Triple-A game development is unsustainable. No matter whether your game succeeds or fails, the corporate machine is grinding developers up and spitting them out by the thousands. Things need to change.
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.
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…
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board wants to use facial scanning to keep your kids from playing GTA and other adult-focused games. Also, it’s earnings season, with Microsoft, Capcom, Sega, and EA kicking us off. We also cover two more instances of the dreaded “payoffs for layoffs,” and a heap of listener questions!
One day we’ll be free of the Microsoft/Activision deal, but that day is NOT today. Also: Nintendo, EA, Starbreeze, Square Enix, Capcom, and Take-Two Earnings, acquisitions, the Circana US Video Game Spending report for April…
It’s been a bloody couple of weeks for service-based games, and we suspect the murderer is still on the loose. Also: IT’S EARNINGS SEASON, BAYBEEE! We’ve got a meaty plate of all your favorite cold cuts: EA, Capcom, Sony, Nintendo, Square Enix, Take-Two, Capcom, Sega, Embracer Group, Starbreeze, and more.
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.
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.
There was a lot to learn from the 2022 Keigh3 / Not-E3 / Game Mess showcases, and we’ve got beefy trend analysis for you! Also: NPD for May 2022, Microsoft takes more union-positive steps, EA and Ubisoft slash executive compensation, Activision shareholders do lots wrong (but one thing right), and a double FAFO!
No really. They’ve sold 165 million copies. Do you really need more? It’s a busy earnings show, but we coast through it smooth as Strauss Zelnick’s haircut. On this episode: Zynga, Nintendo, Sony, EA, Roblox,…