Discord adding store functionality

Discord, the chat (and more) app that has become something of a defacto standard for gamers, is adding a store to its offerings.

Initial details were revealed on the Discord blog, with the early rollout heading to 50,000 Canadian players selected at random. From there it will expand to more users in Canada, and it’s safe to expect the rest of the world will follow.

The store is a ‘curated’ experience, “similar to one of those cozy neighborhood book shops with recommendations about the hottest and newest games from us to you.” This means elements like personal recommendations from staff.

Part of the store will be a ‘First on Discord’ push, in which indie titles will receive special promotions on the Discord site in exchange for a 90-day exclusivity clause. After the three months, they can be sold anywhere, but the launch period is limited to Discord alone. The first titles are yet to be announced.

Games bought in the Discord store will naturally launch through the app, but functionality to launch any game – even ones using external launchers – will be available. With this, Discord is hoping to make its chat+ app a one-stop… stop for the gamesplaying public.

In addition to the store offerings, Discord Nitro subscribers will be privy to a selection of ‘Nitro games’, which Discord describes as ‘kinda like Netflix for games’. The initial selection of Nitro games available to subscribers includes recent and slightly older greats like Saints Row the Third, Super Meat Boy and System Shock: Enhanced Edition.

The choice is set to grow over time, and is only available to paying subscribers.