Hello members of the itch.io community!
My name is njt - and I would like to welcome you to this group. (P.S. If you'd like to receive updates please click "Join this group" on the group's page)
Group's Purpose
To unite itch.io and the developers of the many wonderful games here with some Japanese partners to get your games even more exposure.
Potential New Client Base
For the past year I've been talking with a couple of companies in Japan that focus on putting games in front of people who have some extra time on their hands. To go into specifics - 1,951 shops serving around 10 million Japanese people.
These companies are very interested in working with itch.io as they're wanting more games to keep their many customers entertained. However, they also need quality control and someone to help bridge that game - which is where my company comes in.
Who We Are
I'm the owner of a business that specializes in localization (mainly of games). For the past 3 years the majority of the work I've done has been through other much larger companies outsourcing their work to us. So a lot of the games we've handled are hidden behind an nda. The games we can speak about can be seen here: http://mugen-creations.com
Plan
First stage
- Touch base with the community and see how many people are interested in getting their product released in Japan. (While localization is recommended, it isn't mandatory. (Games that infringe on copyright or have content that could endanger the Japanese clients will have to be filtered out.)
Second stage
- Talk with each developer individually to see what their expectations are, whether they want to get their game localized(My company can help, but we're not mandatory either) and if they want to sell their game any differently if it's in Japan.
Third stage
- Once interest and various details are decided we'll talk with the client to see their requirements and start the process of getting itch.io adjusted for a new audience.
Fourth stage
- Release itch.io's platform in 1,951 shops across thousands of pcs.
Other Things to Note
The clients are REALLY wanting VR content. So content that supports VR and the device Fove ( https://www.getfove.com/ ) is a must. I'm required to help get them 1 new game every 2 weeks to keep itch.io in the spotlight of their platform (We get 6 months guaranteed - but after that, it depends on how many people signed up.) So all help in this matter will not only help get more people using itch.io in Japan, but it'll also help get more exposure to everyone in general :).
Your Task (What we'd like help in)
First, if you're interested in this project please join, and post in this group with a link to your game and I'll contact you personally to get the ball rolling.
Updates will happen here. I intend to be as transparent as possible but some things I can't say yet due to NDAs on my end(Like specific client details and all parties involved - An NDA between us can allow us to speak a bit more freely, however in due time all will be divulged - so up to you.).
Also note, at no point will your participation be mandatory. If you want to wait until more information is public, that's fine.
Feel free to ask questions and I'll attempt to answer them as promptly as possible.
Thanks!
-njt