Legal Dimensions of the Gaming Industry

In this episode of the Law Practice Today podcast features Chrissie Scelsi discussing how law applies to video games. Scelsi shares her background as an in-house attorney, co-editor and contributor to ABA publications on game development and intellectual property, former U.S. general counsel at Wargaming (World of Tanks), and her work at Universal Orlando on licensing and adapting The Last of Us into a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house. The conversation highlights the wide range of legal issues in gaming beyond IP—international operations, HR and office matters, esports contracts and rulebooks, data privacy, banking and anti-money laundering concerns, marketing and trend-based advertising, and uncertainty over laws aimed at online child safety and social media features. They also discuss ESRB ratings’ impact on content and advertising, right of publicity, and college football/NIL developments, and advice for young lawyers on networking and writing to break into the field.00:00 ESRB And Ratings00:22 Podcast Intro And Disclaimer01:01 Meet Chrissie Scelsi01:40 Her Path Into Game Law02:53 Universal And Horror Nights04:12 Beyond IP Global And Ops07:00 Marketing Trends And Risk08:20 New Regulations And Uncertainty09:11 Live Service Bills And Layoffs11:23 Breaking In Networking Writing15:30 Esports And Litigation War Stories17:44 Concerts In Games And Content Choices21:06 Right Of Publicity And NIL22:39 Books Resources And Wrap Up23:52 Closing Credits