Ratatan Development Log #7 BitSummit
In the previous article, I talked about the importance of creating the UX Video for our Kickstarter campaign.
From this point on, preparations for Kickstarter began in earnest.
Simply making a great game would not be enough for Kickstarter to succeed.
When should we announce it?
Where should players first discover it?
And how could we turn that initial interest into Kickstarter support?
We realized that developing a marketing strategy would be just as important as developing the game itself.
Working Backwards from Kickstarter
The first decision we made was when to launch Kickstarter.
We targeted the end of July 2023.
With summer vacation beginning and numerous gaming events taking place during that period, we believed it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce Ratatan to as many people as possible.
Once we had that deadline, everything else could be planned backwards.
Preparing the Kickstarter campaign.
Registering trademarks.
Opening a corporate bank account.
And all the other preparations required to bring the game into the world.
Step by step, we worked our way toward launch.
Choosing the Title
One of the earliest decisions we had to make was the game's title.
Kickstarter would introduce the project to players all over the world.
That meant we needed to secure trademarks not only in Japan, but internationally as well.
In game development, it's common to keep using a working title until the game is close to release.
However, because we were preparing for Kickstarter, we needed to decide on the official title much earlier.
Our original candidate was "Rattatta."
Unfortunately, trademark issues made that impossible.
The result was the name Ratatan.
Around the same time, we also established Ratata Arts, the company that would operate the Kickstarter campaign.
The name reflected our goal of building more than just a single game.
We wanted to create and nurture the Ratatan IP for years to come.
An Opportunity Called BitSummit
Around this time, we were accepted to exhibit at BitSummit.
Originally, we had planned to reveal everything alongside the Kickstarter launch.
However, BitSummit is Japan's largest indie game event.
We couldn't pass up that opportunity.
Instead, we decided to unveil a teaser trailer at BitSummit, introduce Ratatan to players there, and launch Kickstarter approximately two weeks later.
That became our marketing strategy.
The Teaser Trailer
At that point, the game was still under development.
We couldn't show a finished gameplay trailer.
But we also couldn't afford to show nothing.
So we created the teaser trailer that premiered at BitSummit.
RATATAN English Teaser Trailer
The inspiration came from the opening logo sequences used by major Western animation studios.
Think of the opening moments of a Pixar film—short animations that immediately draw you into the world.
As a teaser, we couldn't reveal too much about the game itself.
At the same time, we wanted players to immediately feel that this was the spiritual successor to Patapon.
That's why the trailer opens with Dekadon running toward the screen.
Rather than explaining the game, we focused on leaving viewers with one simple impression:
"This looks interesting."
That animation later became one of Ratatan's signature visual elements and is now used when the game starts.
More Attention Than We Expected
The response at BitSummit far exceeded our expectations.
Many people discovered Ratatan for the first time, and we could already feel excitement building toward the upcoming Kickstarter campaign.
At the same time, it taught us an important lesson.
Our company had only just been established.
Our bank account and other administrative preparations were still incomplete.
Although people were interested in Ratatan, we didn't yet have a proper "landing point" that could guide them toward Kickstarter.
Marketing isn't just about generating attention.
It's equally important to prepare a place where that attention can lead to meaningful action.
When someone becomes interested, you need to be ready to guide them to the next step.
Likewise, if you're planning to launch a Kickstarter campaign, I strongly recommend preparing your company, bank account, and other essential infrastructure as early as possible.
BitSummit taught us that lesson firsthand.
Our First Step as an Indie Studio
Even so, BitSummit remains a very special event for us.
It was the first place where Ratatan was introduced to the world as an indie game.
It was also the place where our journey as an indie studio truly began.
At the time, we had no idea what lay ahead.
Two years later, Ratatan would return to the same event and receive an award.
Looking back now, BitSummit was where our journey truly started.
Next Time
Next time, I'll take a closer look at the Kickstarter project page itself.
I'll explain how we introduced Ratatan to players around the world, and walk through the ideas and decisions behind the page we created.