Compare the same required catalogue and operating scope—not the same headline number of games. The following is a recommended procurement framework, not a supplier ranking.
| Route | Best question to ask | Evidence to require | Cost categories to model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct studio arrangements | Can this studio authorise and support the exact titles and domains we need? | Written permission, territorial schedule, assets and supported launch method | Coordination, integration, monitoring and support time |
| Free publisher platform | Does approved access cover enough of our priority catalogue? | Publisher agreement, studio restrictions and account-specific demo export | Integration, administration, editorial obligations and fallback work |
| Paid hosted distribution | What incremental usable coverage or operating benefit justifies the fee? | Upstream relationship evidence, permission scope, quota rules and support terms | Subscription, migration, usage and maintenance |
| Compiled browser-game licence | Do we need original entertainment rather than recognisable studio demos? | Licence scope, deliverables, IP allocation and maintenance obligations | Licence, hosting, customisation and updates |
| Commercial data API | May we publish the data in our actual business model? | Explicit publication rights and field-level specification | Subscription, mapping, updates and minimum commitments |
How do you calculate cost per usable, authorised game?
Use:
Annual total operating cost ÷ number of distinct, relevant games with documented permission and acceptable tested availability.
The numerator should include recurring supplier fees, amortised implementation, internal maintenance, monitoring, rights administration and expected exit work. Avoid allocating the entire price of a broader corporate data platform to demos unless that allocation reflects its actual use.
Illustrative example—not observed market data: assume US$6,000 annual external costs and US$9,000 internal operating costs. If the buyer verifies 250 usable games, the annual cost is US$60 per game. If only 100 qualify, it becomes US$150 per game, despite an unchanged supplier invoice.
These are analyst-selected inputs and calculations dated 27 October 2026. They illustrate why verified catalogue coverage matters; they do not estimate typical expenditure or predict revenue.
What should the pilot measure?
Use a buyer-selected sample covering essential titles, recent releases and representative mechanics. Record:
- Permission evidence and unresolved restrictions.
- Registered production and staging domains.
- Browser, real device or emulation, location and consent state.
- Successful launch, failed launch and unavailable-content behaviour.
- Time to an agreed game-ready event, separately from wrapper-page loading.
- Metadata and reviewed-version agreement.
- Requests billed, supplier incidents and staff time.
Do not bypass restrictions to improve the result. Slots Launch prohibits extracting the final game URL to circumvent its iframe, while First Look Games documents that demo links work on registered sites and block direct visits. Test the supported deployment, not an unsupported shortcut. (docs.slotslaunch.com)