Japanese game developer and publisher Marvelous announced the creation of support program Indie Game Incubator, which will be tailored to support independent game developers. This endeavor is specifically for Japanese indie studios. The program will support creators in various ways, including guidance when it comes to development planning, media support, multilingual releases, and marketing strategies. Participation in Indie Game Incubator is entirely free, and the program will last from June to November 2021. [Thanks, Game Watch!]
The program will be entirely online and be overseen by Game BCN, another “incubation” program that is located in Spain. Additionally, Edelweiss, the developers of Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, will be part of the program as mentors for participants. Other developers will be part of the roster of mentors as well. Marvelous mentioned that the company would like to create an environment that allows more indie developers to grow and make a greater contribution to the gaming industry as a whole.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is one of the major indie hits to be published by Marvelous in Japan. (XSEED handled publishing in other regions.) The game shipped 500,000 copies worldwide as of November 2020. The game even sold out in some Japanese stores due to high demand for the title. The Nintendo Switch version made it onto the Nintendo eShop best sellers list.
