Gree launches new program to support, promote indie devs

In an effort to expand its indie game catalog, social and mobile gaming giant Gree has just launched a brand new program that promises to help independent developers finish, promote, and launch their latest games. The new "Indie of the Month" program is part of a larger indie support initiative, and starting this November, Gree will select one independent team per month, and offer QA, PR, and post-launch support to help them release an iOS or Android game on the Gree Platform. "We recognize that developers are completely focused on game development and don't all have the resources or know-how for things like QA and PR. So the 'Indie of the Month' is an opportunity for us to complement their work with our help in those areas," said Eros Resmini, Gree's SVP of developer relations and marketing. Each selected team will receive one-on-one support from Gree for four to six weeks, and when their project is complete, the developers will maintain full IP rights over their game. "We want to help these indies grow and establish themselves and their IP and brand," Resmini told us. "We are not looking to take any of that away from them and think it is really important to draw that distinction between publisher and partner. "Don't get me wrong; we see tremendous benefit from having these games on our platform. We want both players and developers to see us as being their best resource for connecting audiences with games. We just want to put in the extra work to help us all get there." Resmni added that participating in the 'Indie of the Month' program is completely free, though developers will still be responsible for Gree's standard revenue share commission once they launch their games on the Gree Platform. When selecting titles for this new initiative, Resmini said Gree will be looking t games that showcase new, interesting, and creative ideas. The company is now accepting submissions through January 2013, though the company plans to extend the program if it proves to be successful. At the moment, the 'Indie of the Month' program is only open to developers within the United States, and teams looking to showcase their games during the program's inaugural month must submit their applications by November 2.