Japanese Indie Publisher WSS Playground on Why Steam Success is Harder in 2025

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At CEDEC 2025, Daichi Saito, producer at Japanese indie publisher Why So Serious (WSS), discussed the challenges and successes of operating in the competitive PC gaming market. His untranslated talk offered valuable insights into the evolving indie publishing landscape, especially from a Japanese perspective. Saito highlighted WSS’s journey, including their big hits, recent struggles, and industry shifts impacting indie developers.

WSS has seen significant success with several of its major releases. Touhou Luna Knights sold 500,000 copies, Gensokyo Night Festival reached 120,000, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth hit 300,000, and Needy Girl Overdose became a standout with an impressive 2.4 million copies sold. These numbers reflect a golden period for WSS, particularly between 2019 and 2022.

However, not all releases have met the same level of success. Saito noted that their more recent titles, Boyhood’s End and BLADECHIMERA, both launched after 2023, fell short of expectations, with neither surpassing 1,000 Steam reviews. This underperformance prompted Saito to reflect on the changing dynamics of the indie market. He pointed out that the sheer volume of games now available on platforms like Steam makes it harder for new titles to stand out.

Saito: “Total war of capital”

Major AAA publishers like Capcom, long-running live service games, and even other successful indie titles create fierce competition, especially when they offer steep discounts that overshadow newer releases. Additionally, Saito observed that Steam users have grown more critical of early access titles, particularly those with higher price points, demanding more polished and complete experiences.

Saito described the current state of competition on Steam as a “total war of capital”, where bigger budgets, larger-scale games, and stronger brand recognition often dominate. This environment poses significant challenges for indie developers, who typically operate with limited resources. He emphasized that relying on creative flair alone is no longer enough, indie games must meet higher expectations for quality and depth to capture players’ attention.

As noted by atahutahatena on Reddit, reflecting on WSS’s recent struggles, it’s worth considering whether the issue lies partly in the quality of their newer titles. Sci-fi horror adventure game Boyhood’s End launched as an episodic early access title with only 20% of its planned content. Similarly, BLADECHIMERA, a metroidvania with tight controls, has been criticized for feeling shallow and overly easy, with a teleportation mechanic that some players found disruptive.

Despite these challenges, there’s reason for optimism. WSS’s upcoming game, Yunyun Syndrome, could recapture their past success if done well. Saito’s insights show a universal truth for indie developers: in a crowded market, quality and player expectations are key.