COLOGNE, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 26, 2026--
Xsolla, a leading global commerce company, today announced Durable Advantage: Five Pillars of the Modern Game Business, a new book authored by Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla, launching at Gamescom 2026 in Cologne.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260826628682/en/
Xsolla's integrated strategy brings together global payments, direct-to-consumer commerce, backend infrastructure, and AI-powered development tools into a unified operating model designed to help studios launch, operate, and scale more efficiently. Rather than relying on disconnected commerce, engagement, and backend systems, developers can activate new capabilities through a common platform foundation that reduces complexity, accelerates deployment, and creates a more durable foundation for long-term growth. The strategic framework behind this vision is outlined in Durable Advantage.
"There are two kinds of game companies, renters and owners," said Hewish. "Renters build good games and distribute through platforms they do not control, measuring success through downloads and launch rankings. Owners govern their own player relationships, commerce, and data, and turn those advantages into value that compounds over time."
Drawing on more than 30 years across the video game industry, the book makes an uncomfortable argument: many of the industry's most visible successes are among its weakest businesses, and the studios building lasting enterprise value are often the ones nobody is talking about.
The Durable Advantage framework is organized around five pillars that address the structural challenges game companies face as they scale: creating a unified operating model, expanding globally, building direct relationships with players, and simplifying operations. Together, these pillars provide a roadmap to help studios evolve from relying primarily on third-party platforms to owning more of their commerce, customer relationships, and long-term business value.
The book puts hard numbers on the stakes. A game generating $200 million a year hands roughly $60 million of it to platforms under a standard 30 percent fee, and across a decade, that single line reaches $600 million, enough to fund new studios, original IP, and years of operation. In the retail era, that fee paid for manufacturing, shelf space, and distribution. In a business built on recurring digital revenue, Hewish argues, the same fee now applies to every transaction throughout the player's life, whether the platform contributed to it or not.
Hewish illustrates the point with his own experience. He shipped a mobile game that passed 100 million downloads in months and still watched it collapse once promotion stopped, because the business never owned its relationship with the players it had reached. The downloads were real. The durable business was not. What a studio keeps is its account system, its commerce, and its direct line to players. A studio that owns those from the start reaches its players directly, instead of paying a platform 30 percent to access an audience it already earned.
"The next generation of successful game companies will be defined not only by the quality of their games, but by the strength of the business systems that support them," said Hewish. "Our integrated commerce platform gives studios a more connected foundation for payments, player relationships, live operations, and monetization, helping them scale more efficiently over the long term."
Hewish will deliver a keynote at gamescom on Wednesday, 26 August between 10:30 AM and 12 PM CEST, where he will discuss how the Durable Advantage framework translates into an integrated commerce strategy for modern game businesses. Xsolla will also showcase its platform and host attendees at its gamescom activation.
Durable Advantage will be available in print and digital editions. Copies will also be available at Xsolla's gamescom presence in Cologne from August 26 to 30, 2026. For more information, please visit: https://xsolla.pro/077b7c
About Xsolla
Xsolla is a global commerce company that builds and provides all the things developers need to launch, grow, and monetize video games. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, the company supports studios of every size, from indie to AAA, with solutions across direct-to-consumer commerce, intelligent payments, entertainment-based IP, and player engagement products. Xsolla helps developers fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games at scale. Trusted by more than 70% of the top 100 highest-grossing games, Xsolla operates as the Merchant of Record across 200+ geographies with access to 1,000+ local payment methods worldwide. Grounded in a deep belief in the future of gaming, Xsolla is resolute in bringing opportunities together and unlocking growth for creators everywhere.
For more information, visit xsolla.com
Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla and Author of Durable Advantage
Graphic: Xsolla
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 26, 2026--
Nex, maker of Nex Playground, the viral-hit active play system that gets families moving together, today announced at gamescom 2026 its plans for continued international expansion. As part of this growth strategy, Nex is showcasing a preview of the platform ahead of early availability in Germany later this year, following its successful rollout in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Looking ahead to 2027, the company also unveiled plans to continue its international expansion across select global markets in Europe and Asia.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260826221642/en/
Early access to Nex Playground in Germany will be available through select e-commerce platforms by the end of 2026, with plans to officially rollout in retail stores in 2027, bringing Nex's active family gaming experience directly to German consumers as part of its targeted European expansion.
