Google LLC is looking to increase the number of titles available on its Stadia game streaming service with the launch Monday of a new program that aims to expand “self-publishing opportunities” for independent games developers.

The Stadia Maker program is currently in a pilot, ahead of a full launch either this year or next. The company is looking for developers who are building their games using Unity 2019.3, a cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies that can be used to create three-dimensional, two-dimensional, virtual reality and augmented reality games, as well as simulations and other experiences.

Developers must be planning to release their games in either 2020 or 2021, and be willing to commit to Stadia at launch in order to qualify for the program, Google said.

It added that the program provides three core benefits to developers: technical assistance from Unity’s experts, access to free development hardware and funding for those who wish to bring their games to additional platforms besides Stadia.

Google launched Stadia in November, and the platform currently has about 30 titles created mostly by developers who worked with the company directly.

Google now wants Unity to support the next wave of game developers and bring even more titles to the platform. And there’s a lot of interest from developers, the company said.

“The fact of the matter is that far more studios applied to be a part of our launch than we could work with at the time,” Google wrote in a blog post announcing the program. “Now that we’re a few months down the road, we’ve improved our tools and built new partnerships that will let us work with more independent studios.”

Constellation Research Inc. analyst Holger Mueller told SiliconANGLE that he thinks it’s a sign of Stadia’s success that Google is already struggling to provide enough resources for its ecosystem.

“It not only shows demand, but creates the coveted tag of exclusivity and early access to the platform,” Mueller said. “This is now happening to Google with Stadia Makers, where access for game developers is going to be limited. As always, we have to see how successful Stadia and then the expansion of the Stadia Makers program will be.”

Google says developers should consider Stadia a launchpad that could expand their games’ reach to new audiences. Those interested in more can apply to join the Stadia Makers program here.

Image: Google