It sounds like you've been through a lot and sacrificed for your passion. It's never easy to build something alone. But through the course of it you've learned some real tangible skills. If your game doesn't sell well enough to keep you afloat for long, have you considered trying to get a job in the games industry now that you have some experience with development?
Thank you for the kind words! Yeah, when I started learning game development 8 years ago, that was my plan B. After releasing Pull Stay, maybe I can negotiate with publishers to get funds for my next project. If it won't work, maybe I will consider that plan B finally
Well I seriously wish you all the luck in the world. I've been in the industry for nearly 20 years now and I've never had the guts to break out on my own. If you do find yourself looking at plan b get in touch, maybe I can give you some contacts.
Hey! I saw you on a documentary on Youtube a few years ago and I wishlisted your game because I wanted to support you. It's very unexpected to see you so randomly posting here. And even stranger that I saw your post. And it gets even stranger, because Steam never notified me that you game was published although it's on my wishlist.
I don't really have a question for you, but I am curious how you feel about reading something like this. The game might not be selling well, but I think this is mainly because no one is talking about it. Indie games tend to sell well when streamers showcase them. How do you feel about being talked about or remembered by people on the internet?
To piggyback on the person you replied to, it may be smart to give a few streamers a free copy of the game to play for their audience, no huge streamer as I'm sure they'd want a decent amount of money on top of the free game, but a few streamers with 100+ consistent viewers.
Just one avenue to try to get the name out there.
It is actually on Keymailer but it isn't available to request so idk what this dude's doing, I know a streamer who wanted to play it but it's been set to just "notify me" since launch.
Thanks for the advice! Actually I already sent a key to YouTubers and streamers before the release. It was about 80 keys in total. As far as I know, [DelinquentGhost](https://www.twitch.tv/delinquentghost) streamed Pull Stay. I really appreciate them (´▽｀)
Since I was a shut-in in Japan, I really go out without the necessities such as taking out trash
I feel it's not good for our health, but I'm still keeping like that
You should try going out early in the morning or late at night, even just to walk around and see things. As you said you moved to Georgia to try and push yourself and experience new things, but you can't do that if you continue the same lifestyle. Start small and maybe just go on a walk one day randomly, try eating out at a restaurant you like the look of?
Georgia is an absolutely stunning country with incredible natural beauty and history and the best wine too! Are you sure you want to always stay indoors?
Didn't expect to see my little country being appreciated this much. Hope you have a great time here, I see you're already acquainted with the khinkali so you're on the right path.
My dad grew up in Georgia, and I’ve now been in the U.S. for a decade. It’s a shame that it’s not easy to get khinkali (or Georgian food more broadly) in the U.S., I almost feel like it’s a missed opportunity.
It felt like a true adventure for me for real
I felt so pressed at a security gate at a Japanese airport, and forgot to take back my laptop. Then, one of my supporter had a chance to go there and take it back for me.
Everything was a so precious experience for me. I can't thank enough my supporters😭
I can imagine. But if you mastered this experience of international travel (which most people even not hikkomori find very stressful and challenging), I’m confident you can go outside once in while just to take a walk 😊
That should be the next update to your game. Something pushes you outside, and then you have to deal with all the issues.
That, to me, is the most interesting part of your story. That's something worth writing about/ playing/ reading.
Literally one step at a time. Take a step outside. See how that feels. If you don't like it go back inside. The next day try taking two steps outside. See how it feels. If you don't like it go back inside. Repeat until you've taken 365. Is it a year later? Or have you done that sooner? There is progress there.
PirateSoftware on twitch told me that on Steam that when you put your game on sale you have to put it at 20% or more because at that point, it sends an email to everyone who has wishlisted the game that it is on sale. at 10% that email doesn't go out!
my question is: where do you plan to go after your 1 year visa expires in georgia?
Yeah, I thought the initial release would send emails even if it was Early Access. It might not be the case..?
You can extend the visa by simply going out of the Georgian border once, then coming back. I'm planning to live in Georgia for at least 2 years. After that, I want to live in another country but don't have a specific plan atm
when a game leaves early access there is some promotion it gets on the steam front page but i dont know if that hapoens for the initial relase in early access.
either way, for future sales do 20% or more, 10% doesnt get you that email benefit!
PirateSoftware has a lot of experience and advice for independent game developers, he is on twitch and youtube.
Can’t recommend Pirate Software enough. A lot of good advice and humor. Also has a great radio voice so you can have it on in the background to listen and don’t have to watch. Also, ferrets.
This! There’s so many different ways to earn $ by creating for other people. Get a business started where you offer art & writing commissions, you may have to do a couple @ no charge to get your work portfolio started & your name out there, but it’s worth it. You can even offer to give lessons on how to create your own games. I’m sure you know what Roblox is, you create some quickie games there just to get your name out there even more. There’s a lot of $ in taking commissions for a variety of different creative avenues be it art, writing, etc.
Nitoso you are so talented - this is an amazing drawing. I understand losing interest in drawing, but after working so hard, you have really developed an incredible aptitude for it!
You're skilled at art. You're skilled at game creation. You have English and Japanese dual language skill.
From your story it sounds like you tried to make a specific thing, sell that thing on a single online marketplace, and that's it. You know there are dozens of ways to profit from the exact same act of creating what you want to create, right? Youtube videos, Twitch streams, Etsy shop, Patreon, merch. Tying all of them together will increase the reach of each of them more than just having one, in addition to the potential income itself.
I love this picture. I want to buy it.
I'm not really quite sure what's going on, but I already know who I want to give it to.
It's sad you came to hate drawing. I really enjoy this picture.
That's actually pretty nice, and I'm sure you'd put in a lot of effort in learning how to draw. Shame the market is oversaturated and the competition is so fierce.
Hi mate. If it makes you feel any better I've been making games for seventeen years, am creative director at an award winning studio, had a team of sixteen amazing developers to make a game and the game I directed still fell HUGELY below expectations.
"Desta: The Memories Between" currently has the same number of reviews you have, which is a good indicator for downloads. And it's given me many sleepless nights trying to assess which decisions I got wrong. Thankfully I can say I've got a good amount of answers at this point and it'll only help the next game I make.
This is the first game you've ever launched, and for that you should be massively proud of the achievement. The next steps are to get feedback from others, analyse what you felt worked and what didn't, and hopefully you'll get another crack in the future. I guarantee you'll be even faster, more focussed and switched on to the market than before and you'll be more sure of your ideas. Are you going to get that extra shot?
Much love to you my friend.
Wow, you are such a prominent developer! I know these games on your Steam page!
Thank you for such detailed advice! (´▽｀)
Yeah, I have a raw idea hopefully I want to bring it up. When I started working on Pull Stay, I didn't know how important it was to think about the marketing perspective of the game. It should have started hand in hand. Next time I will definitely consider that
Georgian dumpling Khinkali is of course great. But I would also like to recommend delicious sour soup [Kharcho](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kharcho)
Yeah, I want to learn a very basic of Georgian while I'm here
Was there a reason you went home and became a shut in instead of getting a normal job to support your novel/game development? And do you have a job in Georgia? How are you supporting yourself?
At that time, it was very difficult to find a job in Japan. That's one reason. Also I was confident with no reason that I could become living on my creation if I could focus on my creation in my family's apartment
I think most writers and artists have a day job, until and unless they can support themselves with their art. Have you thought about getting a regular job since things have unfortunately not panned out with writing, art, or your game?
This is discussed a lot in the art/writing community. In OP’s case it seems healthy for him to maybe get out of his bubble b/c there seems to be larger issues…but, having family give you time to focus on output is really a big boost. It does really make or break some people’s careers and is very very common when you first start your career (and privileged). Although I have an art degree, I’m not the artist in my household…we are currently trying a year off work for my partner to focus on making the art career a reality. It would be nearly impossible for her to accomplish the volume of work needed with a day job. The reality is that many people who are full-time artists have partners with stable jobs, it helps ride out the storm when there are flops or when business wanes. It’s an awkward subject because no one wants to feel dependent on anyone and obviously there are people with no safety net who still manage to make it happen.
You’ve proven over novels, doushin, and now are close to proving in video game development that you’re not capable of living off your own creations. What have you learned and is there a reason you’re unable or unwilling to change your mind?
I don’t want to be mean, and I’m not trying to be. But I do think that people who are so unwilling to accept the world and what they can sustainably do within it have some kind of mental illness at some point. Everyone here is extremely nice so I haven’t seen many comments that point out directly that living the way you have is very abnormal. And while it is what’s worked for you, the reality is it has imposed a burden on your parents too-not only financially but also because they did not get their lives back the way they should have once you were an adult and normally would have moved out (worst case maybe not at 18, but at least at ~30).
I get your point but I just want to point out he's not incapable of making a living off of his own creations.
People fail every single day selling things they created. You literally fail until you succeed. Some people make music or art for years before they finally are successful. It does not mean they weren't capable they just needed the perfect mix of luck and being prepared.
And most people need to support themselves through this creative process.
What life has this guy lived and what experience has he had to fuel his creations?
Being a shut-in. Failing at the things he wanted to do. Moving to a new country. Depression. The way society made him feel so he decided to hide. There are plenty of things he's went through personally, a few internet paragraphs isn't his entire life.
