What is the definition of "Private Label" publishing? Consider e.g. a new release of already released game in the same region as a "Private Label", what does it exactly mean? Is it legal? Is it usual? Thanks FipS

I have never heard the term used in relation to games publishing. Can you provide a link to a website or company that uses this term?

I'm with Obscure on this one. The only "Private Label" I'm aware of is when a company sells stuff for rebranding.

"Private labels" are what you get with a catsup factory that uses the same machines and recipies to produce 20 different store brands of catsup. Or a single milk processing plant that has 15 different brands of milk. All they do is change the labels to a "private label". The product is the same.

The closest thing I can think of in software is web sites like Handango, that requires all downloads from them to reference to buy it at Handango, rather than to buy it at some other location.

> What is the definition of "Private Label" publishing?

A publisher buys the rights to a portfolio of video games from developers or publishers and rebrands them to offer them on another medium or format (ex: as a Flash web game, cellphones, or for in-flight entertainment devices). Check out http://www.games.nl or http://www.jeux.com as web examples.

-cb

Ah OK, I know that as "rebadging". I wonder why they refer to it as "Private"?

It's just a choice of names for marketing. I have no idea why they chose the word "private".

For the marketers, "Private Label" sounds cooler and more exclusionary than "rebadging". The products I've heard it on the most are upper class things like wines (get the expensive one or the private label for a few bucks).

Choose one:

"I want rebadged wine"
"I want private label wine"

See the difference?

> I know that as "rebadging". I wonder why they refer
> to it as "Private"?

Rebadging originates from within the same manufacturing company. Think about chip manufacturers that make 'civil use' chips and 'military use' chips. Same electronics, just that the MIL versions has been tested under a larger temperature range and are packaged in ceramics instead of plastics.

Private Label retailers just do the retailing and don't have any production capabilities and must rely on external manufacturers. Think Sainsbury in the UK where you can buy a can of green peas from DelMonte or from Salisbury's own private label. It's basically the same green peas and likely originating from the same canning factory.

-cb