Where we talk about exeCUTE's members and their roles, what places Japanese indie developers can showcase their games, and the Comiket application procedure
DM
Can you tell us a bit about your background? Why did you become a game developer? exeCUTE I've thought about becoming a game developer since elementary school, so as a new graduate I became a programmer at a small game company in Tokyo. The state of affairs of the business got worse, and after about a year collapsed. After that, while working at a job unrelated to games, I began to make doujin games. After 5 years like that, I completed Fantasy of Alice, and I'm once again working at a game company in Tokyo. DM I’ve already mentioned Fantasy of Alice. As a turn-based strategy it’s quite different from Rasetsu. Can you tell us a bit about the game? exeCUTE Fantasy of Alice is a "stage clear" type strategy game. There are no levels, and there also aren't any items that can be carried over to the next stage. As players use the items that are each stage to go and defeat the enemies, it's a game with strong puzzle elements. I often hear that it is similar to a shogi puzzle. I designed it so that you could just barely win by defeating the enemies if you play it well, so I think people who like turn-based strategy will enjoy this exciting battle game. There's also no pain in the ass grinding. I think people who like it will like it, but I had confidence that those who like this kind of game would love it (and they actually did!).
DM
What other projects are you working on? exeCUTE Little by little, we are working on other projects outside of Rasetsu that exeCUTE will publish. DM Can you tell me a little about your circle?For example, how long have you existed, where are you located, how many members, their roles, what games you've made? exeCUTE exeCUTE was formed when Fantasy of Alice was made, so we've been around since about 2011. As for the members, currently there are 8 people in all and the following types of roles:
In addition, we also outsource. Once a week, we have meetings via Skype. Because Rasetsu has already taken 4 years, we've only released Fantasy of Alice. DM How does your circle decide the games it designs? exeCUTE Basically I decide however I like. Because I'm the lead on both the scenario design and programming, I made the [game] proposal and prototype, and proceed after listening to the opinions of the others. DM When did your circle first start participating at Comiket? exeCUTE Summer of 2012. DM Can you describe the circle's first experience Comiket? What expectations did you have, and were there any difficulties or surprises? exeCUTE We released the demo version of Fantasy of Alice. Even though it was free, I don't remember many people initially taking it. So, we started promoting it at the booth there and people began taking it. After it was all gone some people who said they wanted it started to show up…in retrospect I think it would've been better to sell it for ¥100 because at least then the people who really wanted it could have gotten a copy. It's quite common to hear that people don't play the games they get for free. DM Many of the people who read this, especially those overseas, may not be familiar with how a circle gets approved to participate at Comiket. Can you explain the process? exeCUTE For general admission, it's fine to just show up on the day of the event. However, there's an extraordinary number of people lining up (there's around 150,000 people), so it's best to prepare for the summer heat or winter chills. In the case of circles, it's necessary to buy an application form. They can be bought at Comiket or online. The application deadline is typically about one week from when Comiket ends, so apply quickly. Even if you apply there's no guarantee that you can actually participate. The number of circles that participate has increased, and there's not enough space so selection is done by lottery. It's more difficult to get in with popular genres, with the selection rate being about 70%. For less popular genres, pretty much everyone gets in. For doujin games, I feel that if you're doing something not related to adventure or strategy, it's pretty easy to get in. DM Have you participated in any other conventions like Comiket, or do you plan to? exeCUTE I've participated at places like the Digital Games Expo. After Rasetsu is done, I want to try selling it at various events. While I've also participated at few other events, they're less than 1/10th the size of Comiket. At Comiket, I can sell over 100 copies in a day, but at these other events I sell far fewer copies so, right now, I'm not going to other events. DM Can you tell us a bit about your experience with the Indie game scene in Tokyo? For example, what events are there and which do you absolutely recommend? How supportive are the people who participate at these events? exeCUTE I recommend the Digital Games Expo at Akihabara. There's no access to electricity at Comiket, so it's a challenge to set up demos at the event. Digital Games Expo, though, provides power, so there's a lot of circles that provide games to test out. I think that you can look around more thoroughly than you can at Comiket. Core gamers come to this event, and it's fun because there is ample opportunity to get their feedback. DM Given the growing number of easy to use tools to develop games and platforms to distribute them, the gaming market has become steadily fragmented. How are Japanese indie developers in general, and exeCUTE in specific, adjusting to these changes? What do you think is the most important thing that Japanese developers need to be aware of? exeCUTE It's become easier to try to make games, and I really do want to make a lot of games. Even if the environment has changed, without being swayed by it, I think I will make the things that I myself like. It's difficult to continue to make money solely in the Japanese market, so I think the allure of overseas markets is strong. As I want people overseas to think my games are interesting, I want to figure out how to do this. With Rasetsu, I will include some sentences during the game where you can read about the subtleties of the culture, like the ones that only Japanese will get, such as why there are many people who are secular, so I think I can recommend to people who are interested in Japanese culture.
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