GameSpy's Free Online Tech Initiative Attracts Over 800 Indies

Over 800 independent game developers have signed up to utilize GameSpy's complimentary online services and tools since the program's February debut, according to the company. Among the developers currently signed on are Halfbrick (Fruit Ninja), War Drum Studios (the Real Deal series) and Trapdoor (G.I. Joyride), said GameSpy in a statement on Tuesday. "When the subject of leaderboards came up, GameSpy Open stood out as a perfect solution that would merge seamlessly with our development pipeline," explained Trapdoor founder Ken Schachter, with War Drum's John Hayes adding that his studio chose to utilize the tech "primarily because of its multi-platform nature." The GameSpy Open Initiative, which launched back in February, brought the same networked gaming technology used in games like Red Dead Redemption, Mario Kart Wii and Crysis to independent developers. The initiative was put in place to maintain GameSpy's relevance, as it believes that independent games are becoming a more and more important segment of the industry. "Anyone who has been paying attention has notices that independent developers are not just hobbyists any more," GameSpy Technology's Sean Flinn told us at the time. "It has gotten very serious... We made a bet on this because we think the independents are here to stay and will be successful in a sea-changing kind of way." Interested developers may sign up for the program on its official website.