Why Direct-to-Consumer is the Future for Xsolla Marcel Kleffmann November 13, 2024 – 12 min read Share this post Xsolla's Senior Vice President EMEA, Christopher Meredith © Xsolla / Ivan Weiss Michael Schade, CEO and co-founder of Rockfish Games © Gero Goerlich, 39pix.com Business Rockfish Games' CEO: "56.5% of the Dev Budget Comes Straight From Our Own Pocket" Rockfish Games recently received a record-breaking grant of €8 million. In this interview, CEO Michael Schade discusses the ~€20 million budget, the six-year development period, the importance of the grant for the Hamburg-based studio, and Germany as a location for the games industry. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read PEGI Director Dirk Bosmans and USK MD Elisabeth Secker have worked together on the changes (PEGI/USK) Business Lootboxes Now Automatically PEGI 16, in Changes Inspired by Germany Age rating system PEGI will incorporate sweeping changes to their classification of dark patterns, inspired by the German USK. Come June, lootboxes will automatically be PEGI 16, blockchain content PEGI 18 and punishment for not logging into games daily PEGI 12. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read Business LFG Con Organises Business Hub for the First Time and Calls For Speakers This year, LFG Con will also have a business hub for the first time. There, interested parties can learn about entering the games industry through talks, panels and workshops. The organisers are looking for interested speakers until the end of April. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read Michael Schade, CEO and co-founder of Rockfish Games © Gero Goerlich, 39pix.com Business Rockfish Games' CEO: "56.5% of the Dev Budget Comes Straight From Our Own Pocket" Rockfish Games recently received a record-breaking grant of €8 million. In this interview, CEO Michael Schade discusses the ~€20 million budget, the six-year development period, the importance of the grant for the Hamburg-based studio, and Germany as a location for the games industry. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read PEGI Director Dirk Bosmans and USK MD Elisabeth Secker have worked together on the changes (PEGI/USK) Business Lootboxes Now Automatically PEGI 16, in Changes Inspired by Germany Age rating system PEGI will incorporate sweeping changes to their classification of dark patterns, inspired by the German USK. Come June, lootboxes will automatically be PEGI 16, blockchain content PEGI 18 and punishment for not logging into games daily PEGI 12. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read Titanium Court © AP Thomson and Fellow Traveller Awards Titanium Court Wins the Main Prize at the 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards Titanium Court, by AP Thomson and Fellow Traveller, won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival Awards 2026, held as part of the Game Developers Conference (GDC). None of the nominated studios from GSA won an award. By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read Cover page of Subscribestar.adult (SubscribeStar) Products SubscribeStar Changes TOS Towards Stricter Adult Media Bans Content subscription marketplace SubscribeStar have changed their Terms of Service repeatedly in the last hours, incorporating more bans on adult content out of payment processor pressure. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read Business LFG Con Organises Business Hub for the First Time and Calls For Speakers This year, LFG Con will also have a business hub for the first time. There, interested parties can learn about entering the games industry through talks, panels and workshops. The organisers are looking for interested speakers until the end of April. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read John Carpenter's Toxic Commando © Saber Interactive & Focus Entertainment Products John Carpenter's Toxic Commando John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, developed by Saber Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment, is a game that's perfect for fans of zombies and silly, gory 1980s horror action. It combines elements of Back 4 Blood, MudRunner, and World War Z, offering wild and bloody co-op action. By Marcel Kleffmann • 4 min read
Michael Schade, CEO and co-founder of Rockfish Games © Gero Goerlich, 39pix.com Business Rockfish Games' CEO: "56.5% of the Dev Budget Comes Straight From Our Own Pocket" Rockfish Games recently received a record-breaking grant of €8 million. In this interview, CEO Michael Schade discusses the ~€20 million budget, the six-year development period, the importance of the grant for the Hamburg-based studio, and Germany as a location for the games industry. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read
PEGI Director Dirk Bosmans and USK MD Elisabeth Secker have worked together on the changes (PEGI/USK) Business Lootboxes Now Automatically PEGI 16, in Changes Inspired by Germany Age rating system PEGI will incorporate sweeping changes to their classification of dark patterns, inspired by the German USK. Come June, lootboxes will automatically be PEGI 16, blockchain content PEGI 18 and punishment for not logging into games daily PEGI 12. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
Business LFG Con Organises Business Hub for the First Time and Calls For Speakers This year, LFG Con will also have a business hub for the first time. There, interested parties can learn about entering the games industry through talks, panels and workshops. The organisers are looking for interested speakers until the end of April. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Michael Schade, CEO and co-founder of Rockfish Games © Gero Goerlich, 39pix.com Business Rockfish Games' CEO: "56.5% of the Dev Budget Comes Straight From Our Own Pocket" Rockfish Games recently received a record-breaking grant of €8 million. In this interview, CEO Michael Schade discusses the ~€20 million budget, the six-year development period, the importance of the grant for the Hamburg-based studio, and Germany as a location for the games industry. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read
PEGI Director Dirk Bosmans and USK MD Elisabeth Secker have worked together on the changes (PEGI/USK) Business Lootboxes Now Automatically PEGI 16, in Changes Inspired by Germany Age rating system PEGI will incorporate sweeping changes to their classification of dark patterns, inspired by the German USK. Come June, lootboxes will automatically be PEGI 16, blockchain content PEGI 18 and punishment for not logging into games daily PEGI 12. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
Titanium Court © AP Thomson and Fellow Traveller Awards Titanium Court Wins the Main Prize at the 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards Titanium Court, by AP Thomson and Fellow Traveller, won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival Awards 2026, held as part of the Game Developers Conference (GDC). None of the nominated studios from GSA won an award. By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
Cover page of Subscribestar.adult (SubscribeStar) Products SubscribeStar Changes TOS Towards Stricter Adult Media Bans Content subscription marketplace SubscribeStar have changed their Terms of Service repeatedly in the last hours, incorporating more bans on adult content out of payment processor pressure. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
Business LFG Con Organises Business Hub for the First Time and Calls For Speakers This year, LFG Con will also have a business hub for the first time. There, interested parties can learn about entering the games industry through talks, panels and workshops. The organisers are looking for interested speakers until the end of April. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
John Carpenter's Toxic Commando © Saber Interactive & Focus Entertainment Products John Carpenter's Toxic Commando John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, developed by Saber Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment, is a game that's perfect for fans of zombies and silly, gory 1980s horror action. It combines elements of Back 4 Blood, MudRunner, and World War Z, offering wild and bloody co-op action. By Marcel Kleffmann • 4 min read
