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GameStop opens $10M mobile game fund

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Specialty retailer hires former Zynga exec to head up new Kongregate Mobile Developers program aiming to help games get off the ground.

GameStop today announced the formation of the Kongregate Mobile Developers program, a $10 million fund aimed at helping independent game creators find success in the free-to-play mobile space. The fund will provide distribution, financial assistance, consulting services, and marketing support for successful candidates.

In addition, Kongregate will provide various creative services, quality assurance, and "competitive research" to successful applicants all in an effort to help each game have a successful launch. Furthermore, games chosen can receive promotion across Kongregate, the official GameStop iOS and Android apps, and GameStop's network of websites.

Select titles will receive even more exposure, as they will be displayed at GameStop's 6,600 retail stores across the world and receive advertising campaigns and other public relations initiatives.

Game makers can apply for entry to the Kongregate Mobile Developers program by contacting GameStop.

To lead the initiative, GameStop has hired former Zynga general manager Panayoti Haritatos, who will become vice president of GameStop's new Kongregate mobile division.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

25 comments
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ZeW0lf
ZeW0lf like.author.displayName 1 Like

Mobile gaming sucks.

GH05T-666
GH05T-666

What a waste of money GameStop

i want real games not bad touch screen games

obsequies
obsequies

don't particularly like gamestop  but this doesn't seem too bad except it might diverge casual gamers from looking at mixed sources for indies so that only the most popular get noticed..maybe not though

RustedTruck650
RustedTruck650

I hope gamestop goes to hell due to the market they help destroy, gaming. They'd be a better company if the whole used game industry dies out.

quigonzel
quigonzel like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@RustedTruck650 New game sales lead to trade ins. Trade ins lead to used game sales. Used game sales help poorer gamers play games that garner interest in future sequels, developers and certain genres. That, in turn, leads to new game sales all over again and thus, helps the developers and the studios. If anything, GameStop is helping the industry. 

FlashCharge
FlashCharge

Smart, profitable, and hope individual developers, not just the big guys on the scene have an equal chance.

Matt731999
Matt731999

gamestop owns so many companies: Kongregate, GameInformer, etc. so i have 1 question... why cant they give us decent money for games we spend $60 for? not like they need the money

starchsr
starchsr

@Matt731999Cut out the middle-man. If you have a bank account, sell your games on Amazon. If it's a recent release or an old game that is rare/popular you can get $30-50 (the Gamestop retail used price, pretty much). Ebay is OK if you don't have a bank account but they have crazy rules for withholding payment so you could end up waiting a month for them to release funds to your Paypal account.And you get Ebay's double dip on fees.

Matt731999
Matt731999

@starchsr @Matt731999 I get that, the thing is, I'm not one for selling my games online because of shipping and whatnot. I'm a forgetful person. There is this one place that I recently found called "Disc Replay" and they sell my games based on three things:
1. Quality of the game
2. It's popularity (Whether it'll sell or not)
3. It's release date (How old or new it is)
You all should really check this place out, it's great and beats GameStop by a LONGSHOT. I got $36.50 for Black Ops 1, and that's WAY above retail price.

This comment has been deleted

Catfishhunter55
Catfishhunter55

There are 1000s of ppl looking to break into the mobile industry and gamestop is going to give them a massive platform and the knowledge to do so. I say good of gamestop to let the little guys get a chance. In another few years the mobile industry will be dominated by handful of big money companies with no chance for the little guy to get his foot in.

Sefrix
Sefrix ranger

 I wonder what's in it or them. A 10% cut?

gatsbythepig
gatsbythepig like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

" To lead the initiative, GameStop has hired former Zynga general manager Panayoti Haritatos"


hahaha

ilantis
ilantis like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 6 Like

Gamestop + Zynga ? Just trow EA in the bunch too and you have like the equivalent of Satan for videogames

starduke
starduke

Oh, this bodes well for the future. NOT!

Overeduk8ed
Overeduk8ed like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

Yeah, nothing but good can happen when someone from Zynga joins GameStop, because they're both all about the gamer, right? When I think of supporting creative developers who push the envelope of gaming, I know I think of Zynga and GameStop. Neither company has ever positioned themselves to monetarize and capture the value of someone else's labor, right? This is truly a great day for our beloved subculture!

EPaul
EPaul like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

It's a Trap! 

ClaudiusCaesar
ClaudiusCaesar

So, GameStop starts to move from retail to publishing. That sounds about right, digital taking sales from retail and, most important, the end of used games for the next gen consoles.

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