We’re SO close to the end of earnings season. This week: Square Enix, Nintendo, Take-Two, Unity (and a discussion about that brutal Bloomberg expose about CEO John Riccitiello). Also: Strange happenings at Studio ZA/UM, Remedy details Control 2 publishing deal, the EU gets prickly about Microsoft’s proposed Activision acquisition, and more.
With Microsoft and Sony falling short on subscriptions, is our future still an all-you-can-eat buffet? Also: Earnings for Microsoft, Sony, Capcom, Paradox, Remedy, and Sega; Embracer shutters recently acquired and rebranded Studio Onoma, and Marvel Snaps up huge mobile revenue.
After two years, it seems like new-generation console supply is starting to meet demand. We discuss in our coverage of the September NPD report. Also: the latest Activision Blizzard shenanigans (including two big Ls for the publisher), more on the Bayonetta 3 story, and more.
Bayonetta voice actor Helenna Taylor shared troubling details of her treatment during negotiations. We discuss voice acting rates and what the $4,000 offer means for SAG-AFTRA union members. Also: Microsoft and Sony continue their war in the UK over the Activision acquisition, more troubling layoffs for games media, and Meta acquires a trio of studios while announcing absurd pricing for its next headset.
E3 lives, Stadia dies, and Twitch continues to make bad moves that alienate its community. Also: Saudi Arabia and Tencent look to step up investments, and a beefy labor report.
Ubisoft leadership has all but given up on fixing the company’s culture as Tencent increases its ownership stake. Also: NPD for August 2022, GameStop bleeds, Square Enix reconsiders how it approaches studio ownership, 343 loses its leader, and Microsoft and Sony continue to butt heads in the UK over Activision acquisition.
A drama-filled Friday saw the huge news of a major acquisition… followed by a debunking and walkback that we’ll be talking about for some time. Also: Sony jacks the price of PS5, Chinese giants make investments in Quantic Dream and FromSoftware, and a discussion on how M&A is impacting smaller publishers.
Embracer Group’s latest spending spree nets them one of the world’s most recognizable IPs (and much more). Also: Unity slumps amid hostile takeover, Take-Two posts losses on Zynga acquisition, Nintendo is in the hot seat again, Activision commits to the union-busting bit, and NPD for July 2022 as spending continues its slide back to pre-pandemic levels.
Call of Duty is in a slump, and Activision is waiting out the clock until the acquisition having reportedly canceled a long in-development mobile World of Warcraft game. Also: Earnings, GameStop’s terrible NFT marketplace, Square Enix’s bananas comments about its former Western teams, and more.
Minecraft is taking a hard line against those who would abuse the game with crypto and blockchain schemes. Also: Earnings season begins with Capcom, Microsoft, and Sony, ABK workers walkout again, Rockstar on the mend, and Meta jacks the price of the Quest 2 by $100.