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Do Skills for Claude represent a new sort of user paradigm for AI? Battlefield 6 seems to be doing what EA needs it to do. Nintendo seems to be killing it. Is Wikipedia in trouble because it's losing human users? Now Uber drivers can earn new money thanks to AI. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Anthropic turns to ‘skills' to make Claude more useful at work (The Verge) Claude Skills are awesome, maybe a bigger deal than MCP (Simon Willison) Steam just broke its concurrent user record with 41.6 million gamers (TweakTown) Nintendo Aims to Make 25 Million Switch 2s to Set Gaming History (Bloomberg) Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visitors (404media) Uber Launches Data Tasks as Option for Some US Drivers to Earn Money (Bloomberg) Apple and F1 reach 5-year media deal, bringing all races to Apple TV streaming in the U.S. (CNBC) Weekend Longreads Suggestions AI Data Centers, Desperate for Electricity, Are Building Their Own Power Plants (WSJ) Joshua Kushner, Thrive Capital, and the American dream (Colossus) How Sam Altman Played Hollywood (The Hollywood Reporter) TiVo Has Sold Its Last DVR. These People Refuse to Let Go. (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The hits just keep on comin' with this week's big release, Pokémon Legends: Z-A. As noted several times on this show, Pokémon Legends: Arceus was many people's first official foray into the Pokémon universe (one of our hosts included), so this week we are taking a look at the best Pokémon spin-off games of all time, which may have gotten some of you listeners to try to catch ‘em all. After that, we let you know if Battlefield 6 is a return to form for the big EA shooter franchise, come clean about our latest addiction, Ball X Pit, then see what people are saying about the new ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, and more! Question of the Week: What was your first exposure to Pokémon? Break Song is "The Pokémon Theme (Metal Cover Version)" by Skar Productions Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.
Early reviews for the Xbox handheld are out, and it is a mixed bag to say the least. Understanding Fearless Drafts. Glen Powell wants in on E33 movies. EA employees not happy about the sell out. Quantic Dream is making a….free to play MOBA? Yep. Also, all the games we played and loads more!GAMES PLAYEDSCOTTBall X PitThe Exit 8.Funguys SwarmSoulstone SurvivorsSilent Hill fJONMegabonkBEAUBattlefield 6Hades 2Pinball FXStar Trek Voyager Across The Unknown demoCosmic Invasion demoWhiskerwood demoSkate Story demo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Three Big Conversations: #WitchTok is upset at Crock-Pot for not releasing a cauldron. - 07:50 New studies about how spiritual yearning changes with age. - 21:35 Sora becomes the most-downloaded free app in the Apple App Store. - 38:33 Meme of the Week: “The lion does not concern himself…” The phrase “the lion does not concern himself with [thing X]” has been gaining popularity on TikTok and Instagram over the last few weeks. The phrase itself entered the lexicon thanks to Game of Thrones. However, in recent days, it's turned into an ironic way to justify personal preferences (Ex. “The lioness does not concern herself with onions on her In-N-Out burgers.”) or avoiding basic responsibilities (Ex. “The lion does not concern himself with folding laundry.”). Elsewhere in culture: Streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker sparked controversy in the streaming world after he appeared to use a shock collar on his dog while streaming. The new EA game Battlefield 6 is having a very successful first week, setting it up to potentially dethrone Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as the go-to first-person-shooter this holiday season. Popular shonen anime My Hero Academia begins its final season this weekend. In fact, it's a big season for season premieres of popular anime in general. Swifties are up-in-arms over Taylor Swift's alleged use of AI in her promo videos for her new album The Life of a Showgirl. Instagram announced a policy going into effect later this year that attempts to limit teens' accounts to only show content that would appear in PG-13 movies, a rating system Meta called "familiar to parents.” Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.
#WitchTok is upset at Crock-Pot for not releasing a cauldron, new studies about how spiritual yearning changes with age, and Sora becomes the most-downloaded free app in the Apple App Store. Meme of the Week: “The lion does not concern himself…” The phrase “the lion does not concern himself with [thing X]” has been gaining popularity on TikTok and Instagram over the last few weeks. The phrase itself entered the lexicon thanks to Game of Thrones. However, in recent days, it's turned into an ironic way to justify personal preferences (Ex. “The lioness does not concern herself with onions on her In-N-Out burgers.”) or avoiding basic responsibilities (Ex. “The lion does not concern himself with folding laundry.”). Elsewhere in culture: Streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker sparked controversy in the streaming world after he appeared to use a shock collar on his dog while streaming. The new EA game Battlefield 6 is having a very successful first week, setting it up to potentially dethrone Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as the go-to first-person-shooter this holiday season. Popular shonen anime My Hero Academia begins its final season this weekend. In fact, it's a big season for season premieres of popular anime in general. Swifties are up-in-arms over Taylor Swift's alleged use of AI in her promo videos for her new album The Life of a Showgirl. Instagram announced a policy going into effect later this year that attempts to limit teens' accounts to only show content that would appear in PG-13 movies, a rating system Meta called "familiar to parents.” Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.
