Humble Bundle has announced plans to move into the game publishing business with the launch of a new multi-platform publishing and funding initiative. The company described the program as "a multi-million-dollar investment for games large and small," and said it will begin with seven games "across a range of genres and styles, for PC, console, and mobile platforms."
"What publishing allows us to do differently is to help developers prior to release," said publishing lead John Polson. "It also helps us guarantee eager gamers will get to play some awesome games, each affixed with the trusted Humble brand of quality we are known for."
As a digital games distributor, Humble Bundle has accumulated more than ten million customers since it went live in 2010, and it also offers a Humble Partners affiliate program to help expose its games to new audiences, including on Twitch and YouTube. But Polson said there's more to the service than simply helping with "discoverability."
"In a way, you could say we are an 'a la carte publisher,' allowing developers to choose what they want out of publishing through us. We then offer funding based on the services they need," he explained. "We offer a wide range of publisher services with trusted teams to cover ports, marketing, localization, and everything a developer would need to release in today’s global games market."
Humble's debut publishing lineup will include:
A Hat in Time
HackyZack
- Release date: Spring 2017
- Release platforms: Windows, Mac, & Linux on initial release. Xbox One post-launch.
- Website
- Trailer
Ikenfell
- Release date: Summer 2018
- Release platforms: Windows & Mac OSX
- Website
Keyboard Sports
No Truce with the Furies
Scorn
Staxel
Humble will be evaluating more games for possible publishing deals at GDC and PAX East and is accepting submissions from developers.
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