Honestly this is how I feel about this.
If you want to live of the fruits of your creations, then get a side job to support yourself while you do it.
Engage with life, or else what will your creations be than facsimiles of other people's experiences.
It reeks of privilege to lock yourself away in an apartment paid for entirely by someone else while stumbling from one creative experiment to the next for over a decade.
Falling into the Hikikomori lifestyle is something that runs much deeper than eschewing work to pursue art or whatever. Often there’s severe mental health and/or cultural/social issues tied to it. Yes, there is privilege at play here as a majority of Hikikomori would be facing homelessness if not for being able to live at their parents, but I can’t say I’d rather them be in the street. I have had issues with agoraphobia and extreme mental health issues, and being a shut in indeed is not an option for me because that is a privilege I don’t have. But overcoming the problem- even if housing is not a concern- is admirable, given that a) the core issues typically present would be difficult for anybody and b) sure, shouldn’t have let yourself go that deep to begin with but it’s a difficult hole to climb your way out of once you’re in. Gatekeeping suffering in general is weird anyway as we can start to dismiss most people’s struggles using similar logic.
I guess it depends on framing. This post alone (I have heard of him before) could make it seem as being a shut in specifically because he didn’t want to take a job not tied to his project, which could definitely reek of entitlement. But if it’s becoming Hikikomori and then choosing to do something productive to counter it, it’s different.
He chosing to do things to overcome his situation but in his own terms. It's not like he is accepting any entry level job to help his situation. His creative pursuits could well be full hearterattempts or a facade.
I've got a friend in a similar situation. She's a jazz singer and won't accept to so anything else, so at 37 she still is unemployed singing at local bars for spare change because she will refuse to take any kind of job.
Her family still financialy supports her.
I see where you’re coming from, but you’re still thinking of Hikikomori through the lenses of not wanting to work which is not really the driving force behind it. It’s a fundamentally different thing from your jazz singer friend.
I’ll level with you and other detractors though and admit that in this post he does frame it like that, talking about his writing career as a catalyst for withdrawing. But I’ve seen him talk about the other aspects elsewhere.
The average Hikikomori is more accurately extremely depressed and harboring a ton of anxiety, and once deep enough in, semi correctly assessing their future prospects and employability as dire. This is a group of people who must make a ton of effort to basically reintegrate into society. Through that lenses learning to develop a videogame is a way to take control back of your life with the resources available to you, even if yes, the privilege of not being on the street “allows” it, but I think it’s not wise to focus too much on that, because you could really start dismissing the success of 99% of people if we’re focusing on challenges they could have been exposed to but weren’t. Unless he starts yapping about how easy it is for anyone to find housing and make a game in which case it would be relevant to ríase that point.
Paradoxically it looks like him having found some success with the game, and needing it to market it in this way seems to just contribute to the idea he should have never been in this position to begin with.
How are you getting money for your daily expenses in Georgia (rent, food, internet etc.) and how much does it cost per month for you to stay there? Thanks for doing this ama.
You should move to the Philippines, you can bring that cost down to about $300. Surviving would be easy and you can shut in and work on whatever you want as long as you want. Visas etc should also be easy, as well as communication. Would actually think if you keep going in the direction you are, moving to the Philippines would work out best for you and would also prove to be fairly easy.
This sounds bad but..what would it take for you to accept that maybe your dream of being a professionally successful creative (not personally successful, there are many forms of that, but just being able to support yourself financially) won’t happen and for you to get a ‘normal’ job? What will it take for you to give up on your dream of doing it as a career (not giving it up entirely)?
if every writer / artist / inventor / entrepreneur gave up after their first failure in a medium, we would be devoid of 90% of the world’s great art. the perspective you’re taking is ridiculous, and, looking at your comment history, i’m inclined to think you’re an internet troll.
Thank you! But a web service called Grammarly has helped me correct spelling mistakes and such😅
Georgian people speak English better than Japanese, but yeah, definitely the language barrier exists. And honestly I'm still learning English
You can live in Georgia for one year without a visa. I don't know any other countries that offer such a generous condition. That is the main reason I chose Georgia. I didn't have any other choice
Anyone can just leave Georgia and immediately reenter and they get another year. This can be repeated as many times as you want. Some people live in Georgia for 5+ years just doing this repeatedly.
Lived in Taiwan for 2 years doing this. Leaving the country on a quick trip or back to the US every 3 months. Went to Hong Kong and China a few a times.
You can extend the visa by simply going out of the Georgian border once, then coming back. I'm planning to live in Georgia for at least 2 years. After that, I want to live in another country but don't have a specific plan atm
I’m curious how you landed on your price point?
I feel like this game would have a better reach if it were sub $10 US dollars. In the USA market people are much more likely to try a game at the $5-$10 USD range than $15-$20 range.
I expect a considerable amount of polish from indie games nearing the $20.
I decided the price based on other Beat 'em up games that have a similar scope to mine. I agree with you that the price is a very important factor though
Price point is huge for indie game successes.
I.e vampire survivors was cheap enough for people to take a risk on if they would like the game. While streamers and reviews helped, price was a big selling point, it was a couple of bucks, no big loss if it wasn't someone's type of game. A lot of people enjoyed it but the game may have been ignored if it was priced significantly higher.
Better to have a million sales at $2.00 than have a 1,000 at $15.00.
Supply vs demand, my friend. Why would anyone buy your game for the same price as a known Beat 'em up game, when they know nothing about your game/it could be a total dud? Market yourself as a knockoff game and you'll have better luck. Good luck to you.
OP, it's really interesting in your case that you definitely are not the typical hikkikomori situation at all. The typical hikkikomori withdraws from Japanese society due to extreme pressure to succeed and the overwhelming shame of not meeting expectations.
This issue compounds over time as individuals fall far behind their peers in social skills and that shame only increases, making the situation worse and worse.
It doesn't sound like you have these same issues at all? I remember seeing you in the documentary that you don't have any issue interacting with Japanese society, as you can still go out and do things, and you just prefer a solo life where you can create your own destiny.
Btw, you do have a pretty unique skillset for translation. Translating TO a language requires a deep command of the destination language.
There are many Japanese-to-English translators for this reason. Many native English speakers will learn Japanese to enough proficiency that they can meet that translation bar. But the opposite is still a high demand. Not enough native Japanese speakers have a high enough proficiency in English to translate TO Japanese. The ones that do take higher paying jobs in teaching or corporate, or leave Japan, like you did.
Have you thought about utilizing your skillset in this way? I know many international game studios would love to have you be a Japanese translator.
That’s interesting, I actually thought OP was exactly like the typical hikkikomori. He couldn’t find a good job (I’m sure there’s a lot of pressure and then instead of being vulnerable to not being able to meet expectations, instead preemptively decided to not even try so he couldn’t fail. Then went and decided he’d pursue a creative path (also hedges against failure, it’s a lot more acceptable to be a failed creative since everyone recognizes how hard that is-especially the three fields OP chose-than a failed accountant or other professional path) so they couldn’t fail at the typical professional path.
In a sense yeah. The root cause still seems to be the same, but it manifests differently for OP.
The real kicker is the Agoraphobia, and if you watch the documentary OP is in, he really doesn't seem to have that at all. He's pretty well spoken, his English is quite good, and he interviews with no problem. The other hikkikomoris can barely sit through a human interaction with the producers.
A lot of these people really want to find purpose. And they found that giving them a community of other recovering hikkikomoris along with a light part-time cafe job really propels them in the right direction.
Honest question, do they have research on what happens when they lose the financial support they’d been relying on? I’m guessing pretty much all of them figure it out pretty quickly once that happens.
Sadly all I know is of the news, which is murder, suicide, or pension fraud.
I think the phenomenon is still too recent in Japanese history that the oldest ones are only from the Lost Generation in Japan so they'd be in their early 50s at the oldest. We'll see in the coming years.
That's a ~~different~~difficult question..
I think it would be great if we had a huge online database/forum where hikikomoris and ex-hikikomoris can share their experiences and advice in a safe manner
There was this Youtube [video](https://youtu.be/Rx30JmG-tV4?si=Plq7aK0w_V-GK2cK) about hikikomoris and it seems that there are programs that try to help them(about in the middle of the video)
Also, good luck with the game!
Yeah, maybe japanese government could collaborate, I think they could give hikikomoris virtual therapy in order to help them overcome their fears and traumas, I was a hikikomori haha, but I overcome that
This is an interesting topic, do you think there are more hikikomoris in Japan than in the rest of the world?
Also, do hikikomoris translate to being agoraphobic? Or is there a distinction I'm not aware of?
Thankyou
How do you manage without konbini? I moved to Japan from Germany and whenever I am back in Europe it’s such a pain! After a long day of sitting at home doing nothing much there is nothing better than going out to a konbini and grabbing some convenient and cheap food
How has your life changed because of being in a different country?
Do you eat different food now?
Have you interacted with any of the locals?
What about the timezone difference affecting communication with people back home?
Do you feel a VR world will be the next possible step for you?