Prodigy is out this week. This week we talk about the Ray Ban Meta Display, Xbox ROG Ally X, handheld gaming, Gen V, Alien Earth, Disney Incredi-Pass, EA goes private, alcohol, SF Beer Week, and more! Come follow us: http://www.beenhadproductions.squarespace.com/bthanbti SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/bthanbtiI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BthanBTI/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/bthanbti Twitter: @BthanBTI iTunes: https://itun.es/i6SJ6Pw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BlackerThanBlackTimesInfinity Rescue + Residence https://www.rescueresidence.org/ Donate: https://www.givebutter.com/R_R_Champions
Sony lays out its future, while Pokémon's future got leaked all over the internet. New York Comic Con brought the trailers, making it a definite competitor to SDCC. Plus IGN Fan fest was in full effect today with some great new, like a Bob-It video game! Plus a full review of Tron: Ares, is it bad, is it good, or is it just there...
Jeff Grubb and Jan Ochoa start your Thursday with a review round-up for Ball x Pit, EA employees voicing their concerns over the Saudi Arabia buyout, David Cage and Quantic Dreams making a multiplayer game, and even more news for your morning!
Eric and Michael revisit the golden PS2 era with two very different titles: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the groundbreaking Ubisoft action adventure, and The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, EA's cinematic RPG with, perhaps, too many ties to the legendary film trilogy.In this episode of State of the Save, the hosts explore what made these games unforgettable, from fluid parkour mechanics and movie-licensed storytelling to the signature early-2000s style that defined the generation. Eric shares his frustrations with Xbox's new pricing model, while Michael returns to Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, reflecting on an unfinished journey from his youth.The episode also set up the next Game Trade, where Eric challenges Michael to test out a spin-off of one of his favorite series, and Michael introduces Eric to a spooky Sega Genesis game perfect for Halloween season.Follow @StateOfTheSave on Instagram and Bluesky for show updates. Watch streams, clips, and highlights on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review—every rating helps us bring you more gaming podcasts, reviews, and retrospectives!Timecodes:0:00 – Intro1:45 – Xbox Game Pass Price Increase15:55 – Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles37:05 – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time49:50 – The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age1:16:08 – Michael's Pick for Eric - A Spooky Sega Genesis Game1:20:55 - Eric Bullies Michael into playing a spin-offMusic:Jungle Mood — Peyruis [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/AE4AWGTNa-AFree Download / Stream: http://alplus.io/JungleMoodMetro — Scandinavianz [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/NPKwINq8D_4Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/metro
On this week's episode of Pop Culture and Fandom News, the hosts of It's a Dean Thing—Moth and Paula—and Tiff join Erin to discuss the excitement for The Bride, the recent EA gaming buyout, the film Good Boy, the trailer for Pillion, and "fans" crossing the line with AI and Robin Williams. Watch the Pillion trailer here: https://youtu.be/b0zJwQuLFuA?si=qqaXqGSqvvewfNvW Consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/itsafandomthingpod. You can follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/itsafandomthingpod Twitter: @fandomthingpod Instagram: @itsafandomthingpod Discord: https://discord.com/invite/7aTTCAWZRx You can follow Fergie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@schroederandfergs Cover art by Carla Temis. Podcast logo by Erin Amos. Consider becoming a Patreon supporter of Portia Burch: https://patreon.com/portia_noir?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=join_link and White Woman Whisperer: https://patreon.com/whitewomanwhisperer?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=join_link. Are you looking to buy some shirts that make a difference? Check out Wear the Peace: https://wearthepeace.com/pages/collections?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=flow&utm_klaviyo_id=01J35XBQFAPE052R8E3A4140TSkx=vpLEr9K3aUVqJ0N-d6KKWR608od7avLWJ2fXcHbEPI.U45QAK. Join the Here4TheKids Substack: https://here4thekids.substack.com/. To order the book, "White Women," click here: https://www.race2dinner.com/white-women Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
re beards still neat? We wonder, mainly because we’re older and less hip—plus we noticed the significant lack of facial hair upon the plastic grimace of Labubus, so shit’s been tripping us up to say the least. Or maybe it’s all of these heavy-hitter video game releases that are stacking up in October that have got us slipping up because HOO-boy are there some blockbuster titles appearing on shelves this month, and we’re desperately trying to keep up with it all. Join Ed, George, and Andrew as they dish on the latest news of the concerning buyout of EA, Microsoft’s ludicrous price hikes across the market, and the main topic for the episode, what we’ve all been playing in yet another edition of “What’s in your Console?” The list spans to Borderlands 4, Hollowknight: Silksong, Sonic Wings Reunion, Silent Hill f, Skate, Tokyo Jungle, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Hades II, Persona 3 Aegis, Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royale, Lost Soul Aside, and a ton of Magic: The Gathering talk that’s filled with all of the oogling and speccing you could hope for! Come for the unqualified cosmetology opinions, stay for the gluttony of software we’re stuffing ourselves with. Shit, we’re not even ready for Ghost of Yōtei, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Ninja Gaiden 4, or… Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!
