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Press release:
TOKYO – August 4, 2020 – PLAYISM and Kadokawa Corporation have named the winners of the Pixel Game Maker MV Game Development Challenge. Prizes range up to 1,000,000 JPY (approximately $9,500 USD), with cross-platform and multimedia publishing options through PLAYISM and Kadokawa Corporation.

Entrants made their games in Pixel Game Maker MV (PGMMV), an intuitive yet fully-featured 2D game engine and sister software to RPG Maker, which sold more than 2,000,000 copies worldwide. The titles were judged by Koji Igarashi, God of War (2018)’s art director Rafael Grassetti, La-Mulana developer Takumi Naramura, and Cave Story creator Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya.

GAME BATTLE TYCOON, a multitasking fighting game with mini-games mixed in by RETSUZAN, was selected as the 1,000,000 JPY grand prize winner. Choose from a variety of cute and goofy combatants and face off in a 2D arcade-style fighter while simultaneously juggling one of five different mini-games. GAME BATTLE TYCOON is set to be ported to Nintendo Switch™ by Kadokawa Corporation.

Timothy and the Tower of Mu, a challenging and unforgiving retro-style 2D action platformer about a young boy fighting a god by Kibou Entertainment, earned both the Side View and PLAYISM Special Awards. Mixing old-school elements with new ideas, puzzles and RPG elements to challenge even proficient platform-lovers, it won 50,000 JPY (approx. $475 USD) and a publishing offer from PLAYISM for platforms to be announced ahead of its 2021 launch.

Z-termination, a post-apocalyptic action-adventure game with a customizable gameplay and progression system by Kaizen Nero, was awarded the audience-chosen Pixel Game Maker Select Award and 50,000 JPY. Explore the wasteland and consider different approaches to conflict. Choose between sneaking, fighting, planning traps, and more while adventuring through handcrafted stages.

PGMMV helps first-time developers and veterans alike jump into development with 20 sample games and a host of modern, sci-fi, and fantasy assets. No programming is required to use the built-in physics engine, particle generators, or four-person multiplayer. The engine supports JavaScript add-ons, giving hobbyists and professional developers an array of options. Developers who have created games with PGMMV will be able to publish their game on the Nintendo Switch through Kadokawa. More information on this process will be announced soon.

“Everyone who entered this competition showed immense creativity and drive, proving you really can create anything with the help of Pixel Game Maker MV,” said Noboru Mogami, producer, Kadokawa Corporation.

“We hope everyone involved will polish these titles or create new ones and continue sharing the games of their dreams with the world.”

Pixel Game Maker MV is available now on Steam in Japanese, English and Simplified Chinese for $84.99 USD/€71.99.

For more information, please visit the Pixel Game Maker MV official website, Facebook page, follow @PixelGameMaker on Twitter, and search for #PixelGameMakerMV on social media.

About PLAYISM
Known for bringing popular indie games from Japan including Fight Crab, Touhou Luna Nights, La-Mulana 2, and One Way Heroics, PLAYISM was created with the global indie community in mind. The company focuses on helping developers every step of the way, from localization to distribution of their games.

To learn more, visit the PLAYISM official website, Facebook page, and follow @PlayismEN on Twitter.

About Kadokawa Corporation
The core Pixel Game Maker MV team at Kadokawa Corporation consists of veterans who have been making consumer games for more than 20 years, many of whom have worked on the popular RPG Maker series with more than 2,000,000 units sold. Based out of Tokyo, the company’s mission is to create brand new stories.