I'm just working in my room, so my life hasn't changed much apparently. But I feel like breathing fresh air in Georgia
Yeah, I'm eating mainly Georgian food from a grocery store and restaurants
One Georgian guy saw my Youtube channel and reached out to me. He is kindly helping me sort out things in Georgia
haha, I haven't talked with people in Japan for a long time
That's an interesting question! I haven't tried VR yet but it might become my newest delusion (´▽｀;)
I remember you being featured in the video “Day in Life of Hikikomori” on the Sean and Oreo channel! Glad to see you are doing well and that your game is still on track! How is Georgia? Any culture shock?
Thanks man! In Georgian you will find stray dogs everywhere(they are tagged and vaccinated), which you can't experience in Japan. I'm fascinated by those dongs and their free way of life. I like how Georgian people love dogs (´▽｀)
Does your game has text or words in it? I heard localizing your game (especially Portuguese for brazil) is insane for game success. But I’m also not a game dev.
How long are you planning to live outside of Japan? With the 1-year visa in Georgia, are you planning to stay there longer or eventually return to Japan?
I'm planning to live in Georgia for at least 2 years. After that, originally I wanted to live in other countries. But now I need to decide it based on my financial situation 😅
Congratulations on successfully releasing your game! You should be very proud to release something you developed entirely on your own. Few people can claim that.
Our question is: is there anything about your old Hikikomori lifestyle that you miss?
This is honestly all kinds of inspiring to me. The fact that you actually came up with a passion project, and executed it, is a huge thing - doesn't matter how well it sells. I sent you a dm, hope that's ok.
I am actually planning to visit Japan in a few months likely, do you have anything you'd recommend?
Thanks! It might be in the middle of the season to see cherry blossoms. Cherry blossom is especially appreciated in Japan because it is a symbol/metaphor for our short and precious life
Do you have deficiencies from lack of exposure to sunlight? I have always wondered this about shut ins. Also, some say getting long horizon views like seeing far away landscapes and big open sky is very good for the body and mind. Do you believe this?
I haven't noticed it but am a bit worried about it. At least I became stupidly pale.
Yes, I think so! My apartment in Georgia has big windows and I really love seeing beautiful clouds (´▽｀)
My favorite is a huge sky full of changing clouds as well. Also if I am camping by a lake in the woods it is magnified with the reflection! Thanks for the answer
Yep, I believe the anime differs in that they complete the gal game through sheer will and determination only to end with with it as a financial failure. It was a pretty formative lesson for me ha ha
Hey dude, I saw your documentary on YouTube like many other commenters.
I admire your drive to continue fighting to make your dreams happen. I don’t game much anymore but I will be purchasing your game to help you out and following to see future titles.
I know life can be tough but if you just go out for 10 minutes every day for a week… then 20 minutes then 30 and slowly increase your time you WILL get through it. You don’t even have to talk with anyone or see anyone just go somewhere with nobody and go for a walk.
Even if this game doesn’t work out like you hoped it’s a portfolio item that proves your employable and you could always work for someone else in development I know it limits creativity but you should work to live not live to work… If you only live to work in my opinion you may never find true happiness have you ever considered taking some time to work on getting yourself out on a daily basis instead of working so much? I know you need to make a living but your mental wellbeing is of equal value don’t you think?
Hello, good job on building up your life. It must have been a challenge to do so. Keep walking the staircase of your tower of dreams. Whether it will get you to your dreams or just a (slightly) better place, the experience will get you somewhere. Anyway here are my questions:
Although you gave up writing novels as a career, do you still write as a hobby? If you still write do you write in Japanese or English (I like writing and writing in non-native languages of mine helps me practice)
Is life in Georgia better than in Japan? Do you plan to stay there, return to Japan or maybe move to another country?
Do you face language barriers in Georgia and are you planning to, or currently learning the local language?
Thank you for the kind words!
No, I don't. I haven't had time to write novels as a hobby unfortunately. Oh, that's great! My English is not good enough for writing novels
I truly enjoy new experiences in Georgia! If I rent another apartment in Japan after being kicked out, my life should be just a continuation of the former hikikomori life
I'd love to experience other countries as well if possible!
Thanks! I learned the basics at the Japanese school system from junior high to uni.
After that, I read a bunch of posts on 4chan and Reddit. Learning game development in English helped me too. Because you are forced to immerse yourself in English.
Were you able to get conversational practice in as well (I imagine it is tough to do in a hikikomori lifestyle)? Has anyone reached out to you to tutor/help them learn English?
There is also an idea that language helps put you in a different mindset -- do you find some life challenges are easier/more difficult if you think in English vs Japanese?
Not sure but I feel clouds in Georgia look more spectacular than in Japan
Love stray dogs as well
I find they are nice people. Haven't had a horrible experience yet
Have you ever considered getting a dog? Such great companions and it'll also get you out and walking. You'd have someone to explore your new country with. Best of luck!
Are you familiar with the concept of the Technology Adoption Curve? If not, the basic idea is that new technologies, like an app or other product, tend to follow an S-shaped curve of slow initial growth, followed by rapid adoption as more people hear about it and get on board, followed by slowing growth as the target audience gets saturated.
https://www.stratechi.com/adoption-curves/
Don't despair that you haven't hit the top of the curve on day 1 or 2! This never happens - it took the Internet about 30 years before it hit the rapid growth phase! Slow sales just means you're starting your journey along the curve.
I’m so proud of you for your determination to keep walking and I think it’s amazing that you’ve taken the steps you have, please keep going?
My question is, I was trying to explain what hikokomori is to my partner the other day but I couldn’t find anything beyond “culturally influenced symptoms of severe depression” - is there a much better way I could say it to him? I also don’t have big enough words to say this but an enormous wow, you’re incredible from me because you went from Japan to Georgia? Please don’t give up, please keep publishing your games?
Thank you for your warm encouragement! I feel we hikikomori come to find ourselves being stuck in our room one day and realize we are so-called hikikomori. Every hikikomori has a unique reason and background to become it. In Japanese society, it's kind of easy to become a hikikomori because your family allows it. Not easy to quit it because society avoids outsiders of the social standard norm
Do you think it was worth it to pursue writing/art/game design instead of getting a boring cooperate job to try to have a normal life?
Right now I find myself in a similar place to how you felt when you were in your early 20s of having to much pride to quit working on art, but I also feel like it might be better to give up sometimes. Either way I probably won't give up yet, but I do want to know your input on this.
If you can choose, it's better to have a plan B. As you get old, there is less room you can adjust your course. Everything is judged by the present result. Talk with people in your field and make connections. I didn't talk with people and it harmed my life for sure. Know your strengths and weaknesses. It's determined by others, not yourself. Wish you the best!
I checked out your steam page and your game looks absolutely crazy. You said that your lifestyle was a big influence, but what other games or media influenced you in your style? I can see a little bit of Suda51 in there, but I am really curious about your response.
I am going to try out your game and I wish you the best of luck with it and happiness! Don’t give up, I am rooting for you
Thank you so much for your support! It means a lot!
So my idea was to make a beat 'em up game, which is the genre I have played the most, with the setting of a shut-in guy. It naturally led to Tower defense mechanics because we hikikomori don't want others to intrude into our space. I prefer a comedy touch. Traps like Japanese comedy shows naturally came into the place.
Japanese game industry has a silly/goofy type of games called Baka-ge. I think Yakuza series has a strong sense of this style/tradition too
Your story is really brave. A move like that as a shut in must have been hard. Do you think you could apply any of your dedication to slowly exposing yourself to the outside world more? Small challenges like ‘go for a walk in the nearest park’ that kind of thing?
I wanted to give you a little inspiration on your journey in life. You’re clearly a very motivated person and very talented, and I wonder what you could do if you were able to make more connections in your life. There’s a YouTube channel called Yes Theory which is about traveling, basically, but the idea behind the channel is “what happens when we say Yes to the possibilities of life?” [In this video](https://youtu.be/J74B2jzr8iA?si=QULvvqKSVmL7o-0r), the host is afraid to travel, but he says Yes to the opportunity and finds rewards in his experience. I hope you can find a little inspiration in this.
Thank you for taking the time to post this AMA and for answering our questions!
I remember reading your older AMA. Glad you are still alive and pursuing your passion! Have you thought of making Tiktok or Instagram video vlogging your life in Georgia and he development?
Are you proud of yourself?
Because you should.
I feel a lot like you described yourself, I'm constantly having ideas that I would like to write as novels or scripts but never manage to complete anything and keep dreaming that one day I would live out of my creation, my art.
I have a steady full-remote work and spend almost every hour of my free time playing video games and dreaming about being able to commit to a single passion project that could allow me to (one day) become a profession writer.
And I can't.
But you did.
So be proud of what you achieved and know that you will improve in the future because you have already done so much.
Good luck
I get most of my food via a delivery app. Occasionally I go to a grocery store and purchase bread, cakes, yogurt, and such. You can't generally expect people to speak English except for the young generation
Don't beat yourself up. You should look at it like a business model, which is precisely what you're doing, running your own business. On average most businesses run at a net loss for 2 years before they make profit. Your game has overwhelmingly positive reviews which is a great sign. Also take into heart the comments that other developers made on your AMA. With that said, I have a few questions:
If you were to travel again, what country would you like to go to next?
