The popular browser-game creator and online community Kongregate is moving into the digital store front business. According to an article by Polygon, Kongregate will be launching their own digital store front in summer of this year. Called Kartridge, the service sounds like a blend of steam and humble bundle, with options for some users to pay what they want, but also focusing on indie developers and deals.

Kongregate started way back in 2006 when browser games were first becoming a big deal. The original king of browser-games was Newgrounds, a site which gave many industry personalities like Egorapter their start. However, as Newgrounds popularity grew, a number of browser-game developers and publishers begin to surface. Armor Games and Kongregate were among the largest of these groups. However, while Armor Games focused on developing games, Kongregate quickly pulled ahead in the browser-game market by heavily promoting titles like the Epic Battle Fantasy series as well as games like Cursed Treasure. Wherever there was a trend in gaming – in tower defense or browser RPGS or rogue-like – Kongregate would be there to offer piles of free browser games.

Clearly, Kongregate knew what they were doing, as their games have amassed millions and millions of plays. This makes their transition into the gaming market much easier, and with a focus on indie developers – the kind they’ve worked with in the past – they may have found a perfect niche for their type of product.

Unlike Steam, Kongregate has always prided itself on community aspects like account badges and achievements and forums. In fact, the community aspect of the site is what put them largely ahead of their competition, and it looks like they are hoping it will carry them forward into this next project.

The CEO of Kongregate – Emily Greer – told Polygon that their focus is on creating a freemium and indie paradise. In fact, unless a game makes over $10,000 in net revenue, Kartridge won’t ask for the normal markup of 30% that most storefronts take, instead allowing the developer to take the full profits. This is particularly generous to indie developers who often need every small amount they can get.

While the browser-game genre has died considerably in the past few years, Kartridge looks to be an attempt to capitalize on a different kind of market. We will have to wait until summer to know if it succeeds.