E-commerce platform Xsolla has recently announced a $30 million fund, which plans to invest in independent self-published games in exchange for royalty rights.
It may get a bit confusing, but Xsolla Capital actually works in a pretty straightforward way. Xsolla gives developers the money they need to finish their games, and the developers pay dividends on royalties once the games start selling. Plus you get nice perks from Xsolla, including industry access, global reach, technology infrastructure, market expertise, payments, fraud management, customer support. Online games might be very interested.
“I am so pleased to launch Xsolla Capital as I have always been passionate about the gaming industry and finding ways to help smaller, independent game developers and publishers succeed. By partnering with Xsolla Capital, independent developers will have the capital to finish their potentially industry-changing titles and reaching diverse gaming audiences. In turn, investors will gain from the video games’ successes and grow this niche within the lucrative industry as a whole.”
Aleksandr Agapitov, CEO and founder, Xsolla
Indie games these days no longer look indie. They’re developed by middle-sized teams, they have nice visuals, they even go online and offer in-game payments. Xsolla Capital seems to be using the same kind of strategy that Epic Games is using with the UE4. It’s a nice way for developers to get that extra kick for their game, without risking the control over your IP.