GameStop, the specialist US retailer, is making a move into god's honest video game publishing – and it's signing up some familiar names to help make its charge. Regular readers will already know that Insomniac Games is on board, with its underwater adventure Song of the Deep due out on the PlayStation 4 later this year. However, the Ratchet & Clank maker will be joined by Ready at Dawn, Frozenbyte, and Tequila Works.
The latter is especially interesting as it just re-acquired the rights to RIME from Sony, so could the title re-emerge under the stewardship of GameStop's new venture? The initiative, named GameTrust, will essentially see the outlet publishing titles on both digital storefronts and physically in its 6,200 stores. The firm's saying that it's not involved with the creative process – it just wants to help independent developers reach a bigger audience.
"GameTrust will revolutionize the game development and distribution process by offering a new way for independent developers to create and introduce their own intellectual property to a broad gaming audience and for gamers to discover and enjoy exclusive new video game experiences," the organisation said. We suppose that it makes sense for all parties: GameStop gets exclusives for its stores, while smaller developers get unprecedented retail presence.
New developers and games will apparently be announced over the coming weeks and months, so watch this space.
[source polygon.com]
Comments 13
Good move on Gamestops part. It will help both them and small indies (I'm not talking of a funko pop of Indiana Jones either). This gives them a better chance at physical releases. For Gamestop they are now getting a better foothold in the digital realm as well. Smart move I think.
Wonder if this will apply to the Australian equivalent EB games. I'm not against the move but generally prices are much higher at EB than other retailers and I only shop there if I can price match.
Rime is a lost cause, and I'm not sure what RAD could make. They have a great graphical engine, but lack story telling which is crucial for most genres.
This is VERY smart on gamestops part, they can see the writing on the wall. As things move more and more to digital they need a foot print there as well. Plus, they have signed some really good developers so as long as they keep from meddling and let these guys make the great games that we know they can then this could turn out well for everyone.
Nice only Song of the Deep is not available in Europe retail.
And shipping is 20 Euro to the Netherlands.
I like the name GameTrust, very corporate.
I've been wondering lately with the ever increasing move to digital if Gamestop might get more involved. I wasn't thinking publishing, though that's a way for them to make money with publishing fees on digital games.
I was thinking more along the lines of in store downloads though. Not everybody has broadband at home for 40GB AAA games. What if Gamestop went the 7-11 coffee/soda route. Buy a 64GB thumbdrive from Gamestop with some funky proprietary security on it, then buy game codes in store, download to the drive, take it home and upload it to your PS4, X1 or NX. Would be a disaster on release day for games like COD, but for back catalog stuff that maybe they don't have in stock on disc anymore. Small runs like publishing does with it's print-on-demand service.
Maybe it wont be exactly like that, but I'm sure Gamestop will think of something similar to keep people coming into stores for digital games until Google has everybody fiber w-fi to our homes.
What about those countries that don't have GameStop stores? Digital or physical import?
F gamestop. Buy from local/small business!
@slampog then you gotta buy from sony
@rjejr Kind of like the Famicom Disk System?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Computer_Disk_System
Everything old is new again!
I just want to see some actual RIME footage. If it's still coming and if it looks like the original trailer, than that's fine. But the whole shenanigans with Sony seems a bit iffy to me.
@Fath Well like that, but with less C batteries.
"The battery option is due to the likelihood of a standard set of AC plugs already being occupied by a Famicom and a television."
That thing was pretty funky, it was bigger than the console. It is funny how way back when Nintendo came up with cool stuff - the Gameboy Player and Link cables for the Gamecube were neat additions - yet they can't figure out a way to get 3DS games on a tv via Wii U, which probably would have helped sell more of both systems.
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