BitSummit 2024 claims record attendance, up more than 60% on last year

Japan’s indie games expo enjoyed its largest year to date

BitSummit 2024 claims record attendance, up more than 60% on last year

Japan’s leading indie games expo, BitSummit, achieved its highest ever attendance by far this year, according to its organisers.

Last year it was claimed that BitSummit Let’s Go!!, which took place in July 2023, attracted more than 23,700 visitors.

Now it’s claimed that this year’s event, which was titled BitSummit Drift and took place earlier this month, saw 38,333 attendees, an increase of more than 60%.

This year’s event was the 12th instalment of BitSummit and took place in the show’s regular venue, the Miyako Messe in Kyoto.

For the first time in the show’s history, however, BitSummit took over the entirety of the Miyako Messe, expanding to both floors of the venue.

VGC was the western media partner for BitSummit, and provided daily coverage of some of the games on display.

VGC’s Chris Scullion also handed out a Media Showcase award to VGC’s game of the show, which was J-hip-hop action game Sonokuni.

BitSummit 2024 claims record attendance, up more than 60% on last year

Established in late 2012, BitSummit was originally formed to give Japanese independent game developers a chance to show their games to the world.

BitSummit is organised by the Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) – Q-Games Ltd, Skeleton Crew Studios, Pygmy Studio Co Ltd and BlackSheep.