The "Top Game Creators Academy (hereinafter, TGCA)," announced at Tokyo Game Show 2024 in April 2024, is a next-generation creator training program where leading active creators mentor 10 teams of creators selected through screening, in cooperation with the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and the Japan Arts Council.
The entrance ceremony and social gathering for the TGCA were held at a certain location in Tokyo.
Fujii Yodan Provides an On-the-Spot Report at the TGCA Entrance Ceremony!
Fujii Yodan, who dropped out of university this March after four years as a rōnin (studying for entrance exams) and repeating grades for another four years, is at the entrance ceremony!?
...I thought. But come to think of it, he's experienced about as many entrance ceremonies as most of you.
Greeting from Shingo Okamura, Director and Chairman of the CSR Committee, Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (Excerpt)
We have finally reached this day.
Games are a wonderful industry that Japan can proudly present to the world, and I believe that new creators who will lead the next generation must always emerge within it.
With that in mind, TGCA is CESA's first attempt at this.
Although I was anxious at first, we received many applications, and I am truly grateful that 10 teams have gathered here today.
While embracing everyone's various goals, a total of 35 dedicated mentors will work closely with you throughout the program, and I believe you will receive many wonderful pieces of advice.
Please do your best, everyone. And congratulations.
Translated from Japanese.
Greeting from Hirohiko Nakahara, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Strategy Officer for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology / Strategy Officer for Culture), Cabinet Secretariat, Agency for Cultural Affairs (Excerpt)
To everyone accepted after winning through the rigorous selection process, congratulations from the bottom of my heart.
From now on, I sincerely hope that all of you will make full use of the advice from currently active creators and grow into next-generation creators who can be active both domestically and internationally.
Looking at Japan's exports to other countries, I emphasize in various places that the content industry is larger in scale than the steel or semiconductor industries.
About 60% of that is accounted for by games, and to continuously grow such an industry, the power of both currently active creators and new creators who will lead the next generation is necessary.
To everyone who has come today, we hope to receive your continued support and cooperation so that people around the world can learn about the splendor of Japan's content industry.
To the training creators, please do your best. Congratulations.
Translated from Japanese.
Greeting from Akihiro Hino, President and CEO of Level-5 Inc. / Principal of TGCA (Excerpt)
Congratulations on your enrollment.
This time, I have been given the important role of Principal, and I intend to cooperate in your training.
I am still actively making games as something of a project leader, but as you all know, AI is encroaching on the world of creativity.
When I asked a programmer yesterday, they told me that AI now writes 80-90% of the code, and humans handle the overall adjustments.
Art, music, and programming are all areas where AI is making significant inroads.
Of course, I think some people have resistance to this, but I believe that from now on, it will be necessary to use AI to create even better things.
In such a situation, what then is the essential skill ultimately left to creators? Thinking about that, I believe it is "aesthetic sensibility."
Whether it's something created by AI or a human, I think it will be necessary to incorporate good elements from a director's perspective and create a work.
And I think this program is the optimal place to hone that aesthetic sensibility.
I don't mean to simply dismiss doing the work, but to become a top creator, you need to use AI as if it were your own limbs.
I hope you will utilize this program to polish that kind of "sense" and create works that can compete globally.
Congratulations today.
Translated from Japanese.
Pairings of Creators and Mentors Announced!
At the end of the entrance ceremony, the pairings of training creators and dedicated mentors were announced.
Group A
Training Creators
- Enen Sōen (Otsuka Toshiro, Akiho Masato)
- Takkan Digital Lab (Mokuren, Okubo Ryunosuke, Ishii Kou, Manabe Hiroshi)
- Pokesō
Dedicated Mentors
- Masataka Kato, Bandai Namco Studios Inc.
- Kohei Kuroda, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
- Atsuki Yashigi, Sega Corporation
Group B
Training Creators
- simizu
- Chihiro Nakatani
Dedicated Mentors
- Akihiro Shimamori, Capcom Co., Ltd.
- Kenji Nagano, WFS, Inc.
Group C
Training Creators
- Aguro
- Inonaka Games (Shikigaeru, Ranekon, Nanami, Supia, Yukemuri Meikyousui)
Dedicated Mentors
- Ryosuke Nakao, DeNA Co., Ltd.
