A largely unexpected retailer has just announced its foray into the ever growing tablet market.
Video game retail giant Gamestop has officially stated it will jump into the ring and offer an Android-powered device that will be focused on, obviously, gaming.
“We’re in test phase right now. But we’re excited at the prospect of coming out with this tablet. I would call it a ‘GameStop-certified gaming platform. We looked at all the tablets and these are the ones that really worked for gaming and we’re going to give you a few benefits that you’re not going to get elsewhere,” said company president Tony Bartel in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz.
It signifies the shift in video games that is starting to take away from the traditional consoles and platforms and move into the mobile space. Gamestop has been very active in keeping up with the trends.
The retailer is also strongly trying to get customers to purchase digital content through Gamestop.com or at a physical retail store, as opposed to the arguably much simpler method of buying it directly through a console or device.
Gamestop, like Amazon, Best Buy, and many other tech-based retailers, has increased its focus on not just selling stuff that other people make, but making its own stuff too. Whether it’s the Amazon Kindle of Best Buy’s series of private label products, being a retailer cannot simply consist of selling other products anymore.
Earlier this year, Gamestop acquired a company called Kongregate, which specialized in casual Flash games. The retailer used that to get into Android with a Kongregate mobile app, but it was strictly marketed as a ‘Kongregate’ product, not a Gamestop one, even though the two companies are one and the same.
