GameSpy Technology has opened access to all of its cross-platform online services to independent developers, free of charge. Game developers on every platform – from Android to iOS to PC — will now be able to visit www.poweredbygamespy.com, sign up instantly for a free developer account, and begin accessing the same, scalable tools that have powered online features in iconic games like Red Dead Redemption, Mario Kart Wii and the Crysis franchise.

Because, let’s face it: Indies are crushing it right now. From Angry Birds to Dungeon Defenders, more and more indie titles are finding major label success within easy reach. We foresee a day when this becomes the norm. We’re sure that developers willing to risk it all on making something new, different and, most of all, fun to play, will write the big gaming success stories of the next decade.

As we get ready to open the gates, we thought we’d give you a quick peek at what’s new for everyone.

Free Tech for Indies
When we say “free” we mean … “free.” As in “free beer.” During an extended beta period, indie developers can access and use all of our cross-platform services without paying a dime. Following the beta period, developers will pay only for what they use — including a nominal one-time fee for turning services “on” for their games, paying again only if their games exceed certain usage thresholds.

Our “Major Label” customers will continue to enjoy the same unlimited consumption they have always enjoyed (in addition to new service benefits, like Metrics) at existing, flat licensing rates.

And, as always with GameSpy Technology, there’s no “hidden” cost – you retain access to player data so that you can build direct relationships with the players who love your games. You can sell your game anywhere. And you can implement as you see fit, with no third party client to worry about, and no threat that another studio’s games will get advertised to your hard won fan base.

Truly Cross-Platform
GameSpy Technology’s services have always served every gaming platform – and have always enabled developers to offers their players cross platform access to online features. From portable save games to cooperative / competitive multiplayer, GameSpy Technology helps you break the cross-platform barrier so your players can enjoy their game wherever they want to play. From PC to PS3 to iOS to Android, we connect ‘em all … and now, so can you.

Wondering what’s possible in this brave new (old?) world? Check out Dungeon Defenders, a big success for indie developers Trendy Entertainment. They used GameSpy Tech to enable co-op multiplayer across FOUR platforms.

Self-Service Access
Want tech? You got it. In addition to enabling sign-ups via our Web site (using GameSpy ID, the same login system to enables logins to IGN and hundreds of online games), we’re also enabling on-demand access to download our SDKs, access our Web-based APIs, read documentation and request support (either through our Developer Forums or, for “Major Label” customers from professional GameSpy Developer Support engineers). We’re putting everything we have at your fingertips.

Metrics & Analytics
Once you’ve started building your game, you’ll be able to return to the GameSpy Technology “Developer Dashboard” to view deep metrics and analytics about your game(s). See how many users have accessed your game’s online features, then dig into which services your game consumes most. You can use these metrics to simply marvel at all the traffic you’re generating, or to fine tune your service consumption to make your game operate more efficiently.

If you’re an existing “Powered by GameSpy” developer, you’ll find your games in the Developer Dashboard as well, and can now dig into metrics on your game like you’ve never seen before.

Online Everything
When we say “online” we really mean “everything.” GameSpy Technology provides services to build every conceivable online feature, which your game can benefit from whether it’s single- or multiplayer. That means proven, high demand features like leaderboards, cloud-based save games, screenshot galleries and multiplayer. It also means features guaranteed to extend player engagement, like playable content sharing, persistent team / clan / guild management and online commerce.

The Big Boys Can Play Too
As part of this program, we will also introduce a significant service upgrade to our existing developer partners. All developers – from start-ups and indies to Major Label AAA studios, will have complete self-service access to our services, Wiki-based documentation, an online developer community, and deep metrics & analytics about the performance of your game’s online features.

So … that’s it. For now. We have a lot more planned, but we figured that might be enough for everyone to chew on for the time being. We’re extremely proud to widen the entryway to our services to welcome the new vanguard. And we’re truly pleased to offer a new, improved level of service to our existing partners.

Now … enough of our yappin’. Go build some games!

GameSpy Technology salutes People Can Fly on the launch of its (already infamous) blockbuster, Bulletstorm. The game has generated a media frenzy leading up to its launch, thanks to its creative twists on killing (boot and leash!) and its raw, pulpy take on the shooter genre. But as, fans of the irreverent – and sure, the raw and the pulpy – we’re proud to have been a part of the title’s launch on the Playstation 3.

