Advertise on podcast: Games Industry Executive Summary

This week the GIES team digs into Roblox letting creators ship their games as standalone apps on other platforms, whether a PlayStation 6 lands in 2027 or 2028 and what refreshed hardware is really for, the EA and Savvy merger talk and where industry consolidation goes next, store curation and discovery on storefronts flooded with releases, the rumoured Game Pass reshuffle and what subscriptions do to player engagement, and what publishers should do with dormant and legacy IPs. Also on the table: Combo Lands, The Last of Us Part I on PC, and the art direction of The Legend of Zelda. Featuring Emmanuel Rosier, Casey Al-Kaisy, and David Thier. Get the weekly GIES newsletter free at giesweekly.comMentioned: Roblox, Steam, Sony, PlayStation, PlayStation 6, Xbox, Game Pass, Electronic Arts, Savvy Games Group, PIF, Combo Lands, Slay the Spire, The Last of Us Part I, The Legend of Zelda#gaming #gamesindustry #podcast

This week the GIES team digs into a Steam leak that surfaced a slate of unannounced titles and what it does to publisher marketing and consumer trust, Sony's pricing strategy and the limits of platform loyalty, Kojima's game pipeline and its platform conflicts, and the rising cost and energy bill of cloud gaming as Xbox changes its monthly hours limit. Featuring Emmanuel Rosier, Casey Al-Kaisy, and David Thier. Get the weekly GIES newsletter free at giesweekly.comMentioned: Steam, Valve, Sony, PlayStation, Kojima Productions, Xbox Cloud Gaming, cloud gaming, game leaks, platform loyalty, pricing strategy, consumer trust#gaming #gamesindustry #podcast

This episode dissects the gaming industry's current trends, focusing on game development success factors, hardware evolution, and legal battles over digital ownership. Experts analyze Capcom's winning formula, Sony's strategic moves, and the future of gaming hardware and ownership rights. Get the weekly GIES newsletter free at giesweekly.comMentioned: gaming industry, game development, Capcom, Sony, hardware, digital ownership, legal battles, game design, market trends#gaming #gamesindustry #podcast

Straight out of Gamescom 2026 This episode dissects the current state of the gaming industry, focusing on live service models, AI integration, and strategic shifts among major players like Sony, Microsoft, and Disney. It offers data-driven insights into market trends, studio decisions, and the impact of AI on game development and marketing. Get the weekly GIES newsletter free at giesweekly.comMentioned: Epic Games, Disney, Fortnite, Star Wars, Horizon Zero Dawn, Guerrilla Games, PlayStation, Roblox#gaming #gamesindustry #podcast

Casey, Emmanuel, and Dave break down the week in games: the fall of live service, the market report on localization, free-to-play and Roblox, Disney and Epic's collaboration, and AI's growing class conflict inside game development. Get the weekly GIES newsletter free at giesweekly.comMentioned: Epic Games, Disney, Fortnite, Star Wars, Horizon Zero Dawn, Guerrilla Games, PlayStation, Roblox#gaming #gamesindustry #podcast

The Gies panel opens with a console guessing game, then goes deep on GTA 6. Casey Al-Kaisy hosts Emmanuel Rosier and David Thier on the Extended Look trailer and what Netflix-style distribution means for game marketing, GTA 5's sales record and what it says about GTA 6's timing, Devolver Digital's shift in publishing strategy, tariffs hitting gaming hardware, the rise of friendslop, and emerging trends in mobile game development. Get the weekly Gies newsletter free at giesweekly.com.Mentioned: Rockstar Games, GTA 6, GTA 5, GTA Online, Netflix, Devolver Digital, Meccha Chameleon, Restory, PlayStation 3, Famicom, Dreamcast.

The Gies panel digs into who really owns a game in 2026. Casey Al-Kaisy hosts Emmanuel Rosier and David Thier on the decline of resale and what it means for consumer rights, why digital purchases stop working offline, the economics of digital-only distribution, and where monetization and advertising go from here. Get the weekly Gies newsletter free at giesweekly.com.Mentioned: Steam, PlayStation, Destiny 2, Marathon, Bungie, Elden Ring Nightreign, Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza.

For our 100th episode, the Gies panel steps off the news cycle. Casey Al-Kaisy hosts Emmanuel Rosier, David Thier, Andre Persson and Patrick Rose for a wide-ranging conversation on the games industry from the inside: a box-art guessing game, the first titles that pulled each of them in, what they are playing now, and where the business goes next, including a sharp exchange on whether AAA is dead. Get the weekly Gies newsletter free at giesweekly.com.Mentioned: Resident Evil 4, Ecco the Dolphin, Grand Theft Auto, Zelda II The Adventure of Link, Driver, Limbo, Snatcher, Mega Man X, Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Metal Gear, Palworld, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Yoshi's Crafted World, Onimusha, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Arc Raiders, Secret of Mana, Vampire Survivors, Balatro, Chrono Trigger.

