Advertising Disclosure

Last Updated: November 12, 2025

At Skill Studio, we believe in complete transparency regarding our advertising relationships and business practices. This disclosure page explains how we may earn revenue through various channels while maintaining our commitment to providing valuable arcade game development training content and recommendations.

Our Commitment to Transparency

We want you to understand the nature of our business relationships so you can make informed decisions about the training programs and resources we present. Our goal is to help aspiring game developers succeed, and transparency about our advertising practices is part of that commitment.

Affiliate Relationships

Overview of Affiliate Programs

Skill Studio participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn commissions when you purchase products or services through links on our website. These affiliate relationships help support our educational content creation and allow us to continue providing free resources to the arcade game development community.

How Affiliate Commissions Work

When you click on certain links to development tools, software, hardware, or educational resources and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission from the vendor. This commission comes at no additional cost to you and does not influence the price you pay for products or services.

Types of Affiliate Relationships

We maintain affiliate relationships with various companies in the game development industry, including:

  • Game development software and engine providers
  • Arcade hardware and component manufacturers
  • Online learning platforms and educational resources
  • Development tools and asset marketplaces
  • Professional development books and publications

Our Product Recommendation Policy

While we may earn commissions through affiliate links, we maintain strict editorial independence. We only recommend products, tools, and services that:

  • We have personally used, tested, or thoroughly researched
  • Align with our educational standards and quality expectations
  • Provide genuine value to arcade game developers
  • Meet industry standards for reliability and performance
  • Support the learning objectives of our training programs

Financial Relationship Transparency

We disclose our affiliate relationships clearly when presenting products or services. The existence of an affiliate relationship does not mean we endorse everything a company offers, nor does it influence our honest assessment of whether a tool or resource is appropriate for your development needs. We will never recommend a product solely because of the commission structure.

Sponsored Content

Identification of Paid Content

From time to time, we may publish sponsored content or paid promotions on our website. This content is always clearly labeled as "Sponsored," "Paid Partnership," or "Advertisement" to ensure you can easily distinguish it from our regular educational content and reviews.

Sponsored Post Guidelines

When we accept sponsored content, we follow these principles:

  • All sponsored content is clearly marked as such
  • We maintain editorial control over all published content
  • Sponsored content must meet our quality standards
  • We only accept sponsorships from companies whose products align with our audience's interests
  • We disclose the nature of the sponsorship relationship

Brand Partnership Disclosures

When we enter into brand partnerships, we clearly communicate the nature of these relationships. Brand partnerships may include content collaborations, product demonstrations, or promotional activities. Our educational integrity and your trust remain our top priorities in all partnership arrangements.

Content Authenticity Guarantees

Regardless of sponsorship or financial arrangements, all content on Skill Studio reflects our genuine opinions and expertise. We never compromise our educational standards or misrepresent products or services to accommodate sponsors. If we believe a sponsored product or service is not suitable for our audience, we will decline the sponsorship.

Third-Party Advertising

Display Advertising Networks

We may use third-party advertising networks to display advertisements on our website. These networks use technologies such as cookies, web beacons, and tracking pixels to collect information about your browsing activity and deliver targeted advertisements based on your interests.

Behavioral Targeting Disclosure

Some advertisements you see on our website may be personalized based on your browsing behavior across different websites. This practice, known as behavioral targeting or interest-based advertising, helps advertisers show you ads that are more relevant to your interests. You can opt out of behavioral targeting through your browser settings or by visiting industry opt-out pages.

Cookie Usage for Advertising

Third-party advertisers may use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Track your visits to our website and other sites
  • Measure the effectiveness of advertisements
  • Provide ads tailored to your interests
  • Prevent you from seeing the same ads repeatedly
  • Report aggregate statistics about ad impressions and interactions

For more information about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

Ad Personalization Practices

We work with advertising partners who may collect and use information about your online activities to provide personalized advertising. This may include information about the pages you visit, the content you view, and your interactions with advertisements. We do not control the data collection or privacy practices of these third-party advertisers.

User Rights and Controls

Ad Preference Management Options

You have control over the types of advertisements you see. Most web browsers allow you to manage your advertising preferences through settings that control cookies and tracking technologies. You can also visit industry opt-out websites to control personalized advertising from participating companies.

Opt-Out Procedures

To opt out of personalized advertising, you can:

  • Adjust your browser settings to block third-party cookies
  • Use browser privacy features or ad-blocking extensions
  • Visit the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out page
  • Visit the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page
  • Enable "Do Not Track" signals in your browser

Data Collection for Advertising Purposes

When you visit our website, advertising partners may collect certain information for advertising purposes, including:

  • Pages visited on our website
  • Time spent on different pages
  • Advertisements clicked or viewed
  • Device and browser information
  • General geographic location based on IP address

This information is typically anonymous and does not include personally identifiable information unless you provide it through forms or interactions on our site.

Rights Under Privacy Regulations

Depending on your location, you may have additional rights under privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, or other applicable laws. These rights may include accessing your data, requesting deletion, or objecting to certain types of data processing for advertising purposes. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about your privacy rights.

FTC Compliance

Skill Studio complies with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials. We disclose material connections between our website and the products, services, or companies we mention or recommend.

When we have a financial relationship with a company whose products or services we discuss, we clearly disclose this relationship. This includes affiliate commissions, sponsored content, free products received for review, or any other form of compensation.

Our commitment to FTC compliance reflects our broader commitment to transparency and ethical business practices in the arcade game development education space.

Editorial Independence

Despite our various advertising relationships, Skill Studio maintains complete editorial independence. Our recommendations, reviews, and educational content are based on:

  • Professional expertise in arcade game development
  • Direct experience with tools, technologies, and methods
  • Feedback from our training program participants
  • Industry standards and best practices
  • Honest assessment of product quality and value

We will never compromise the quality or honesty of our content to serve advertising interests. If we believe a product or service is not suitable for our audience, we will not recommend it, regardless of potential compensation.

Updates and Questions

Updates to This Disclosure

We may update this Advertising Disclosure from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, advertising relationships, or regulatory requirements. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this disclosure periodically to stay informed about our advertising practices.

Questions or Concerns

If you have questions about our advertising practices, disclosure policies, or any of the relationships described on this page, please contact us. We're committed to maintaining transparency and addressing any concerns you may have about how advertising relationships might affect our content.

Your trust is essential to our mission of providing quality arcade game development education, and we take our responsibility to maintain that trust seriously.