Gaming Is Becoming The Commerce Layer

Recorded on location at Pocket Gamer Connects London, host Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Berkley Egenes, CMO at Xsolla, to examine a structural shift in the industry.Gaming is no longer just entertainment. It is becoming the commerce layer connecting developers, brands, platforms and players.Xsolla’s recent rebrand reflects that evolution — moving beyond payments to enable publishing, distribution, promotions and marketplace infrastructure designed to help developers launch, grow and win.In this conversation, Peggy and Berkley break down:Why D2C is now a strategic pillar, not a workaroundHow casual games are outperforming expectations in web shop adoptionWhy Southeast Asia is accelerating faster than many Western marketsHow brands, telecoms and super apps are converging around gamingWhat happens when commerce, loyalty and gameplay start to mergeAs Berkley puts it, the stereotype of the “gamer” is gone. Everyone is a gamer. That makes gaming the most powerful engagement layer in digital culture.When attention lives in games, commerce follows.This episode explores why the next phase of growth may depend less on transactions inside the app — and more on orchestrating an ecosystem around it.Chapters00:00 The Evolving Identity of the Gamer00:40 Xsolla’s Mission in Video Game Commerce02:53 Exploring Growth in Southeast Asia05:07 Unique Ad Experiences and Monetization07:07 Integrating Non-Endemic Brands into Gaming09:23 Insights from the Xsolla Report14:41 The Future of the Gaming IndustryLet's Connect👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event