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,…