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Online games portal Kongregate is launching a $10m programme to encourage independent developers to produce mobile games for its platform.
The Kongregate Mobile Developers programme is back by its parent company, GameStop, the leading specialist US games retailer. It will offer distribution, financial assistance, consulting and marketing services to help developers be successful in the competitive mobile arena.
To lead its new mobile division, in-house and overseas, the company has hired former Zynga general manager Panayoti ‘Pany’ Haritatos as vice president of its new mobile division.
“Developers are increasingly finding it harder to get their games discovered through the different app stores,” he said.
“I personally faced these challenges in 2009 while managing my own game studio. Utilising the Kongregate platform made my games successful, which ultimately led to my studio being acquired by Zynga.”
The programme offers games creators financial assistance, free consultation and creative services and, notably, promotional support.
Games can receive promotion on Kongregate’s site, GameStop’s iOS and Android apps and web-based destinations and social media, which that collectively reach more than 50m gamers.
With the backing of GameStop, titles have the opportunity to appear in some of its 6,600 stores worldwide.
Kongregate will also manage paid advertising campaigns for games on third-party networks, offer PR and work with app stores to get games featured on behalf of the developer.
Developers interested in the Kongregate mobile programme can find out more here.
