Games Republic, a community-based games storefront

Anomaly developer 11 bit studios has announced Games Republic, a social media hub and storefront for developers and players to connect, blog, sell games and share media. "We are not just another online shop with games -- it's more than that," said the Warsaw-based studio. "Game creators will use Games Republic to promote their games in a friendly environment." Of particular interest to both developers and bloggers/vloggers, Games Republic provides a monetization model for posted material, allowing critics to earn a percentage from game sales made as a result of their posts, and developers a means by which to connect more directly with prospective customers. "Video game evangelists are becoming more and more important for game developers, but we felt there is no real connection between these two groups," project director Jakub Kowalski stated, in conjunction with the announcement. "Gamers watch Let's Play materials, read enthusiastic blog posts and get extremely hyped, but then buy games elsewhere." Games Republic, on the other hand, is designed to consolidate those under one roof: a community as well as a storefront. Specifics regarding monetization are not yet available. The site is expected to go live in "early 2014."