LINUXGAMES

We received the following press release today:

HOTHEAD GAMES AND PENNY ARCADE PARTNER TO BRING NEW INDIE GAMES TO PLAYERS

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – April 2, 2008 – Hothead Games and Penny Arcade today announced the Greenhouse, a new distribution platform dedicated to supporting independent game development worldwide. Operated by the newly-formed company Greenhouse Interactive, the Greenhouse digital distribution platform will offer gamers a convenient alternative to traditional boxed games and showcase a careful selection of games that otherwise may be overlooked in a crowded retail marketplace. Built to supplement other online game delivery platforms, Greenhouse provides a content delivery method focused on independent developers, helping indie games and gamers come together.

“There are so many great games out there that you don’t hear about,” explained Robert Khoo of Penny Arcade. “They’re too niche or too risky in terms of game play for the top publishers to be comfortable with distributing. We want the Greenhouse to be an alternative for these developers.”

As of today, Greenhouse Interactive offices in Vancouver are open, with the Greenhouse beta available at www.playgreenhouse.com. Greenhouse’s first game launch will be Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One – another shared project of the two companies. “Digital distribution opens so many doors for independent game development, arguably just like the VCR and DVD players did for indie films,” said Vlad Ceraldi of Hothead Games. “We believe in the Greenhouse as an opportunity to support other indie developers and complement the platforms and services currently out there, ensuring that the environment for such development firmly takes root and continues to grow.”

Developers interested in Greenhouse Interactive opportunities can contact Greenhouse Business Development Manager Gregan Dunn for more information.

Additionally, Wired.com has some Greenhouse and Penny Arcade Adventures related content up:

• An interview with PA’s Gabe and Tycho about their new venture:
  

  Is Precipice only going to be sold via Greenhouse?

  Tycho: At first, yeah. But eventually we’d like to get it on as many platforms as we can. And there’s been a lot of interest in that direction, so.

  But the PC version is only going to be offered through this service.

  Tycho: PC, Mac, and Linux.

  And are all of those launching at the same time?

  Tycho: Yeah, it’s actually one key. You download one key, and that key can then work on your PC, your Mac, or your Linux box if you want. Simultaneously.

• A new hands-on preview of PAA:
  

  I’ll save the final verdict for the review, of course, but for now I will tell you that its unique combination of point-and-click exploring and RPG battling works quite well.

You can also already test out their Linux downloader utility with a podcast at the Greenhouse site.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 at 7:55 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.