Join us this week for a very special episode! Our friend, Dr. Watanabe, joins John and Kevin this week to take a deep dive into what exactly the acquisition of EA sports means and entails for the future.You won't want to miss this one! So sit back, relax and enjoy - this is Nothin' But a FUT Thing.
In Ep81 of The EA Campus Podcast, host Nicky Christmas explores how Executive Assistants can take control of their personal brand and rebrand themselves for the next stage of their career.If you've ever felt overlooked, underestimated, or ready for more responsibility but unsure how to communicate that growth, this episode is for you. Nicky breaks down a practical process to diagnose your current brand, define the three words you're known for now, and choose the three words you want next.This isn't about buzzwords or personal logos — it's about building evidence, understanding perception, and showing up intentionally every day.Listen to Ep81: The EA Campus Podcast to learn how to realign your reputation with your ambitions and start shaping the next chapter of your EA career with clarity and confidence.Read the full article here
This week-ahead reading for Oct 13-19, 2025 is an excerpt from this week's Somatic Space class with Renee Sills. For the full-length forecast and embodied practice for this week, purchase the recording here. Over the course of Libra Season's sessions we are working the energetics of balance, polarity, opposition, and duality, exploring love, equanimity, and justice as somatic states and embodied ideals.
This week on the show, after the news - We're going to talk about the recent EA buyout and what that move could mean for the rest of the games industry.
What is the future of the EA profession? In short: Strategic executive operations supercharged by AI. Melissa Peoples breaks it down. Recorded at EA Ignite Spring 2025 and produced by the American Society of Administrative Professionals - ASAP. Learn more and submit a listener question at asaporg.com/podcast.
On this week's sode, Ubisoft pulls out their Confederate flag, Battlefield 6 is EA's last gasp before the Saudis take the reigns, and Japan opens a new front in Pornogate. Then we play a Peterson-led Reindeer Game (which is always risky), then JD reviews Baby Steps.
On this episode of the Plug N Play Podcast, Henry decides if Xbox has completely given up by raising Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions by a whopping 50%, EA's public buyout at the hands of Saudi Arabia, Ubisoft cancelling a controversial Assassin's Creed set in the Civil War, and more!Impressions this week touch on the initial several hours of Ghost of Yotei. Is it a worthy successor or just more of the same? As well as Dreams of Anther, a surreal, dreamlike game from the director of Pixel Junk Eden! Thanks to Pirate PR for the review code!Feel free to send us a question at plugnplaypodcast1@gmail.com for a chance to have it read out on the show!X/Twitter: https://x.com/PlugNPlayPod1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plugnplaypod1/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@plugnplay397Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7dE5501VjBjk9XbQdxvIG3Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/kh/podcast/plug-n-play-podcast-video-game-news-and-reviews/id1725685950YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0kfqx6YQ5xqXRfaKRO8wJwLinktree: https://linktr.ee/plugnplaypodcastTimestamps:0:00 - Intro11:15 - Xbox increases Game Pass Ultimate by 50%34:11 - EA bought out by Saudi Arabia for $55 billion45:16 - 60% of gamers by two or less games a year50:24 - Ubisoft cancelled Civil War era Assassin's Creed59:25 - Ghost of Yotei1:17:17 - Dreams of Another
Roger and Annie sit down with Blake Oliver, founder of Earmark, to cut through the AI confusion. Blake explains why AI is more like a brilliant Harvard-trained intern with amnesia than a tax professional replacement, sharing practical applications from document organization to quality control that can work in firms today. The conversation explores which AI tools are worth trying, why voice mode changes everything, and why tax professionals who start experimenting now are still early adopters, not late to the party.SponsorsPadgett - Contact Padgett or Email Jeff PhillipsGet NASBA Approved CPE or IRS Approved CELaunch the course on EarmarkCPE to get free CPE/CE for listening to this episode.Chapters(00:00) - Welcome to Federal Tax Updates (01:19) - Guest Introduction: Blake Oliver (03:27) - Diving into AI: Initial Thoughts and Comparisons (07:58) - Understanding AI and Its Limitations (15:47) - Effective Use of AI in Accounting (21:41) - Choosing the Right AI Tools (24:49) - Security and Cost Considerations (30:46) - Best Practices and Pitfalls in AI Usage (33:17) - AI Struggles with Tax Complexity (34:34) - Human Verification in Tax Analysis (35:01) - AI's Limitations and Cost (36:29) - Misconceptions About AI in Tax (40:25) - AI's Role in Administrative Tasks (41:47) - AI in Quality Control and Research (43:26) - AI in Radiology and Tax (50:10) - Future of AI in Transportation (53:05) - AI in Manufacturing and Economy (56:17) - Adapting to AI in the Accounting Industry (57:21) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts Follow the Federal Tax Updates Podcast on Social Mediatwitter.com/FedTaxPodfacebook.com/FedTaxPodlinkedin.com/showcase/fedtaxpodConnect with Blake Oliver https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverConnect with the Hosts on LinkedInRoger HarrisAnnie SchwabReviewLeave a review on Apple Podcasts or PodchaserSubscribeSubscribe to the Federal Tax Updates podcast in your favorite podcast app!This podcast is a production of Earmark MediaThe full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this pageAll content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.
