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Xsolla Launches State of Play and Xsolla Conversations to Spark New Industry Dialogue through Podcast Storytelling
Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, announced the launch of a new podcast content ecosystem designed to inform, inspire, and connect the global games industry. Anchored by the flagship series State of Play and supported by the fast-paced companion show Xsolla Conversations, the company’s new audio strategy seeks to surface meaningful stories, emerging trends, and practical insights from the people building the future of games.
At a time when platform policies are shifting, monetization models are evolving, and developers are facing increasingly complex challenges, these podcasts provide a timely and much-needed forum for dialogue. Each show plays a distinct role in Xsolla’s mission to foster transparency, education, and thought leadership within the industry.
State of Play is the centerpiece of this strategy. It’s a narrative podcast created for decision-makers in the games business, combining long-form interviews, editorial storytelling, and immersive sound design. Hosted and narrated by Chris Hewish, Xsolla’s Chief Strategy Officer, along with co-host Lia Ballentine and Joe Pierpont, the show offers a documentary-style look at what’s impacting the business of games, from high-profile platform battles and regulatory shifts to breakthrough trends in direct-to-consumer strategies. Episodes are carefully structured to walk listeners through a multi-perspective journey, weaving in the voices of founders, economists, product leads, and policy experts. With rich production and a journalist’s curiosity, State of Play delivers context and clarity in a world where change is constant.
In contrast, Xsolla Conversations provides a more nimble, informal listening experience. These short-form episodes, typically under 20 minutes, are designed to surface key insights in real time. They feature candid interviews with Xsolla partners, internal experts, and developers worldwide who are experimenting, adapting, and finding success in today’s market.
The first slate of episodes from Xsolla Conversations highlights the diversity of voices shaping the industry. In “Rethinking Mobile Game Finance,” Niantic CFO Jeff Shouger joins Chris Hewish for an honest conversation about Niantic’s move into web shops. Shouger details what it took to shift from platform-restricted monetization to a more direct, data-rich model. Shouger shares hard-won lessons about the importance of agility, the internal decision-making process behind going DTC, and what other developers can learn from Niantic’s experience.
In another episode, “Where Mobile Monetization Is Headed,” Xsolla’s own Artem Liubutov sits down with Hewish to unpack what makes a webshop succeed. The conversation explores both the technical considerations and the behavioral factors at play, offering grounded advice for developers who want to take more control over their revenue streams in an era of platform uncertainty.
“The Power of Player Communities” brings another critical perspective, as AJ Sath of Xsolla speaks with Stephen Lee of Deca Games. Their conversation focuses on long-term player retention and the cultural architecture behind thriving game communities. Lee discusses how Deca Games approaches live ops and community-driven design not just to extend the life of a title, but to create environments that players want to invest in over time.
According to Hewish, these conversations reflect Xsolla’s core philosophy: that the best ideas come from practitioners. “We created State of Play and Xsolla Conversations to elevate real stories from the people doing the work,” said Hewish. “Whether you’re a developer launching your first game or an executive navigating global business decisions, you deserve content that doesn’t just inform, but connects. These shows are about substance, not soundbites. And they’re part of our broader effort to make the business of games more transparent, collaborative, and resilient.”
Both podcasts are part of a strategic content engine that feeds Xsolla’s broader communications platform. Episodes are shared via major podcast platforms and repurposed into blog posts, LinkedIn articles, conference narratives, and social media content, ensuring that the insights don’t stop at audio but travel across the formats and channels where developers already live and learn.
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Nordic Gaming Company Paf Continues Annual Climate Financing – Supports Hydropower Project in Peru
The Nordic gaming company Paf has once again demonstrated its strong environmental commitment by fully climate financing its measured carbon footprint for 2024. This year’s contribution supports the development of a certified hydropower project in the Monzón district of Peru.
Paf has engaged in climate financing every year since 2017, when the company began systematically measuring its climate impact. The company now tracks over 95% of its emissions – both direct and indirect – and works actively to reduce them throughout its operations and value chain. Paf’s Net Zero 2040 target has been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
“Paf is a strong company with the resources to contribute to the transition the world needs. That’s why we choose to climate finance our entire measured footprint – every year,” says Ludvig Winberg, Corporate Communication & Environmental Manager at Paf.
