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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 Loyalty Blueprint: How Games Are Redefining Retention — Featuring Xsolla’s Sarah Chafer & Travis Anderson
Loyalty is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a business strategy.
In this episode of The Business of Games: Extended Cut, Lia Ballentine sits down with Sarah Chafer, Xsolla’s Global Head of Ad Sales, and Travis Anderson, Head of Developer Partnerships, to explore how loyalty and rewards are evolving into a core growth engine for the games industry.
From early experiments with Farmville and K-pop voting apps to modern systems that blend gamification, personalization, and brand integration, Sarah and Travis offer a behind-the-scenes look at what makes loyalty systems work and why they often don’t. Whether you’re trying to drive retention, increase lifetime value, or monetize non-spenders, this conversation is packed with tactical insights from two leaders who’ve been in the trenches for over a decade.
You’ll hear about:
- How loyalty programs shape player behavior and emotional investment
- The role of segmentation, personalization, and “value exchange” in smart reward design
- Why studios must overcome the fear of cannibalization
- Real-world examples from Genshin Impact, Duolingo, Monopoly Go, and more
- How Xsolla’s Offerwall and Social Questing tools support loyalty at scale
If you're looking to turn your players into superfans and your game into a long-term success, this episode breaks down the strategy behind loyalty that lasts.
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.
