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From Github to indiepub.

Justin Carter, Contributing Editor

February 1, 2023

1 Min Read
Logo for game publisher Null Games.

Chris Wanstrath, co-founder of popular software hosting website Github, is getting into the games business. Wanstrath announced the formation of his game publishing label Null Games

What's more, Null already has its first game lined up: the hockey roguelite Tape to Tape from indie studio Excellent Rectangle, due out in April. 

Per the press release, Wanstrath views Null as part of a larger movement to create a "developer-friendly" game industry. Throughout 2022, several indie developers (and the YouTuber Dunkey) transitioned to game publishing, with several of them espousing a similar "developer-friendly" focus.

"By partnering with developers and offering great terms, we believe they’ll make better games in a more sustainable way," Wanstrath wrote. "We've seen what the developer-unfriendly, crunch culture produces. It's time to see what happens when you treat developers and gamers with respect."

Wanstrath co-founded GitHub in 2007 with Scott Chacon, PJ Hyett, and Tom Presten-Warner. He served as the company's CEO until it was acquired by Microsoft in 2018.

Like other recent indie publishers, Null will help developers with marketing, development costs, porting, and publishing. On its website, it notably states that it will not "publish mobile games or games with gambling, loot boxes, or any other player-hostile behavior."

About the Author(s)

Justin Carter

Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com

A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.

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