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 Ed Lin, 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 to learn more, connect with our team, and access all the things you need 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
When to step in: Ivan Carrillo on ownership, publishing, and saving a studio in trouble
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Welcome to Coffee.Press.Play., brought to you by The Business of Games Podcast, powered by Xsolla.
Recorded live at GDC 2026 inside the Xsolla Clubhouse, this series puts a twist on the traditional interview format: guests play a round of a classic video game against our Xsolla host and the outcome determines whether they face an easy question or a hard one.
In this episode, host Chris Hewish sits down with Ivan Carrillo, Managing Partner at Joystick Ventures — an investment fund and publisher supporting indie studios around the world.
Ivan's portfolio speaks for itself: a track record of successful releases, with more on the way. But before getting into any of that, he had to face Chris across a game of Super Smash Bros. — and came out on the losing end.
That meant the hard question. And Ivan's answer was more honest than most would offer in front of a camera.
What you'll hear:
- How Joystick Ventures operates as both an investment fund and a publisher for indie studios worldwide
- What happened when a portfolio studio wasn't delivering — and why Ivan chose not to write off the investment
- What it actually means to "take over" development as a publisher, and what that costs in time, money, and trust
- Why the studio Ivan stepped in to help is better off for it — and what that outcome reveals about how Joystick Ventures works
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.
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