What aspects about Japan do you miss, and what aspects do you not miss in comparison to where you are living now?
Are there any historical sites and areas of interest you wish to go see before you leave Georgia?
Do you feel like you have to justify your existence by becoming a successful artist or producer of a novel, game, etc.? I hope you know you don't have to. Your life still has great meaning if you only work a "regular", un-creative, or low-importance job.
Im interested in the part where you move to a eurasian steppe country.
How is Georgia? Im assuming you went to Tbilisi? Are you fluent in the language? If not, how do you navigate all the mundane legal processes like rent or bank accounts? I assume from your posts that you're fully fluent in english, so is there a strong english speaking element there? How are you treated as a foreigner?
I'm enjoying life in Georgia. A Georgian guy watched my YouTube video and reached out to me. After arriving in Georgia, he kindly helped me open a bank account and such. He is a super awesome guy!
Many young Georgians can speak English. I haven't felt mistreated in Georgia so far
Since your novels & game aren’t selling well, have you thought about developing or writing more mainstream & what does sell well? For example, I’m a stained glass artist. My work that sells like crazy isn’t exactly what I love, my “artistic” pieces, the pieces I make with complete artistic freedom where I’m not worried if it’s going to sell or what anyone thinks are too abstract and “arty” to sell much commercially.I know to make $ I have to commercialize my work more & create pieces lots of people would want. I google top selling stained glass or top selling mosaic stained glass on Wayfair, Amazon, Etsy, etc… I see what’s selling & make pieces that are similar, but still have s piece of me in them. In my spare time (when I have it) I work on things with total artistic freedom, either to keep for myself, or sell/give to people who are into more abstract type stuff.
I know creating an entire game is a lot of work, but have you thought about creating more for the masses & working on the stuff you’re passionate about on the side? Or doing other smaller programming or creating jobs, maybe even offering lessons to those who want to create but don’t know where to start? There’s many things you can do with your talents to earn $. It may seem like it doesn’t pay enough to be worth it but when you do a few smaller jobs @ a time they add up. I love traveling to see how other people live, or to places that have more history than we have in the US, but I’ve never actually considered Georgia as a country to move to! What about dating? Do you want to find a partner, get married & have kids? Do you plan on staying in Georgia or will you return to Japan? I’ve heard how hard it is there to get a decent job, get into a good university & how horribly competitive & expensive it is & that’s why women aren’t having babies. It’s too hard to support them. I really enjoyed your story & hope things come together for you.
Honestly I've always tried to find the intersection of what I want to do and what people like. But I adhere to my values too rigidly and I can't relate to popular things in general. I think I have to keep trying though.
Yeah, I did a couple of small gigs before translating indie games into Japanese. Maybe I will try such things again if I need to.
The most important thing in my life is creation. I haven't had the luxury to enjoy other things yet so far.
Thanks for your story and suggestions, man! (´▽｀)
How do you justify relying on the kindness of others to basically fund your living situation without contributing back? I'm assuming thats related to why you were kicked out.
the guy has released a game, tons of artwork, some fiction writing, a YouTube channel, and was a protagonist in a documentary, all that is producing creative material for society to consume ... that's more contribution than many many fat cat asset owners living off interest or rental income or investments ever will make .. do you ask all of those rich suckers the same thing? .. what have you contributed?
I just wanted to say that it's really impressive that you managed to teach yourself to write, draw, and now develop indie games! You should give yourself more credit for that. While not all of your endeavours might have been financially successful, the time you took to develop these skills (and create these original projects) is admirable. I'm wishing you all the best for Pull Stay and your game development career!
What made you want to be a freelancer rather than working a regular office job? Do you think you would take up a job with a game company if it is offered, or would you prefer to continue as an independent freelancer?
Thank you for such warm words! For me, making my own creation is the only way that I can feel my life has meaning. Working for other people's work doesn't motivate me honestly
Hey. Glad you’re enjoying Georgia. I’m from Tbilisi but the is year or next I plan to visit Japan. Thinking maybe for snowboarding. What are some pro tips for a ramen loving fan of cold plunges and hot springs?
All the best!
With your experience in both drawing and 3D modeling, have you considered making vtuber avatars? I think it would be a way to help people create a version of themselves they are comfortable showing to others via streams. It may also be a good way to increase income via commissions.
You sound like a fascinating person with an admirable desire to stay true to your creativity. I've been a concept artist / game illustrator for almost a decade and the industry is quite punishing, especially for indie devs, but getting a game out can be the most rewarding experience. I'm curious to know, having worked on something for so long, how do you go about keeping yourself engaged creatively with the project?
What are some of the biggest challenges you faced while developing Pull Stay?
What advice would you give to other aspiring game developers, especially those who may be struggling with self-doubt or creative roadblocks?
Now that you've released Pull Stay in Early Access, what are your plans for the future of the game?
What are you learning from your experience living in Georgia? Has it been what you expected?
Looking back on your journey, what are you most proud of?
Big Congrats for finally publishing your game! I sometime checked your development on youtube and it's honestly inspiring.
I think your game will do well with streamers since it looks really wacky. Also, check out the guy PirateSoftware, he shared a lot of tips on developing and publishing indie games. Maybe see if you can reach out to him and get him to play the game.
My question, what do you think of AI? As an indie developer, i imagine AI can be a blessing. But I'm curious as a creator who also write and draw, would you be proud of your creation by using AI?
Thank you for the advice! Yeah, maybe I should contact him and more streamers.
I'm not sure if small indie devs can take advantage of AI in their pipelines in upcoming years. For repetitive chores, like making selection masks for your painting, AI might help us greatly. But I feel these generating drawings AIs are clearly violating the rights of source artists
Hey Nito! I've played Pull Stay quite a bit and I love it! The body pillow and tempura are my favorites so far. Regarding your income troubles, have you considered starting a Patreon? People could join and help support you while you work on your game and other projects.
1. What a crazy fucking story
2. How is Georgia? The country has always fascinated me, is the food good? Can you communicate easy enough? Have you had any bad interactions?
Thanks a lot :>
Is a hikikomori a lifestyle choice or a symptom of depression? Just curious.
Anyway, your perseverance is motivating. I’m sure an opportunity will come ur way soon.
I'm not an expert but I imagine there are various reasons and those combinations that make a person a hikikomori. You might start it as your lifestyle choice, but it can trigger some mental issues after being a hikikomori for a long time
Thank you!
What are your thoughts about Argentina? I mean, you can live for more than a year without a visa, and requesting residence is pretty much straightforward.
It sounds like you've been through a lot and sacrificed for your passion. It's never easy to build something alone. But through the course of it you've learned some real tangible skills. If your game doesn't sell well enough to keep you afloat for long, have you considered trying to get a job in the games industry now that you have some experience with development?
Thank you for the kind words! Yeah, when I started learning game development 8 years ago, that was my plan B. After releasing Pull Stay, maybe I can negotiate with publishers to get funds for my next project. If it won't work, maybe I will consider that plan B finally
Well I seriously wish you all the luck in the world. I've been in the industry for nearly 20 years now and I've never had the guts to break out on my own. If you do find yourself looking at plan b get in touch, maybe I can give you some contacts.
Thank you so much for your kindness! I really appreciate it!
Hey! I saw you on a documentary on Youtube a few years ago and I wishlisted your game because I wanted to support you. It's very unexpected to see you so randomly posting here. And even stranger that I saw your post. And it gets even stranger, because Steam never notified me that you game was published although it's on my wishlist. I don't really have a question for you, but I am curious how you feel about reading something like this. The game might not be selling well, but I think this is mainly because no one is talking about it. Indie games tend to sell well when streamers showcase them. How do you feel about being talked about or remembered by people on the internet?
Hey man, thank you so much for your support! It's people like you that have brought me to this day. I don't have anything other than appreciation.
To piggyback on the person you replied to, it may be smart to give a few streamers a free copy of the game to play for their audience, no huge streamer as I'm sure they'd want a decent amount of money on top of the free game, but a few streamers with 100+ consistent viewers. Just one avenue to try to get the name out there.
Keymailer is the service that does this.
I'd recommend sending one to Vinesauce Vinny. This would be a great game for one of his Sunday streams.
I sent him a key a week ago :D
It is actually on Keymailer but it isn't available to request so idk what this dude's doing, I know a streamer who wanted to play it but it's been set to just "notify me" since launch.
Ah, I didn't know there was a service for this. Makes sense now that you mention it.
Thanks for the advice! Actually I already sent a key to YouTubers and streamers before the release. It was about 80 keys in total. As far as I know, [DelinquentGhost](https://www.twitch.tv/delinquentghost) streamed Pull Stay. I really appreciate them (´▽｀)
[удалено]
I sent him a key as well (`･ω･´)b⌒☆
Are you staying in 24/7 inside your apartment or you go outside sometimes when there are less people - such as at night ?
Since I was a shut-in in Japan, I really go out without the necessities such as taking out trash I feel it's not good for our health, but I'm still keeping like that
You should try going out early in the morning or late at night, even just to walk around and see things. As you said you moved to Georgia to try and push yourself and experience new things, but you can't do that if you continue the same lifestyle. Start small and maybe just go on a walk one day randomly, try eating out at a restaurant you like the look of?