- Masakazu Hirayama, KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
Group D
Training Creators
- Nagata Atsuya
- Non-Linear Project "Near The Sun" (Dogwood, Jō, TO)
- Bogosor Games (Kanai Keita, Kamiyu)
Dedicated Mentors
- Takumi Isobe, FURYU Corporation
- Okayama, Square Enix Co., Ltd.
- Kenji Ozawa, Studio Sasanqua inc.
Specialty and Business Advisors Also Present
In addition to the dedicated mentors who provide ongoing support for content creation, Specialty Advisors who provide individual advice on specialized areas and Business Advisors who support learning the knowledge necessary for content release and overseas business were also introduced.
Specialty Advisors (in Japanese syllabary order of surnames)
- Satoshi Inagi, Bandai Namco Studios Inc. (Area: Engineering)
- Satoshi Ihori, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Area: Game Design)
- Yuki Urabe, Capcom Co., Ltd. (Area: Development Environment/PM)
- Shigekiyo Okuda, KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. (Area: Sound)
- Masaki Kawai, DeNA Co., Ltd. (Area: Visual Art)
- Takashi Kokawa, Sega Corporation (Area: Development Environment/PM)
- Masayoshi Sasaki, WFS, Inc. (Area: Sound)
- Hirotomo Suzuki, Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Area: Engineering)
- Hirotake Nakano, Bandai Namco Studios Inc. (Area: Development Environment/PM)
- Yuichi Nakahara, WFS, Inc. (Area: Engineering)
- Hiroyuki Nara, Capcom Co., Ltd. (Area: Visual Art)
- Masaya Nikaido, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Area: Engineering)
- Ichiro Harada, Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Area: Game Design)
- Kazuhiro Fumoto, Sega Corporation (Area: Visual Art)
- Michio Yamada, KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. (Area: Game Design)
- Yuka Watanabe, DeNA Co., Ltd. (Area: Sound)
Business Advisors (in Japanese syllabary order of surnames)
- Tetsuya Iguchi, DeNA Co., Ltd.
- Mari Ito, Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
- Tatsuro Inagaki, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
- Atsushi Ozeki, KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
- Tomokazu Kaneko, Capcom Co., Ltd.
- Yusuke Kiriyama, Sega Corporation
- Takashi Komuro, GREE X, Inc.
- Hajime Seki, Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
- Tomofumi Tsuruta, DeNA Co., Ltd.
10 Teams of Young Creators Aim for the World!
A social gathering was held after the entrance ceremony.
It was a very lively venue where training creators and active creators gathered to meet and exchange information...
Saiga NAK...
Saiga NAKCheers!
1-Minute Speeches by Young Creators
Fujii Yodan Interviews Creators!
Q. Please tell us about your typing game.
Quickly and accurately typing the words that appear is the basic premise of a typing game.
I play various game genres and also think about game ideas, but the idea that seemed like it would be the most fun was a typing game.
I also want to create a game that has a competitive aspect, and there are parts of this idea that matched that concept well.
Translated from Japanese.
Q. Where do you aim to differentiate yourselves from existing typing games?
I think many games out there have gameplay akin to a 100-meter dash in sports.
By incorporating elements of strategy and luck into that, the game balance becomes something players will want to master, and I think it allows for things like beginners getting a chance to strike back against advanced players.
Translated from Japanese.
Q. What is the appeal of puzzle games?
Discovering solutions within simple rules.
For example, "Out of Skull," which we are creating, is a puzzle action game where you clear stages using a skull's "head toss." The thrown head can be used for movement, and the remaining body can stay put and press switches for you.
I think the "fun of discovery" that you find by changing your perspective is a core element common to all puzzle games.
Translated from Japanese.
Q. You'll be balancing this with your studies, right?
It's a team with two graduates and three current students.
Actually, I (Shikigaeru) repeated a year, but I'm in my final year, so I'm not too worried.
I'm in the Department of Physics in the Faculty of Science at university, and I've received a job offer from a game company, so now I'll do my best to balance graduating and TGCA!
Translated from Japanese.
TGCAの育成クリエイター、伴走支援アドバイザーの情報や、4月25日に開催された入学式・懇親会の様子を公式サイトで公開しました！
皆様、ご入学おめでとうございます。
世界で評価される、次代を担うトップゲームクリエイターを目指して一緒に頑張りましょう!https://t.co/bodyIp2h2V— TGCA事務局 (@TGCA20241031) May 7, 2025
