Decoder with Nilay Patel

Why the video game industry is such a mess

The art of video game design is flourishing, but it feels like a really grim time to be in the business of making and distributing games. Huge global publishers and tiny indie studios alike are facing huge financial pressures, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.

So where did this enormous pressure come from, if consumer interest is high and sales are great? Verge video game reporter Ash Parrish joins Decoder to explain.

Links: 

Global games market expected to grow to $189bn in 2024 | GamesIndustry.biz

Why the video game industry is seeing so many layoffs | Polygon

The tech industry’s layoffs and hiring freezes: all of the news | The Verge

Fortnite made more than $9 billion in revenue in its first two years | The Verge

Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 Swings Past 10 Million Sold | IGN

The future of Netflix games could look like reality TV | The Verge


Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
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Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.