Why the video game industry is such a mess

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Technology, Business

4.3 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2024

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The art of video game design is flourishing, but it feels like a really grim time to be in the business of making and distributing games. Huge global publishers and tiny indie studios alike are facing huge financial pressures, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. So where did this enormous pressure come from, if consumer interest is high and sales are great? Verge video game reporter Ash Parrish joins Decoder to explain. Links: Global games market expected to grow to $189bn in 2024 | GamesIndustry.biz Why the video game industry is seeing so many layoffs | Polygon The tech industry’s layoffs and hiring freezes: all of the news | The Verge Fortnite made more than $9 billion in revenue in its first two years | The Verge Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 Swings Past 10 Million Sold | IGN The future of Netflix games could look like reality TV | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:40.0	Support for Decoder comes from Splunk. You need to keep operations humming around the clock, but potential disruptions are everywhere.
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1:18.0	Hello and welcome to Decoder.
1:22.4	I'm Neline Patel,
1:23.0	Editor-in-Chief of The Virgin.
1:24.0	Decoder is my show about big ideas and other problems.
1:27.0	Today we're talking about the state of the video game industry,
1:30.0	which is honestly kind of all over the place.
1:32.0	We don't talk a lot about video games here on Decoder, but... which is honestly kind of all over the place.
	...

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