Layoffs, Live Services, and the Emotional Cost of Gaming S7E10

This episode explores a pivotal moment across the gaming landscape, starting with massive layoffs at Epic Games as the company responds to declining engagement in Fortnite and broader industry headwinds. On the content side, Microsoft showcases a strong pipeline during its latest Xbox Partner Preview, reinforcing the growing importance of Game Pass and third-party partnerships. Meanwhile, new data around Marathon paints a mixed picture of modern live-service success—solid engagement, but potentially below expectations for a major AAA launch. Finally, we dive into the psychology of gaming itself, breaking down new research on “post-game depression,” a phenomenon highlighting the deep emotional impact of immersive experiences, especially in RPGs. Together, these stories reveal an industry balancing financial pressure, player engagement, and the evolving emotional connection between games and their audiences.0:00 Update0:54 Intro10:50 Today’s layoffs - Epic Games https://tinyurl.com/4af37363 22:43 'Post-Game Depression' Is Real https://tinyurl.com/4rphy75f 40:21 Xbox Partner Preview: March 2026 https://tinyurl.com/53we2c8f 1:05:34 New ‘Marathon’ Sales And Player Count Reportshttps://tinyurl.com/4htphbjs 1:16:30 OutroLEABE A LIKE and a comment, thanks for watching/listening!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------PODCAST                ►► https://anchor.fm/m2podcastAMAZON Music         ► https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/091902c3-b83b-487c-8fe7-4c96787434fe/M2-PodcastAPPLE                          ► https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1531832410BREAKER                     ► https://www.breaker.audio/m2-podcast-2CASTRO                       ► https://castro.fm/podcast/6f69d373-d879-46d9-9f1c-bcf7c4bf1741GOOGLE                       ► https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zNTYwNWZiMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==OVERCAST                   ► https://overcast.fm/itunes1531832410/m2-podcastPOCKETCASTS           ► https://pca.st/5jghvf6eRADIOPUBLIC             ► https://radiopublic.com/m2-podcast-GMZkY4SPOTIFY                      ► https://open.spotify.com/show/2VedhO03IRoHERJqF6Sy87STICHER                      ► https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/m2-podcastTUNEIN                        ► http://tun.in/pj3ZI#podcast JOIN THE DISCORD!  ►► https://discord.gg/Kp5Gre6KyleHeath Socials:TIKTOK           ►► https://www.tiktok.com/@mrjkheathTWITCH          ►► https://www.twitch.tv/kyleheathTWITTER        ►► https://twitter.com/mrjkheathYOUTUBE       ►► https://www.youtube.com/MrJkheathMadMikeWillEatU Socials:TIKTOK           ►► https://www.tiktok.com/@madmikewilleatuTWITCH          ►► https://www.twitch.tv/madmikewilleatu/aboutTWITTER        ►► https://twitter.com/madmikewilleatuYOUTUBE       ►► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1MoIvzyMDvH_5Ta