GOG.com launches indie outreach
Online storefront intros new portal for devs to submit their games for sale, offers advance on royalties
As GOG continues expanding its offerings beyond its original "Good Old Games" branding, the digital storefront is now courting independent developers directly. The company has launched a new portal to streamline the submission process for indie developers to get their games up on GOG.com.
In addition to testimonials from the developers of titles like To the Moon and The Real Texas, the site lays out three potential enticements to indie creators. First off, GOG is offering developers an advance on royalties from their games' sales. They can either accept a 70/30 developer/GOG revenue split without an advance, or take the advance and receive a 60/40 split until the advance is recouped.
Beyond that, GOG is promising to give more direct feedback and communication, both about the content of the game as well as whether it will be accepted for inclusion or not. That positioning suggests an alternative to Steam, where the not entirely transparent Greenlight process holds some sway over what gets published and when. Finally, GOG is promising a dedicated cross-media marketing campaign for each and every release, including promotion on the site's social accounts, a banner ad, and a front page news article.