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Toge Productions is an Indonesian based independent game and publishing studio. You might recall their game Coffee Talk from its major success and the endearing nature of the fan base that’s developed around it. Toge has a collection of other successful Indie projects such as She and The Light Bearer as well as their recent project A Space for the Unbound. The demo/prologue for both are available on Steam.
In a recent announcement, Toge opened a unique support and funding initiative for upcoming developers and studios working in Southeast Asia.
The Toge Game Fund Initiative
During the Flash game era, small developers in Southeast Asia flourished with the help of game sponsorships. These sponsorships help new teams experiment and iterate their ideas while minimizing their risks. Unfortunately, the Flash sponsorship era is now gone. In order to help marginalized and underrepresented game developers of Southeast Asia turn their game ideas into reality, we need to provide a safety net for them to experiment and iterate, similar to the Flash sponsorship era. This is the reason Toge Productions is launching Toge Game Fund Initiative.
Toge Productions Official Site
The funding of up to $10,000 offers the financial resources to make the game and provides consultation and mentorship provided by Toge itself. Financial assistance to applicants is provided without any expectation of reimbursement or debt. Developers will also retain their full IP ownership over their project.
Right of First Refusal
It would appear that the only request from the company is a Right of First Refusal to publish the said game. What is that? As explained in the FAQ on their site, essentially by having the Right of First Refusal, Toge will have the first chance to offer the developer a publishing deal before other publishers. This still in no way complicates the ownership of the game (which must be digital). The project, though funded and supported by Toge Productions, will continue to belong to the developers.
For more details on this initiative and questions about qualifications, developers can check Toge’s official page here.
Like many others seen in the independent game scene, this initiative serves to show that developers of smaller titles are generally interested in supporting the community and paying it forward. Here at Retroware, we’re more than a little excited to see what excellent projects come out of this program.
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