"Funding is uncertain and discovery is hard:" Xbox and Toge Productions veterans launch marketing and publishing agency

Joyous Node has broken cover to help indie developers close a knowledge gap and become more accomplished at marketing and self-publishing their own projects.

The company was co-founded by former Xbox strategic markets expansion lead (for Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong), Jun Shen Chia, and former Toge Productions head of marketing Sarah Johana.

Setting out the company's stall on LinkedIn, Shen Chia said too many indies are expected to figure out the intricacies of bringing a project to market on the fly—making it difficult for them to succeed on their own terms.

"Across our combined years working in the games industry, we’ve met countless amazing devs making great games, but too often without the knowledge, leverage or resources to bring those games successfully to market," they wrote.

"Funding is uncertain and discovery is hard. Publishers, platforms, algorithms, creators, storefronts, communities, there’s a lot to navigate and too many studios are expected to figure it all out as they go. So with Joyous Node, we aim to help close that gap."

Shen Chia said Joyous Mode is a global business but is particularly eager to assist indie developers in Southeast Asia. "Both of us care deeply about indie developers in Southeast Asia and across the world, and want more of them to succeed on their own terms," they continued.

"We want devs to understand how to market, position, and self-publish their games themselves and build those capabilities into their studios for the long term. We’re not here to simply do marketing for them. Our goal is to jump in and help solve specific marketing and publishing problems, transfer the knowledge and tools needed to tackle them and leave studios stronger than when we started."

Joyous Node is looking to kickstart conversations before heading to Level Up KL, IGDX, and Gamescom Asia this month.