Online game portal Kongregate and its parent company GameStop today announced a new $10 million initiative to help fund up-and-coming free-to-play mobile game developers, while also launching its own mobile games division.
The Kongregate Mobile Developers program will offer financial assistance, consulting services and marketing support. The company notes that the mobile space is currently highly competitive, and studios can use all the help they can get.
Games already in development that qualify for the funding scheme will receive cash advances to cover final build and integration expenses if chosen by Kongregate, and Kongregate will promote funded games via its game portal, the GameStop mobile apps, and GameStop's social media outlets.
As part of the announcement, Kongregate also revealed that it has hired Panayoti Haritatos, formerly Zynga's general manager, as vice president of its new mobile division.
Haritatos will be looking to oversee Kongregate's own in-house mobile game development. He knows first-hand the power of Kongregate -- he released Bloody Fun Day via the online game portal with his own indie company Urbansquall back in 2009, and was subsequently bought out by Zynga due to its success.
This move into the mobile space comes as part of Kongregate's efforts to expand beyond the confines of the web browser. Most recently, the company added free-to-play downloadable games to its portal.