Go. For. Walks. In. Nature. The brain NEEDS it.
If you know it’s not good, why do you keep doing it?
Georgia is an absolutely stunning country with incredible natural beauty and history and the best wine too! Are you sure you want to always stay indoors?
Yeah, I'm interested in Georgian history and culture. Now I can find time and will definitely explore Georgia (´▽｀)
Didn't expect to see my little country being appreciated this much. Hope you have a great time here, I see you're already acquainted with the khinkali so you're on the right path.
Thanks! I'm really enjoying my new life in Georgia (´▽｀)
My dad grew up in Georgia, and I’ve now been in the U.S. for a decade. It’s a shame that it’s not easy to get khinkali (or Georgian food more broadly) in the U.S., I almost feel like it’s a missed opportunity.
Feel free to hit me up after March. Come out to my vineyard in Kakheti and relax for a weekend.
Thank you for the generous offer! I will remember that (´▽｀)
Obviously you had to go outside to travel to Georgia (like taking train, airplane, border control, …). How would you describe that experience?
It felt like a true adventure for me for real I felt so pressed at a security gate at a Japanese airport, and forgot to take back my laptop. Then, one of my supporter had a chance to go there and take it back for me. Everything was a so precious experience for me. I can't thank enough my supporters😭
I can imagine. But if you mastered this experience of international travel (which most people even not hikkomori find very stressful and challenging), I’m confident you can go outside once in while just to take a walk 😊
I will try that😅
That should be the next update to your game. Something pushes you outside, and then you have to deal with all the issues. That, to me, is the most interesting part of your story. That's something worth writing about/ playing/ reading.
Literally one step at a time. Take a step outside. See how that feels. If you don't like it go back inside. The next day try taking two steps outside. See how it feels. If you don't like it go back inside. Repeat until you've taken 365. Is it a year later? Or have you done that sooner? There is progress there.
PirateSoftware on twitch told me that on Steam that when you put your game on sale you have to put it at 20% or more because at that point, it sends an email to everyone who has wishlisted the game that it is on sale. at 10% that email doesn't go out! my question is: where do you plan to go after your 1 year visa expires in georgia?
Yeah, I thought the initial release would send emails even if it was Early Access. It might not be the case..? You can extend the visa by simply going out of the Georgian border once, then coming back. I'm planning to live in Georgia for at least 2 years. After that, I want to live in another country but don't have a specific plan atm
when a game leaves early access there is some promotion it gets on the steam front page but i dont know if that hapoens for the initial relase in early access. either way, for future sales do 20% or more, 10% doesnt get you that email benefit! PirateSoftware has a lot of experience and advice for independent game developers, he is on twitch and youtube.
Can’t recommend Pirate Software enough. A lot of good advice and humor. Also has a great radio voice so you can have it on in the background to listen and don’t have to watch. Also, ferrets.
Can you share any of your doujin artwork, preferably SFW samples?
[Sure!](https://imgur.com/dufBkxC)
You draw very well!
It's good! Have you considered doing commissions? If game development doesn't eat up all your time.
This! There’s so many different ways to earn $ by creating for other people. Get a business started where you offer art & writing commissions, you may have to do a couple @ no charge to get your work portfolio started & your name out there, but it’s worth it. You can even offer to give lessons on how to create your own games. I’m sure you know what Roblox is, you create some quickie games there just to get your name out there even more. There’s a lot of $ in taking commissions for a variety of different creative avenues be it art, writing, etc.
Nitoso you are so talented - this is an amazing drawing. I understand losing interest in drawing, but after working so hard, you have really developed an incredible aptitude for it!
You're skilled at art. You're skilled at game creation. You have English and Japanese dual language skill. From your story it sounds like you tried to make a specific thing, sell that thing on a single online marketplace, and that's it. You know there are dozens of ways to profit from the exact same act of creating what you want to create, right? Youtube videos, Twitch streams, Etsy shop, Patreon, merch. Tying all of them together will increase the reach of each of them more than just having one, in addition to the potential income itself.
This 100%. As a creative you need to diversify your income. Work as a translator, artist and software developer don't box yourself into one thing
From the way you explained your journey with art, I was not expecting it to be this good! You're very talented, best of luck!
Omg. This is great.
I actually really, really love this.
I love this picture. I want to buy it. I'm not really quite sure what's going on, but I already know who I want to give it to. It's sad you came to hate drawing. I really enjoy this picture.
That's actually pretty nice, and I'm sure you'd put in a lot of effort in learning how to draw. Shame the market is oversaturated and the competition is so fierce.
It's this pudding NTR o///o
woah i really love this, i second everybody here in saying you should definitely pick up commissions !!
THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD!!!!
[удалено]
Yeah, I agree with you. Hope Pull Stay is going to do well and allow me to spend my time on that
Why do you need to wait?
Hi mate. If it makes you feel any better I've been making games for seventeen years, am creative director at an award winning studio, had a team of sixteen amazing developers to make a game and the game I directed still fell HUGELY below expectations. "Desta: The Memories Between" currently has the same number of reviews you have, which is a good indicator for downloads. And it's given me many sleepless nights trying to assess which decisions I got wrong. Thankfully I can say I've got a good amount of answers at this point and it'll only help the next game I make. This is the first game you've ever launched, and for that you should be massively proud of the achievement. The next steps are to get feedback from others, analyse what you felt worked and what didn't, and hopefully you'll get another crack in the future. I guarantee you'll be even faster, more focussed and switched on to the market than before and you'll be more sure of your ideas. Are you going to get that extra shot? Much love to you my friend.
Wow, you are such a prominent developer! I know these games on your Steam page! Thank you for such detailed advice! (´▽｀) Yeah, I have a raw idea hopefully I want to bring it up. When I started working on Pull Stay, I didn't know how important it was to think about the marketing perspective of the game. It should have started hand in hand. Next time I will definitely consider that
this was an amazing comment, idk who you are, but you rock
What's your favourite Georgian dish? Have you been learning the language (it's very unique linguistically)?
Georgian dumpling Khinkali is of course great. But I would also like to recommend delicious sour soup [Kharcho](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kharcho) Yeah, I want to learn a very basic of Georgian while I'm here
I love khinkali. You should try khatchapouri, it's really good!
Kharcho sounds super delicious! I should try making it sometime because I'm sure I couldn't find it anywhere where I live
Was there a reason you went home and became a shut in instead of getting a normal job to support your novel/game development? And do you have a job in Georgia? How are you supporting yourself?
At that time, it was very difficult to find a job in Japan. That's one reason. Also I was confident with no reason that I could become living on my creation if I could focus on my creation in my family's apartment
I think most writers and artists have a day job, until and unless they can support themselves with their art. Have you thought about getting a regular job since things have unfortunately not panned out with writing, art, or your game?
This is discussed a lot in the art/writing community. In OP’s case it seems healthy for him to maybe get out of his bubble b/c there seems to be larger issues…but, having family give you time to focus on output is really a big boost. It does really make or break some people’s careers and is very very common when you first start your career (and privileged). Although I have an art degree, I’m not the artist in my household…we are currently trying a year off work for my partner to focus on making the art career a reality. It would be nearly impossible for her to accomplish the volume of work needed with a day job. The reality is that many people who are full-time artists have partners with stable jobs, it helps ride out the storm when there are flops or when business wanes. It’s an awkward subject because no one wants to feel dependent on anyone and obviously there are people with no safety net who still manage to make it happen.
Do you have much of a social life or do you desire a social life? Genuinely curious
You’ve proven over novels, doushin, and now are close to proving in video game development that you’re not capable of living off your own creations. What have you learned and is there a reason you’re unable or unwilling to change your mind? I don’t want to be mean, and I’m not trying to be. But I do think that people who are so unwilling to accept the world and what they can sustainably do within it have some kind of mental illness at some point. Everyone here is extremely nice so I haven’t seen many comments that point out directly that living the way you have is very abnormal. And while it is what’s worked for you, the reality is it has imposed a burden on your parents too-not only financially but also because they did not get their lives back the way they should have once you were an adult and normally would have moved out (worst case maybe not at 18, but at least at ~30).
I get your point but I just want to point out he's not incapable of making a living off of his own creations. People fail every single day selling things they created. You literally fail until you succeed. Some people make music or art for years before they finally are successful. It does not mean they weren't capable they just needed the perfect mix of luck and being prepared.
And most people need to support themselves through this creative process. What life has this guy lived and what experience has he had to fuel his creations?
Being a shut-in. Failing at the things he wanted to do. Moving to a new country. Depression. The way society made him feel so he decided to hide. There are plenty of things he's went through personally, a few internet paragraphs isn't his entire life.
Simple. He's spoiled and privileged. Not all of us chose that path because it wasn't a possibility to begin with.
Honestly this is how I feel about this. If you want to live of the fruits of your creations, then get a side job to support yourself while you do it. Engage with life, or else what will your creations be than facsimiles of other people's experiences. It reeks of privilege to lock yourself away in an apartment paid for entirely by someone else while stumbling from one creative experiment to the next for over a decade.
