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.
Visit xsolla.com/podcast to explore episodes, connect with our team, and access bonus resources to level up your business of play. Want to join the conversation? Follow and comment on our LinkedIn page at The Business of Games Podcast, where we’ll be sharing updates, highlights, and continuing the discussion. And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share the podcast with friends and colleagues who want to learn more about the business of games.
The Business of Games
The Gen Z effect: redefining games, identity, and community
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 the generation reshaping how games are made, marketed, and monetized: Gen Z.
For decades, the industry operated on a one-way model: studios built games, players bought them, and marketing ran through TV spots and conventions. But Gen Z grew up in a different reality. For them, games are living social platforms, and the line between player and creator has all but disappeared.
Joining us is Jenny Xu, founder and CEO of Talofa Games, who shares first-hand insights into designing for a generation that values authenticity over polish, community over campaigns, and participation over passive play. Plus, Xsolla’s Joe Pierpont brings data-driven perspective, with stats on how Gen Z is discovering games through creators instead of ads, spending more on cosmetics than older players, and prioritizing identity, creativity, and community over competition.
Together, we explore how Gen Z’s cultural touchstones, from Neopets to Pokémon to Undertale, are shaping the next wave of game design, and why traditional strategies may no longer cut it.
From building games in public and co-creating with communities to rethinking monetization around self-expression, this episode examines how studios can win Gen Z’s loyalty in an era of endless choice.
Whether you’re a marketer, product lead, or studio founder, you’ll come away with practical insights into what it really takes to build for this generation and why understanding them may be the most important move you can make in the business of games.
Let’s get into it.
For more insights and resources, visit xsolla.com/podcast. Want to join the conversation? Follow and comment on our LinkedIn page at The Business of Games Podcast. That’s where we’ll be sharing updates, highlights, and continuing the discussion. And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share the podcast with friends who want to learn more about the business of games.
