This week has been absolutely incredible in showing the duality of the games industry at the moment. Two giants of video games, Sony and EA both have layoffs within a day of each other, closing studios, and echoing the same refrain of needing to reassess their strategies going forward. Embracer Group entered an agreement with Sabre Interactive so they can be owned by private investors. Borderlands studio Gearbox could also be sold off, and Toys for Bob, makers of Crash Bandicoot 4 and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy enter into an agreement to go independent from Activision-Blizzard-King. Oh yeah, and around all of this business stuff was the release of a small little game called Final Fantasy VII Rebirth that so many gamers, including both Sean and Marc, have been eagerly awaiting. Sean and Marc give their thoughts on the game so far, why Queen's Blood might be the best card game, and a whole lot more. Plus, the Pokemon Company announced Pokemon Legends Z-A set in Lumiose City is coming in 2025 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo goes into yet another lawsuit, this time against the makers of the Switch emulator Yuzu saying that it promotes piracy of its hardware and games on the platform. Other studios also have layoffs, there's uncertainty over Apple Arcade and more! You can also watch this episode in video form on the W2M Network Youtube Channel, please give us a like, comment on the episode, and give the channel a subscribe and follow as well: https://youtube.com/live/WY77HiRLd54 Timestamps: 00:00:00: START 00:01:25: Housekeeping ------------ Games We Are Playing ---------- 00:03:30: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Sean & Marc) ------------ Troubles in the Industry in Multiple Ways ------------ 00:32:10: Sony laid off 900 employees at various PlayStation studios 00:44:00: EA laid off 670 employees in various departments 00:49:10: Sabre Interactive escapes Embracer Group and goes Private 00:50:30: Toys For Bob Goes Independent but may still partner with Xbox 00:55:00: Deck Nine and Supermassive Studios suffer layoffs, Apple Arcade and Indies questions -------------- What's in the News ------------- 01:05:30: A small interlude discussing some other things from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 01:08:55: Discussing unionizing for Devs 01:09:55: Pokemon Presents Big announcement is Pokemon Legends Z-A 01:13:50: Nintendo aims to file a lawsuit against Switch Emulator Yuzu over piracy concerns 01:21:45: Remedy buys rights to Control, Control 2, Control Multiplayer game from 505 Games ---------------- Random Stuff & The End ------------ 01:25:20: Helldivers 2 and do we listen to soundtracks outside of games 01:26:30: Will the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Mini-Figures come to the USA? 01:29:50: Games Coming Out this Week: The Thamaturge, Uforia: The Saga 2, Berserk Boy & More! - If you prefer podcasts: Listen and give us a review on these platforms... - Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ag/podcast/video-games-2-the-max/id886092740 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2wjd0u3xO7TdAm4gKRM44L Amazon: https://www.audible.com/pd/Video-Games-2-the-MAX-Podcast/B08JJPTZTW Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/video-games-2-the-max-181386 Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/?podId=2465904 IHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-video-games-2-the-m-28438312/ - Check out other W2M Network Shows - Latest Otalku Cafe Episode (Anime): https://youtube.com/live/eqDDMGJKTD4 Radulich in Broadcasting's Oscar Contenders: https://www.youtube.com/live/OScTLYutIzs Radulich in Broadcasting's Madame Web Review: https://youtube.com/live/QO4MZDd0k6E - Our Friend's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Reviews - Hayes Madsen's Review over at Inverse Gaming: https://www.inverse.com/gaming/final-fantasy-7-rebirth-review Hayes Madsen's chat with me on the podcast about FFVII Rebirth: https://www.youtube.com/live/ukmBOegaKGo Andrew Agress Review over at The Outerhaven.net: https://www.theouterhaven.net/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-review-the-pinnacle-of-a-journey/ - Follow on X (Twitter): - Sean on Twitter: https://twitter.com/W2MSean W2M Network on Twitter: https://twitter.com/w2mnetwork - Other Social Media - Follow us on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@w2mnetwork2 Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/aydMgvUN9d Follow us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/w2mnetwork Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/w2mnetwork/ Follow Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/W2MNetwork