UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious

Laine and Joost close their inaugural season with tall tales from the first podcast semester and share expectations for the year ahead. Unionization, acquisition, virtual reality, crypto, esports, and other key topics pass in revue.

Laine and Joost discuss the FTC suing to block Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard, and why the deal will go through as planned. They question why the games industry needs an awards show, explore how Niantic is looking to reinvent itself post-Pokémon GO, and discuss the broader role of game engines in the industry. 

Joost picks through the wreckage of the FTX collapse and discusses its impact on gaming. Laine explains what Sony is up to in China.  And how much insider dirt does Joost really have on the Microsoft-Activision merger? UNBOXING IS BACK with this Thanksgiving episode.

A Covid scarce forces Laine and Joost to record remotely for the first time, but the party doesn't stop. Mixed earnings from Sony, Microsoft, and Electronic Arts suggest worse is yet to come. China suffers the first decline of its video games market in 20 years. And our two favorite games professors discuss what tech is hot or not according to their students.

Laine and Joost go head-to-head on games journalism, how it struggles to be both critical of new technologies like VR and Blockchain, and yet tries generate demand, adoption, and clicks. Listen to Laine break down and try their hardest to not regret starting a podcast with Joost, hear them go off-script, and rejoice when our two hosts ultimately find common ground in humanism. A rollercoaster.

Netflix aims for the sky and opens yet another studio. Laine questions if the video streamer is up to the task. Sony talks out of both sides of its mouth, hoping to hide its exclusives and undermine Microsoft's acquisition review. Twitch streamer Amouranth opens up about domestic abuse in plain view, leaving the platform speechless. And several large Chinese firms are investing in virtual influencers. Plus Laine and Joost also share their latest classroom insights.

Meta announces its new, much more expensive VR headset. Is Marc out of touch with reality? Also, Laine and Joost run the numbers on Twitch going dutch with live-streamers. And worlds collide when Megan Thee Stallion backs it up on Master Chief.

Apple and Epic Games both allow the sale of NFTs on their platform. Does that mean crypto gaming is on its way back to haunt developers? Guest star legal expert Tim Hwang explains why Take-Two lost a lawsuit around tattoos. And we answer a listener's question on the balance between inflation, Covid, and a new hardware cycle.

Google discontinuing its cloud gaming service Stadia is disappointing but was entirely predictable. Laine and Joost discuss what it means for the future of the celestial arcade. Razer and Logitech decide the world needs more handhelds but do we though. And Netflix Games is starting a studio in Helsinki.

GTA6 springs a leak, Twitch slows its (dice) roll on gambling streams, and the hosts weigh in on online games being used for extremist recruitment. Plus: a little love for Trombone Champ.