Virtual Economy

We’ve been head-down doing developer things (more on that very soon)! That makes this quite the episode. Earnings! Circana! EA is now privately held! Microsoft is biffing it! Roblox is screwed! And much, much, much...

Joining us on this episode is friend of the show Mat Piscatella, Executive Director and Video Game Industry Advisor at Circana. Our discussion includes the state of the industry, the component crisis and hardware costs,...

Since 2022, the industry has slid into chaos and disarray, with developers and players abandoned by platform holders and publishers. Now, we’ve reached a tipping point, and only we can rescue ourselves. We’ll discuss Microsoft’s...

Between GameStop and Ryan Cohen’s clownery and new Xbox leadership’s 100-day death march, it’s another grim moment for the game industry. Former OpenAI head (now Xbox CEO) Asha Sharma laments the hardware crisis caused by…...

Ryan Cohen was only offered store credit as trade-in value for his time as GameStop CEO, so he’s trying to buy eBay in one of the most foolish business moves we’ve ever seen. Also: Circana...

With Epic laying off 1,000 people, the game industry job market has gone from “extremely chilly” to “nearing absolute zero.” Also: a recap of GDC’s challenged year, Circana Report on U.S spending for February 2026,...

This was supposed to be a show just about earnings. All we wanted to do was cover the earnings… but Sony closed Bluepoint, Nintendo is releasing $20 Pokemon ROMs, and Microsoft appears to have ousted...

Ubisoft employees are prepared to strike over a recent return-to-office mandate and extreme cost-cutting. Also: Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for December 2025 and full year 2025, That’s No Moon at odds with...

2026 is putting us through our paces right out of the gate (leading us to some unfortunate episode title symmetry with last year’s season finale). We’re hanging onto hope, but layoffs, consolidation, and private equity...

2025 has continued the trend of layoffs, consolidation, and privatization. The gulf between AAA and everyone else is widening, as the AI bubble strains before an inevitable burst. With November’s Circana report coming in bleak...

Warner Bros. is selling itself like a $1.50 hot dog at Costco, and everyone wants a bite. Before the weekend, Netflix looked like it had a clear path to regulatory review. But now, New Paramount...

We’re joined by two special guests on this milestone episode. Please welcome Andy Pan (the only person who has previously co-hosted a show with us) and Greg Alderton, Virtual Economy’s lead moderator! With 14,000 people...

We’re joined by two special guests on this milestone episode. Please welcome Andy Pan (the only person who has previously co-hosted a show with us) and Greg Alderton, Virtual Economy’s lead moderator! With 14,000 people...

With prices skyrocketing this generation, Microsoft has increased costs on Game Pass’ top tier while cutting offerings on others. We discuss the broader implications as price-sensitive players get boxed out. Also: Unity security alert sends...

EA is going private in a $55 Billion deal. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake will own the company after the deal closes in Q1 FY27. We discuss what...