Publisher Midwest Games Announces New Support Model, Shadow Publishing
New Model Will Provide Cost-Effective, Tailored Services for Hire to Development Teams
Green Bay, WI (January 27, 2025) – Midwest Games—an industry veteran-led publisher whose mission is to support and showcase abundant talent across the Midwest of the United States and other underrepresented regions—is proud to introduce a new service support model, shadow publishing.
Extending the publisher's expertise into a services model addresses a critical gap in the games market that's currently underserved—more games are entering the market and fewer traditional publishing deals are available, leaving studios with the daunting task of self-publishing. Midwest Games will offer both à la carte and full-service support on a work-for-hire basis, allowing developers to retain future revenue and IP rights.
Midwest Games shadow publishing offers services before, during, and after launch for PC and console games of all genres. The company touts its location as an advantage in pricing to keep publishing support accessible and allow more funds to go directly into each game. Services will cover the full needs of bringing a game to market, including Business & Publishing Strategy, Platform Management, Marketing and PR, and Developer Services.
As part of this new initiative, Midwest Games proudly welcomes games industry veteran Elizabeth Howard as Chief Advisor - Services. Howard, who most recently served as Vice President of Production at Bungie, brings 20 years of experience in business development, publishing, production, and portfolio management. She will lead the team in delivering tailored publishing solutions that empower game developers and bring incredible experiences to players. Under CEO & Founder Ben Kvalo, Howard joins the current leadership of Jennifer Corbett, CMO, and Chris Klimecky, CPO.
"The games market has evolved. To succeed, games need to hit all facets of publishing throughout the entire development lifecycle, yet many studios lack the resources," Howard stated. "While flexible models exist for development, that same flexibility has been missing in publishing—until recently. Midwest Games shadow publishing provides a scalable solution that integrates strategy and execution so studios can focus on making great games."
Midwest Games' shadow publishing presents a few key differentiators:
- Comprehensive Services: This is one of the first full-service offerings worldwide that aligns strategy, production, and marketing in one vendor for those who want to enlist a full suite of capabilities.
- Flexibility: Unlike traditional publishing partnerships, this model provides the studio with options in scaled support, pricing, and service timelines.
- Retained Ownership: Game owners retain their IP and full revenue while having full say over publishing decisions.
CEO Ben Kvalo shares, "By empowering partners with the right knowledge and resources, Midwest Games can help studios navigate a competitive and fragmented publishing landscape while retaining the value of their game and years of hard work for the long term. We're incredibly excited to bring Elizabeth's leadership in publishing and developer services to spearhead the initiative to support more games."
To stay up to date on all things Midwest Games, follow along on X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and join the Discord server.
About Elizabeth Howard
Elizabeth Howard brings over two decades of leadership experience in AAA game development, publishing, and operations, having held pivotal roles at Bungie, 2K, and Aspyr. As Vice President of Production at Bungie, she led Development and Publishing Production teams, driving scalable frameworks and cross-discipline collaboration to deliver standout titles like Destiny 2: The Final Shape. At 2K, as Vice President of Publishing Operations, Elizabeth oversaw a portfolio spanning 13+ studios, redefined greenlight and publishing production processes, and launched hit games including PGA 2K23, Marvel's Midnight Suns, and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. As VP of Publishing at Aspyr, Elizabeth led all publishing and content acquisition efforts, overseeing business development, licensing, platform relationships, sales, marketing, direct-to-consumer, and business strategy across both new and established IPs. Across her career, she has managed portfolios generating $500M+ annually, and budgets exceeding $250M, and delights in driving alignment between creative vision and business goals to drive incredible player experiences.
About Midwest Games
Based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Midwest Games is a video game publisher focused on creating opportunities for the abundant talent across the Midwest and other underrepresented regions. Led by industry veterans and entertainment enthusiasts, Midwest Games believes that great games can come from anywhere. For more information, please visit www.midwestgames.com.
To stay up to date on all things Midwest Games, follow along on X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and join the Discord server.
About Elizabeth Howard
Elizabeth Howard brings over two decades of leadership experience in AAA game development, publishing, and operations, having held pivotal roles at Bungie, 2K, and Aspyr. As Vice President of Production at Bungie, she led Development and Publishing Production teams, driving scalable frameworks and cross-discipline collaboration to deliver standout titles like Destiny 2: The Final Shape. At 2K, as Vice President of Publishing Operations, Elizabeth oversaw a portfolio spanning 13+ studios, redefined greenlight and publishing production processes, and launched hit games including PGA 2K23, Marvel's Midnight Suns, and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. As VP of Publishing at Aspyr, Elizabeth led all publishing and content acquisition efforts, overseeing business development, licensing, platform relationships, sales, marketing, direct-to-consumer, and business strategy across both new and established IPs. Across her career, she has managed portfolios generating $500M+ annually, and budgets exceeding $250M, and delights in driving alignment between creative vision and business goals to drive incredible player experiences.
About Midwest Games
Based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Midwest Games is a video game publisher focused on creating opportunities for the abundant talent across the Midwest and other underrepresented regions. Led by industry veterans and entertainment enthusiasts, Midwest Games believes that great games can come from anywhere. For more information, please visit www.midwestgames.com.