Climate financing – a global responsibility
Climate financing, also known as offsetting, means that Paf funds certified climate projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions. Over the years, Paf has supported projects around the world – mostly in countries that lack resources to invest in climate action, but also in places like Iceland, where advanced technology enables direct air capture of carbon dioxide.
“This is not a substitute for reducing emissions, but a way to take responsibility for what we haven’t yet been able to reduce – while supporting global sustainable development,” says Ludvig Winberg.
The hydropower project in Peru, which Paf supports in 2024, has an installed capacity of 20.58 MW and is located along the Aucantagua River, a tributary of the Monzón River. The project is listed on the United Nations Carbon offset platform.
“The SBTi does not require companies to finance climate projects while striving towards Net-Zero, but they strongly recommend that companies with the ability to do so contribute to broader environmental efforts. We then rely on the UN platform that the projects we support are impactful and credible,” says Ludvig Winberg.
The three Detroit casinos collectively reported $114.0 million in revenue for May 2025. Of this total, table games and slot machines generated $112.7 million, while retail sports betting contributed $1.3 million.
Market Share Breakdown for May 2025:
• MGM Grand Detroit: 47%
• MotorCity Casino: 30%
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown: 23%
Table Games, Slot Revenue, and Taxes
Revenue from table games and slots at the three Detroit casinos increased 1.2% in May 2025 when compared to the same month last year. May’s revenue also showed a 3.0% increase compared to April 2025. From January 1 through May 31 of this year, table games and slots revenue decreased by 0.2% compared to the same period in 2024.
In comparison to May 2024, the revenue for each casino was as follows:
• MGM Grand Detroit: Up 2.4%, totaling $53.1 million
• MotorCity Casino: Up 0.6%, totaling $33.9 million
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown: Down 0.2%, totaling $25.7 million
In May 2025, the three casinos paid a total of $9.1 million in state gaming taxes, compared to $9.0 million in the same month last year. Additionally, the casinos submitted $13.4 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit in May.
Retail Sports Betting Revenue and Taxes
The three Detroit casinos reported a total retail sports betting handle of $9.2 million in May 2025, with total gross receipts amounting to $1.3 million. Retail sports betting’s qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) decreased by 31.1% compared to May 2024 but showed an increase of $964,701 over April 2025.
QAGR by casino for May 2025 was as follows:
• MGM Grand Detroit: $72,060
• MotorCity Casino: $684,821
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $524,358
In May, the casinos paid $48,431 in state gaming taxes and reported submitting $59,193 in wagering taxes to the City of Detroit based on retail sports betting revenue.
International Game Technology PLC announced that its spectacular RISE55 cabinet is now live on casino floors across the US. With robust, performance-focused content roadmaps for the premium-leased and for-sale game segments, IGT’s RISE55 cabinet debuted with the highly entertaining Magic Treasures Gold game. The RISE55 cabinet features a 55-inch ultra-HD curved display that delivers crisp graphics, enhanced audio technology, and remarkable player comfort.
“The RISE55 cabinet was crafted with the highest considerations for performance, comfort and serviceability, and is supported by a strong portfolio of multi-level progressive games. The U.S. market arrival of IGT’s RISE55 cabinet marks an exciting expansion of our hardware portfolio, providing our customers with a highly anticipated cabinet for engaging players and showcasing hot new IGT games such as Magic Treasures Gold,” said Nick Khin, IGT President, Global Gaming.
The RISE55 cabinet first hit casino floors in late May, with additional deployments planned through the summer. As the hardware’s Class III premium launch title, Magic Treasures Gold is a visually stunning multi-level progressive (MLP) game with features that build upon the success of IGT’s award-winning Magic Treasures game, including a leveled-up version of the Money Ball feature. Magic Treasures Gold has two base game themes, Emperor and Empress, each with a unique bonus event, free games and cash spins respectively, and five compelling jackpot levels.
This month, IGT also released for-sale core titles on the RISE55 cabinet including much-anticipated games Treasure Blast and Wolf Run Wild Moon.
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