Chris Hewish

Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla and a veteran from Skydance and Activision, dives into the evolving world of mobile monetization. He discusses the impact of Apple and Google's payment policy changes, highlighting how developers can leverage off-platform payments for better conversion rates. Hewish shares his insights on the 'trust premium' required for success and common pitfalls to avoid. He also emphasizes the growing adoption among larger companies and innovative strategies like offer walls to enhance engagement and revenue in mobile gaming.

Web Shops for free-to-play mobile games are a topic we bring up regularly on This Week in Games. The ability to monetize your most engaged players outside of Apple and Google's walled garden's is an invaluable tool in maximizing a successful game's potential and one the TWiG crew doesn't have enough first hand knowledge of. In the spirit of learning, Ethan is very excited to be joined by Ben Tsacoyianis and Dave Hague from Tilting Point, along with Chris Hewish from Xsolla, to educate the DoF community on how we can use web shops to help retain and bring delight to our most devoted players. Tilting Point has long been leveraging Xsolla's web shop on their hit game Star Trek Timelines, and in this interview they drop knowledge bombs on how you can use Web Shops to improve revenue, player delight and even open up new marketing paths.

Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla, discusses macroeconomics, challenges in console gaming, behavioral economics, Unity's success, transmedia, generative AI, and the new Solo Mall platform.

In this engaging talk, Chris Hewish, President at Xsolla and savvy expert in gaming business models, dives into the collapse of Web3's first gaming phase, exposing how speculation led to pyramid schemes. He highlights a promising shift: integrating blockchain technology into gameplay for better user experiences. Chris also discusses the potential of creator economies and regulated secondary markets, emphasizing the importance of clarity in crypto regulations for future investments. His insights could reshape how we view gaming's intersection with Web3.

In this engaging discussion, Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla and former leader at gaming giants like Activision and DreamWorks, delves into the booming mobile gaming market projected to reach $98.7 billion. He unpacks emerging trends in regional markets, especially Africa and Latin America, and emphasizes the growing diversity among players. Hewish also discusses the implications of the Digital Markets Act, exploring new monetization avenues and the rise of direct-to-consumer sales, all while illustrating how gaming increasingly merges with mainstream entertainment.