Penny-Arcade launches "Greenhouse"

[FrieChamp]

A digital distribution platform for independent games.

I thought about something like this last year, too bad I never got to work on it. Bleh! Anyway kudos to PA for spending their famous comic strip creator bux into a new company:

http://www.playgreenhouse.com/

[Thrik]

Why wouldn't independent developers just use Steam, which has a far higher adoption rate amongst consumers and thus offers a much greater default audience? Has Steam become too expensive for independent developers or something?

[Furyo]

The idea as I understood it on PA's website was to create a platform independant distribution system, meaning with the same thing you could send the data to a console or a PC. Steam doesn't offer that.

If it's not what this is in the end, then yeah it kinda looks like a steam look alike

[Zacker]

Wow, huge lineup they have already!

[dux]

I love sarcasm.

[Thrik]

Good point Fuyro, although I wouldn't expect Linux or Mac users to be doing much gaming on those operating systems in general.

I guess if the idea does have legs though, Valve may retaliate by making Steam work (at least partially) on other platforms. With their market power it'd be a fairly crushing blow to Greenhouse (it seems to be its only appealing factor), and seeing as this is essentially Valve's market I can't see them letting a competitor outdo them.

[Neil Squibb]

From what I've heard this is just going to be like the Penny-Arcade t-shirt and gift shop - only for games. So not quite in direct competition with Steam.

Also, I thought the Penny-Arcade game was being released on Steam as well?

[FrieChamp]

The way I understand is that it will feature games, that you will neither find in a retail store nor on Steam. Legit question: No retail stores - ok, but why not on Steam when going for the digital download approach? The best guess probably is that it will feature a price model that is tailored for indie developers. Steam already has an established userbase, due to the amount of products available, but don't understimate the competition on the platform for ads and links in the network. It might be more profitable to put your game on a platform that specifically targets your indie game audience, than drowning in the masses of titles which you can find in any retail store.

The Greenhouse is a new distribution platform operated by Greenhouse Interactive, dedicated to supporting independent game development worldwide. We help indie developers get their games into the hands of gamers, and that gives gamers easy access to new and innovative games that they might otherwise have missed.

Sounds like they will be quite selective about what titles they are going to offer, in a indie game distributor kind of way.

[Mr. Happy]

I think somehow they won't be competing with steam, the strip is on steam too after all...they got arrangements with valve, and I doubt theyd break that business relationship.

[Warby]

i agree this cant be meant as a steam competition ...

[Sindwiller]

Good point Fuyro, although I wouldn't expect Linux or Mac users to be doing much gaming on those operating systems in general.

Oh, I still like it