Episode 134: GameStop and Unity Want Those Payoffs for Layoffs (News Show)

GameStop and Unity are making ugly moves, drawing the ire of consumers and developers. Also: E3 returns as the ESA gives up on being an event organizer, a surprisingly meaty list of new investments, NPD for June 2022, another Activision studio moves to unionize, and a double FAFO! You can support Virtual Economy’s growth via our Ko-Fi and also purchase Virtual Economy merchandise! TIME STAMPS [00:01:10] - The Return of E3 [00:14:59] - NPD for June 2022 [00:24:37] - Investment Interlude [00:45:56] - Quick Hits [01:06:36] - Labor Report (Nintendo, esports media, GameStop, and a new Activision union) [01:19:03] - Double FAFO (Bungie sues harasser, Developer smacks down NFT and Crypto shills) SOURCES NPD for June 2022 | Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella) on Twitter Nintendo Labor Suit Amended | Nicole Carpenter (@sweetpotatoes) on Twitter ‘Our entire industry is dying’: In esports media, layoff season is in full swing | Digiday GameStop Form 8-K, June 9, 2021 | US SEC GameStop Form 8-K, July 7, 2021 | US SEC GameStop CFO out as company announces layoffs | Axios Blizzard Albany QA Moves to Unionize | GWA Albany (@WeAreGWAAlbany) on Twitter Bungie Sues Destiny 2 Streamer For Repeatedly Cheating And Harassing Its Employees | TheGamePost Developer turns 'future of gaming' talk into a surprise attack on convention's NFT and blockchain sponsors | PCGamer Game Developers of Color Expo - Speaker List INVESTMENT INTERLUDE Unity Announces Merger Agreement with ironSource | BusinessWire Welcome, ironSource! | Unity Nekcom raises $8m, opens new US studio | GamesIndustry.biz NetEase Invests in Polish VR Startup | Piotr Goguś on LinkedIn FaZe Clan, a Leading Gaming, Lifestyle and Media Brand, Completes Business Combination with B. Riley Principal 150 Merger Corp. | BusinessWire Sony has closed its $3.6B acquisition of Bungie | PlayStation (@PlayStation) on Twitter Sony has completed its acquisition of Haven Studios | PlayStation (@PlayStation) on Twitter Repeat to be acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment | Repeat Spotify To Acquire Music Trivia Sensation Heardle | Spotify Microsoft / Activision Blizzard merger inquiry | UK Competitions and Markets Authority Notification of the Acquisition of Dynamo Pictures, Inc. | Nintendo Nordisk Games acquires Supermassive Games, award-winning creators of The Quarry and The Dark Pictures Anthology | Supermassive