Pay-what-you-want indie site set to launch

Taking a cue from the Humble Indie Bundles, a new pay-what-you-want service to promote lesser known indie titles is launching this month, intending to showcase a new game every four days.

The IndieGameStand, which launches on September 26, will aim to promote indie games by offering developers a low barrier to entry route to exposure and publicity. Each title will be offered on a pay-what-you-want basis for 96 hours to help developers build a following and generate buzz around their releases.

Games available through the site will be DRM free and 10% of the amount paid will also go to a charity of the developer’s choice. At launch, the site will accept funds through PayPal, Google Checkout and Amazon Payments.

Downloaded games will be accessible from a central “digital game wallet” and several titles will also come with Steam or Desura keys. IndieGameStand is even offering refunds to anyone who may be unhappy with their purchases.

Additionally, once each title’s 96 hours of fame are up, information and links to the developer’s site or storefront will be kept on the IndieGameStand, adding to a growing library of featured games.

More than 50 developers have signed up to IndieGameStand already and the site is offering a free copy of platformer Chester to any users who pre-register.

IndieGameStand is encouraging developers to think about extra bonuses including soundtracks, concept art or DLC to add to increase engagement with their fanbase. The site will also feature a voting button for games that have an entry on Steam’s Greenlight.

‘This site is about supporting all of the fantastic and worthwhile indie developers out there,’ said IndieGameStand co-founder Mike Gnade. ‘We've spent months building out our service to be flexible and accommodating for developers, providing them with tools to promote and upsell their game that other indie game bundles don't offer.’