The gang talks about selling out and hiring fuckable personal chefs after a Saudi Arabian company buys EA. We also chat about Doug Bowser stepping down at Nintendo and being replaced by DEH-VAWN, our top 5 metroidvanias, HADES MOTHERFUCKING TWO, and Silent Hill F. We also hear Greg's final thoughts on Hollow Knight and Aaron's final thoughts on Shinobi.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund just closed the largest gaming acquisition in history—$55 billion for Electronic Arts. But this isn't the typical private equity playbook.In this episode, host Joseph Kim sits down with two M&A experts who break down what's really happening:- Chris Petrovic - Board Chairman & CBO at FunPlus, former President of Publishing at Zynga where he orchestrated their transformative acquisition strategy- Matthew Kanterman, CFA - Gaming industry analyst specializing in M&A and financial analysisWe uncover the hidden truths behind the deal:→ Why EA's "operational bloat" narrative is based on an accounting myth→ The real reason EA chose to sell now (hostile takeovers? portfolio pressure?)→ Why Silver Lake's involvement is primarily "for optics"→ What "patient capital" means for EA's studios and the broader gaming industry→ The mobile strategy question: Will EA and Scopely actually integrate?→ Growth opportunities in sports, Asia, and transmedia→ Who really controls gaming's attention economy nowThis isn't about short-term cost-cutting. It's about sovereign wealth rewriting the rules of gaming M&A—and what that means for developers, studios, and the industry's future.Key Takeaways:- At 17-18x forward EBITDA, EA sold at a discount to Activision's 20x—why?- With Take-Two now the only major independent US publisher, what happens to exit opportunities?- EA's conservative accounting makes them look less efficient than they actually are- This deal is measured in decades, not the typical 5-7 year PE timeline
Bu bölümde Xbox Game Pass zammı, OpenAI'ın Sora uygulaması, Mert'in Krakow gezisi ve One Battle After Another filmi üzerine sohbet ettik.Bizi dinlemekten keyif alıyorsanız, kahve ısmarlayarak bizi destekleyebilir ve Telegram grubumuza katılabilirsiniz. :)Yorumlarınızı, sorularınızı ya da sponsorluk tekliflerinizi info@farklidusun.net e-posta adresine iletebilirsiniz.Zaman damgaları:00:00 - Kıbrıs02:26 - Krakow22:50 - Sora 21:10:40 - Tim Cook'un emekliliği1:24:08 - iOS Bootcamp1:32:42 - Okuduklarımız1:49:26 - İzlediklerimiz, One Battle After Another2:08:18 - Xbox Game Pass Zammı2:41:08 - EA satıldı2:51:08 - Haftanın albüm tavsiyeleriBölüm linkleri:MonoforPierogiKvassKrakow SimitiWawel DragonSora 2 is heresomeone should go to jail for thisAI Slop Is Destroying The InternetSora 2 clones start flooding the App Store worldwideSora, AI Bicycles, and Meta DisruptionOpenAI's computing deals top $1tnAI startup Anthropic agrees to pay $1.5bn to settle book piracy lawsuitConnectionsHow people are using ChatGPTMeta will soon use your AI chats to personalize your feedsThe head of ChatGPT won't rule out adding adsParazit: Böcekleştiren Kapitalizm / Emrah Safa Gürkan - Opus Magnum 52Apple's Next CEO IdentifiedApple sidelines lighter Vision Pro to prioritize smart glassesBenjamin Button Reviews macOSStatus and CultureMaterial WorldThe Lost BusOne Battle After AnotherSlow HorsesList of highest-paid film actorsThere Will Be BloodDisney Plus is getting another price hikeMicrosoft revamps Xbox Game Pass plans and hikes Ultimate to $29.99 a monthCDKeys$55 billion EA buyout hands Madden over to investors including Saudi Arabia and Jared KushnerMammal Hands
We have an update about the game preservation story from last episode with some more context on why this might not be as big of a disaster as we first claimed. EA was rumored to be going private by being purchased by several investors representing Saudi Arabia. (This was confirmed the day after we recorded this episode.) Doug Bowser announced his retirement as the President of Nintendo of America. Microsoft has announced that there is yet another price increase on Xbox consoles thanks to "macroeconomic conditions." Then we talk to Rob about the music festival I went to last week and how I'm too out of shape to attend music festivals.
sci-fi, podcast, gaming, Lego, Comic-Con, Duffer Brothers, EA, Hogwarts Legacy, Marvel Zombies, nostalgia Summary In this episode of the Sci-Fi Podcast, the hosts discuss a variety of topics including gaming nostalgia with Lego sets, the impact of Comic-Con announcements, the Duffer Brothers' approach to show releases, EA's significant sale, and the immersive experience of Hogwarts […] The post Episode 492 – Marvel Zombies, Duffer Bros, EA Sports, LOTR appeared first on Podcast4Scifi.
