The “Break it Down” Blog

As you guys know the Penny Arcade guys are working on a game with HotHead and is due out in a few months. They announced recently that they would be digitally distributing the game for Windows, Linux and Mac digitally and I think everyone assumed Valve’s Steam… or some service like Steam.

As it turns out the Penny Arcade guys are working with HotHead to deploy a new digital distribution system known as Greenhouse. The best part is when they sat down with GameStop to ink a distribution deal and were essentially told that unless GameStop got a cut of all distribution methods (XBLA, Digital, Boxed, etc.) from all avenues they planned to sell it on, GameStop refused to stock the boxed copy of the game. Here’s the quote from the full Wired interview:

Gabe: Robert said we could talk about that deal with GameStop.

We had a meeting with GameStop to talk about selling a boxed version of the game. Once we had a bunch of episodes together, we would collect them and put them in a box, you know? And GameStop said, oh, that’s fantastic. We’d love to do it, we’d love to carry the game… but it’s not going to be available anywhere else, is it?

And Robert said, well, we’re going to digitally distribute it first.

They got really upset. And they said, no, you can’t do that. We can’t have it in our store if it’s coming out digitally first. And he said, well, I’m sorry, that’s the way it works. We’re publishing our game and we can say where it goes. And so the deal that they tried to strike with Robert was okay, well, listen: If you cut us in on the profits from online distribution, and XBLA, and everything it comes out on, then we’ll think about carrying it in the store. Just, what assholes.

Super-fuckers for the win!