The Hidden Friction Holding Studios Back from Alternative App Stores

We recently asked Andreas Mac Mahon at Flexion, about the hidden roadblocks that hold game developers back from the alternative app stores. Here’s what he had to say:

The alternative store ecosystem offers developers real growth opportunities, but not every channel works for every game. The hidden roadblock is that studios often have to commit to a channel before they can properly judge whether it deserves that commitment.

Some of that friction is deliberately imposed by the incumbent ecosystem, making distribution outside the main stores harder than it needs to be. It also makes the business case harder to read: are you seeing weak demand, or demand suppressed by the obstacles put in its way?

Meanwhile, studios have immediate priorities: acquire players, improve retention, ship the next update. Those compete for the same people and budget, and usually come with more familiar economics and faster feedback than opening a new channel.

The technical barriers are coming down, which makes this a much more interesting frontier. But studios still need a credible way to test the commercial upside without first committing the resources of a full launch; until then, even a compelling strategic opportunity can keep losing to next month’s targets.