Pinball: We discuss Planetary Pinball's new collectable figurines and discuss a listener email about the viability of sending a message to pinball manufacturers when individuals do not buy a particular game. Video Games: We talk about Zaccaria Pinball, a new table announcement from Zen, EA being purchased by a new investment group, Vantage Studios handling Ubisoft's big properties, Microsoft making the best deal in gaming one of the worst, Fallout 76 getting a big update, Funcom doing lay-offs, Mindseye doing lay-offs, Battlefield 6's launch, Nintendo suing some Reddit moderator, and the next Minecraft movie. Episode Links: Knapp Arcade article about the Pinball Legends collectable figurines: https://www.knapparcade.org/blog/planetary-pinball-launches-new-pinball-legends-line-of-collectable-figurines Show Links: EGP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eclectic_gamers Website: http://eclecticgamers.com EGP T-shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/eclectic-gamers-podcast iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/eclectic-gamers-podcast/id1088802706?mt=2 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-465086826 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eclecticgamerspodcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC40Frd1Fep4u5bjrw3cvwoQ Discord: https://discord.gg/sgnrsBT Email: eclecticgamerspodcast@gmail.com
Embodied Astrology's Renee Sills and Aziz Bisanz sit down with Palestinian artist and dancer, Saed Mansour, to reflect on his offering, Dancing The Political. In this joyful, thoughtful and thought-provoking conversation, the three consider the intersections of their work in healing and embodiment as that which tends our aliveness; the possibilities that await when we are willing to inhabit more of ourselves; and the deep relevance of this work at this time.❤️
En este episodio comentamos la sorprendente compra de EA por parte de Arabia Saudí, repasamos todas las novedades del 40 aniversario de Mario con nuevos títulos y hardware especial de Nintendo, y celebramos las últimas locuras creativas de LEGO. También hablamos de los nuevos periféricos de Logitech diseñados para la nueva generación, analizamos la subida de precios de GamePass por parte de Microsoft, y terminamos con nuestras primeras impresiones del esperadísimo Marvel's Wolverine de Insomniac. Un programa cargado de giros, anuncios y emociones fuertes, porque aquí las fieras no descansan ni cuando el mercado se vuelve salvaje. #ea #arabiasaudí #nintendo40añosmario #lego #logitech #gamepass #wolverine #insomniacgames #ps5 #xboxseriesx #pcgaming #fierasenjuego #videojuegos Únete a nuestro chat de telegram en el que miles de personas hablamos cada día de series: - Telegram – Grupo de debate: https://telegram.me/fueradeseries - Telegram – Canal de noticias: https://t.me/noticiasfds Síguenos en nuestras plataformas y podcast sobre series: - Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/fuera-de-series/id288039262 - Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3RTDss6AAGjSNozVOhDNzX?si=700febbf305144b7&nd=1 - iVoox - https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-fuera-series_sq_f12063_1.html Redes Sociales - Twitter: https://twitter.com/fueradeseries - Facebook: https://facebook.com/fueradeseries - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fueradeseries/ - Youtube: https://youtube.com/fueradeseries Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Liebe Freunde, heute feiert Sebastians Magazin seine 200ste Sendung. Und für`s Jubiläum hat er sich für seine kleine News-Sendung gleich zwei Änderungen am üblichen Konzept überlegt. Zum einen hat er mit JR und André Gäste in das Format eingeladen, das sonst eine Solo-Veranstaltung ist. Und zum anderen ist diese Folge direkt frei für alle. Und seien wir ehrlich: Es ist eine „Auf ein Bier“-Folge im Kostüm des Magazins. Aber vielleicht ist das ja ein schöner Vorgeschmack für alle, die dieses Backer-Format noch nicht kennen. Außerdem diskutieren wir ausgerechnet zum Magazin #200 so erklecklich krasse Schlagzeilen wie „EA geht für 55 Milliarden Dollar an die Saudis“ oder „Game Pass Abos werden krass teurer!“ Der Nachrichten-Gott meinte es gut mit uns! Viel Spaß bei dieser Sendung! André, Sebastian und Jochen Jetzt Abonnent werden: https://www.gamespodcast.de Timecodes: 00:00:00 - Einleitung 00:04:30 - Ein geplantes Assassin's Creed wird eingestellt 00:15:28 - Ein Abo für Payday 2 00:24:52 - Keine Updates mehr für Windows 10 00:31:04 - Brasilien verbietet Lootboxen 00:42:02 - EA wurde verkauft 01:21:50 - Microsoft erhöht Kosten für den GamePass 01:51:18 - Release- Ausblick In dieser Folge zu hören: Andre Peschke, Sebastian Stange & Jochen Redinger
China is stirring the pot on the tech trade wars once again. Sora has grown faster than even ChatGPT did. Is OpenAI now better at vibe coding than Anthropic is? How just a handful of malicious documents and poison an LLM. And in the longreads, the one game that has the fate of EA on its shoulders. China blacklists major chip research firm TechInsights following report on Huawei (CNBC) OpenAI's Sora hit 1 million downloads in less than five days (CNBC) OpenAI Is Catching Up To Anthropic in AI Coding (The Information) Meta Tells Its Metaverse Workers to Use AI to ‘Go 5X Faster' (Wired) It's trivially easy to poison LLMs into spitting out gibberish, says Anthropic (The Register) Kalshi, a Prediction Market, Raises Funds and Expands Overseas (NYTimes) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Battlefield 6 is a pivotal moment for the series — and EA (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is the famous “Tic Tac” a home-grown technology? In this deep-dive, Martin Willis sits down with mathematician and technologist Joshua Bertrand to explore the cutting edge—and century-long history—of America's lighter-than-air programs, vacuum-based aerogels, and the black-budget pathways that may intersect with the Nimitz Incident. Bertrand (B.Math, University of Waterloo; Computer Science honors; former EA/industry engineer) has spent nearly a decade cross-referencing open sources, defense programs, and material-science breakthroughs.SHOW NOTES Support the Show & Stay Connected!
