True ownership, transferable assets: Jan Roessner on the future of direct-to-consumer

Welcome to The Business of Games Podcast, powered by Xsolla.Direct-to-consumer strategies are usually measured by what they remove — platform fees, intermediaries, friction at checkout. But what happens when the asset itself becomes the channel?In this extended cut, host Lia Ballentine sits down with Jan Roessner, CEO and co-founder of One Earth Rising, to explore a new layer of the developer-player relationship: one built not on storefronts, but on ownership that travels with the player across games and platforms. His company has done something the industry hasn't seen before, and as of this recording, they have the patent to prove it.Jan brings a background that defies easy summary: military officer, digital marketing agency founder, indie game developer, and now builder of cross-platform infrastructure that's already live in the market. The conversation is grounded, optimistic, and full of examples that make an abstract idea feel concrete.We dive into:What ownable game assets actually are and how they work in practiceWhy One Earth Rising deliberately avoids leading with blockchainWhat a Walmart campaign reveals about DTC beyond the storefrontHow social impact is baked into the infrastructure itselfWhy the future of DTC will be defined by the user, not the providerLet'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.