Episode 584: More #MeToo

Depressingly, sexual harassment in a development studio is once again the lead news item this week, and from a studio most gamers would never think it could happen. That, and major seismic shifting in the power structure of the digital storefront landscape.

The news includes:

  • Multiple employees resign over Skullgirls studio head’s behavior
  • Microsoft sides with Epic in legal battle with Apple
  • Another intimidating obelisk has been found in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Let us know what you think.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Post

Episode 708: Hello 2024Episode 708: Hello 2024

The first episode of 2024 is a short one, though the guys discuss the original Mickey Mouse hitting the public domain, Square Enix declaring it will be “aggressive in applying AI”, CD Projekt RED staying independent, and Valve ending all support for CSGO in favor of Counter-Strike 2.

The news includes:

  • Activision Blizzard workers speak out after Bobby Kotick’s CEO exit
  • Star Wars Outlaws releasing “late” 2024
  • Studio behind PlayStation Firewall games shuts down due to “lack of support” for VR within industry

Let us know how your 2023 went.

Episode 463: Not an April Fool’s EpisodeEpisode 463: Not an April Fool’s Episode

This week’s episode has nothing to do with April Fool’s Day, since that was a week ago. There’s nothing surprising about the crew this time around, though Jonah does finally give his final (?) thoughts on Mass Effect: Andromeda, and Zelda keeps getting heavy praise. The Persona 5 news item alone spurred a ton of debate.

This week’s episode includes the following news:

  • Twitch and YouTube streamers slam Persona 5‘s video policy
  • Total War: Warhammer 2 announced with a new trailer
  • Valve only wants to sell you good games
  • Nintendo might have accidentally revealed that Pokemon is coming to the Switch

Let us know what you think of the heated discussions in the episode.

Activision and Blizzard LayoffsActivision and Blizzard Layoffs

If you’ve ever been through an acquisition or merger you’d have expected this news to come, but for those new to the concept it’s simple: you can’t keep everyone. After a complete merger you end up with two sales departments, two IT departments, etc.

Do you really need them all? No, not really. You’ll need to keep some on board in order to “brain dump” your job onto others and hopefully stick around for the long hall. Some employees will probably be shuffled to other job responsibilities while some get packages and a thank you card.

These are some of the growing pains when working towards a successful merger, so don’t be surprised or start spreading rumors when a few people are let go. As someone who’s gone through it in two big mergers I can say that certain departments already know their fate ahead of time. Many IT and sales folk start looking for new jobs the minute the merger is announced.