WBS: This is Halloween Halloween Halloween #330 -- The gang is at it again. Brimstone is joined by his wing-man Alex DaPonte and Brim's wife Danielle as they chat about misfortunate cat adventures, EA in process of being bough and brought private, and is Garth Brooks a serial killer. They discuss pregnancy robots, suddenly Sidney, and Stan Lee Holograms at LA Comic Con. Brim explains what gets Within Brim's Skin.
Grath és Stöki retro videojátékos podcastjának nem retrós vadhajtása, havi hírkommentálás. Fő téma: az EA felvásárlása (a fő befektető egy szaúdi alap), emellett kibeszéltünk még egy rakás szeptemberi hírt. Kísérőposzt: https://iddqd.blog.hu/2025/10/10/checkpoint_now_2025_09_szaudi_gazdanal_az_ea 00:01:01 - Ezzel játszottunk a hónapban 00:05:26 - Kommentekre reagálás 00:12:35 - A hónap témája 00:33:58 - Havi kurrens hírek 01:53:50 - Üzleti hírek 01:58:50 - Retrós hírek 02:04:09 - Filmes hírek 02:11:55 - Halasztások, bejelentések májusban 02:19:45 - A hónap izéi
Watch the full podcast: https://youtu.be/t1gtUpXSqW8 Nintendo tries to ruin everything for the rest of us and EA...well EA is just ruining things.
COMPLETAS VIERNES - TIEMPO ORDINARIO(Oración antes del descanso nocturno)*Link de apoyo al canal al final del escrito*INVOCACIÓN INICIALV. Dios mío, ven en mi auxilioR. Señor, date prisa en socorrerme. Gloria al Padre, y al Hijo, y al Espíritu Santo.Como era en el principio, ahora y siempre, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.Salmo 87 - Ant. Señor, Dios mío, de día te pido auxilio, de noche grito en tu presencia.Señor, Dios mío, de día te pido auxilio,de noche grito en tu presencia;+ llegue hasta ti mi súplica,inclina tu oído a mi clamor.Porque mi alma está colmada de desdichas,y mi vida está al borde del abismo;ya me cuentan con los que bajan a la fosa,soy como un inválido.Tengo mi cama entre los muertos,como los caídos que yacen en el sepulcro,de los cuales ya no guardas memoria,porque fueron arrancados de tu mano.Me has colocado en lo hondo de la fosa,en las tinieblas del fondo;tu cólera pesa sobre mí,me echas encima todas tus olas.Has alejado de mí a mis conocidos,me has hecho repugnante para ellos:encerrado, no puedo salir,y los ojos se me nublan de pesar.Todo el día te estoy invocando,tendiendo las manos hacia ti.¿Harás tú maravillas por los muertos?¿Se alzarán las sombras para darte gracias?¿Se anuncia en el sepulcro tu misericordia,o tu fidelidad en el reino de la muerte?¿Se conocen tus maravillas en la tiniebla,o tu justicia en el país del olvido?Pero yo te pido auxilio,por la mañana irá a tu encuentro mi súplica.¿Por qué, Señor, me rechazasy me escondes tu rostro?Desde niño fui desgraciado y enfermo,me doblo bajo el peso de tus terrores,pasó sobre mí tu incendio,tus espantos me han consumido:me rodean como las aguas todo el día,me envuelven todos a una;alejaste de mí amigos y compañeros:mi compañía son las tinieblas.LECTURA BREVETú estás en medio de nosotros, Señor, tu nombre ha sido invocado sobre nosotros: no nos abandones, Señor Dios nuestro.RESPONSORIO BREVEV. En tus manos, Señor, encomiendo mi espíritu.R. En tus manos, Señor, encomiendo mi espíritu.V. Tú, el Dios leal, nos librarás.R. Te encomiendo mi espíritu.V. Gloria al Padre, y al Hijo, y al Espíritu Santo.R. En tus manos, Señor, encomiendo mi espíritu.CÁNTICO EVANGÉLICOAnt. Sálvanos, Señor, despiertos, protégenos mientras dormimos, para que velemos con Cristo y descansemos en paz.CÁNTICO DE SIMEÓN Lc 2, 29-32Ahora, Señor, según tu promesa,puedes dejar a tu siervo irse en paz,porque mis ojos han visto a tu Salvador,a quien has presentado ante todos los pueblosluz para alumbrar a las nacionesy gloria de tu pueblo Israel.Gloria al Padre, y al Hijo, y al Espíritu Santo.Como era en el principio, ahora y siempre, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.Ant. Sálvanos, Señor, despiertos, protégenos mientras dormimos, para que velemos con Cristo y descansemos en paz.OREMOSSeñor, Dios todopoderoso: ya que con nuestro descanso vamos a imitar a tu Hijo que reposó en el sepulcro, te pedimos que, al levantarnos mañana, lo imitemos también resucitando a una vida nueva. Por Cristo nuestro Señor.CONCLUSIÓNV. El Señor todopoderoso nos conceda una noche tranquila y una santa muerte.R. Amén.ANTÍFONA FINAL DE LA SANTISIMA VIRGENDios te salve, Reina y Madre de misericordia, vida, dulzura y esperanza nuestra, Dios te salve. A ti llamamos los desterrados hijos de Eva, a ti suspiramos, gimiendo y llorando, en este valle de lágrimas. Ea, pues, Señora, abogada nuestra, vuelve a nosotros esos tus ojos misericordiosos, y después de este destierro muéstranos a Jesús, fruto bendito de tu vientre. Oh clemente, oh piadosa, oh dulce Virgen María! (587)
