Welcome to the weekly GI Microcast giving you the latest in video games news. Join James Batchelor and Chris Dring as they give you their take on the biggest stories in video games. Never miss an episode and subscribe to the GI Microcast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.

This time, our main topic centres around comments by former Sony boss Shawn Layden, who declared that not only is the AA space dead but its loss is a threat to the entire games ecosystem. Chris and James unpack his statement and the nuances around it, as well as discussing the opportunities for lower-budget titles in a market seemingly dominated by AAA blockbusters.

We also discuss the biggest news of the past week, including IO and Build A Rocket Boy's publishing partnership, new leadership at Xbox Game Studios, updates on the SAG-AFTRA strike and ongoing industry layoffs, and more.

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

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