People Can Fly used GameSpy Technology’s Player Metrics & Rankings services to track and report player scores in the PS3 version of the game. As you can see from IGN’s “Kill Combo” video, tracking scores is a MAJOR part of the game’s fun:

GameSpy’s highly scalable ATLAS tool – which allows game developers to track thousands of stats for millions of players – enabled People Can Fly to record Bulletstorm’s many data points as the game’s players rack up points while they play. Following each game session, players can compare their scores online against other Bulletstorm fanatics via in-game leaderboards – and then choose to shoot, kick and lash their way through more to best their online competitors.

Ready to track crazy stats for even crazier games? We’d like to help. Contact us today to get started!

We swear we just recovered from our GDC 2010 hangovers. Regardless, GDC 2011 kicks off on February 28 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco – and GameSpy Technology will be there, ready to work with you on making your next game an icon. Contact us now to schedule an appointment with an account manager.

Visit, Meet, and Play Awesome Games — Booth # 914 on the Expo Floor
In addition to attending private meetings and seeing demos of some major new service updates, visitors to GameSpy’s booth will have a chance to check out groundbreaking work from innovative independent developers. Trendy Entertainment will be on hand to show off FOUR-platform co-op (and more) in its indie hit, Dungeon Defenders, while teams from IGN’s Indie Open House will showcase playable builds of their works-in-progress.

Conference Session – “Breaking the Cross Platform Multiplayer Barrier”
Thursday, March 3 @ 1:30 p.m., Esplanade Room #310
We have also partnered with Trendy to present a session at the conference on “Breaking the Cross-Platform Multiplayer Barrier.” Trendy will discuss its experiences implementing GameSpy’s services to deliver cross-platform gameplay on the PC, iOS, PS3 and Android, and we’ll be on hand to answer questions about helping your titles do the same. Read more about the session at the GDC Web site.

Follow Us, Drink With Us
In addition to our annual party for friends and partners, we also plan to sponsor a few impromptu meet-ups at bars around the city throughout the week. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@gamespytech) for announcements on impending bad behavior.

Independent Games Festival: Direct2Drive “Vision” Award
Each year, our colleagues at IGN’s Direct2Drive digital distribution service award a $10,000 prize to an independent game that truly stands out for its innovative gameplay and fun. The prize returns to the show this year, with GameSpy Technology also awarding the winner a full license to our services for a future title, as well as a return trip to GDC 2012.

Trendy Entertainment‘s multiplatform indie hit, Dungeon Defenders, continues to generate buzz months after its initial release — and for several good reasons.

First off, there’s the gameplay, a cross between dungeon crawling and tower defense that quickly proves addictive. Trendy has smartly fed that addiction with a string of performance-improving updates and content additions, showing an ongoing commitment to the game that gamers have responded to.

And then, there’s the engine: A gorgeous game to look at, Dungeon Defenders is one of the first titles to use Epic’s Unreal Engine not just on the PS3 – but on the iOS (iPad and iPhone) and Android (phones and tablets) as well.

And, last but certainly not least, there’s the innovation: Dungeon Defenders uses GameSpy Technology’s multiplayer gameplay services (available as a pre-integrated subsystem in the Unreal Engine) to drive the concept of “cross-platform” into previously unexplored territory – not two, not three, but FOUR platforms … and counting.

Trendy approached Dungeon Defenders with an appetite to enable multiplayer gameplay everywhere. So far, that’s meant that players on the PC, PS3, iOS (both iPhone and iPad), and Android (both phones and tablets) can all play in co-op sessions together – a gaming first.

GameSpy Technology is proud to help developers like Trendy realize this type of ambition. Developers can implement all of our services using an API that’s common to all platforms, making it fast and easy to migrate online features from one platform to the next, and to make them communicate gracefully with one another. This holds true for any number of features: matchmaking, stats, player profiles, save games or user-generated content (UGC). Like Trendy, you can use GameSpy Technology to make it possible for your players to enjoy your game online wherever they go, however they play.

Contact us now to get started building iconic online games on every platform.