Midwest Games, which is focused on showcasing indie game talent across the Midwest of the United States and other underrepresented regions, introduced a new service support model, shadow publishing.Extending the publishers expertise into a services model addresses a critical gap in the games market thats currently underservedmore games are entering the market and fewer traditional publishing deals are available, leaving studios with the daunting task of self-publishing, the company said. As part of this new initiative, Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Midwest Games has appointed games industry veteran Elizabeth Howard as chief advisor for services. Howard, who most recently served as vice president of production at Bungie, brings 20 years of experience in business development, publishing, production, and portfolio management. She will lead the team in delivering tailored publishing solutions that empower game developers and bring great experiences to players. Under CEO Ben Kvalo, Howard joins the current leadership of Jennifer Corbett, chief marketing officer, and Chris Klimecky, chief product officer.Elizabeth Howards is the chief adviser for services at Midwest Games.Midwest Games will offer both la carte and full-service support on a work-for-hire basis, allowing developers to retain future revenue and IP rights.Midwest Games shadow publishing offers services before, during, and after launch for PC and console games of all genres. The company touts its location as an advantage in pricing to keep publishing support accessible and allow more funds to go directly into each game. Services will cover the full needs of bringing a game to market, including business and publishing strategy, platform management, marketing and PR, and developer services.The games market has evolved. To succeed, games need to hit all facets of publishing throughout the entire development lifecycle, yet many studios lack the resources, Howard said in a statement. While flexible models exist for development, that same flexibility has been missing in publishinguntil recently. Midwest Games shadow publishing provides a scalable solution that integrates strategy and execution so studios can focus on making great games.Midwest Games shadow publishing presents a few key differentiators:Comprehensive services: This is one of the first full-service offerings worldwide that aligns strategy, production, and marketing in one vendor for those who want to enlist a full suite of capabilities.Flexibility: Unlike traditional publishing partnerships, this model provides the studio with options in scaled support, pricing, and service timelines.Retained ownership: Game owners retain their IP and full revenue while having full say over publishing decisions.In a statement, Kvalo said, By empowering partners with the right knowledge and resources, Midwest Games can help studios navigate a competitive and fragmented publishing landscape while retaining the value of their game and years of hard work for the long term. Were incredibly excited to bring Elizabeths leadership in publishing and developer services to spearhead the initiative to support more games.Daily insights on business use cases with VB DailyIf you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.Read our Privacy PolicyThanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.An error occured.