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 journalists getting laid off.

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.