UNBOXING: Play & Profit for the Gaming Curious.

This week on UNBOXING, Laine and Joost dig into two big questions facing the games industry: what happens when regulators start treating games as a space that needs protection for children, and what happens when the industry itself keeps getting bigger and more concentrated? First, they unpack the EU’s proposed Kids Act, which would introduce new rules around how online games engage with minors. T...

This week on UNBOXING , Laine and Joost dig into Roblox’s new “Roblox Everywhere” initiative, which could let creators turn Roblox-built games into standalone apps across mobile, PC, and console. They unpack what the move could mean for Roblox as a platform, engine, and distribution network - and ask what happens when thousands of new Roblox games flood already-overloaded app stores. They also exp...

This week on UNBOXING, Laine and Joost open up their annual student gaming surveys to find out what today’s college students actually play, watch, own, and care about. Across nearly 80 students, they compare notes on everything from the surprising dominance of the Nintendo Switch to the near-disappearance of VR and blockchain games. They dig into why YouTube is overtaking Twitch for livestreams, h...

This week on UNBOXING, Laine and Joost are back from their summer hiatus to unpack the biggest stories they missed while they were away. First, they compare notes on their summer adventures, from Gamescom and WNBA road trips to line dancing and getting some much-needed time off. Then, the duo dives into a packed summer news cycle, including Gamescom’s growing dominance as the global games industry...

Sega takes a massive Rovio write-down as the mobile gaming gold rush cools off. PLUS: eBay rejects GameStop’s takeover bid as “neither credible nor attractive.”  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

GameStop’s CEO wants to buy eBay and we have thoughts... PLUS: Unity’s recent AI pivot and what that means for the future of games.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

End-of-semester teaching wins, losses, and lessons learned. AI in the classroom—tool, crutch, or existential threat? PLUS: Tune in for strategies to beat the AI homework machine.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

Xbox cuts Game Pass prices—strategy shift or quiet retreat? PLUS: The cloud gaming dream fades as subscriptions hit their limits.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

Disney x Epic’s newest (and possibly dumbest) venture yet, then find out if today’s industry is “crashier” than it was in the 80s. PLUS: Capitalism enters a new phase of stupid and we hate it!  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates an...

PlayStation price hike. PLUS: Subscriptions rise as game sales fall.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

Layoffs of Epic (Games) proportions. PLUS: India’s rise & global power shifts in gaming?  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

This week on UNBOXING , Laine and Joost spill all from their week at GDC 2026.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

New York takes on Valve over loot boxes. The WoW × Zillow collab no one asked for... PLUS: Our guide to surviving GDC this year!  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

What if we told you that Xbox’s CEO reshuffle wasn't just a swap… 🤯 Tune in to this week's episode for the more of our hottest take yet.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

Discord has entered its verification era... Face scans. IPO plans. Enshittification? Laine and Joost break it down.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

Google's Project Genie: What it actually does vs. what it promises.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

 Joost talks games and AI with pod friend Julian Togelius.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

Netflix’s $80B bid for Warner Bros. PLUS: an indie sweep at The Game Awards?! Tune in!  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts:  ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

UNBOXING's end-of-semester wrap: finals, feedback & feels. PLUS: Pwns, owns & holiday vibes!  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts: ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

GTA VI delayed (yet again) & union-busting allegations at Rockstar? PLUS: Our thoughts on the Game Awards preview.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts - ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

Steam Machine crashes the console party. Ubisoft delays earnings & halts trading (!?) PLUS: Laine's thoughts on Sky Sports’ “Halo” disaster. Tune in!  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts - ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

GDC gets a rebrand! PLUS: Laine’s inside look at GDC’s State of the Industry report.  --  Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts - ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ For the true fans, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly email updates and more!

The EU’s Digital (Un)Fairness Act? PLUS: Pod Friends returns with Mitu Khandaker, the Associate Director of NYU Tandon’s new Game Design Future Lab, who will share her view on the future of games in NYC! For more on the Game Design Future Labs, check these links out: Website Instagram LinkedIn -- Never miss an update and listen to your favorite UNBOXING episodes wherever you get your podcasts - Yo...

The ESA’s 2025 Global Games Report drops, and Laine + Joost have some thoughts.

EA acquired in a $55B Saudi-backed buyout––what this means both for the gay couple in The Sims and for our geopolitical landscape. PLUS: Xbox’s $1K handheld + what’s new at the Video Game History Foundation.