GameStop Establishes Digital Business Group, Appoints Exec Freeman

GameStop may dominate video game retail, but the question of how the company, which makes its revenues on new and used packaged goods, will adapt to increasing digital distribution has been something of a question mark. The retailer is clearly poised to try to address the issue, though, today announcing it's created a new executive role with oversight for digital business. Shawn Freeman has joined GameStop as senior VP and GM of Digital Business, where he's responsible for creating and overlooking digital strategy. A few months ago, the company established a Digital Media group specifically to address "emerging trends in browser, casual and mobile gaming," appointing Chris Petrovic to head the group. GameStop discussed at the time its desire to integrate a strategy for digital media. Freeman will collaborate with that division to grow the retailer's online retail and other digital business. The company describes the new exec's work as a "multi-channel approach that embraces GameStop’s more than 6,200 stores across the globe as well as the company’s commerce-enabled Web site GameStop.com." CEO Dan DeMatteo adds: "Adding an accomplished online business veteran and visionary such as Shawn to our team demonstrates our commitment to establishing a world-class e-commerce and digital business platform that fortifies our leadership in the multi-channel video game entertainment industry." Freeman has 20 years of senior management experience in online business initiatives across a wide variety of businesses. Most recently, he headed resale operations for Ticketmaster in North America, as president of Chicago-based Ticketsnow.com. "Shawn will help bring together and integrate key components to our digital strategy to not only participate in emerging trends in casual, online and mobile gaming, but shape, lead and create new market opportunities," says DeMatteo.