Xsolla

The Business of Games

Business EN ↓ 52 episodes

The Business of Games: A podcast for developers, publishers, and executives navigating the ever-changing game industry. From monetization models to player behavior, from platform shifts to emerging markets, The Business of Games is your guide to all the things transforming how games are built, marketed, and scaled. Hosted by Chris Hewish and Ed Lin, each episode blends strategic insight, cinematic storytelling, and candid conversations with the people driving the business of play. You'll hear from top executives inside studios and strategic partners across the ecosystem who are uncovering the...

Author

Xsolla

Episodes

Why CFOs can’t ignore the direct-to-player model anymore — featuring Niantic’s Jeff Shouger 16.06.2025 28:00

In today’s episode, Xsolla’s Chris Hewish sits down with Jeff Shouger, CFO at Niantic, the studio behind Pokémon GO, Peridot, and Monster Hunter Now. Jeff shares how Niantic approached the shift to web shops from a financial perspective, what convinced them to go direct-to-player, and the measurable impact they’ve seen since. If you're in the game industry and curious about how top studios na...

Discover the power of community: lessons from Deca Games 01.06.2025 13:41

In today's episode, Xsolla's Developer Relations lead, AJ Sath sits down with Stephen Lee, VP of Business Development at Deca Games to talk about something every game developer should care about: player communities — specifically, best practices for establishing and growing them, and how to tie them into LTV. If you’re in the game industry and want to know more about how a thriving comm...