GAME to publish games too?

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 4th July 2008

GAME is looking to expand business by publishing games from smaller developers.

UK games retailer, GAME, has indicated that it might be moving into the publishing business directly in the near future according to MCV.

The retail giant, which also owns Gamestation and is often accused of having a chokehold on the UK games market, isn't intending to star developing and publishing AAA titles though instead it has an eye on the indie circuit and is searching for smaller developers.

“If it works commercially for GAME and helps a smaller publisher get off the ground by GAME sharing some of the risk, then we would look at it – we have a distribution channel and we can offer a service," said a GAME spokesperson.

The plan to start publishing games itself though may cause more friction between the chain of stores and larger, existing publishers. There's already plenty of disagreement between the two groups and several publishers are vocally annoyed that they get zero revenue from the sales of pre-owned games.

GAME meanwhile is quick to point out that it doesn't want to threaten publishers and is more interested in publishing smaller titles.

"This isn’t about us doing something that threatens publishers. It is about listening to developers who may come to us with titles that may not otherwise be able to get to market."

Would you buy a GAME-published game, or do you only go for online distribution now? Let us know what you think in the forums.