Wacom, the manufacturer and seller of products such as pen tablets and display tablets, hosted an event called “Connected Ink 2024” on November 15th and 16th in Tokyo at the plaza of the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building. Sankei Digital Inc. planned and supervised the operation of the indie game experience corner for “Connected Ink” for the second consecutive year.
The event, which has been held since 2016, focused on the theme of “ordinariness” in relation to the reoccurring theme of “creative chaos” that has been highlighted since 2020. Stages, workshops, and booths were set up and primarily focused on the ordinariness of daily life. Talk sessions were also held by creators active in various fields such as art, education, and technology.
Sankei Digital Inc.’s game and entertainment media outlet, IGN JAPAN, curated game works focusing on “ordinariness”. An experience corner was set up and featured four works that reflected this theme: “Exit 8”, nominated for the 2024 Buzzword of the Year Award, tasks players to escape from a subway station passage; “Enjoy the Family Restaurant,” is a game that unravels the mystery of someone who wandered into a family restaurant; “GOODBYE WORLD,” is a puzzle platformer that follows the story of two game developers; and the text adventure “Moonless Moon”, which plays like an interactive music video. The corner received many visitors throughout the event.
Also, the IGN JAPAN editorial team, Kazuhide Oka (the creator of “Moonless Moon”) and Nobutaka Ide (Representative Director and CEO of Wacom), co-hosted a segment on stage. The talk focused on the theme “The Creator’s Everyday Life and Turning Everyday Life into a Game”, discussing the relationship between games and everyday life.