Episode 178: EA Sports College Football Saves the Month (News Show)

Virtual Economy

We had a hunch that EA Sports College Football was going to be big, and it seems to have single-handedly swung the U.S. video game spending report in a positive direction. Also: Lots of earnings, PS5 price hikes, some acquisitions, and more.

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TIME STAMPS

• [00:01:46] - Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for July 2024
• [00:09:36] - Square Enix Q1 FY25 Earnings
• [00:16:53] - Nintendo Q1 FY25 Earnings
• [00:26:38] - Sony Q1 FY25 Earnings
• [00:36:43] - Remedy Q2 FY24 Earnings
• [00:44:59] - Sega Q1 FY25 Earnings
• [00:49:19] - Take-Two Q1 FY25 Earnings
• [00:57:16] - Embracer Group Q1 FY25 Earnings
• [01:02:14] - WB Eyes Games Division Sell-Off
• [01:11:39] - Investment Interlude
• [01:19:06] - Quick Hits
• [01:25:32] - Labor Report

SOURCES

• Square Enix Financial Results Briefing Session | Square Enix
• Nintendo Consolidated Results for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2024 | Nintendo
• Sony FY2024 Q1 Earnings Announcement | Sony
• Remedy Entertainment Plc: Half year financial report | Remedy
• Sega Q1 for the Fiscal Year Ending March 2025 Results Presentation | Sega Sammy
• Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Results for Fiscal First Quarter 2025 | Take-Two
• Embracer Group publishes Interim Report Q1 | Embracer Group
• Report: WB Discovery looking to sell off games, other divisions to prevent total breakup | Game Developer
• Mobile dev Shipyard Games shuts down | Game Developer
• Meta shuts down Quest developer Ready at Dawn | Game Developer
• VR studio Archiact is closing down | GamesIndustry
• 5BY5 Interactive has Closed | Ty Buser on LinkedIn
• Ubisoft cuts 45 jobs across Cary and San Francisco teams | Game Developer
• Visual Concepts lays off staff at Lego 2K Drive South studio | Game Developer
• Payload Studios lays off 25% of staff | GamesIndustry

INVESTMENT INTERLUDE

• KRAFTON Strengthens Global Presence Through Strategic Integration of Tango Gameworks and Hi-Fi RUSH IP | Krafton
• Virtuos expands into the UK with acquisition of Third Kind Games | Virtuous
• North Beach Games Opens Prague Studio; Announces Stranded Deep 2 | North Beach Games
• Publisher Headup Spins off Developer Goon Squad into Fully Independent Studio | Games Press
• Reforged Studios does a double acquisition, buys Ground Shatter and Extra Mile | Game Developer