Episode 137: Embracer Ate Middle-earth Enterprises for Second Breakfast (News Show)

Virtual Economy

Embracer Group’s latest spending spree nets them one of the world’s most recognizable IPs (and much more). Also: Unity slumps amid hostile takeover, Take-Two posts losses on Zynga acquisition, Nintendo is in the hot seat again, Activision commits to the union-busting bit, and NPD for July 2022 as spending continues its slide back to pre-pandemic levels.

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TIME STAMPS

• [00:01:42] - Unity Q2 FY22 Earnings
• [00:14:54] - Take-Two Q1 FY23 Earnings
• [00:27:21] - Thunderful Group H1 FY22 Earnings
• [00:32:51] - Remedy H1 FY22 Earnings
• [00:35:21] - Embracer Group Q1 FY23 Earnings
• [00:42:03] - Investment Interlude (Embracer Group Spending Spree)
• [01:00:53] - Quick Hits
• [01:07:51] - Labor Report (Nintendo, Activision)
• [01:11:38] - NPD for July 2022

SOURCES

• Unity Announces Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results | Unity
• Unity sets up joint venture in China | GamesIndustry
• AppLovin offers to buy video game software maker Unity in $17.5 bln deal | Reuters
• First Quarter Fiscal 2023 Results & Guidance Summary | Take-Two
• Thunderful Group Interim Report January–June 2022 | Thunderful
• Brjann Sigurgeirsson leaves the position as CEO of Thunderful Group | Thunderful
• Half-Year Report | Remedy
• EMBRACER GROUP PUBLISHES INTERIM REPORT Q1, APRIL-JUNE 2022 | Embracer Group
• EMBRACER GROUP ANNOUNCES THE 11[TH] OPERATING GROUP: EMBRACER FREEMODE | Embracer Group
• Second labor complaint filed against Nintendo | Axios
• Aston Carter and Nintendo of America as Joint Employers | NLRB
• Nintendo Of America's Testers Say They Faced Years Of Sexual Harassment | Kotaku
• Activision Blizzard is using ‘Diablo IV’ to argue against unions | Washington Post
• Activision Blizzard accused of trying to stop workers communicating about pay and working conditions | Fortune (Paywall)
• NPD for July 2022 | Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) on Twitter

INVESTMENT INTERLUDE

• EMBRACER GROUP ENTERS INTO AN AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE LIMITED RUN GAMES | Embracer Group
• EMBRACER GROUP ENTERS INTO AN AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE SINGTRIX | Embracer Group
• EMBRACER GROUP ACQUIRES TUXEDO LABS | Embracer Group
• EMBRACER GROUP ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE TRIPWIRE INTERACTIVE | Embracer Group
• EMBRACER GROUP ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE IP RIGHTS TO THE LORD OF THE RINGS AND THE HOBBIT LITERARY WORKS BY J.R.R TOLKIEN | Embracer Group
• Spin Master Expands Digital Games Ecosystem with Acquisition of Nørdlight | Spin Master
• [From the industry] SOEDESCO acquires Superlumen development studio | MCV/Develop