Shows / UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Joost crunches data. Laine rummages in archives. Together on UNBOXING, these two NYU professors unlock the secrets of the games business they share with their students and cover the games news for insiders and newbies alike. A weekly podcast for anyone curious about why games matter in today's economy, dropping every Friday. Logo by Moira Zhang, theeverdrift.cargo.site
Episodes
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
The Sega data dump explained. Niantic layoffs are a mixed reality. And a preview of the coming summer semester
We're back with season 3. Laine puts the 272 pages of confidential Sega documents in their proper historical context. Joost explains what the layoffs at…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Apple's new headset, NVIDIA's trillion dollar kingdom, Zelda but while high, and Embracer got shoved but by whom
Laine and Joost stay on the hype train with Zelda's new drop even if it is taking over their lives. We discuss Wall Street's new favorite trillion dollar tech…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Europe hearts the Activision deal, Tears of the Kingdom, and the worst list of the best video games ever
What happens now that the EU approved the Activision deal. The new Zelda game is out and woo boy. And Laine and Joost dissect GQ’s list of the greatest video…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
UK watchdog blocks Microsoft's plans, and SEGA finds out about unions
Joost and Laine discuss if Microsoft's takeover bid of Activision is dead after the CMA decided to block the deal. SEGA embraces a worker's union, but what is…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Sega buys Rovio, Mario fetches $700M at box office, and demographic deep dive.
Sega offers to acquire Angry Birds maker Rovio for $776 million. Laine and Joost dissect demographic data on Hogwarts Legacy players. And, why does everyone…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Recap of SXSW and GDC 2023, the Saudis buy Scopely, and what's next for The Last of Us
Joost is back from the road and shares his impressions from SXSW and GDC. Our first audience call-in question has Laine filleting the nuances around the TLoU's…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Sony's new media empire, GamePass expansionism, and the true Hogwarts legacy
Laine is slowly emerging from old men media YouTube to secure themselves long-term academic stability. Joost explains how Sony is moving away from trying to…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Roblox's earnings, live service games versus the economy, and GDC's misstatement of the industry
We reach the end of this earnings season with Roblox, AppLovin, and NEXON. Laine and Joost take a closer look at how live services games are managing with a…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
The issue with Harry, Take-Two's "big miss", and recent moves in anti-trust
Take-Two Interactive and Activision Blizzard reported earnings, but doing well and acting right aren't the same thing. Anti-trust regulators in Europe and the…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Playtika's bid for Rovio, The Last of Us breaks HBO, and the impact of generative AI
Our second season starts with a review of earnings for Electronic Arts, Sony, and Hasbro. Laine and Joost delve into Playtika's $800 million offer to acquire…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Unboxing Wrapped. Highlights and predictions for 2023.
Laine and Joost close their inaugural season with tall tales from the first podcast semester and share expectations for the year ahead. Unionization…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
FTC vs Microsoft explained, top picks at the VGAs, and the role of game engines
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…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
The FTX effect on gaming, Sony's plans in China, and the latest on the Activision Blizzard deal
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…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
China's games market decline, Sony's earnings, and what's on students' minds
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…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
The Big Games Journalism Debate Gone Wild episode
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…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Netflix's cloud plans, the Sony hypocrisy, Amouranth, and virtual idols
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…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Meta's Alternate Reality, Twitch's Bigger Cut, and Lizzo Plays the Ocarina of Time
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…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Crypto gaming creeps back, Take-Two vs tattoos, and how to measure Covid's impact
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…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Google retires Stadia, Razer and Logitech launch handhelds, and Netflix heads to Finland
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…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Twitch gambles, loses. Rockstar leaks. And video game extremism.
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…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Video game price hikes, inflation, and farming
Nintendo and Sony announce their big deal title line-up, we explore the justification of a $70 price tag for premium games, and why the world needs more farm…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Industry origins, Tencent buys more Ubi, and the cycle of life
Tencent's purchase of yet another piece of Ubisoft opens a deep dive into the origins of the games industry. Laine shares data on the devices that students…
- UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious
Back to school
Laine and Joost introduce the UNBOXING podcast, discuss the start of the fall semester, the perils of teaching video games, and respond to the news from the UK…