Nex Playground is also expanding its library with iconic gaming franchises with SEGA and Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. Players can look forward to the arrival of the high-energy Sonic Forces: Rival Rush™, and the arcade classic PAC-MAN™, both of which will be available this fall as part of the system's growing lineup of active, family-friendly experiences.
With this expansion, Nex is building significant global momentum at the forefront of a breakout category that’s redefining how families play, move, and connect. Through growing retail distribution, partnerships with globally recognized entertainment and gaming brands, and an expanding network of strategic partners, Nex has established itself as a leader in active family entertainment, surpassing one million lifetime units sold.
“2026 is a defining moment for Nex as we take an even greater leap onto the global stage,” said Tom Kang, President and Head of International at Nex. “As we bring Nex Playground to more families around the world, we’re committed to scaling with the same focus on trust and safety that has been central to how we’ve built the platform from the beginning. With our launch in Germany and plans to expand into additional markets across Europe and Asia, we’re moving closer to our mission of bringing active play, movement, connection, growth and joy to living rooms around the world.”
The launch comes at a time of growing global concern among families around online safety, digital well-being, age-appropriate content, and the responsibilities of technology platforms. As families seek healthier, more intentional relationships with technology, Nex Playground offers a secure, privacy-first experience designed with families in mind. Its motion-based platform encourages active physical engagement over passive screen time, while providing age-appropriate entertainment in a protected environment. Reflecting this commitment to creating experiences designed with families in mind, Nex Playground’s Starter Pack bundle and Play Pass catalog have received a USK 6+ rating from Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle, Germany’s official video game age-rating body.
Nex Playground starts at €319 in Germany, which comes equipped with five free starter games so families can begin playing right away. Customers can also purchase an annual Play Pass subscription for €99, or quarterly Play Pass for €45, to unlock the full growing library of over 60+ games, including dance, fitness, and educational experiences, along with top-selling titles, upcoming releases, and new sports experiences. All pricing includes VAT.
About Nex
Nex is on a mission to connect families and friends through active play. Created by parents for parents, Nex combines technology and play to deliver fun, social, and interactive experiences powered by natural body motion. Its award-winning active play system, Nex Playground, is the only controller-free console built specifically for kids and families with safety and privacy at the core of its design. Nex Playground also aligns with GDPR requirements, earning PEGI 3 age ratings. Nex Playground is kidSAFE+ COPPA compliant and a member of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI). Motion-tracking data and processing stay local to the device, and every system includes a built-in camera cover.
Nex Playground with Play Pass features a growing library of 60+ active games, from sports to dance, fitness and educational experiences, including Nex Originals and collaborations with partners such as SEGA, Bandai Namco, Paramount, and NBCUniversal. Nex has been recognized by Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, TIME’s Best Inventions, and Parents’ Best Entertainment System for Families, and has earned Red Dot, IDEA, and Core77 international design awards.
To learn more, visit nexplayground.com or follow the company on Instagram and Facebook.
About Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., part of the Bandai Namco Group, is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for major video game consoles, PC, online, and mobile platforms. The company is known for creating many of the industry’s beloved classic franchises such as PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®, and publishing the critically acclaimed DARK SOULS™ series and the blockbuster title ELDEN RING™. Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is also the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime-based video games including GUNDAM™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL™, and ONE PIECE®. Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is headquartered in Irvine, California. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com.
PAC-MAN™ & ©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
About SEGA
SEGA CORPORATION is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and is a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment. The company develops, publishes, and distributes a variety of games for consoles, PCs, and wireless devices as well as character products, and various other products. Moreover, SEGA distributes a range of gaming content developed by its domestic and overseas studios worldwide via its global publishing bases. SEGA is leveraging its own IP to accelerate the development and commercialization of its IP not only in games but also in various other media, thereby dramatically increasing the value of its IP. SEGA is positioning transmedia as an important strategy for providing new content to users around the world.
SEGA CORPORATION's website is located at https://www.sega.co.jp/.
©SEGA. All rights reserved. SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. SEGA, the SEGA logo, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and SONIC FORCES RIVAL RUSH are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.
Nex Playground Announces Global Expansion at gamescom 2026, Launching in Germany Later This Year
