Episode 185: Survive Through ‘25 (News Show)

Virtual Economy

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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TIME STAMPS

• [00:05:17] - Reflecting on PAX Unplugged 2024
• [00:27:44] - Our Time at the TGAs
• [00:32:54] - Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for November 2024
• [00:39:23] - Gamestop Q3 FY24 Earnings
• [00:41:30] - Investment Interlude
• [00:47:21] - Quick Hits
• [00:55:50] - Labor Report

SOURCES

• GameStop Discloses Third Quarter 2024 Results | GameStop

INVESTMENT INTERLUDE

• KADOKAWA and Sony Agree to Form Strategic Capital and Business Alliance | Sony
• Cooldown Games Formed by WB, Gearbox, and id Software Veterans | Cooldown Games on LinkedIn
• Reforged Studios acquires Yellow Lab Games | GamesIndustry
• LoopMe Acquires Chartboost from Zynga, Accelerating its Mission to Power Brand Advertising Across the Digital Ecosystem | Business Wire
• Build a Rocket Boy acquires PlayFusion | VGC
• Dark Passenger Receives $3M Investment from The Games Fund | Ilia Eremeev on LinkedIn

LABOR REPORT

• In what will surely come as no surprise at all, the end of Suicide Squad means layoffs at Warner Bros. | PC Gamer
• People Can Fly hit with another round of layoffs | GamesIndustry
• Glow Up Games is shutting down | Mitu Khandaker on LinkedIn
• Layoffs at Deck Nine Games | Deck Nine Games on Twitter
• Hothead Games is Shutting Down After 18 Years | Hothead Games on LinkedIn
• ZeniMax Online Studios workers form their own union | Engadget