Draft:VoxPop Games

VoxPop Games, Inc. (stylized as VoxPop) is an American video game publisher, middleware toolset and distributor. VoxPop Games specializes in funding and hosting indie games.

VoxPop Games operates an online store using a profit-sharing business model, which allows game developers to create revenue-sharing agreements with collaborators and influencers. VoxPop Games also micro-funds new game development through its VoxPop Fund program.

Overview
VoxPop Games was founded in 2019 by Charles Fang Yu and Marc Anthony Rodriguez. However, initial development stalled until mid-2020, in part due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. As of 2019, it is New York’s First Independent Games Platform.

Shortly after its founding, VoxPop Games was admitted into the F50 Elevate accelerator, and became part of their 2021 cohort.

The VoxPop Store was originally envisioned as a blockchain-based, crypto structured storefront, but pivoted away from blockchain based architecture very early in development. VoxPop initially launched as a peer-to-peer, profit-sharing distribution platform, but has since expanded into publishing and software tools.

In February 2023, VoxPop Games announced that Studio Wildcard co-founder, Douglas Kennedy would be joining its board.

In April 2024, VoxPop Games announced an M&I deal to acquire mobile gaming company, Celebrity Games, along with a new partnership initiative with Universities to welcome students from diverse fields who aspire to enter the gaming industry

Sales
VoxPop Games began as an online store, specializing in independent video games. The VoxPop Store used a peer-to-peer network to distribute files, and featured built-in tools for affiliate marketing and DRM. One goal of the VoxPop Store was to connect independent game developers to influencers by allowing them to share profits from their games. Developers could set a percentage of their revenue from a title to be used as a user incentive for sharing their game. If a game was then purchased from that user’s affiliate link, the user could collect the user incentive.

One goal of the VoxPop Store was to connect independent game developers to influencers by allowing them to share profits from their games. Developers could set a percentage of their revenue from a title to be used as a user incentive for sharing their game. If a game was then purchased from that user’s affiliate link, the user could collect the user incentive. Games with content exclusive to the VoxPop Store were given the “Made for VoxPop” label, and additional benefits were offered to participating developers.

VoxPop Games launched the Open Beta for its store in April 2020

Publishing
In February 2022, VoxPop Games published Weaponeer, a platform game designed to be played with one hand, in partnership with the AbleGamers Foundation. VoxPop Games initially approached Weaponeer only for exclusive content, but ended up taking a publishing role after assisting in development. Following the publication of Weaponeer, VoxPop Games announced the creation of the VoxPop Fund – a program formally dedicated to micropublishing independent games. Following the publication of Weaponeer, VoxPop Games announced the creation of the VoxPop Fund – a program formally dedicated to micropublishing independent games. Following the publication of Weaponeer, VoxPop Games announced the creation of the VoxPop Fund – a program formally dedicated to micropublishing independent games.

Following the publishing of Weaponeer, VoxPop Games announced the creation of the VoxPop Fund – a program formally dedicated to micropublishing independent games.

Under the VoxPop Fund, in August 2022, VoxPop Games announced that it would be funding Outer Terror, a roguelike bullet hell game, under the working title “Remnant: The Gray Death.” Outer Terror was designed as a spiritual successor to Gray Death, a game which was previously published on the VoxPop Games platform in 2021. Outer Terror was released on April 20th, 2023.

In February 2023, VoxPop Games announced two additional games that would be published under the VoxPop Fund – Loppy: Planet Hunter, and Tranquil Garden: Adventurer’s Edition. In February 2023, VoxPop Games announced two additional games that would be published under the VoxPop Fund – Loppy: Planet Hunter, and Tranquil Garden: Adventurer’s Edition.

The VoxPop Games' published title, Outer Terror has been nominated for an 13th Annual New York Video Game Critic's Circle (NYVGCC) New York Video Game Award, under the category of Chumley's Speakeasy Best Hidden Gem

Outer Terror has released for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox X/S, and Nintendo Switch on April 12th, 2024

Middleware
In February 2023, VoxPop Games announced that it would be creating a new middleware platform, so that the revenue sharing features of the VoxPop Store could be used regardless of the point-of-sale.

Acquisition
In April 2024, VoxPop Games announced that it acquired Delaware-based mobile studio, Celebrity Games, now a wholly owned subsidiary of VoxPop Games, Inc. the move was made to boost expanded talent integration for independent developers.