The current top of the Nintendo Switch's download ranking list is indie game Exit 8. The game is set in a subway corridor-like space and features a mistake-finding mechanism in which players try to find anomalies and escape. It is priced at 470 yen, about one-tenth of the price of a typical software for the Switch.

500-yen console games are being used by individual developers and small manufacturers to give form to their original ideas and win the hearts of consumers through social networking services. While major game companies are moving toward higher functionality and higher prices, the niche market is expanding. According to the Yano Research Institute, the market size in FY2023 was estimated to be 24.2 billion yen, up 24% from the previous year.

One of the factors contributing to market expansion is ‘blockbuster fatigue.’ Major game makers are competing with each other in terms of graphics and depth of storyline, but the longer playing time is resulting in poor ‘time-performance’. The average price of game software has also increased, rising 50% over the past 10 years to an average of 6,311 yen in 2024.

Because indie games can be completed in a short time and development costs are low, many of them are experimental works based on unique ideas. YouTube and other online streaming platforms such as Twitch have also contributed to the spread of indie games, with fad games experiencing spikes in sales that can reach the millions, regardless of marketing budget.

(Photo credit : KOTAKE CREATE)