John Davis, 45, has been immersed in the Japanese gaming industry for over 20 years, first as a writer for outlets like Weekly Famitsu, and later working at studios such as Q-Games. He is the co-founder of BitSummit, the Kyoto-based indie game festival that has grown into a major international event, and a global PR specialist for Shueisha Games.
1. What brought you to Japan? I came here for work opportunities in writing and journalism, and that eventually led me to game development. The indie scene wasn¡¯t really thriving when I first arrived (in 2003), but I saw an opportunity to help foster that, and it became a big part of my career.
2. How does working in Japan compare to the U.S.? The work culture in Japan is structured and methodical, whereas in the U.S. there¡¯s more of a startup mentality. Japan values longevity and relationships in business, meaning deals can take longer but often result in long-term partnerships.
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