Live From Top Golf with JT's Interview with Coach Carroll and Roundtable with EA and Q
We start off with an update on the 3I/Atlas object in space as it just made its way past Mars, as well as discuss a potentially new object that may hit Earth in the year 2032! We then take a few minutes to talk about Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau publicly dating. Speaking of celebs, the new AI actor Tilly Norwood has Hollywood enraged as the AI intity is being sought after by talent agencies. Sticking on the topic of technology, Elon's new kung fu robot that he brought to the premier of the new Tron movie might have a few more applications than he has been alluding to. Denmark grounds ALL drones, both military and civilian, as it preps for an EU summit in Copenhagen to discuss Russian air space breaches. Speaking of adversarial air movements, China sent fighter jets to run "constructive kills" on British Royal ships near Taiwan, as a way to train for what many belive will be an attack coming soon. The Saudi royal family just purchased EA gaming company, which may lead to a whole new wave of games to come from the company very soon! We just recieved word that there MAY finally be a ceasefire agreement in Isreal, which then leads us into a history debate about this region and the tactics of the past. Speaking of weapons and tactics, Lockheed Martin just secured new contracts for 296 more F35s to be built. There seems to be some contraversy in the WNBA about the pay the atheletes are recieving, and the cheif of the organization's comments are not pretty. Comey plead not guilty to the purgery charges, while 9 Republicans names are being brought up because their phone records were subpoenaed in relation to Jan 6! We then shift over to the government shut down conversation, and why Trump says he doesn't want to back pay federal employees. Florida man was responsible for the Palisade fires... I honestly didn't see that coming. We finish by discussing the possibilities of Trump invoking the insurection act, and what is really going on within the big cities of America. To join in on the conversation next Wednesday ight at 9 pm cst, come to patreon.com/CajunKnightBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cult-of-conspiracy--5700337/support.
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss Jacob's new book Gilded Rage, which explores the radicalization of Silicon Valley leaders, who are exerting their growing influence to shape our society for the worse. Jacob Silverman is an independent journalist and the author of Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley. Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Also mentioned in this episode: Jacob recently wrote about Musk's latest dodgy business dealings. The world continues to wonder at Trump's ability to get away with corruption and scandal. Saudi Arabia has been involved in Silicon Valley more than folks may have realized (prior to the EA buyout, anyway).
Feynriel returns with a new magical problem. This time, he is stuck in a dream and can't get out. The danger is intense–his power is catnip to demons and he would be unstoppable if turned into an abomination. Thanks to some ancient dalish magics, we can step into the fade despite not being mages and confront Feynriel's demons–literally. But, will our companions be able to resist temptation? Will Feynriel succumb to a demon's bargain? How will Varric tell this story if he refuses to enter the fade? Special thanks to Redd Spinks for our amazing logo as well as to Miracle of Sound for the song Age Of The Dragon, which we use as our theme music. You can find the show on Instagram and Bluesky!! You can find Matt's other work here! You can find Frankie's other work here! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Spotify! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here!
