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
Building in motion: Jenny Xu on Gen Z, LiveOps, and fitness as play
Welcome to The Business of Games Podcast, brought to you by Xsolla.
In this extended cut, host Lia Ballentine sits down with Jenny Xu, founder and CEO of Talofa Games, for a wide-ranging conversation about designing for Gen Z, turning fitness into fun, and why building in public matters more than chasing polish.
Jenny’s story is one of creativity, resilience, and rethinking the rules. From drawing Neopets fan art on DeviantArt as a kid, to pitching VCs after teaching a virtual fitness class, to launching Run Legends and Monster Walk, Jenny has forged her own path in games. Along the way, she’s had to navigate skepticism, imposter syndrome, and investor pressure, while staying true to her vision of games as systems that improve lives.
We dive into:
- Jenny’s journey from anime fan and Pokémon collector to Forbes 30 Under 30 game founder
- How Talofa prototyped five different fitness games then let community feedback decide which to build
- The balance between delighting “power users” and welcoming new players
- Why Gen Z values authenticity, scrappy iteration, and community-first design
- How success is measured not just in revenue, but in steps walked, habits formed, and lives changed
- The role of LiveOps in keeping Monster Walk fresh, from simulated Discord events to real-time tuning
Whether you’re a founder, a product lead, or simply curious about where the next generation of games is headed, you’ll come away with a deeper understanding of how Gen Z thinks about play and how Jenny Xu is building games that move both hearts and bodies.
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.
