Honoring the traditional Japanese value of not behaving like an asshole towards others, the organizers of Tokyo Game Dungeon – one of Japan’s major game exhibitions focused on small-scale developers and indies – have been spreading awareness about “preachy dudes at game events.”
As spotted by Game*Spark, Tokyo Game Dungeon’s official X account made a statement on May 5 saying that despite the organizers’ efforts to raise awareness about the issue of “preachy dudes” over the past two years, they still haven’t been able to eliminate the problem at their events. According to their definition, “preachy dudes”(jp: sekkyo ojisan) are people of any age and gender who find it acceptable to badger developers with condescending, unsolicited “advice” on their abilities and work.
The most recent Tokyo Game Dungeon event took place just two days prior, and it seems there were enough arrogant lectures happening to warrant the announcement. As the organizers astutely point out, individuals who engage in this kind of behavior tend to not recognize that they are, in fact, the preachy dudes, which complicates efforts to spread awareness. Tokyo Game Dungeon’s attempts so far have been admirable, though, with the past few years seeing humorous infomercials ruthlessly calling out the behavior of preachy dudes.
The 2024 edition goes: “Preachy dudes, the ones who nag at developers without even having played their demos, are the No 1. most hated demographic at game events. If we were in America, you would get shot in the head and told to go make your own game.”
The 2025 video is possibly even more scathing: “You, the preachy dude who comes to indie game exhibitions and looks at everyone like they’re beneath you. We’re sure you graduated from Tokyo University, work at a major game company and make games that sell millions of copies across the world. Your advice is far too valuable to be given out for free. Why don’t you join a conference with an astronomically high participation fee and share it with industry peers? Then, you can upload it to YouTube so we can watch it while we take a shit.”
It’s hard to imagine that conceited preachers will ever truly disappear from game events, but Tokyo Game Dungeon’s organizers are “incredibly frustrated” with the current state of things and seem devoted to continuing to spread their message.
