He was involved in multiple game titles as a concept artist before moving back to Japan in 2009. From there, he joined VITEI as an artist, and went on to become CEO of Vitei BACKROOM in 2015. The year after, he created Skeleton Crew Studio,an indie game studio in Kyoto. With game development technology at its core, he is currently developing VR/AR and other content while taking on new challenges in various fields such as urban development and event production.

Japan is known for its famous studios and their cult games, but more and more smaller creators and studios are producing innovative and original independent games. They are following a trend in the Japanese public, which can also be seen elsewhere in the world, in search of new gaming experiences. This trend is also an opportunity for international independent studios to find a new audience, but only if they take into account the characteristics of the local market.

For his second participation in Meet & Build, Masahiko will be presenting Project 404, a centre for video game creators which opened in July in Shibuya / Tokyo. Located in the new Sakura shopping mall, the centre showcases Japanese independent games and their creators, as well as those from other countries. Wallonia, thanks to its partnership with WALGA, was the first to present non-Japanese games at the inauguration. 

More broadly, the firm provides its legal expertise and represents any company on:

• Strategy for the protection and optimization of trademarks, productions and innovations (filing, registration, monitoring, defense)
• Organization of the rights on video games (transfer of all rights to the studio/publisher/producer, clearance audit, etc.)
• Drafting and negotiation of any contracts (production, publishing, distribution, orders, NDA, licensing, etc.)

The aim of this talk is to present the main points to be addressed by a studio to protect its intellectual property, and the elements to be prepared for negotiating a publishing contract. 

Gabriel will be presenting use cases to showcase the dos and don’ts in order to protect a video game IP.

She relocated to Asia again as a service learning tutor at 嶺南大學 (Lingnan University) in Hong Kong, managing her own courses and organizing the Global Game Jam at Lingnan University. In 2019 she started the channel « Acreates » on Youtube providing tutorials for game maker enthusiasts and interviews indie developers from all over the world. Next to her digital teaching journey she is also a coach and teacher teaching at different institutions.

This talk is inspired by Indie developers Adinda has interviewed, weaving unique stories of similar and sometimes contradictory challenges and achievements during the indie game development journey. Indie Devs from all different kinds of fields and expertise’s setting light on the less common realities of being an Indie Dev. 

Some succeed by following well known practices, others are challenging key strategies. The wide variation shows that there is no set-in-stone recipe for becoming a successful Indiedev.

As this talk takes the main takeaway from 33 different interviews, it is a summary of the best techniques, discusses contradictory methodologies, and shares proper examples. 

The main takeaway is that making the game is one part of the puzzle. Becoming a known indie developer is a journey, and you should understand the importance of being present, productive, and passionate to succeed.

Ana will address the subject of influencer marketing strategies, advise on how to develop and implement successful influencer marketing campaigns that resonate with your audience and to identify the right influencers and platforms.

She will also talk about measuring a campaign’s success using the key metrics and tools to evaluate the effectiveness of influencer marketing campaigns, ensuring a strong return on investment.

Ana will also share her insights and experiences and to discuss the evolving landscape of video game marketing.