Neon Noroshi Makes First-ever Company Booth Appearance at TGS 2025. We Spoke with the Company's Representative About Their Journey from Translation/PR to Publishing and Their Exhibition [TGS2025]

Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/923/G092366/20250928050/

Editorial Department: Junpoco | 2025/09/29 05:34 (UTC)

Thumbnail image No.019 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]

“Neon Noroshi” is a game translation and marketing company founded in Sweden.
Established in 2018 to bring Nordic indie games to players across Asia, primarily Japan, the company launched its own indie publishing venture, Yotsuba Interactive, in June 2025.

Known throughout the gaming industry and media for press release creation, event media coordination, interpretation services, and other PR support, Neon Noroshi has become a familiar name. Active on social media platforms like X (@NNoroshi), the company is also followed by many fans due to its keen eye for unique indie games.

Now, Neon Noroshi made its first-ever appearance at Tokyo Game Show 2025 with an official company booth. We spoke with Miya, CEO of both Neon Noroshi and Yotsuba Interactive, about their journey from translation and PR services into publishing, the decision to exhibit, and their thoughts on game events.

Thumbnail image No.001 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]

Neon Noroshi Official Website

4Gamer:
Today we’re glad to have you. Could you please tell us again what kind of company Neon Noroshi is?

Miya:
We originally started as a game-specialized translation agency. But even with high-quality translations, games won’t sell unless they reach players. That led us to offer marketing support alongside our core services—this foundation has evolved into who we are today.
Our primary focus had been bringing Western indie games to Japan, but starting in 2022, we’ve also taken on projects that bring Japanese indie games to the West.

4Gamer:
You’re active not just in Japan and Sweden, but across many regions—your global presence is really impressive.

Miya:
Yes. Currently, our team consists of about five people in Japan and three in Sweden, with three in China, two in South Korea, two in Malaysia, and one in Singapore.
It started when we began receiving requests for PR support in Asia, which gradually expanded from there—“Wait, Asia is huge! How far should we go?” (laughing).
Japan remains a major hub for our Asian operations, but recently China’s presence has grown significantly.

Thumbnail image No.014 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]

4Gamer:
This year, Neon Noroshi made its first official company booth appearance at TGS. What prompted this decision?

Miya:
Previously, we supported game events by guiding media and influencers to client booths, providing interpretation services, etc.

4Gamer:
Your materials are always thorough, and your translation support has been incredibly helpful—many media outlets have said so.

Miya:
Thank you! Thanks to that, our clients now trust us more deeply, leading to many new opportunities. But as the number of requests grew, it became overwhelming—we were just exhausted (laughing).

We also started hearing from people: “Neon Noroshi never sets up a booth themselves?” It turns out some teams wanted to exhibit but didn’t know how—so they’d come to us for advice.
For indie game companies, setting up booths is honestly costly—but since we’re trusted by so many, we decided to give it a try.

Also, there were plenty of teams saying simply: “We want to go to Japan!” (laughing). So having the trust to handle our own booth was truly appreciated.

4Gamer:
“Take us to Japan!” There’s something about being trusted that makes people feel comfortable asking so casually.
Seeing two highly anticipated sequels—“PowerWash Simulator 2” and “Planet of Lana II”—both prominently displayed at the booth really made a strong first impression.

Thumbnail image No.003 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]

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[September 26, 2025, 10:34 PM]

Miya:
This was truly appreciated.
“PowerWash Simulator 2” and “Planet of Lana II” are sequels to games that gained significant attention in Japan, so the request from developers to promote them here was very strong.
Other titles also followed a common timeline—gamescom in August, TGS in September, release in October—so many were eager to exhibit at this precise moment.

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[September 29, 2025, 12:38 PM]

4Gamer:
I see. The booth layout and art display really made a strong impression—your presence was undeniable.

Miya:
We wanted a corner spot, and it worked out perfectly as planned—an open area between the merchandise section and indie games zone.
After deciding on placement, we arranged everything so that visitors walking from the merch stand would immediately see “PowerWash Simulator 2.” The difference in recognition is striking—people don’t just pass by; they actually stop because they recognize it.
Once they pause, then comes “Planet of Lana II,” which featured a world-first playable demo for general audiences. This attracted interest from those who already knew the game and others drawn in by its atmosphere.

Thumbnail image No.012 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]

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[September 28, 2025, 12:20 AM]

4Gamer:
“PowerWash Simulator 2” stood out clearly—there were no pillars or poles blocking the view, making it look completely straight.

Miya:
Yes. We intentionally created an open sightline—it worked incredibly well (laughing).
We wanted to make sure even small teams’ games could be seen, but we didn’t expect “PowerWash Simulator 2” to draw such strong attention.

4Gamer:
That probably meant a lot of preparation—after all, it was your first time exhibiting, and you had to coordinate with many different publishers.