Xbox confirmed 3,200 job cuts and the divestment of five studios this week, while Nintendo keeps positioning itself as the industry's good guy. Emmanuel, Casey and David widen the lens beyond the headlines: Xbox's launch-era legacy and Halo's lasting impact, Microsoft's studio management, where Game Pass goes from here, the economics behind AAA development costs and console market saturation, and Nintendo's distinct playbook against Roblox and Minecraft-style platforms. Get the weekly GIES newsletter free at giesweekly.com

The economics of console gaming cracked all at once this week. Emmanuel, Casey and David break down Xbox's third price hike in 13 months, PlayStation ending physical disc production in 2028, the memory shortage driving hardware costs through 2028, NBCUniversal eyeing the games business, and the $5.99 indie Meccha Chameleon selling 10 million copies in 16 days. Get the weekly GIES newsletter free at giesweekly.com

This week on the Gies Podcast: Valve puts the Steam Machine at $1,049, Rockstar opens GTA 6 pre-orders at $79.99 (Ultimate at $99.99), and 2025 closes as a record $201.6B year for games even as layoffs continue. Hosted by Emmanuel Rosier, Casey Al-Kaisy, and David Thier. Get the weekly Gies newsletter free at giesweekly.comMentioned: Valve, Steam Machine, Rockstar Games, GTA 6, EA, Bungie, PwC.#gaming #gamesindustry #podcast

Gies #96. Emmanuel, Casey and David break down the Xbox crisis (layoffs and the margin crush), Fortnite's Pokemon-style collectible sprites, Black Myth Wukong's China numbers, EA's move into in-game advertising, and why so many game names blur together. Get the weekly GIES newsletter free at giesweekly.comMentioned: Xbox, Microsoft, Game Pass, Fortnite, Black Myth Wukong, EA, Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

Emmanuel and David are joined by Patrick Rose (product strategy consultant, ex Bandai Namco) to break down the week in gaming: Valve's Steam Machine release window and expected price, Xbox's return to exclusives and the state of Gears of War and Halo, the Nintendo Direct with the Onimusha reboot and the Ocarina of Time remake tease, Bungie's premium brand problem with Marathon, and Taskbar Hero gaming Steam's CCU charts. Get the weekly Gies newsletter free at giesweekly.comMentioned: Valve, Steam Machine, Steam Deck, Xbox, Game Pass, Gears of War, Halo, Nintendo, Switch 2, Onimusha, Pragmata, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Kingdom Hearts 4, Bungie, Marathon, Destiny, Taskbar Hero, Cyberpunk 2077

Emmanuel, Casey and David react to Sony's June 2026 State of Play and the week in gaming: the God of War Laufey reveal, Marvel's Wolverine gameplay, Until Dawn 2, the horror game Ill, and Marvel Tokon's roster. Plus GTA 6's release window and Take-Two's forecast, why 2026's big releases crowd into September, Mina the Hollower's launch, and reflections from Nordic Game 2026.00:00 Introduction and Anniversary Celebration04:11 GTA 6 Release Speculations13:04 Game Delays and Market Dynamics17:25 Sony's Focus on Single Player Games20:29 Marvel's Wolverine and God of War Footage25:50 God of War Laufey: New Direction and Characters30:49 Character Development and Storytelling34:25 Until Dawn 2 and Interactive Storytelling36:09 Ill: A New Horror Game Experience37:40 The Rise of Gory Content in Media38:05 The Intersection of Film and Gaming39:37 The Influence of Gaming on Hollywood40:16 The Evolution of Racing Games41:53 The Anticipation for Ace Combat 842:08 Marvel Tokon: A New Fighting Game44:25 The Legacy of Fighting Games45:04 Mina the Hollower: A Game to Watch46:25 The Value of Indie Games50:02 Reflections on Nordic Game 202654:10 The Future of Gaming DemographicsGet the weekly Gies newsletter free at giesweekly.comMentioned: GTA 6 (Rockstar, Take-Two), God of War Laufey (Santa Monica Studio), Marvel's Wolverine (Insomniac Games), Until Dawn 2 (Firesprite), Ill, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Ace Combat 8, Control: Resonant (Remedy), Mina the Hollower (Yacht Club Games)#gaming #gamesindustry #podcast

Join Casey Al-Kaisy, Emmanuel Rosier, Martin Lindell and Stefan Lampinen as they dissect the state of the industry in 2026. The gang will cover platform shifts, audience behaviors, hardware evolution, and investment trends. Gain insights into the impact of UGC platforms, regional market differences, and the economics shaping the industry. Follow us and learn more at giesweekly.com