It's a bold statement, but if anyone can create a game as cool as GTA 5, it's GameStop. You probably thought it was just a video game retailer, right? Well, that's right. Until now. The company is launching an independent publishing label that will fund and publish five to 10 independent games over the next year.
WILL GAMESTOP MAKE THE NEXT GTA 5?
It's hard to say whether any of these five to ten games will be as good as GTA 5, but it's safe to assume that GameStop knows a thing or two about video games. They know what sells, since they are the ones selling. They took their first steps in this business with Insomniac Games' Song of the Deep. Since then, GamesTop has talked to more than 20 developers to keep their intellectual properties. They say they will not focus on the mainstream, but rather on smaller games that are generally ignored by the publishing world.
GTA 5 HAD TO START SOMEWHERE
GTA 5 and Rockstar are now among the biggest names in video games, but they too had to start somewhere. It's the little guy that GameStop wants to take on in its latest venture. The company is going after what it calls "AAA" independent games. These are basically small dream projects that studios could never support because of their small size. With a little help, these dream projects can come to life and find a wider audience.
PUBLISHING IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Publishing is just the beginning for the video game retailer. According to CEO Paul Raines, it's all part of the company's transformation. From retail to digital to physical gaming, GameStop is looking to touch all aspects of the industry. The buzz around VR is no coincidence. Physical gaming is about to explode and Paul Raines understands this. By partnering with small independent developers, they can properly prepare for the new video game frontier. Maybe making something as big as GTA 5 isn't so far-fetched after all.