Three Lessons from Building D2C for Gaming: A Year of Industry Transformation
Over the past year leading product management at Neon, I’ve witnessed the gaming industry reach a pivotal moment. Most recently, the Epic vs. Google ruling, which orders Google to allow competition on its Play Store, highlights a broader trend: global demand for more open digital markets. We’re entering an era where studios can shape direct relationships with players, and it’s redefining how gaming developers think about growth.
1. Direct Player Relationships are the Future of Gaming
Gaming isn’t just evolving; it’s undergoing a fundamental shift. The Epic case isn’t an isolated incident but part of a global movement toward open marketplaces. With the game studio partners we’ve launched in 2024, we’re seeing the power of the studios owning their player relationships—direct channels are driving 10-35% of their revenue, using personalized offers and weekly claims to drive traffic to and awareness of the webshop. Even more striking, one partner found that within just a few months of launching their webshop, 20% of direct channel purchasers were completely new spenders. As platform restrictions ease, these numbers will only rise.
2. Gaming Commerce Demands a Full-Stack Solution
D2C for gaming needs a platform that serves multiple teams:
Liveops teams for offer management, rewards, and promotions
Finance teams for automated payouts and real-time reporting
Creative and artistic teams for webshop theming and custom offer types
Engineering teams that build against our APIs, and need a straightforward integration and clear documentation
Support teams for player issue resolution
Neon’s unified platform enables each team to operate independently, whether configuring discounts or managing the look and feel of the webshop. With our partners who leverage all of our best practices, we see over one-third of players who purchase on a Neon-powered webstore make multiple purchases each month. Our goal is a complete, self-sufficient D2C toolkit, that drives revenue for studios and doesn’t just shift it.
3. Local Payment Options Drive Global Growth
"Global" doesn’t mean “one-size-fits-all.” For instance, 45% of purchases on one partner's web store came from payment methods not supported in app stores. Keeping pace with local payment trends and regulatory shifts is key, and Neon supports this across 46 markets—from tax compliance to fraud prevention. Our latest expansions in Southeast Asia and LATAM reflect our commitment to true global reach.
The Road Ahead
The Epic ruling sets a three-year horizon for a competitive Android ecosystem. Studios that embrace D2C not just as a sales channel but as a core player engagement strategy will thrive. Some winning tactics we’re seeing include:
Self-serve offer management, paving the way for the freshest and most exciting offers to live on the webshop
Customized loyalty programs that don’t just drive traffic from in-game to on the shop, but also convert more free players to paid players
Real-time player insights and analytics that help studios understand performance of their D2C channels as quickly and easily as possible
As studios build stronger communities through direct channels, Neon will continue providing the infrastructure for this new era of gaming.
How is your game studio preparing for the industry shift into D2C? Email partnerships@neonpay.com to find out more about the Neon product suite that’s sure to help you thrive in this ever changing environment.
