Independently made video games, a term that can be stretched to include titles made by midsize game developers, a group of enthusiasts or just a lone programming hobbyist, have become hugely popular in North America and Europe.

Often low budget with quirky visuals and even quirkier gameplay, independent — or indie — games have become popular as an alternative to the cinematic sheen of blockbuster titles.

But in Japan, once considered to be in the vanguard of video game innovation, the indie bug has been slow to catch on. "It's often said we're two or three years behind" the North American scene, said Takumi Naramura, one of the people at the forefront of efforts to bring Japanese indie games up to speed.