We won't see GameStop's tablet until next year, but expect the whole industry to keep watch.

Sometime next year, GameStop intends to sell an Android-based gaming tablet, complete with its own self-designed controller. The retailer revealed its intentions in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, as GameStop just started testing the tablet down in Texas.

"We looked at all the tablets and these are the ones that really worked for gaming and we're going to give you a few benefits that you're not going to get elsewhere," said GameStop president Tony Bartel.

What those benefits are has not been revealed.

Some games will be pre-loaded, but GameStop is also developing its own OnLive-like service that could stream games through the 'net. GameStop doesn't appear to be inclined to force everything to use forced touch mechanics, though, and the company its coming up with its own controller solution for games that would benefit from it.

"It's hard to imagine how to stream a game--let's say Modern Warfare 3--onto a tablet and then play it with your finger," said Bartel.

Plenty of questions remain about GameStop's tablet, but it shouldn't be a surprise the retailer is jumping in. If successful, GameStop would control brand-new means of distributing content to consumers on a platform where they'd be bringing in additional revenue. Plus, it helps the company in protecting its current revenue sources.