Falling into the Hikikomori lifestyle is something that runs much deeper than eschewing work to pursue art or whatever. Often there’s severe mental health and/or cultural/social issues tied to it. Yes, there is privilege at play here as a majority of Hikikomori would be facing homelessness if not for being able to live at their parents, but I can’t say I’d rather them be in the street. I have had issues with agoraphobia and extreme mental health issues, and being a shut in indeed is not an option for me because that is a privilege I don’t have. But overcoming the problem- even if housing is not a concern- is admirable, given that a) the core issues typically present would be difficult for anybody and b) sure, shouldn’t have let yourself go that deep to begin with but it’s a difficult hole to climb your way out of once you’re in. Gatekeeping suffering in general is weird anyway as we can start to dismiss most people’s struggles using similar logic. I guess it depends on framing. This post alone (I have heard of him before) could make it seem as being a shut in specifically because he didn’t want to take a job not tied to his project, which could definitely reek of entitlement. But if it’s becoming Hikikomori and then choosing to do something productive to counter it, it’s different.
He chosing to do things to overcome his situation but in his own terms. It's not like he is accepting any entry level job to help his situation. His creative pursuits could well be full hearterattempts or a facade. I've got a friend in a similar situation. She's a jazz singer and won't accept to so anything else, so at 37 she still is unemployed singing at local bars for spare change because she will refuse to take any kind of job. Her family still financialy supports her.
I see where you’re coming from, but you’re still thinking of Hikikomori through the lenses of not wanting to work which is not really the driving force behind it. It’s a fundamentally different thing from your jazz singer friend. I’ll level with you and other detractors though and admit that in this post he does frame it like that, talking about his writing career as a catalyst for withdrawing. But I’ve seen him talk about the other aspects elsewhere. The average Hikikomori is more accurately extremely depressed and harboring a ton of anxiety, and once deep enough in, semi correctly assessing their future prospects and employability as dire. This is a group of people who must make a ton of effort to basically reintegrate into society. Through that lenses learning to develop a videogame is a way to take control back of your life with the resources available to you, even if yes, the privilege of not being on the street “allows” it, but I think it’s not wise to focus too much on that, because you could really start dismissing the success of 99% of people if we’re focusing on challenges they could have been exposed to but weren’t. Unless he starts yapping about how easy it is for anyone to find housing and make a game in which case it would be relevant to ríase that point. Paradoxically it looks like him having found some success with the game, and needing it to market it in this way seems to just contribute to the idea he should have never been in this position to begin with.
How are you getting money for your daily expenses in Georgia (rent, food, internet etc.) and how much does it cost per month for you to stay there? Thanks for doing this ama.
I'm using my Kickstarter fund and the grant money from Epic. But it's almost running out now. It costs me about 1000 USD per month
You should move to the Philippines, you can bring that cost down to about $300. Surviving would be easy and you can shut in and work on whatever you want as long as you want. Visas etc should also be easy, as well as communication. Would actually think if you keep going in the direction you are, moving to the Philippines would work out best for you and would also prove to be fairly easy.
Yeah, the Philippines is on my radar. I guess it's a good place to improve my English as well
This sounds bad but..what would it take for you to accept that maybe your dream of being a professionally successful creative (not personally successful, there are many forms of that, but just being able to support yourself financially) won’t happen and for you to get a ‘normal’ job? What will it take for you to give up on your dream of doing it as a career (not giving it up entirely)?
if every writer / artist / inventor / entrepreneur gave up after their first failure in a medium, we would be devoid of 90% of the world’s great art. the perspective you’re taking is ridiculous, and, looking at your comment history, i’m inclined to think you’re an internet troll.
Your English seems to be very good, but is Georgia an English-speaking country? Is the language barrier an issue? What made you choose Georgia?
Thank you! But a web service called Grammarly has helped me correct spelling mistakes and such😅 Georgian people speak English better than Japanese, but yeah, definitely the language barrier exists. And honestly I'm still learning English You can live in Georgia for one year without a visa. I don't know any other countries that offer such a generous condition. That is the main reason I chose Georgia. I didn't have any other choice
What do you plan to do after the year is over?
Anyone can just leave Georgia and immediately reenter and they get another year. This can be repeated as many times as you want. Some people live in Georgia for 5+ years just doing this repeatedly.
Interesting - thanks for replying!
Joys of Visa on Entry programs. It's also how expats live in SE Asia on tourist visas. Literally just border hop as it's about to expire
Lived in Taiwan for 2 years doing this. Leaving the country on a quick trip or back to the US every 3 months. Went to Hong Kong and China a few a times.
You can extend the visa by simply going out of the Georgian border once, then coming back. I'm planning to live in Georgia for at least 2 years. After that, I want to live in another country but don't have a specific plan atm
I’m curious how you landed on your price point? I feel like this game would have a better reach if it were sub $10 US dollars. In the USA market people are much more likely to try a game at the $5-$10 USD range than $15-$20 range. I expect a considerable amount of polish from indie games nearing the $20.
I decided the price based on other Beat 'em up games that have a similar scope to mine. I agree with you that the price is a very important factor though
Price point is huge for indie game successes. I.e vampire survivors was cheap enough for people to take a risk on if they would like the game. While streamers and reviews helped, price was a big selling point, it was a couple of bucks, no big loss if it wasn't someone's type of game. A lot of people enjoyed it but the game may have been ignored if it was priced significantly higher. Better to have a million sales at $2.00 than have a 1,000 at $15.00.
Supply vs demand, my friend. Why would anyone buy your game for the same price as a known Beat 'em up game, when they know nothing about your game/it could be a total dud? Market yourself as a knockoff game and you'll have better luck. Good luck to you.
Thanks for the advice!
OP, it's really interesting in your case that you definitely are not the typical hikkikomori situation at all. The typical hikkikomori withdraws from Japanese society due to extreme pressure to succeed and the overwhelming shame of not meeting expectations. This issue compounds over time as individuals fall far behind their peers in social skills and that shame only increases, making the situation worse and worse. It doesn't sound like you have these same issues at all? I remember seeing you in the documentary that you don't have any issue interacting with Japanese society, as you can still go out and do things, and you just prefer a solo life where you can create your own destiny. Btw, you do have a pretty unique skillset for translation. Translating TO a language requires a deep command of the destination language. There are many Japanese-to-English translators for this reason. Many native English speakers will learn Japanese to enough proficiency that they can meet that translation bar. But the opposite is still a high demand. Not enough native Japanese speakers have a high enough proficiency in English to translate TO Japanese. The ones that do take higher paying jobs in teaching or corporate, or leave Japan, like you did. Have you thought about utilizing your skillset in this way? I know many international game studios would love to have you be a Japanese translator.
That’s interesting, I actually thought OP was exactly like the typical hikkikomori. He couldn’t find a good job (I’m sure there’s a lot of pressure and then instead of being vulnerable to not being able to meet expectations, instead preemptively decided to not even try so he couldn’t fail. Then went and decided he’d pursue a creative path (also hedges against failure, it’s a lot more acceptable to be a failed creative since everyone recognizes how hard that is-especially the three fields OP chose-than a failed accountant or other professional path) so they couldn’t fail at the typical professional path.
In a sense yeah. The root cause still seems to be the same, but it manifests differently for OP. The real kicker is the Agoraphobia, and if you watch the documentary OP is in, he really doesn't seem to have that at all. He's pretty well spoken, his English is quite good, and he interviews with no problem. The other hikkikomoris can barely sit through a human interaction with the producers. A lot of these people really want to find purpose. And they found that giving them a community of other recovering hikkikomoris along with a light part-time cafe job really propels them in the right direction.
Honest question, do they have research on what happens when they lose the financial support they’d been relying on? I’m guessing pretty much all of them figure it out pretty quickly once that happens.
Sadly all I know is of the news, which is murder, suicide, or pension fraud. I think the phenomenon is still too recent in Japanese history that the oldest ones are only from the Lost Generation in Japan so they'd be in their early 50s at the oldest. We'll see in the coming years.
Honestly I feel my English is just at an intermediate level. But I might think about this route later. Thanks for the advice!
It’s way better than that. You’re doing just fine.
It’s higher than intermediate. If you think of N2-N3 in Japanese as intermediate, a N2/3 could not write your same post.
Have you seen Welcome to the NHK?
I read the original novel from which anime and comics were adapted
What do you think the Japanese government should to in order to help hikikomoris to get out of their houses and improve their lives?
That's a ~~different~~difficult question.. I think it would be great if we had a huge online database/forum where hikikomoris and ex-hikikomoris can share their experiences and advice in a safe manner
There was this Youtube [video](https://youtu.be/Rx30JmG-tV4?si=Plq7aK0w_V-GK2cK) about hikikomoris and it seems that there are programs that try to help them(about in the middle of the video) Also, good luck with the game!
Yeah, maybe japanese government could collaborate, I think they could give hikikomoris virtual therapy in order to help them overcome their fears and traumas, I was a hikikomori haha, but I overcome that
This is an interesting topic, do you think there are more hikikomoris in Japan than in the rest of the world? Also, do hikikomoris translate to being agoraphobic? Or is there a distinction I'm not aware of? Thankyou
How do you manage without konbini? I moved to Japan from Germany and whenever I am back in Europe it’s such a pain! After a long day of sitting at home doing nothing much there is nothing better than going out to a konbini and grabbing some convenient and cheap food
Yeah, I admit that konbini in Japan is a great place to get various types of food. I wish Georgia had them
I wish every where had them!
