The game industry is complex and, you know what, it’s also kind of daunting to learn if you don’t know where to start. Michael Futter and Amanda Farough take those complexities and make them far more accessible, even for folks that don’t work in games.
If you’re curious about the underpinnings of how video games get made, where the money comes from, and what it all means… we’ve got one heck of a podcast for you.
Recent Episodes
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Catch up on the most recent episodes of Virtual Economy here. We’ve also included sources and our show notes for easy reference.
Episode 102: Activision Blizzard Did a Labor No No… Again (News Show)
Activision Blizzard is the subject of employee-driven National Labor Relations Board charges of anti-worker activity. Also: An update on Paradox and its union survey of work conditions in Sweden,...
Episode 101: How to Destroy Your Studio’s Reputation With One Tweet (News Show)
On this week’s show: Tripwire Interactive CEO tanks his studio’s reputation with a single tweet before showing himself the door, Epic vs Apple is over (and Apple mostly won),...
Episode 100: We Did Not Make an NFT of This Show (News Show)
It’s our 100th episode! Thank you to everyone who has listened and supported us! This week: The graded collectible game bubble, the scar of Cyberpunk 2077’s failed launch, China’s...
Episode 99: Maybe Don’t Abuse Steam’s Refund System (News Show)
You can support Virtual Economy’s growth via our and also purchase ! TIME STAMPS [00:01:01] - EA makes five accessibility patents available for free [00:14:38] - Unity...
Bonus: #TwitchDoBetter with RekItRaven
Twitch is failing marginalized creators as instances of hate raids, harassment, and virulent toxicity have spiked on the platform. Content creator and #TwitchDoBetter originator RekItRaven joins us to discuss....
Episode 98: Fighting For the Little Guy… By Stealing Their Ideas (News Show)
Epic Games is under fire for wholesale copying Innersloth’s Among Us for a new Fortnite Mode. Also: the latest on Activision Blizzard, earnings updates (Starbreeze, Remedy, Paradox, Unity, Roblox,...
The Hosts of Virtual Economy
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Michael Futter
Show Host & Research
He has since been freelancing for Polygon, Variety, GameDaily, and GamesBeat on timely business topics while also leveraging his experience to help independent developers with business strategy and pitching. Mike has also worked with AAA developers and publishers on pre-announcement strategy, messaging, and trade show presentation preparation. He has also completed a number of mock previews and reviews.
Amanda Farough
Show Host & Producer
These days, Amanda is the co-host of the Virtual Economy podcast, mama at Ready Player Mom (and a Take This ambassador for 2021) on Twitch, business & entertainment writer, and co-host on the Engaged Family Gaming podcast. Amanda also holds a seat on the board of directors at Hit Save! (a video game preservation nonprofit) as Director of Communications.
Latest Articles
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Why Today is #ADayOffTwitch (Interview)
Content creators on Twitch are speaking out and taking action against the Amazon-owned livestreaming service for its failures in protecting users on its platform.
Jonas Antonsson on Raw Fury’s New Majority Investor (Interview)
Raw Fury has announced that it has agreed to a majority acquisition by Altor, a Swedish investment group. This marks Altor’s first investment in the video game industry, and...
Explaining the TriplePoint Video Game Stock Index
This week, TriplePoint PR announced a partnership with S&P Dow Jones to launch a video game industry stock index (INDEXCME: GAMER). With GameStonk™ shining a light on the financial...
CDProjekt’s Cyberpunk 2077 Failure Cost More Than Just Money
CDProjekt bet that most consumers wouldn’t go through the effort of refunding the broken and disappointing Cyberpunk 2077. They were right. In the company’s recently released financial report for...
Epic’s Game Store ‘Losses’ Don’t Tell the Whole Story
What is the difference between “losing money” and “investing?” That’s one question the courts will be examining when Epic’s antitrust suit against Apple goes to trial next month. And...
CD Projekt’s Pretty Words are Nothing Without Meaningful Culture Change
CDProjekt Red, despite its parent-company’s status as a public traded corporation, has often been lauded by fans as the scrappy little studio that could. The studio behind the celebrated...