Type Distributor | Industry Video games | |
IndieBox is a distributor of specially-crafted physical released for selected independent video games (indie game), delivering these to its subscribers. The company has been operating since May 2014. On a monthly basis, subscribers to IndieBox receive a physical package with a digital rights management-free copy of a selected indie game as well as redemption codes on software distribution platforms like Steam, a printed game manual, and several promotional items created for that game, such as game soundtracks, posters, and small knick-knacks, in a manner similar to game packaging of software titles in the 1980s. Users can purchase remaining stock of these packages once all subscribers have received a copy, but such stock is not always assured to be available.
IndieBox was founded by John Carter, Jason Blank, and James Morgan, and are assisted by various teams of volunteers to help with design, packaging, and shipping. They formed the company to create a Book of the Month Club-type service for independent video games; subscribers would not necessarily know what game they were getting, but the company's curation process would assure they would be getting a game with a strong reputation. When they started, they had to cold call several developers to gain interest, eventually signing on Rain Games to use their game Teslagrad as the first IndieBox title.
The work to craft each box is split between manufacturing and artistic and graphic designing. The manufacturing side determines what materials would best represent the game and then reach out to various custom manufacturers to work on how to produce these items at a reasonable cost. The designers work with the studio and their art assets, as well as creating new art for the physical box and instruction manual. Once the materials are ready, the company has "packing parties" with its volunteers to assemble the boxes prior to shipment to subscribers.
In October 2016, IndieBox partnered with GameStop to release a limited set of steelbook-case packages of ten of their previous releases to be retailed in the GameStop stores under the name "GameTrust Collection", based on GameStop's GameTrust publishing arm.