Japanese independent game developer community Asobu has launched a new initiative to nurture and support the country's indie scene.
The group wants to help Japanese indies thrive both domestically and abroad by supporting them via a mix of developer outreach, networking, promotional and education events, and consultation opportunities.
Asobu will kick off the initiative with the 'Asobu Indie Showcase,' a video event hosted on YouTube and Twitch that will shine a spotlight on a bunch of promising projects from some of Japan's best and brightest indies.
Other plans are being made to offer additional forms of online support, including an always-open Discord chat server where creators and aspiring devs can come to ask questions, learn, and generally chew the fat, and also take part in special events run by Asobu and its partners.
The group also intends to launch real-world developer support programs from its headquarters in downtown Shibuya, Tokyo, once COVID-19 has subsided -- all of which will be free-of-charge to developers thanks to Asobu's sponsorship model.
"Making games is never easy," commented Asobu co-founder Mark MacDonald, who also works as SVP of production and business development at Tokyo-based developer Enhance, "but Japanese indie devs face unique challenges -- some historical, some cultural -- that have kept them from realizing their true potential; Asobu is our attempt to do something about it."
You can tune in to the Asobu Indie Showcase on Monday, September 21, at 5am PT, 8am ET, or 2pm CEST. If you'd like more information right now, head on over to the Asobu website.