-Fu, which means ‘creating a new wind’ in Japanese. It’s intended to support the creation of new, original works in film and videogames through mentorship, expenses support and business connections. And responsible for the game side of the programme is IGI.