The console market is going through major changes as hardware prices stay high and first party needs to pivot audience strategy. Nintendo may be struggling to find a break-even for its Switch successor, prompting a...

Continue reading →

Microsoft’s layoffs have sent the FTC into a tizzy, adding fuel to the ongoing fire. Also: It’s earnings season, with EA, Microsoft, Capcom, Nintendo, Square Enix, Paradox, Take-Two, Sega, and Meta reporting. We also cover the latest in the layoff storm that continues to drown the industry and Disney’s $1.5B investment in Epic.

Continue reading →

The furor over the reports that Microsoft is considering bringing some of its library multiplatform is largely missing the target. Console warriors are wading back into the trenches to talk about the future of their pointless battle over plastic boxes. But this situation has the potential to offer both positives and negatives.

Continue reading →

In the wake of 2020’s bombshell revelations about Activision’s miserable culture and history of defending sexual abusers, we hoped that Microsoft would be a better steward for the company’s 13,000 employees. With 1,900 laid off...

Continue reading →

We think it’s safe to say that no one anticipated just how miserable 2023 would be for the amazing people creating the games we love. And while this year did bring us a deluge of delight in terms of the games, the play experiences were overshadowed by the trauma and despair of the more than 10,000 people who found themselves out of work… some just a few days before Christmas.

Continue reading →

It’s been a hard year, folks. As we say goodbye to 2023 and turn our attention to a (hopefully) brighter 2024, we’re recapping recent gaming events, November’s Circana report, and more. You can support Virtual...

Continue reading →

Embracer Group gorged itself during the pandemic when debt was cheap. Now, it’s scrambling to lay off hundreds of people to “win.” Also, Circana report for October, Epic wins against Google, and more.

Continue reading →

We’re in the thick of earnings season, and it’s hard to swallow positive financial news amid an avalanche of heartbreak labor stories. On this week’s show: Sony EA, Nintendo, Take-Two, Remedy, Sega, and Square Enix...

Continue reading →

With Microsoft’s Activision acquisition closed, the Xbox leadership team has reorganized in some unexpected ways. Also: Microsoft and Capcom earnings, more layoffs, Paradox says goodbye to Harebrained Schemes, Unity boots John Riccitiello, and we have the latest Circana report on U.S. Game spending.

Continue reading →