Miya:
It was extremely difficult.
At first, I thought, “This should be easy” (laughing). Back when I worked at another game company, we handled booth setups every year. But this time, doing everything from design to operations in-house made me realize it wasn’t as simple as I’d imagined.
It was eye-opening how well-organized and efficient experienced companies are with planning and traffic flow.

We’ll definitely apply what we learned next time—also considering external outsourcing due to cost concerns.

Thumbnail image No.011 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]

4Gamer:
What was your overall impression of the exhibition and audience reaction?

Miya:
The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, which we shared with our client partners. They were genuinely thrilled—something that made all the hard work worthwhile.

Even though it felt exhausting at times, I honestly wondered if we’d do this again—but seeing how much trust they placed in us and how happy they were… It gave me confidence that continuing to support events like this is a meaningful direction for us.

4Gamer:
Neon Noroshi has recently launched its own publishing arm: Yotsuba Interactive. How did that come about?

Miya:
While Neon Noroshi remains fundamentally a marketing and PR support company, we’ve increasingly received requests lately saying things like “We don’t need funding—just help with marketing.”
As we began collaborating through revenue-sharing models, our role effectively became similar to that of a publisher. That shift was the final push toward starting Yotsuba Interactive.

Thumbnail image No.016 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]

4Gamer:
Will Yotsuba Interactive also participate in game shows going forward?

Miya:
It’s less about attending specific game shows and more about choosing events that best fit each title.
For example, our first release, “I Write Games Not Tragedies,” is a visual novel—something difficult to showcase as a traditional game at major expos like TGS.

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[July 20, 2025, 11:32 AM]

4Gamer:
I understand. It’s less about mechanics and more about atmosphere—something hard to convey in just 15 minutes of demo time, especially for those who don’t appreciate that kind of experience.

Miya:
Exactly. So with “I Write Games Not Tragedies,” I think events like Comiket or book fairs would be better suited than large expos like TGS—places where the game’s unique charm can shine through more naturally. We aim to match each title with its ideal event space.

Thumbnail image No.013 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]

4Gamer:
How was TGS 2025 this year? You’ve participated many times before, so what did you think of the atmosphere at this year’s show?

Miya:
TGS has been changing how it presents its indie section each year.
This year, having “SELECTED INDIE 80” placed along the main walkway made it much easier for passersby to casually stop by.

4Gamer:
That makes sense. If a corner is tucked away or clearly labeled as “Indie Corner,” people might hesitate to enter—there’s often a mental barrier to overcome before you even step in. But having booths along the main walkway? Even those not seeking indie games might glance over and think, “Hmm, that looks interesting.”
That said, there are trade-offs—just like at BitSummit, it’s clear both creators and event organizers are still experimenting with how to best showcase indie games.

Miya:
Yes. But I also think a little more chaos could be beneficial (laughing).
TGS has neat black booths lined up in perfect rows. The clean look makes posters and art easy to spot, but it also limits unexpected encounters. In contrast, the indie area at gamescom features chaotic arrangements—booths facing all directions, vibrant colors like pink decorations—all creating a sense of playful disorder.
It’s precisely that messy, confusing environment where you might stumble upon something surprising—and that kind of serendipity is part of what makes it fun.

Thumbnail image No.006 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]

4Gamer:
I’ve covered gamescom myself, and I know what you mean—bumping into people in a crowded space, then suddenly finding an unknown game that catches your eye. That kind of discovery is exciting—there’s real charm in spaces that aren’t perfectly polished.

Miya:
Exactly. It comes down to the event’s culture and audience—the balance between clarity and chaos isn’t about good or bad; while visibility and ease of navigation matter, adding an “atmosphere” or a sense of playful messiness can make things more enjoyable.

4Gamer:
Indeed—event scale and atmosphere both play a role. But over the past eight years since Neon Noroshi’s founding, Japan’s indie scene has changed dramatically. With major milestones like your first TGS appearance and launching Yotsuba Interactive, how do you see your future activities evolving?

Miya:
Indie publishers are emerging rapidly now—there’s more excitement than anyone could have imagined just a few years ago. When we began our work, the term “indie game” was only starting to gain traction in Japan. The transformation over these past few years has been truly remarkable.

At this year’s TGS 2025, many exhibitors presented booths with creative designs and unique branding—individuality shone through both established publishers and independent developers. Many attendees were reminded once again: “Indie games are actually really interesting.”

As I mentioned earlier, having fans gather at our booth was wonderful—but even more rewarding was being able to support game creators and studios from various countries and regions, seeing their joy in the process. If we can help raise the overall quality of indie gaming just a little bit through these efforts, that would be deeply satisfying.

4Gamer:
Thank you very much.

Thumbnail image No.017 / Neon Noroshi makes its first-ever company booth appearance at TGS 2025. We spoke with the company’s representative about their journey from translation and PR to publishing, and their participation in the event [TGS2025]