Virtual Economy

Krafton’s response to the Unknown Worlds lawsuit hinges on one key element: the interpretation of the Equity Purchase Agreement. Also, lots of earnings, Roblox is under fire from the state of Louisiana, an update on the growing censorship of Steam and Itch.io, and more.

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• [00:00:48] - Correction: Thunderful Share Pri...

INT. POSH HOTEL SUITE - DAY

TENCENT: Hey, Sony. Can we make a Horizon game?

SONY: Nah. We good.

TENCENT: Oh okay. Bummer.

SONY: WHAT THE F—-

So yeah… Sony is suing Tencent for what it calls a “slavish clone” of Horizon: Zero Dawn. Bold move! Also: EA, Microsoft, Capcom earnings, an update on the Mastercard/Visa censorship of legal game content, and more.

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In 2021, Krafton splashed huge cash on Subnautica dev Unknown Worlds. Now, the publisher may find out that buyer’s remorse isn’t a reason for violating a contract. 

Also…

Ubisoft Earnings

Circana Reports for May and June 2025

Sony takes a bite out of Bandai Namco

On this episode, we discussed a serious attack on artist freedom being perpetrated by payment processors Mastercard and Visa. This attack is motivated by an Australian Chr...

Following strong financial performance in its gaming division, Microsoft is taking a machete to its work force and its future as a serious competitor. Is this the brand’s Red Ring of Death? Also, Bungie runs from Marathon, Warner Bros. goes all-in on safe IP, and the labor report hurts even more than usual.

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With our Switch 2 in-hand, we’re ready to give you our early feelings about the console in this challenging market. Also: SO many earnings. Like… SO many.

Nintendo, Sony, EA, Take-Two, Remedy, Embracer Group, Paradox, Square Enix, Capcom, and Sega.

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• [00:05:02] - Switch 2 Impressions
• [00:41:28] - Nintendo FY25 Earni...

PAX East isn’t the show it was 10 years ago. With most AAA developers staying away, indies take center stage. Also: Circana report for April 2025, GameStop sells off its Canadian holdings, Curve Games has a new owner, the SAG-AFTRA voice performer strike enters the endgame, and much more. We’ve also got a pair of great listener questions!

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Microsoft is jacking prices on hardware, software, and peripherals. With costs going up while interest in Microsoft’s offerings declining, we have to wonder if Microsoft is applying pressure to push Game Pass. Also: Circana report on U.S. Video Game Spending for March 2025, Apple scores an own-goal and pisses off the Court, the tabletop industry is in freefall, and EA lays off another 300 to 400 people.

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The original Nintendo Switch launched at $300 USD. The Switch 2 price was absent from the huge Nintendo Direct, only to be quietly revealed at $450. As for game prices, Mario Kart World is a whopping $80. Costs are on the rise, and the latest tariffs have spiked the price of accessories. So… where do we go from here? Also… Ubisoft slices off its most profitable franchises, lots of layoffs, and a huge game publisher strike.

You can ...

Warner Bros. continues to chip away at its infrastructure and consumer confidence with the closure of three more studios. Also: Circana reports for Jan and Feb, a recap of GDC and developers’ feelings about the industry, a curious period for investments, a new union looks to cover the entire industry, and more.

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Despite mounting evidence that Games as a Service are struggling, executives continue to go back to that empty well. Also: A ton of earnings reports (Nintendo, EA, Paradox, Square Enix, Sega, Ubisoft, Remedy, Embracer Group, and Sony), the labor picture worsens, and Niantic may be exiting the gaming space.

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There are few things worse than yet another company laying people off… and EA has committed the sin of obfuscating job losses. Also: Earnings season is underway, the Circana report for December 2024 and the full year, a recap of the GDC State of the Industry report, and more.

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• [00:00:49] - EA Takes a Tumble
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The year has begun, and the industry is already off to an intense start. On this episode, we discuss the business decisions behind the Switch 2’s departure from “Weird Nintendo,” Ubisoft’s precarious position, the U.S. ruffling Tencent’s feathers, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s move to regulate premium game currency.

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34,000. That’s how many jobs have been lost in our industry since the start of 2022. We recap the year, discuss PAX Unplugged and The Game Awards, and look ahead at what to expect in 2025. We did a deep dive on tabletop card game trends and the looming tariffs for all of our fellow tabletop gaming nerds, too!

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We now know that Microsoft wasn’t kidding when they said they had no intention of pulling Call of Duty from PlayStation. Whether the Game Pass Gambit pays off or not, Black Ops 6 is selling great on Sony’s console. Also: the rest of the Circana report on U.S. Video Game Spending for October, a pair of Mass Effect alums run into funding trouble, and more.

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Another bad quarter for Embracer could have ripple effects throughout the industry. Also: Sony, Nintendo, Sega, and Square Enix earnings, legal trouble for NetEase executives, a strike at Activision Blizzard, and more.

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TIME STAMPS

• [00:01:12] - Sony Q2 FY25 Earnings
• [00:08:11] - Nintendo H1 FY25 Earnings
• [00:23:09] - Sega H1 FY...

It’s earnings season, so we’re digging into the numbers to help us understand if “Survive until ‘25” is still realistic or if things are going to remain difficult through next year. Also: Circana report on U.S. video game spending for September 2024, a few bright investment items, and a labor report that still shows bumpy roads ahead.

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A scathing report from Hindenburg Research surfaces shocking realities about Roblox’s investor relations and massive failures to protect youth on the platform. Also: Circana Report U.S. video game spending for August 2024, Google is now required to make external app stores more viable, and more. 

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This episode is sponsored by Magic ...

Ubisoft has been under fire since a failed hostile takeover attempt in 2018. Since then, a toxic culture of misogyny and harassment was revealed in 2020 leading to an exodus of talent and a string of underperforming releases. Now, a critical game delay, a board review of operations, and a looming strike in France have tanked the share price as the company is fending off an activist investor bent on forcing the company to eject the ...

The PlayStation 5 Pro defies all logic, reaching deeper into diehards’ pockets in the worst economy we’ve seen in 15 years. We break down the challenging economics (while also admiring Mark Cerny’s ASMR-style presentation). Also: GameStop earnings tumble, more Microsoft layoffs, Unity reverses a terrible decision, and can AI companies just stop stealing our stuff?

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