Direct-to-consumer: building the infrastructure that makes it real

Direct-to-consumer: building the infrastructure that makes it real

From The Business of Games by Xsolla

April 10, 2026 · 37 min · Season 2 · Episode 37

About this episode

The episode explores the critical technology infrastructure necessary for studios to successfully implement direct-to-consumer strategies in the gaming industry.

Welcome to The Business of Games Podcast, powered by Xsolla. In this episode, hosts Chris Hewish and Lia Ballentine go a layer deeper into direct-to-consumer — past the strategy, past the economics, and into the infrastructure that determines whether a studio's direct-to-player ambitions actually hold up at scale. Most direct-to-consumer conversations start with intent and end with outcomes. But between the two sits a layer most studios underestimate: the technology stack. Identity systems, p...

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris Hewish, Lia Ballentine

Topics covered

  • direct-to-consumer
  • technology stack
  • infrastructure
  • video game studios
  • consumer engagement

Keywords

  • direct-to-consumer
  • technology stack
  • video games
  • consumer strategy
  • gaming infrastructure

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Xsolla

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