Why Is Gaming Spend Not Up More? / M&A and Funding Trends / Earnings Season Begins

In this week's Roundtable, the squad delves into the fresh UK sales numbers, highlighting top hits like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Spider-Man 2. Then we discuss why YTD video game spend in the US is actually down compared to last year (when accounting for inflation) despite it being a notable year of great hits. We pair that discussion with insights from the latest Drake Star and Konvoy Q3 reports, which cover funding and M&A data, and discuss why we're hesitant to project a strong rebound heading into 2024. Next, we hit on Microsoft's major leadership reorg and discuss how emerging technologies (like AI) and new business models (like subscription) could further affect broader industry-wide reorgs in the future. Lastly, as earnings season kicks off, we dive into the latest numbers from Xbox and Ubisoft, and Aaron offers keen analysis about the unspoken and less obvious narratives hidden between the lines. Join us for all the latest games business news with Aaron Bush, Sebastian Park, Tammy Levy and host Devin Becker.

We’d also like to thank Coda Payments for making this episode possible! Coda helps developers collect some of their revenues outside the app stores, keeping more of the income they generate for themselves. To learn more, head to https://www.codapayments.com/naavik?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=webpage&utm_campaign=naavik

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.