Episode 187: When A Publisher Won’t Use the Word ‘Layoff’ (News Show)

Feb 4, 2025

There are few things worse than yet another company laying people off… and EA has committed the sin of obfuscating job losses. Also: Earnings season is underway, the Circana report for December 2024 and the full year, a recap of the GDC State of the Industry report, and more.

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TIME STAMPS

• [00:00:49] - EA Takes a Tumble
• [00:12:58] - Microsoft Q2 FY25 Earnings
• [00:19:38] - Capcom Q3 FY25 Earnings
• [00:25:39] - Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for December 2024 and Full Year 2024
• [00:35:25] - Learnings from the GDC State of the Industry Report
• [01:05:38] - Investment Interlude
• [01:14:06] - Quick Hits
• [01:25:21] - Labor Report
• [01:38:15] - Listener Questions
• [01:50:18] - FAFO

SOURCES

• Electronic Arts Pre-Announces Preliminary Q3 FY25 Results | EA
• Electronic Arts EVP Jacob Schatz sells shares worth $215,174 | MSN
• Earnings Release FY25 Q2 | Microsoft
• Consolidated financial results for the 3rd Quarter of FY2024 | Capcom
• Meta Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results | Meta
• The drone pilot who took out an LA firefighting plane pleads guilty to escape prison | The Verge

INVESTMENT INTERLUDE

• Pocketpair launches publishing business [Pocketpair Publishing] and announces first publishing partnership with SURGENT STUDIOS. | Pocketpair
• Virtuos acquires three studios to 'significantly augment' development support capabilities | Game Developer
• Board game distribution major Alliance gets $39m buyout bid as owner Diamond Comics files for bankruptcy protection | BoardGameWire
• Closing of Easybrain divestment | Embracer Group

LABOR REPORT

• BioWare Studio Update | BioWare Blog
• Reflector confirms more layoffs after Unknown 9 falls short of expectations | Game Developer
• Phoenix Labs Lays Off Most of Its Staff | Phoenix Labs on LinkedIn
• Ubisoft Layoffs and Closures | Ubisoft Leamington on LinkedIn
• Fast Travel Games Lays off 30 People | Fast Travel Games on LinkedIn
• Studio co-founded by Dr Disrespect closing after three years working on new FPS | PCGamesN