Digital payments company Xsolla is expanding to become a one-stop-shop for game developers to create, monetize, and scale the growth of video games worldwide. The Los Angeles company will launch its new product suite next week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles next week.
Xsolla’s existing Pay Station payments product will now be bundled with Xsolla Partner Network, Xsolla Site Builder, Xsolla Store, Xsolla Login, and Xsolla Launcher. All of the products in the suite could create a seamless ecosystem where any size industry player can access the tools and services necessary for success, said Xsolla chief marketing officer Nathalie Lubensky in an interview with GamesBeat.
“Our goal is to celebrate and empower developers,” Lubensky said. “We want to be an extension of their team and help automate things like payments, taxes, and other things.”
Xsolla has rivals such as Steam and Unity in stores and other competitors in other segments. But Lubensky said Xsolla’s advantage is its focus on gaming and the fact that its team is full of avid gamers. This gives the company the perspective, experience, and data to solve the challenges developers, publishers, and platform partners face when trying to monetize games with the broadest possible audience worldwide, Lubensky said.
The all-in-one suite lets partners manage affiliate and influencer programs; build and manage branded websites for reaching players; sell virtual and physical goods from a centralized storefront; offer localized one-click authentication; and balance the cost and speed of content delivery.
CEO Aleksandr Agapitov started the company 13 years ago to focus on digital payments, with features such as anti-fraud and user acquisition. It has added features, such as management of influencers and handling payments to thousands of them. The company now operates in 230 countries with more than 2,000 partners.
To support the announcement, the company is also launching its largest marketing campaign targeting the game development community. The $8 million global spend will blend print and online buys. The company typically charges a lower transaction fee, and it will do the same with its new suites.
“Given the easier access to technology these days, the barrier to entry is low, but the barrier to success is higher than ever. Xsolla is here to level the playing field, providing anyone access to the tools for success for their games’ entire life cycle” said Lubensky. “Partners can also choose products a la carte to fill gaps in their organizations, all for no upfront costs. Xsolla solutions extend any team’s ability to launch, sell and grow.”
The company also started the Xsolla Capital Fund last year to invest in indie games, but Lubensky said that fund operates separately from Xsolla’s services.