Executives from Flexion, the games marketing company, will hold a series of summit talks with top developers at GDC in San Francisco (18 to 22 March 2024) to discuss how direct-to-consumer (D2C) services could enhance revenue.

The D2C’24 Summit will focus on the opportunities offered to developers by recent moves freeing up the mobile games market and, in particular, on new routes to user acquisition. The aim will be to align the industry on the best way forward in light of changes in the app stores.

Flexion is already the leader in accessing alternative markets including Amazon, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Aptoide, DT Hubs and ONEstore, boosting revenue for top games without upfront costs or significant effort. It is building on its partnerships with these platforms and other industry leading companies from UA to 3rd party billing to meet future developer needs.

“We have many years of experience and the know-how in taking an existing game and finding new revenue sources. We have also built partnerships across the industry – including with alternative app stores – that will allow us to help developers go much further in future,” Jens Lauritzson, CEO of Flexion, said.

In the last quarter, Flexion saw a 64% increase in its own revenue, as an increasing number of developers took the plunge into alternative markets. Through working with Flexion, developers see a more than 10% average boost in revenue (over marketing in Google Play alone) without significantly adding to their costs.

Jens said: “Developers have been frustrated by difficult user acquisition, where it is challenging to achieve positive returns due to changes in tracking and high store fees. But with the DMA in Europe and court cases in the US forcing Google and Apple to ease their stranglehold on the mobile games market, now is an excellent time for developers to re-engage directly with consumers.

“Many will hesitate at the underlying complexity and size of investment needed to exploit these opportunities, and so third-party services, like those being developed by Flexion, are going to be vital in making the ROI figures work.”

Through the D2C’24 Summit, Flexion will canvas opinions and share its ideas on direct-to-consumer marketing with top developers. The goal will be to create a consensus on the tools and services developers will need to maximise returns.

“We’re at the edge of a step change in the mobile games market and it’s important for the industry that we get things right. That’s why we’ve invited developers to these talks, and I’d be happy to hear from anyone else who would like to contribute to the discussion,” Jens said.

Ben Anquetil’s appointment as Head of Business Development is an important part of Flexion’s future-focused strategy. He has a brief to evaluate the company’s value proposition for D2C with the aim of ensuring that developers generate better return on their marketing spend going forward.

“I’m delighted to welcome Ben to the Flexion family at such an exciting time. He has a wealth of experience in the alternative distribution space and in strategic initiatives that generate more revenue and audiences for developers. With his help, Flexion will grow a whole new aspect of its business, offering developers easy access to the burgeoning range of markets that will become the norm,” Jens said.

“I foresee amazing opportunities for developers. By using D2C services, they will be able to enhance user engagement and retention for their games while improving margin. These factors will give them the freedom to grow revenue and audiences,” Ben said.