Game key reseller G2A is looking to reconnect with and reassure disgruntled developers after indie publisher TinyBuild claimed fraudulent G2A sales cost it roughly $450,000.
Writing in a Gamasutra blog last week, TinyBuild CEO Alex Nichiporchik called G2A's eBay-like business model "fundamentally flawed," and suggested that the seller currently "facilitates a black market economy."
TinyBuild’s lost sales were reportedly a result of credit card fraud, and according to Nichiporchik it's not uncommon for G2A sellers to use stolen card information to bulk-buy keys and sell them through G2A, leaving dev to deal with a financial fallout as a result of chargebacks.
Initially G2A took a hardline response to TinyBuild's claims, offering to work with the dev, but only if they provided information relating to suspicious game keys within three days.
Now, speaking to Eurogamer, the company has softened its stance, and has admitted that the burden of responsibility to effect a change rests on its shoulders.
"As a leader in the digital gaming marketplace, we recognise our responsibility to serve the greater good for the entire gaming industry," a G2A rep wrote in an email.
"Recent events have demonstrated that we need to move faster to introduce new benefits designed with developers in mind, and invite them to play an even bigger role in creating the marketplace of the future."
With that in mind, G2A will let developers apply to receive a royalty of up to 10 percent from sales of their products on the store, while a developer funding button is also being added to let customers send cash straight to creators through their product page.
The company also reiterated its commitment to maintaining a safe, secure marketplace, and as a result will now give them access to its database to help verify sales, volume, and timing of transactions.
If those investigations unearth fraudulent sales, G2A says it will investigate and ban offending users from any further activity.
"We work with law enforcement globally to track fraud and we are committed to ensuring that the marketplace remains safe," explained the rep. "Dozens of payment providers work with us globally because they have total confidence in our security process."
G2A says it will start testing its new initiatives during the next two weeks, before officially rolling them out on July 29.
Despite those assurances, some developers have questioned the company's motivations, and have suggested that these new measures are being implemented in a bid to further legitimise the marketplace, rather than bring about reform.
Others believe that G2A is now effectively absolving those abusing the system of any blame, and in doing so is sending a worrying message to fraudsters.
10% is fairly desultory and it now has the added issue of any devs taking that money appearing to endorse their practises
— Paul Kilduff-Taylor (@mode7games) June 28, 2016
@ItsProbablyAndy Take the 10% and you legitimise their actions, now it's OK to do card fraud as long as someone gets tipped off at the end.
— Rob (@retroremakes) June 28, 2016