Durable Advantage: why some game companies compound value, and others rebuild from zero

Welcome to The Business of Games Podcast, powered by Xsolla.There are two kinds of game companies. One ships through someone else's storefront, someone else's rules, and hopes the algorithm is kind. The other builds something the first can't easily copy.In this episode, host Ed Lin sits down with Chris Hewish, co-host of the podcast and President of Xsolla, to talk about his new book, Durable Advantage. Drawing on 30 years in the industry, from Games Workshop to the retail wars at Activision to mobile and VR publishing, Chris unpacks why the old build-launch-move-on playbook stopped working, and what actually separates studios that compound value for decades from the ones that keep rebuilding from scratch.The conversation traces the throughline of the book, including a hundred-million-download mobile hit that taught Chris the difference between an audience and a relationship, and the single question he says changes how a studio makes every decision.What you'll hear:● Why the hit-driven model that built the industry no longer guarantees a durable business ● The real difference between renting an audience and owning a community ● How a hundred-million-download mobile game changed Chris's thinking on success ● Why trust breaks faster than it buildsDurable Advantage by Chris Hewish is available now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Durable-Advantage-Pillars-Modern-Business/dp/B0HCGJ9XN5Let'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.