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Global video gaming TV station GINX has told PCR that there’s a strong demand for PC gaming TV content, despite the rise of streaming websites like Twitch.
The station has kicked off a campaign to raise £540,000 through crowdfunding platform Crowdcube as it plans to launch a weekly eSports show.
The channel says that fans who buy shares will help it to expand its digital footprint by building a suite of apps for games consoles, grow its television offering in the UK by 4.5 million households and boost the creation of global content on its website.
"PC gamers are hugely important to GINX," the company said in a statement sent to PCR. "A large segment of our audience is in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia where PC gaming takes precedent over consoles. We reflect this in our coverage of eSports (which is dominated by PCs) and of the independent gaming sector, where a some of the most experimental and original gaming titles are being.
"Our new series, Under the Radar, specifically champions the PC independent sector and we plan to continue this series into 2016, increasing it to an hour format on a regular weekly basis. The modding fraternity is also where some of the most creative adaptations of popular franchises are happening, and in 2016 we plan to explore this in more detail along a new format around this and PC gaming as a whole."
"We have always had a healthy appetite for PC gaming on the channel but we feel that the rise of eSports, modding, peripherals and the indie scene have made it more viable to dedicate programming specifically about PC gaming, rather than our previous neutral approach to platforms."
Shareholders will also be offered other incentives including guest appearances on GINX shows, free access to the online web player and the opportunity to join an investor editorial board. They can pay £20 for six months’ access to the GINX web player, or up to £10,000 for a lifetime subscription and more.
GINX says it’s "the only international TV channel exclusively dedicated to all genres of videogaming", including eSports.
The channel is now available in 26 million homes globally and almost four million in the UK via Virgin Media, channel 290.
The company also produces individual shows and formats for syndication, such as Videogame Nation for Sky in the UK, which recently welcomed the voice of Mario, Charles Martinet, as a guest.
New content will be produced in addition to its existing line up which includes The First Hour, Console Yourself, and Planet of The Apps.
In the pipeline is a weekly eSports round up, a daily online news show, a weekly review of important games, films, TV shows and technology, named A Week In Geek, and a compilation of international video gaming rankings titled Game Charts.
A proportion of the funds will also be assigned to creating apps and content for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Michiel Bakker, CEO of GINX, commented: “Videogaming has become gargantuan in both its reach and appeal. By crowdfunding GINX, we’re offering everyday investors the chance to benefit from the exponential growth of the gaming sector, and some cool rewards that really get them involved in the brand, too.
“Our audiences – all passionate about gaming and ranging from everyday players to professional gamers – have been largely ignored by mainstream TV and as a result we believe GINX represents a significant investment opportunity. It will also help us to sharply accelerate our development both here in the UK and internationally.”