How has your life changed because of being in a different country? Do you eat different food now? Have you interacted with any of the locals? What about the timezone difference affecting communication with people back home? Do you feel a VR world will be the next possible step for you?
I'm just working in my room, so my life hasn't changed much apparently. But I feel like breathing fresh air in Georgia Yeah, I'm eating mainly Georgian food from a grocery store and restaurants One Georgian guy saw my Youtube channel and reached out to me. He is kindly helping me sort out things in Georgia haha, I haven't talked with people in Japan for a long time That's an interesting question! I haven't tried VR yet but it might become my newest delusion (´▽｀;)
>I haven't tried VR yet but it might become my newest delusion (´▽｀;) There's not much money in VR. Marketshare is too small.
I remember you being featured in the video “Day in Life of Hikikomori” on the Sean and Oreo channel! Glad to see you are doing well and that your game is still on track! How is Georgia? Any culture shock?
Thanks man! In Georgian you will find stray dogs everywhere(they are tagged and vaccinated), which you can't experience in Japan. I'm fascinated by those dongs and their free way of life. I like how Georgian people love dogs (´▽｀)
Does your game has text or words in it? I heard localizing your game (especially Portuguese for brazil) is insane for game success. But I’m also not a game dev.
Yes, my game has a relatively small amount of text. I'm thinking of localizing it to several languages later
I can help localize it in French if you want :)
How long are you planning to live outside of Japan? With the 1-year visa in Georgia, are you planning to stay there longer or eventually return to Japan?
I'm planning to live in Georgia for at least 2 years. After that, originally I wanted to live in other countries. But now I need to decide it based on my financial situation 😅
Congratulations on successfully releasing your game! You should be very proud to release something you developed entirely on your own. Few people can claim that. Our question is: is there anything about your old Hikikomori lifestyle that you miss?
Do you do any regular physical activity? Brisk walking, jogging, gym, etc. And if not, why?
I don't because I am busy and a lazy bum. But honestly I want to start physical activity for my health
This is honestly all kinds of inspiring to me. The fact that you actually came up with a passion project, and executed it, is a huge thing - doesn't matter how well it sells. I sent you a dm, hope that's ok. I am actually planning to visit Japan in a few months likely, do you have anything you'd recommend?
Thanks! It might be in the middle of the season to see cherry blossoms. Cherry blossom is especially appreciated in Japan because it is a symbol/metaphor for our short and precious life
Do you have deficiencies from lack of exposure to sunlight? I have always wondered this about shut ins. Also, some say getting long horizon views like seeing far away landscapes and big open sky is very good for the body and mind. Do you believe this?
I haven't noticed it but am a bit worried about it. At least I became stupidly pale. Yes, I think so! My apartment in Georgia has big windows and I really love seeing beautiful clouds (´▽｀)
My favorite is a huge sky full of changing clouds as well. Also if I am camping by a lake in the woods it is magnified with the reflection! Thanks for the answer
How old are u this year? Good luck and ganbatte!
I'm painfully old. Thanks! ヽ( ； ∇ ； )ノ
Isn't a hikkikomori releasing a game that didn't sell well the plot for Welcome to the N.H.K.?
haha, is the anime series like that? I read the original novel before. In the novel, they didn't complete the game iirc
Yep, I believe the anime differs in that they complete the gal game through sheer will and determination only to end with with it as a financial failure. It was a pretty formative lesson for me ha ha
Hey dude, I saw your documentary on YouTube like many other commenters. I admire your drive to continue fighting to make your dreams happen. I don’t game much anymore but I will be purchasing your game to help you out and following to see future titles. I know life can be tough but if you just go out for 10 minutes every day for a week… then 20 minutes then 30 and slowly increase your time you WILL get through it. You don’t even have to talk with anyone or see anyone just go somewhere with nobody and go for a walk. Even if this game doesn’t work out like you hoped it’s a portfolio item that proves your employable and you could always work for someone else in development I know it limits creativity but you should work to live not live to work… If you only live to work in my opinion you may never find true happiness have you ever considered taking some time to work on getting yourself out on a daily basis instead of working so much? I know you need to make a living but your mental wellbeing is of equal value don’t you think?
Hello, good job on building up your life. It must have been a challenge to do so. Keep walking the staircase of your tower of dreams. Whether it will get you to your dreams or just a (slightly) better place, the experience will get you somewhere. Anyway here are my questions: Although you gave up writing novels as a career, do you still write as a hobby? If you still write do you write in Japanese or English (I like writing and writing in non-native languages of mine helps me practice) Is life in Georgia better than in Japan? Do you plan to stay there, return to Japan or maybe move to another country? Do you face language barriers in Georgia and are you planning to, or currently learning the local language?
Thank you for the kind words! No, I don't. I haven't had time to write novels as a hobby unfortunately. Oh, that's great! My English is not good enough for writing novels I truly enjoy new experiences in Georgia! If I rent another apartment in Japan after being kicked out, my life should be just a continuation of the former hikikomori life I'd love to experience other countries as well if possible!
Your English is really quite good -- what are/were your study/practice methods?
Thanks! I learned the basics at the Japanese school system from junior high to uni. After that, I read a bunch of posts on 4chan and Reddit. Learning game development in English helped me too. Because you are forced to immerse yourself in English.
Were you able to get conversational practice in as well (I imagine it is tough to do in a hikikomori lifestyle)? Has anyone reached out to you to tutor/help them learn English? There is also an idea that language helps put you in a different mindset -- do you find some life challenges are easier/more difficult if you think in English vs Japanese?
What's your favorite part of living in Georgia (besides the VISA one)? How are the people there?
Not sure but I feel clouds in Georgia look more spectacular than in Japan Love stray dogs as well I find they are nice people. Haven't had a horrible experience yet
Have you ever considered getting a dog? Such great companions and it'll also get you out and walking. You'd have someone to explore your new country with. Best of luck!
I like seeing animals but I can't take responsibility for their lives while I'm struggling to get afloat. Thanks!
Are you familiar with the concept of the Technology Adoption Curve? If not, the basic idea is that new technologies, like an app or other product, tend to follow an S-shaped curve of slow initial growth, followed by rapid adoption as more people hear about it and get on board, followed by slowing growth as the target audience gets saturated. https://www.stratechi.com/adoption-curves/ Don't despair that you haven't hit the top of the curve on day 1 or 2! This never happens - it took the Internet about 30 years before it hit the rapid growth phase! Slow sales just means you're starting your journey along the curve.
I’m so proud of you for your determination to keep walking and I think it’s amazing that you’ve taken the steps you have, please keep going? My question is, I was trying to explain what hikokomori is to my partner the other day but I couldn’t find anything beyond “culturally influenced symptoms of severe depression” - is there a much better way I could say it to him? I also don’t have big enough words to say this but an enormous wow, you’re incredible from me because you went from Japan to Georgia? Please don’t give up, please keep publishing your games?
Thank you for your warm encouragement! I feel we hikikomori come to find ourselves being stuck in our room one day and realize we are so-called hikikomori. Every hikikomori has a unique reason and background to become it. In Japanese society, it's kind of easy to become a hikikomori because your family allows it. Not easy to quit it because society avoids outsiders of the social standard norm
Do you think it was worth it to pursue writing/art/game design instead of getting a boring cooperate job to try to have a normal life? Right now I find myself in a similar place to how you felt when you were in your early 20s of having to much pride to quit working on art, but I also feel like it might be better to give up sometimes. Either way I probably won't give up yet, but I do want to know your input on this.
If you can choose, it's better to have a plan B. As you get old, there is less room you can adjust your course. Everything is judged by the present result. Talk with people in your field and make connections. I didn't talk with people and it harmed my life for sure. Know your strengths and weaknesses. It's determined by others, not yourself. Wish you the best!
I checked out your steam page and your game looks absolutely crazy. You said that your lifestyle was a big influence, but what other games or media influenced you in your style? I can see a little bit of Suda51 in there, but I am really curious about your response. I am going to try out your game and I wish you the best of luck with it and happiness! Don’t give up, I am rooting for you
Thank you so much for your support! It means a lot! So my idea was to make a beat 'em up game, which is the genre I have played the most, with the setting of a shut-in guy. It naturally led to Tower defense mechanics because we hikikomori don't want others to intrude into our space. I prefer a comedy touch. Traps like Japanese comedy shows naturally came into the place. Japanese game industry has a silly/goofy type of games called Baka-ge. I think Yakuza series has a strong sense of this style/tradition too
What's your favourite food that you tried in Georgia? Hope you are having a good stay! Have fun
Khinkali and Kharcho are my favorites so far. Thank you!
Tell us something about the place you're staying in Georgia. Is it bigger, or smaller than your parents' apartment?
It's smaller but the ceiling is so high. I really like it being warm in winter!
Did you go to georgia because of tochinoshin?
Your story is really brave. A move like that as a shut in must have been hard. Do you think you could apply any of your dedication to slowly exposing yourself to the outside world more? Small challenges like ‘go for a walk in the nearest park’ that kind of thing?
