UNBOXING: Play & Profit for the Gaming Curious.

Joost offers insight into Sony and Microsoft's cheeky 10-year deal over the Call of Duty franchise. We review the devaluation of the Overwatch League since 2018. And as a special treat, Laine and Phil Salvador of the Video Game History Foundation discuss the preservation of classic video games and the risk of extinction according to a recent report. 

We review the longer-term implications of Microsoft winning its case against the FTC and how will it impact the structural makeup of the games industry. And Google changes its policy and now allows for digital currencies on its mobile stores. Does that mean crypto is back?

We're back with season 3. Laine puts the 272 pages of confidential Sega documents in their proper historical context. Joost explains what the layoffs at Pokémon Go maker Niantic mean for the next iteration of augmented reality. We also briefly discuss the ABK/MSFT courtroom drama and mourn the erosion of social media.

Laine and Joost stay on the hype train with Zelda's new drop even if it is taking over their lives. We discuss Wall Street's new favorite trillion dollar tech firm, NVIDIA, and how well it fares with tech cycles. And finally, we speculate on who ditched Embracer, costing it $2 billion, right before earnings.

What happens now that the EU approved the Activision deal. The new Zelda game is out and woo boy. And Laine and Joost dissect GQ’s list of the greatest video games ever.

Joost and Laine discuss if Microsoft's takeover bid of Activision is dead after the CMA decided to block the deal. SEGA embraces a worker's union, but what is the impact on the industry?

Sega offers to acquire Angry Birds maker Rovio for $776 million. Laine and Joost dissect demographic data on Hogwarts Legacy players. And, why does everyone seem surprised the Mario movie made $700 million at the box office?

Joost is back from the road and shares his impressions from SXSW and GDC. Our first audience call-in question has Laine filleting the nuances around the TLoU's adaptation. And we discuss the Saudi Arabian road to video game world domination.

Laine is slowly emerging from old men media YouTube to secure themselves long-term academic stability. Joost explains how Sony is moving away from trying to invent another walkman and becoming a media firm. And we have our final say on the Hogwarts legacy. This week closes with a double load of pwns and owns.

We reach the end of this earnings season with Roblox, AppLovin, and NEXON. Laine and Joost take a closer look at how live services games are managing with a tougher economy. And they take a fine tooth comb to GDC's recently released report on the state of the gaming industry.

Take-Two Interactive and Activision Blizzard reported earnings, but doing well and acting right aren't the same thing. Anti-trust regulators in Europe and the UK released their latest objections to Microsoft's acquisition plans. And Laine and Joost navigate the controversy around the latest Harry Potter video game release.

Our second season starts with a review of earnings for Electronic Arts, Sony, and Hasbro. Laine and Joost delve into Playtika's $800 million offer to acquire Rovio, the maker of Angry Birds , and question whether artificial intelligence threatens their careers or if it's just a mediocre assistant. The episode concludes with an impression of HBO's The Last of Us and a reaction to the news of games...

Laine and Joost close their inaugural season with tall tales from the first podcast semester and share expectations for the year ahead. Unionization, acquisition, virtual reality, crypto, esports, and other key topics pass in revue.

Laine and Joost discuss the FTC suing to block Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard, and why the deal will go through as planned . They question why the games industry needs an awards show, explore how Niantic is looking to reinvent itself post-Pokémon GO, and discuss the broader role of game engines in the industry. 

Joost picks through the wreckage of the FTX collapse and discusses its impact on gaming. Laine explains what Sony is up to in China.  And how much insider dirt does Joost really have on the Microsoft-Activision merger? UNBOXING IS BACK with this Thanksgiving episode.

A Covid scarce forces Laine and Joost to record remotely for the first time, but the party doesn't stop. Mixed earnings from Sony, Microsoft, and Electronic Arts suggest worse is yet to come. China suffers the first decline of its video games market in 20 years. And our two favorite games professors discuss what tech is hot or not according to their students.

Laine and Joost go head-to-head on games journalism, how it struggles to be both critical of new technologies like VR and Blockchain, and yet tries generate demand, adoption, and clicks. Listen to Laine break down and try their hardest to not regret starting a podcast with Joost, hear them go off-script, and rejoice when our two hosts ultimately find common ground in humanism. A rollercoaster.

Netflix aims for the sky and opens yet another studio. Laine questions if the video streamer is up to the task. Sony talks out of both sides of its mouth, hoping to hide its exclusives and undermine Microsoft's acquisition review. Twitch streamer Amouranth opens up about domestic abuse in plain view, leaving the platform speechless. And several large Chinese firms are investing in virtual influenc...

Meta announces its new, much more expensive VR headset. Is Marc out of touch with reality? Also, Laine and Joost run the numbers on Twitch going dutch with live-streamers. And worlds collide when Megan Thee Stallion backs it up on Master Chief.

Apple and Epic Games both allow the sale of NFTs on their platform. Does that mean crypto gaming is on its way back to haunt developers? Guest star legal expert Tim Hwang explains why Take-Two lost a lawsuit around tattoos. And we answer a listener's question on the balance between inflation, Covid, and a new hardware cycle.

Google discontinuing its cloud gaming service Stadia is disappointing but was entirely predictable. Laine and Joost discuss what it means for the future of the celestial arcade. Razer and Logitech decide the world needs more handhelds but do we though. And Netflix Games is starting a studio in Helsinki.

GTA6 springs a leak, Twitch slows its (dice) roll on gambling streams, and the hosts weigh in on online games being used for extremist recruitment. Plus: a little love for Trombone Champ.

Nintendo and Sony announce their big deal title line-up, we explore the justification of a $70 price tag for premium games, and why the world needs more farm simulators. Wonky editing courtesy of Joost traveling.

Tencent's purchase of yet another piece of Ubisoft opens a deep dive into the origins of the games industry. Laine shares data on the devices that students own, and we discuss the changing demographic makeup of people interested in the field.

Laine and Joost introduce the UNBOXING podcast, discuss the start of the fall semester, the perils of teaching video games, and respond to the news from the UK where lawmakers are threatening to block the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard.