GameStop establishes $10 million mobile game fund | Joystiq

PRESS RELEASE: Kongregate Announces $10 Million Development Fund for New Mobile Gaming Initiative
(Dow Jones and Company, Inc.) Feb 04 07:33 AM EST

Kongregate Announces $10 Million Development Fund for New Mobile Gaming Initiative

Game developers to receive financial assistance, consulting services and marketing support

GameStop to promote across network as part of commitment to mobile gaming

Former Zynga executive Pany Haritatos joins Kongregate to head mobile games unit SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--February 04, 2013--

Kongregate, a leading online game platform, today announced the Kongregate Mobile Developers program, a $10 million fund to help independent game developers succeed in the free-to-play mobile arena. Backed by parent company GameStop, the world's largest retailer of video games, Kongregate will offer distribution, financial assistance, consulting services and marketing support to help developers be successful in the highly competitive mobile arena.

Newly redesigned GameStop iOS App (Photo: Business Wire)

To support the newly created development fund, Kongregate has hired former Zynga general manager, Panayoti (Pany) Haritatos, as vice president of its new mobile division. Haritatos, who brings more than 8 years of web and mobile gaming experience to Kongregate, will lead Kongregate's in-house game development as well as oversee the company's mobile games unit.

"Developers are increasingly finding it harder to get their games discovered through the different app stores," said Pany Haritatos, vice president, Kongregate mobile. "I personally faced these challenges in 2009 while managing my own game studio. Utilizing the Kongregate platform made my games successful, which ultimately led to my studio being acquired by Zynga."

The Kongregate Mobile Developers program offers game creators three areas of assistance:

Financial assistance to complete your game

Qualified games that are already in development can earn cash advances to cover final build and integration expenses.

Expertise to make your game even better

Kongregate pioneered one of the first cross-game virtual currencies on the web, and has years of monetization experience that can be applied to mobile games. Kongregate will provide free consultation with game developers to ensure the best possible performance. Kongregate will also offer creative services, quality assurance, gameplay testing and competitive research to maximize game performance at launch.

Promotion to share your game with the world

Games can receive promotion across Kongregate, the newly updated GameStop iOS and Android apps and GameStop online destinations including website features, email and social media outreach that collectively reach more than 50 million hard-core gamers. Selected titles have the potential to reach millions more gamers with exposure in GameStop's 6,600 retail stores worldwide. Kongregate will also manage paid advertising campaigns for games across third party networks, execute PR and game reviews and work with app stores to get games featured on behalf of the developer.

Developers interested in the Kongregate mobile support program can get more information and apply at http://developers.kongregate.com/mobile.

As part of its commitment to mobile gaming, GameStop is also re-launching an app with new functionality so that top developers can get new and existing mobile games discovered by a massive audience of gamers and 22 million PowerUp Rewards Members. The newly updated GameStop iOS and Android apps will feature the multiplatform mobile game The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth by Kabam, the leader in free-to-play games on mobile devices for core players in the western world, and Warner Bros. GameStop will promote featured games through multiple channels, including GameStop web properties, email and throughout its retail network.

About Kongregate

Kongregate, part of the GameStop network, is a leading online game platform with more than 15 million monthly unique visitors who spend more than 28 million hours playing games per month. The site features a unique community and rich social elements combining achievements, profiles, chat, messaging, forums, and levels into a cohesive gaming experience. Kongregate shares revenue from advertising and virtual goods directly with developers who have uploaded games to the site. Advertisers include major brands like Electronic Arts, Sony Pictures, Sprint, Frito Lay, Axe, Xbox 360, Nokia, and Toyota. Based in San Francisco, CA, the company was founded in 2006 by brother-and-sister team Jim and Emily Greer.

About GameStop Corp.

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, is the world's largest multichannel video game retailer. GameStop's retail network and family of brands include 6,650 company-operated stores in 15 countries worldwide and online at www.GameStop.com. The network also includes: www.Kongregate.com, a leading browser-based game site; Game Informer(R) magazine, the leading multi-platform video game publication; Spawn Labs, a streaming technology company; and a digital PC game distribution platform available at http://www.GameStop.com/PC.

General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website. Follow GameStop on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/GameStop and find GameStop on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/GameStop.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/ home/20130204005475/en/

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/gamestop-establishes-10-million-mobile-game-fund/

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