Earned, not extracted: how direct-to-consumer changes monetization design

Earned, not extracted: how direct-to-consumer changes monetization design

From The Business of Games by Xsolla

May 1, 2026 · 28 min · Season 2 · Episode 43

About this episode

The episode discusses how studios can effectively implement direct-to-consumer monetization strategies beyond simply cutting out platforms.

Welcome to The Business of Games Podcast, powered by Xsolla. In this episode, hosts Chris Hewish and Lia Ballentine get into the part of the direct-to-consumer conversation that most studios either rush past or get wrong entirely: monetization. The default framing is simple: cut out the platform, keep more margin. But the studios actually building direct-to-consumer monetization well aren't running a web shop as a side channel. They're rethinking how value gets created, how offers get structu...

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris Hewish, Lia Ballentine

Topics covered

  • monetization
  • direct-to-consumer
  • value creation
  • game design
  • studio strategy

Keywords

  • monetization design
  • direct-to-consumer
  • game studios
  • value creation
  • offers structure

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Xsolla

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