Humble Bundle Former Veterans Group launched a new digital store called Digiphile in an effort to bring about “the next big thing in community-driven discovery.”
Digihphlle is positioned as a discovery platform for “digital media enthusiasts” that will offer curated, premium packages, games and books that will benefit users, creators, publishers and charities.
The platform was created by several former Humble Bundle employees, including Games Bundle team lead Alex Hill; Games Bundles team member Andy Franzen; Best Team Leader Markus Hess; Account Manager Mat Dwyer; and storefront manager Casey Brunkowski.
In a conversation with Game Developer about the team's vision for the nascent platform, Hill stated that the Digiphile team has spent years working closely with developers and publishers to better understand their needs and solve their pain points. The goal, he said, is for Digiphile to become “the best place for publishers,” which he believes will ultimately allow it to “provide the best content for our community.”
“It all starts with curation. Each Digiphile collection is a limited-time event, created in collaboration with respected people in each genre to create meaningful showcases that celebrate what's worth playing right now,” said Hill.
“Our partner-friendly revenue share, reseller protection, and post-promotion community support provide a safer, smarter way to reach a new group of players long before they organically encounter these games, at a time when momentum is critical.
“We've also created systems that address long-standing problems with packages, most notably The Digiphile Exchange, which ensures games reach real players rather than being left unused. Players can trade keys for games they already own and receive credits for other games featured in our collections. This maintains high engagement rates and low key attrition, which is essential for publishers looking to secure more keys for future promotions.”
Digiphile founders understand that “growth does not always equal success.”
This partner-friendly revenue sharing model will allow publishers to receive a flat 75 percent share of each sale, with an additional 5 percent set aside for charity. Hill said partners will receive 100 percent of the revenue (less processing fees) from sales of additional content such as DLC.
“Digiphile does not have a permanent storefront, so each collection is designed to be a limited-time event, maximizing attention and impact while preserving the value of each title,” he added.
The long-term goal is to remain independent while expanding the platform with a focus on community development. “I think Letterboxd meets Humble Bundle,” says Hill. “We want to be a place where fans can come together to share, discuss and celebrate the things that matter to them.”
Most importantly, Hill said the team won't be chasing “short-term gains” and understands that success isn't just about achieving rapid growth. “A smaller, more focused approach builds trust with both players and partners. We don't mind doing fewer things if it means we do them well,” he continued.
Digiphile's first collection of games, Return of the Immersive Sim, launched today in support of the Arbor Day Foundation. It has names like System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, Presbyterian, Shadows of DoubtAnd CTRL ALT EGO.
