Gamestop moving rapidly on cloud-based and digital content

Gamestop has told investors it expects to have an internal beta for a cloud-based digital distribution service, based on its acquisition of Spawn Labs, in July.

IndustryGamers reports the retailer intends to launch an US-wide beta on an unspecified future date.

On the Impulse front, the service recently acquired from Stardock will soon be integrated into Gamestop's website, and will support its Power-Up Rewards initiative.

Gamestop's DLC programs have been a success, and the company believes this has made publishers more likely to embrace streaming services in the near future.

Gamestop said it is still committed to a "physical-first mentality" but did say it had seen positive "response from publishers to our digital initiatives". It mentioned publishers would enjoy "creating a channel to get to where the customer is at” and mentioned creating access to "new revenue streams" for the games industry.

On the heels of its Spawn Labs and Impulse acquisitions in March, Gamestop predicted $1.5 billion in digital revenue by 2014.