Episode 144: Weird Corporate Shenanigans (News Show)

Virtual Economy

We’re SO close to the end of earnings season. This week: Square Enix, Nintendo, Take-Two, Unity (and a discussion about that brutal Bloomberg expose about CEO John Riccitiello). Also: Strange happenings at Studio ZA/UM, Remedy details Control 2 publishing deal, the EU gets prickly about Microsoft’s proposed Activision acquisition, and more.

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TIME STAMPS

• [00:02:03] - Square Enix Earnings
• [00:11:00] - Nintendo Earnings
• [00:18:41] - Take-Two Earnings
• [00:26:22] - Unity Earnings and Discussion about Bloomberg Riccitiello Expose
• [00:38:20] - Investment Interlude
• [00:44:03] - Quick Hits
• [00:46:56] - Labor Report (Activision, Kabam, Studio ZA/UM, iD Software)
• [01:18:38] - Listener Question

SOURCES

• Consolidated Financial Results for the Six-Month Period Ended September 30, 2022 | Square Enix
• Consolidated Results for the Six Months Ended September 30, 2021 and 2022 | Nintendo
• Notice of Establishment of Joint Venture Company with DeNA Co., Ltd. and added as a Specified Subsidiary | Nintendo
• Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Results for Fiscal Second Quarter 2023 | Take-Two
• Unity Announces Third Quarter 2022 Financial Results | Unity
• Unity and ironSource merge to simplify launching and growing great mobile games
• One of Gaming’s Most Hated Execs Is Jumping Into the Metaverse | Bloomberg (Paywall)
• Activision Blizzard files motion to impound Albany union vote ballots | Games Industry
• Composer Sarah Schachner Exits ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II’ Soundtrack Citing ‘Challenging Working Dynamic’ With Audio Director | Variety
• November 2nd, 2022 Bargaining Session Update | Game Workers Alliance
• TO FANS OF DISCO ELYSIUM, CONCERNING THE SITUATION AT ZA/UM | Robert Kurvitz and Aleksander Rostov on Medium
• Gaming company Kabam lays off 7% of its workforce to better align with goals | TechCrunch
• Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM confirms former employees were fired for misconduct | Games Industry

INVESTMENT INTERLUDE

• Mergers: Commission opens in-depth investigation into the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft | European Commission
• KRAFTON, INC. REPORTS Q3 2022 REVENUE OF 433.8 BILLION KRW ($320.4 MILLION) | Krafton
• Remedy Entertainment signs a co-development and co-publishing agreement with 505 Games for Control 2 | Remedy