Joystick Labs announced that it is ending its accelerator program for video game developers. Launched in 2010, it was designed to help digitally distributed video game developers start their own studios while retaining their IP.

“It has become very difficult for an independent developer to get noticed,” explained managing director John Austin. “For every Angry Birds, there are literally tens of thousands of great companies not getting noticed.”

“It think it’s a blow any time we lose resources,” said Ben Brooks, a partner with Raleigh venture capital firm Southern Capitol Investor. “I think accelerators can be important to young, inexperienced entrepreneurs who haven’t been down the road.”

Source: News & Observer {link no longer active}