The Business of Games
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 Lia Ballentine, 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 ideas, tactics, and trends shaping tomorrow’s opportunities.
Whether you’re launching your first game or scaling a global studio, you’ll find practical strategies, future-forward thinking, and real-world examples you can act on right away.
The Business of Games is brought to you by Xsolla, your strategic partner behind the scenes. We bring together “All the Things” to help you simplify operations, unlock new revenue, reach more players, and launch fast.
Subscribe now to stay informed and inspired.
Visit https://xsolla.com/podcast to explore episodes, connect with our team, and access bonus resources to level up your business of play.
The Business of Games
The Impact of Loyalty & Rewards on the Business of Games
Welcome to The Business of Games podcast, brought to you by Xsolla.
In today’s episode, Xsolla’s Chris Hewish and Lia Ballentine take a closer look at one of the most important and often misunderstood growth levers in modern gaming: loyalty.
For years, loyalty programs were treated as add-ons. Cosmetic perks. Daily log-in bonuses. However, in a world where acquisition costs are high, players are fragmented across platforms, and the competition for engagement is constant, loyalty and rewards have become crucial to both retention and revenue strategies.
Joining us are two leaders in the space: Sarah Chafer, Xsolla’s Global Head of Ad Sales, and Travis Anderson, Head of Developer Partnerships. Together, they’ve spent decades shaping loyalty systems for studios, ad networks, and brands. Today, they’re helping redefine how rewards work in the business of games.
From the psychology of streaks and segmentation to lessons borrowed from Duolingo, Farmville, and even Starbucks, this episode explores what happens when loyalty stops being a feature and starts being a system.
Plus, get quick insights from Xsolla’s Joe Pierpont on the data, tactics, and outcomes shaping the future of loyalty in games.
Suppose you're a studio lead, monetization strategist, or UA manager trying to turn play into sustained engagement. In that case, this episode will give you real-world examples, insights, and tactical advice to get started.
Let’s get into it.
For more insights and resources, visit xsolla.com/podcast. Want to join the conversation? Use the contact form on our website to share your feedback and questions. Plus, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share the podcast with friends who want to learn more about the business of games.
