
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
More episodes of The Business of Games
- Legacy, LiveOps, and the long game: Takaya Segawa on how Sega is building for a global future · June 12, 2026 · 17 min
- From floppy disks to the AI era: Garry Edwards on the industry's biggest shift yet · June 5, 2026 · 7 min
- What we learned: the business of going direct · May 29, 2026 · 30 min
- From the Air Force to infinite worlds: Jan Roessner on stoicism, interoperability, and the future of game assets · May 22, 2026 · 4 min
- From “Link” to director: Alex Reed on 25 years in games and the winding road that got him there · May 15, 2026 · 4 min
- Skin in the game: Derek Rathbun on real money gameplay as the next frontier of direct-to-consumer monetization · May 8, 2026 · 53 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Business of Games podcast page.