Kate Hall: A Blur at Gamescom
Kate Hall, co-founder of PlayIndies, hustled through the bustling halls of Gamescom. Together with co-founder Keith Muelas, they promoted their startup, aiming to tackle a significant issue in the indie games sector: discoverability.
The Indie Games Challenge
Hall and Muelas met in Cologne, coming from opposite sides of the globe—Hall from Western Australia and Muelas near Seattle. They launched PlayIndies with nearly 100 games and almost 1,000 creators on board right from the start. The indie games landscape is thriving but chaotic, with over 17,000 new games launched on Steam this year and around 300 million content creators vying for attention across the internet.
Addressing the Disconnect
Indie developers need exposure, while content creators are in search of fitting titles for their niche audiences. However, the overwhelming number of pitches creates a mismatch. Hall mentions that many larger creators ignore pitches due to constant irrelevant offers, while smaller creators struggle to find suitable games.
Content creator Charles Maguire spends significant time searching various platforms for games that might fit his audience. This disconnect has resulted in inefficiencies for both developers and creators.
A Manual Solution
PlayIndies offers a marketplace where creators can request game codes tailored to their audience, while developers can find appropriate content creators. Both sides are manually vetted by the PlayIndies team, ensuring quality and relevance.
Keith Muelas states, “If you’re on PlayIndies, it’s like a stamp of approval.” Developers can choose subscription packages starting at $9/month, gaining access to messaging and promotional opportunities, as well as analytics from YouTube and Twitch.
Marketplace Leakage
A potential issue could arise when developers discover creators on the platform and reach out directly, a phenomenon known as marketplace leakage. Hall acknowledges this is inevitable but believes the platform’s ease of use will encourage developers to pay for connections.
Competition and Future Goals
PlayIndies aims to compete with established platforms like Keymailer and Lurkit, which dominate the game key distribution space. Hall insists that while these platforms are known, she wants PlayIndies to be mentioned in the same breath.
With their ambitious goals, Hall and Muelas continue to push through the demanding environment of Gamescom, staying energized and focused on their mission to solve one of the indie gaming industry’s most pressing challenges.
Join the Discussion
What are your thoughts on PlayIndies and the evolving landscape of videogame content creation? Share your insights in the comments!
