Notes from the field on alternative app stores, OEM channels, telecom distribution, web-native formats and everything else that sits outside the standard route to market for mobile games.https://www.impulsemediahub.com/en-UShttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/google-play-billing-choice-program-2026/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/google-play-billing-choice-program-2026/Google Play's Billing Choice Program went live June 30, 2026: 10% on your first $1M, alternative billing, and a lower Games Level Up rate. Here's the real take-home math.Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTgoogle-playbillingfeesalternative-billingregulationepic-gamesgames-level-upImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/multi-channel-distribution-framework/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/multi-channel-distribution-framework/A practical game distribution framework for building a multi-channel stack: layer stores, OEM, carrier billing and web-native, and sequence them by studio stage.Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTdistributionstrategyframeworkmulti-channelpublishingImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/japan-msca-distribution-opening/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/japan-msca-distribution-opening/Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA) forces open third-party app stores and payments on iOS and Android. Why studios outside the EU should care.Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTalt-storesjapanmscaregulationdistributionImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/oem-preload-deal-playbook/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/oem-preload-deal-playbook/Preload deals look enterprise-only, but mid-size studios close them every quarter. Who to talk to inside an OEM, what they actually want, and the deal structures that get signed.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMToempreloaddistributiondealsindieImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/carrier-billing-emerging-markets-2026/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/carrier-billing-emerging-markets-2026/Where direct carrier billing unlocks paying players that cards can't reach. A region-by-region reach map for publishers: India, Africa, LATAM, with APAC as the benchmark.Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTcarrier-billingemerging-marketsindialatamdistributionImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/games-only-app-stores-skich-onside/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/games-only-app-stores-skich-onside/Skich and Onside are betting that a games-only app store beats a general-purpose marketplace for discovery. What that means for publishers in 2026.Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTalt-storesskichdmaiosdistributionImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/epic-games-store-mobile-self-publishing/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/epic-games-store-mobile-self-publishing/Epic Games Store mobile is opening to self-publishing at 0%/12% fees. A publisher's guide to qualifying, prepping builds, and how it compares to the App Store.Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTepic-games-storeiosandroidself-publishingalt-storesfeesImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/beyond-paid-ua-distribution-2026/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/beyond-paid-ua-distribution-2026/Blended gaming CPI is up ~30% year-on-year and 47% in Europe, while 95% of installs churn in 30 days. The buy-growth playbook is broken — here's the distribution alternative.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTdistributionuser-acquisitionstrategymobile-gamespaid-uaImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/core-technology-fee-cost-studios/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/core-technology-fee-cost-studios/Apple's Core Technology Fee is €0.50 per first annual install. Here's the break-even math for alt-store distribution, who the numbers work for, and who they don't.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTalt-storesdmaeconomicsiosdistributionImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/direct-carrier-billing-conversion-guide/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/direct-carrier-billing-conversion-guide/Gaming is ~40% of carrier-billing usage and 58% of DCB users are unbanked. Here's why direct carrier billing lifts conversion where cards fail, and how to integrate it.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTcarrier-billingdcbmonetizationemerging-marketsdistributionImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/instant-games-distribution-layer/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/instant-games-distribution-layer/Instant HTML5 games launch in one tap inside Telegram, TikTok and Messenger — no store, no download. The channel playbook for publishers, and which titles win there.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTweb-nativehtml5instant-gamesdistributiontelegramImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/oem-app-stores-comparison/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/oem-app-stores-comparison/A publisher's decision guide to the three big OEM app stores: revenue share, regional reach, onboarding friction, and placement types compared side by side.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMToemgalaxy-storeappgallerydistributioncomparisonImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/web-native-games-rising/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/web-native-games-rising/Poki, CrazyGames, WebGPU, PWA — the complete guide to web-native game distribution in 2026: leading portals, realistic CPMs, and a 12-week launch playbook.Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTweb-nativehtml5distributionwebgpumobile-gamesImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/oem-partnerships-indie/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/oem-partnerships-indie/Most indies write off OEM deals as enterprise-only. They're missing a channel that often outperforms the dominant storefronts on revenue share, exposure and audience fit.Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 GMToemdistributionindiecarrier-billingmobile-gamesImpulse Media Hubhttps://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/alternative-app-stores-2026/https://www.impulsemediahub.com/blog/alternative-app-stores-2026/Alternative app stores are no longer a curiosity, they're a real distribution channel. Where they stand at the end of Q2 2026, and what publishers should do about it.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTalt-storesindustrydistributiondmamobile-gamesImpulse Media Hub