In a guest article for GamesMarkt, Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla, explains why the World Governments Summit matters to the games industry and the future of digital economies. This is because it is one of the few global platforms where governments and industries sit at the same table.
A guest article by Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla.
From the outside, the World Governments Summit can look like a familiar diplomatic gathering, heads of state, ministers, and policy leaders discussing macro challenges. But for the video game industry, that framing misses the point. The Summit is not primarily about traditional intergovernmental diplomacy. It is one of the rare global platforms where governments and industries sit at the same table to actively co-design the future of digital economies.
For an industry built on fast-moving technology, borderless communities, and constantly evolving business models, that distinction matters.
A design table, not a lecture hall
The video game industry operates at the intersection of culture, technology, and commerce. The industry is digital-first, globally distributed, and increasingly intertwined with adjacent sectors, including fintech, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, esports, and the creator economy. Yet regulation often lags innovation, and when policy is developed in isolation, the result can be fragmentation, uncertainty, and unintended consequences.
The World Governments Summit stands out because it is structured less as a lecture hall and more as a design table. Policymakers come not only to announce positions, but to listen, test assumptions, and explore policy tools alongside industry leaders. For video game publishers and platforms operating across dozens, or hundreds, of markets, this kind of early, iterative dialogue is invaluable.
It allows the industry to understand how regulators are thinking before those ideas harden into rules. That foresight helps companies plan responsibly, invest with confidence, and adapt business models in ways that align with public policy goals rather than collide with them.
Early signals in a rapidly shifting regulatory landscape
Digital economies are entering a phase of accelerated regulation. Issues such as virtual economies, digital assets, consumer protection, youth safety, data governance, and AI-driven content creation are rapidly rising on government agendas. Video games sit at the center of many of these conversations, often before other creative or tech sectors.
At the Summit, these topics are not discussed in the abstract. They are examined through practical case studies, pilots, and cross-sector perspectives. For the video game industry, this provides early signals about where regulatory consensus may form and where divergence is likely.
That insight is about responsible participation. When policymakers’ objectives are understood early, the video game industry can contribute constructively: sharing data, flagging technical constraints, and proposing solutions that protect players while preserving innovation. This kind of engagement is far more effective than reacting after regulations are finalized.
Surfacing innovation-friendly policy tools
The Summit has always been a platform that has held important contributions on the subject of policy experimentation. In the past, sandboxes, pilot programs, and adaptive regulatory frameworks have been discussed not as theoretical concepts, but as proven tools for governing fast-moving digital sectors. This year, the Summit is expected to hold similar important conversations.
For the video game industry, these approaches are especially relevant. The ecosystem evolves continuously, with new monetization models, community tools, and creative technologies emerging within months, not years. Static, one-size-fits-all regulation struggles to keep pace.
By engaging at the Summit, the industry can help shape policy instruments that are designed to be flexible. Regulatory sandboxes, for example, allow governments to observe new mechanics or technologies in controlled environments, while giving companies clarity on acceptable boundaries. This builds trust on both sides and reduces the risk of blunt regulatory responses that stifle creativity.
Aligning globally to reduce market friction
Few industries feel the cost of regulatory fragmentation as acutely as the video game industry. A single title may launch simultaneously across dozens of jurisdictions, each with its own rules around content classification, payments, data, and consumer rights. Misalignment increases compliance costs, slows releases, and can limit players' access.
The World Governments Summit offers something rare: a space where global alignment is not just discussed, but actively pursued across regions and sectors. When regulators hear directly from global publishers, developers, and platforms about the operational realities of cross-border digital products, it becomes easier to identify areas where harmonization is both possible and beneficial.
Even partial alignment shared principles, interoperable stands, or mutual recognition frameworks can significantly reduce friction. For the video game industry, that means faster innovation cycles, more consistent player experiences, and a healthier global market.
Shaping the future of digital economies, together
Video games are no longer a niche entertainment medium. They are social platforms, creative outlets, learning tools, and economic engines. Virtual economies inside games often rival real-world markets in complexity, scale, and cultural impact. As governments grapple with the future of digital economies, the video game industry is no longer on the sidelines.
The World Governments Summit reflects this reality. It recognizes that effective governance in the digital age cannot be designed by governments alone. It must be co-created with the industries that build these systems and the communities that use them.
For the video game industry, participation is not about influence for its own sake. It’s about shared responsibility. By engaging early, transparently, and constructively, the industry can help shape policies that protect players, support creators, and enable sustainable growth.
In that sense, the Summit is not just relevant to the industry, it’s essential. It’s where the future rules of digital economies begin to take shape, and where video games have meaningful opportunities to help design them.
Xsolla's own description: Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together, and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1,500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.
