GameFly rental service announces plan to publish iOS, Android games

Subscription game rental service GameFly announced on Wednesday that it will begin publishing titles for iOS and Android and will also open a game store on Android later this year.

GameFly, which has been called at times "Netflix for video games," released a press release detailing its plan to create a "game development fund" that will help publish apps from independent mobile developers, reports The Verge.

"GameFly is dedicated to giving consumers the best user experience possible, and to be their single destination for console, PC and mobile gaming needs," said co-founder Sean Spector.

Interested developers can contact GameFly directly for consideration for the fund. The first titles are expected to be publish this summer.

The company is also working on a GameFly GameStore for Android that will offer "expertly curated" games and daily deals. The storefront will target both smartphones and tablets and is scheduled to arrive this holiday season.

GameFly already has an app for iOS and Android that allows subscribers to manage their game rentals.

Wednesday's announcement comes as further indication that the gaming industry is turning its attention to the market that iOS and Android have given birth to. Retailer GameStop said last year that it has shifted to a "hybrid company" to adapt to the growing digital needs of its customers. The company is reportedly planning to sell an Android tablet that will be preloaded with games and able to purchase new ones directly from GameStop.

Apple has been successful at siphoning away profits from handheld gaming device makers like Nintendo and Sony, and at least one game developer believes Apple could take things a step further by challenging the lucrative gaming console market. Epic Games president Mike Capps said in March that the iPad maker could combine a Bluetooth controller with AirPlay and the Apple TV to replicate a home console that might even be more powerful than existing options.

For its part, Epic Games has been one of the big-name game studios for iOS. Its Infinity Blade titles have regularly been highlighted during Apple software and hardware keynotes.

According to one report from April, Apple has an internal project to develop a physical controller, but it is not known whether the company has decided to follow it through to completion.