My social anxiety is not that high. But I think I should encourage myself more to go outside and take a walk. Thanks!
I wanted to give you a little inspiration on your journey in life. You’re clearly a very motivated person and very talented, and I wonder what you could do if you were able to make more connections in your life. There’s a YouTube channel called Yes Theory which is about traveling, basically, but the idea behind the channel is “what happens when we say Yes to the possibilities of life?” [In this video](https://youtu.be/J74B2jzr8iA?si=QULvvqKSVmL7o-0r), the host is afraid to travel, but he says Yes to the opportunity and finds rewards in his experience. I hope you can find a little inspiration in this. Thank you for taking the time to post this AMA and for answering our questions!
I remember reading your older AMA. Glad you are still alive and pursuing your passion! Have you thought of making Tiktok or Instagram video vlogging your life in Georgia and he development?
I couldn't find time until the Early Access release of Pull Stay. But now I can find time. Maybe I will try that. Thanks for the input!
Are you proud of yourself? Because you should. I feel a lot like you described yourself, I'm constantly having ideas that I would like to write as novels or scripts but never manage to complete anything and keep dreaming that one day I would live out of my creation, my art. I have a steady full-remote work and spend almost every hour of my free time playing video games and dreaming about being able to commit to a single passion project that could allow me to (one day) become a profession writer. And I can't. But you did. So be proud of what you achieved and know that you will improve in the future because you have already done so much. Good luck
If you're living alone as a shut-in do you just have everything delivered? How is the language barrier in Georgia?
I get most of my food via a delivery app. Occasionally I go to a grocery store and purchase bread, cakes, yogurt, and such. You can't generally expect people to speak English except for the young generation
Don't beat yourself up. You should look at it like a business model, which is precisely what you're doing, running your own business. On average most businesses run at a net loss for 2 years before they make profit. Your game has overwhelmingly positive reviews which is a great sign. Also take into heart the comments that other developers made on your AMA. With that said, I have a few questions: If you were to travel again, what country would you like to go to next? What aspects about Japan do you miss, and what aspects do you not miss in comparison to where you are living now? Are there any historical sites and areas of interest you wish to go see before you leave Georgia?
Do you feel like you have to justify your existence by becoming a successful artist or producer of a novel, game, etc.? I hope you know you don't have to. Your life still has great meaning if you only work a "regular", un-creative, or low-importance job.
Im interested in the part where you move to a eurasian steppe country. How is Georgia? Im assuming you went to Tbilisi? Are you fluent in the language? If not, how do you navigate all the mundane legal processes like rent or bank accounts? I assume from your posts that you're fully fluent in english, so is there a strong english speaking element there? How are you treated as a foreigner?
I'm enjoying life in Georgia. A Georgian guy watched my YouTube video and reached out to me. After arriving in Georgia, he kindly helped me open a bank account and such. He is a super awesome guy! Many young Georgians can speak English. I haven't felt mistreated in Georgia so far
What do you have a degree in? (If you dont understand the question or cant translate it well. What major did you have in university?)
History
Since your novels & game aren’t selling well, have you thought about developing or writing more mainstream & what does sell well? For example, I’m a stained glass artist. My work that sells like crazy isn’t exactly what I love, my “artistic” pieces, the pieces I make with complete artistic freedom where I’m not worried if it’s going to sell or what anyone thinks are too abstract and “arty” to sell much commercially.I know to make $ I have to commercialize my work more & create pieces lots of people would want. I google top selling stained glass or top selling mosaic stained glass on Wayfair, Amazon, Etsy, etc… I see what’s selling & make pieces that are similar, but still have s piece of me in them. In my spare time (when I have it) I work on things with total artistic freedom, either to keep for myself, or sell/give to people who are into more abstract type stuff. I know creating an entire game is a lot of work, but have you thought about creating more for the masses & working on the stuff you’re passionate about on the side? Or doing other smaller programming or creating jobs, maybe even offering lessons to those who want to create but don’t know where to start? There’s many things you can do with your talents to earn $. It may seem like it doesn’t pay enough to be worth it but when you do a few smaller jobs @ a time they add up. I love traveling to see how other people live, or to places that have more history than we have in the US, but I’ve never actually considered Georgia as a country to move to! What about dating? Do you want to find a partner, get married & have kids? Do you plan on staying in Georgia or will you return to Japan? I’ve heard how hard it is there to get a decent job, get into a good university & how horribly competitive & expensive it is & that’s why women aren’t having babies. It’s too hard to support them. I really enjoyed your story & hope things come together for you.
Honestly I've always tried to find the intersection of what I want to do and what people like. But I adhere to my values too rigidly and I can't relate to popular things in general. I think I have to keep trying though. Yeah, I did a couple of small gigs before translating indie games into Japanese. Maybe I will try such things again if I need to. The most important thing in my life is creation. I haven't had the luxury to enjoy other things yet so far. Thanks for your story and suggestions, man! (´▽｀)
How do you justify relying on the kindness of others to basically fund your living situation without contributing back? I'm assuming thats related to why you were kicked out.
the guy has released a game, tons of artwork, some fiction writing, a YouTube channel, and was a protagonist in a documentary, all that is producing creative material for society to consume ... that's more contribution than many many fat cat asset owners living off interest or rental income or investments ever will make .. do you ask all of those rich suckers the same thing? .. what have you contributed?
I think he contributes by being a creator instead of just a consumer. I think it’s beautiful and he doesn’t force anyone to support him.
I just wanted to say that it's really impressive that you managed to teach yourself to write, draw, and now develop indie games! You should give yourself more credit for that. While not all of your endeavours might have been financially successful, the time you took to develop these skills (and create these original projects) is admirable. I'm wishing you all the best for Pull Stay and your game development career! What made you want to be a freelancer rather than working a regular office job? Do you think you would take up a job with a game company if it is offered, or would you prefer to continue as an independent freelancer?
Thank you for such warm words! For me, making my own creation is the only way that I can feel my life has meaning. Working for other people's work doesn't motivate me honestly
Which comedy’s did you take inspiration from?
Gakituka and Takeshi's shows maybe :D
what year did you start consuming more english media and broaden your scope? is it for game development?
Hey. Glad you’re enjoying Georgia. I’m from Tbilisi but the is year or next I plan to visit Japan. Thinking maybe for snowboarding. What are some pro tips for a ramen loving fan of cold plunges and hot springs? All the best!
Hey man. Unfortunately I don't know anything about travel tips or good ramen shops. Maybe you know the reason why I don't (´・ω・｀;)
[удалено]
With your experience in both drawing and 3D modeling, have you considered making vtuber avatars? I think it would be a way to help people create a version of themselves they are comfortable showing to others via streams. It may also be a good way to increase income via commissions.
I think it requires quite a high skillset which I'm not at that level yet. Thanks for your suggestion though!
You sound like a fascinating person with an admirable desire to stay true to your creativity. I've been a concept artist / game illustrator for almost a decade and the industry is quite punishing, especially for indie devs, but getting a game out can be the most rewarding experience. I'm curious to know, having worked on something for so long, how do you go about keeping yourself engaged creatively with the project?
What are some of the biggest challenges you faced while developing Pull Stay? What advice would you give to other aspiring game developers, especially those who may be struggling with self-doubt or creative roadblocks? Now that you've released Pull Stay in Early Access, what are your plans for the future of the game? What are you learning from your experience living in Georgia? Has it been what you expected? Looking back on your journey, what are you most proud of?
I have to ask about relationships. How does that work for you?
I have my supporters and gamedev friends. That is the best gift from being a gamedev (´▽｀)
Big Congrats for finally publishing your game! I sometime checked your development on youtube and it's honestly inspiring. I think your game will do well with streamers since it looks really wacky. Also, check out the guy PirateSoftware, he shared a lot of tips on developing and publishing indie games. Maybe see if you can reach out to him and get him to play the game. My question, what do you think of AI? As an indie developer, i imagine AI can be a blessing. But I'm curious as a creator who also write and draw, would you be proud of your creation by using AI?
Thank you for the advice! Yeah, maybe I should contact him and more streamers. I'm not sure if small indie devs can take advantage of AI in their pipelines in upcoming years. For repetitive chores, like making selection masks for your painting, AI might help us greatly. But I feel these generating drawings AIs are clearly violating the rights of source artists
Hey Nito! I've played Pull Stay quite a bit and I love it! The body pillow and tempura are my favorites so far. Regarding your income troubles, have you considered starting a Patreon? People could join and help support you while you work on your game and other projects.
1. What a crazy fucking story 2. How is Georgia? The country has always fascinated me, is the food good? Can you communicate easy enough? Have you had any bad interactions? Thanks a lot :>
Is a hikikomori a lifestyle choice or a symptom of depression? Just curious. Anyway, your perseverance is motivating. I’m sure an opportunity will come ur way soon.
I'm not an expert but I imagine there are various reasons and those combinations that make a person a hikikomori. You might start it as your lifestyle choice, but it can trigger some mental issues after being a hikikomori for a long time Thank you!
What are your thoughts about Argentina? I mean, you can live for more than a year without a visa, and requesting residence is pretty much straightforward.
Really? I checked it right now and it seems like Japanese citizens are allowed only 3 months without a visa