• September 12, 2011

GameStop, best-known for its retailing of new and used video games, is preparing to launch its own gaming device, an Android-powered tablet.

According to TechCrunch (and other sites), GameStop has already begun testing the device (which was not developed by the company, but will be GameStop certified) and will begin selling devices later this year that will allow gamers to stream games using GameStop's recently acquired Spawn Labs service or be downloaded through its Impulse digital distribution division.

"Our customers are beginning to consume games in a hybrid manner, both physical and digital, so we are becoming a hybrid company to meet their needs. Both of these programs are designed to sell more of the games we sell today," GameStop's president, Tony Bartel, was quoted as saying in the TechCrunch piece.