{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 204: Ubisoft\u2019s Hail Mary (News Show)","description":"Ubisoft employees are prepared to strike over a recent return-to-office mandate and extreme cost-cutting. Also: Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for December 2025 and full year 2025, That\u2019s No Moon at odds with former founder, Amazon Games suffers another blow, and Ashes of Creation dev Intrepid implodes. You can support Virtual Economy\u2019s growth via our&amp;nbsp;Ko-Fi&amp;nbsp;and also purchase&amp;nbsp;Virtual Economy merchandise! TIME STAMPS  [00:01:04] - Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for December 2025 and Full-Year 2025 [00:12:00] - That\u2019s No Moon Co-Founder Causes $1M Problem [00:21:09] - Valve Faces Down Another Class Action Suit [00:29:41] - Ubisoft in Disarray [00:52:38] - Investment Interlude [00:57:23] - Quick Hits [01:02:13] - Labor Report  SOURCES   That's No Moon Ex-CEO Hijacked Domain And Caused A $1M Problem, Cofounders Say In Lawsuit | Aftermath  Valve Fails To Get $900m Class Action Lawsuit Over Pricing Thrown Out | Kotaku  UBISOFT ANNOUNCES A MAJOR ORGANIZATIONAL, OPERATIONAL AND PORTFOLIO RESET TO RECLAIM CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AND RESTORE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH | Ubisoft Ubisoft Employee Claims He\u2019s Placed on Unpaid Suspension for Criticising Return-to-Office Policy | Insider Gaming Ubisoft Fires Team Lead For Criticising Stupid Return-To-Office Mandate | Aftermath  Ex-Assassin's Creed boss Marc-Alexis C\u00f4t\u00e9 sues Ubisoft after his surprise and &quot;disguised dismissal&quot; | Eurogamer  We are shutting it down:' Ubisoft unions call for international strike | Game Developer  INVESTMENT INTERLUDE   Industry networking platform MeetToMatch acquired by 1SP Agency | GamesIndustry  Indie publisher Pixel Doors launches with a 'developer-first' mindset | Game Developer  LABOR REPORT   Update on our organization | Amazon  Christoph Hartmann Out at Amazon | Jason Schreier on Bluesky  Report: ProbablyMonsters lays off devs while unveiling Nazi hunting game | Game Developer  Wildgate maker Moonshot laying off unspecified number of staff | GamesIndustry  Update: Payday developer Starbreeze pushes ahead with 'new wave' of layoffs | Game Developer  Report: NetEase Games is cutting jobs in Montreal | Game Developer  Studio that developed the infamous Mighty No.9 has shut down for good | Eurogamer  Anime action RPG studio Pahdo Labs shuts down despite accruing $17.5M in funding: 'We believed making a demo of a familiar but new game would be our best shot' | PCGamer  Tencent subsidiary Sumo Digital is making layoffs | Game Developer MMORPG Ashes of Creation Suddenly Implodes 52 Days After Steam Early Access Launch | WCCFTech  Ashes Of Creation Dev Details $3.2 Million Kickstarter Studio\u2019s Shocking Collapse: \u2018None Of Us Are Receiving Our Final Paychecks\u2019 | Kotaku  Blizzard QA Workers\u2019 Newly Ratified Union Contract Locks In Pay Increases, Better Benefits | Aftermath  ","author_name":"Virtual Economy","author_url":"https:\/\/www.virtualeconcast.com","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/40061285\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/198430170"}