We're thrilled to speak with Trip Hawkins, founder and CEO EA, 3DO, Digital Chocolate and more. From childhood football strategy, to WWIII Sims, he grew to make a company of electronic artists who made legendary games. Calming Steve Jobs, hacking consoles and many firsts - this week!Episode Highlights[00:01:20] Celebrating 100 Episodes and a Wild Week for EA Alex and Aaron mark The Fourth Curtain's 100th episode and react to the breaking news that Electronic Arts is being taken private.[00:02:31] What Happens When a Giant Like EA Gets Bought? The hosts break down what a private-equity acquisition really means for EA, from stock prices to internal culture shifts.[00:05:10] Founding Electronic Arts: Trip's Vision for Creative Freedom Trip shares how he built EA around empowering developers and treating them like rock stars — a radical idea in the early '80s.[00:17:44] The Apple Years: Working Under Steve Jobs Trip reflects on his early days at Apple, what he learned from Steve Jobs, and how that experience shaped his entrepreneurial mindset.[00:33:28] Madden, Licensing, and Building a Sports Empire Trip talks about the birth of Madden NFL, navigating licensing deals, and why the franchise became a cornerstone of EA's success.[00:48:56] The 3DO Era: Ambition, Innovation, and Hard Lessons He opens up about the 3DO console — what went wrong, what it taught him, and how to recover when innovation gets ahead of its time.[01:04:37] The Future of Games and Trip's Next Chapter Trip closes by sharing his outlook on AI, creativity, and what he's building next after a lifetime of shaping the games industry.[01:20:14] Trip Hawkins on Failure, Resilience, and ReinventionTrip opens up about the three “acts” of his life — the rise, the fall, and learning to rebuild after hitting rock bottom.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfeVideos available at https://www.youtube.com/@thefourthcurtainFollow us on Twitter: @fourthcurtainEdited and mastered at https://noise-floor.com Audio Editor: Bryen HensleyVideo Editor: Sarkis GrigorianProducer: Kimya TaheriArt: Paul RusselCommunity Manager: Doug ZartmanFeaturing Liberation by 505
SUBSCRIBE NOW!!!! on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher & Audible. This week on the Press X to Start Gamer's Digest: DJ & Sean talk about Xbox's tone deaf Game Pass decision; EA planning to cut costs with AI; Amazon's revamped Luna; Ghost of Yotei and much more! Gaming News - Time code: 1:41 Xbox makes the universally panned decision of raising the price of Game Pass Ultimate by 50%; Ghost Of Yotei clears a big financial milestone upon release; Arc Raiders delayed for 3 years after devs realized that wasn't a good time; The new overlord of EA plans to use AI to "cut operating costs"; FFVII Remake pt 3 won't be impacted by the new multiplatform approach; Amazon's revamped cloud-gaming service features party games and...Snoop Dogg for some reason; Capcom leaves fans baffled as it locks the SF6 Finales behind a paywall; The Black Ops 7 beta just dropped and people are already cheating; Applications for Marathon's closed tech test are now open. What Have We Been Playing - Time code: 53:11 Sean finally beats Donkey Kong Bananza and then joins DJ in Japan for some samurai shenanigans with Ghost Of Yotei. If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you're using. Every little bit helps! Want to ask a question, ask us at PressX2start.com/Questions Join/Follow Us: Youtube: Press X To Start TV Twitch: pressxtostarttv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pressx2start Twitter: @PressX2S Instagram: @PressX2Start TikTok: @pressx2start You can find more info about the Press X and who we are at www.PressX2start.com. If you have any questions or just want to tell us how great (or just slightly okay) we're doing or how we can be better, be a friend and reach out and email us at pressxtostartpodcast@gmail.com End music by @MarcoMavy on IG & Twitter Be good to each other, Peace!
Off the Deep End is on the pulse of hot and relevant video games this week with a look at a video game from last year that you likely forgot came out, Dragon Age The Veilguard. Can moxie and half-decent combat overcome a deeply troubled development? Did Braden really say he wants this game to be *more* like Destiny? Is Dragon Age even a coherent series? Are their jokes about this being The Last Bioware game more or less funny in light of the EA buyout news? All this and more talking in this week's thrilling episode! Please consider donating to the National Network of Abortion Funds: abortionfunds.org/donate If you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/DeepListens If you like our new art and want to commission some of your own, reach out to Tyler at tylerorbin.net
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/AnalyticJoin The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0KJoin Analytic Dreamz on Notorious Mass Effect for a deep dive into EA's historic $55 billion buyout by Saudi PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. Analytic Dreamz unpacks the largest private equity LBO ever, with $20B debt and $210/share premium. Explore EA's $7.5B revenue, franchises like EA Sports FC, and risks of layoffs, microtransaction focus, and creative stagnation. Analytic Dreamz breaks down analyst views, gamer backlash, ethical concerns, and AI-driven shifts, offering a data-rich look at gaming's biggest deal and its impact on the $500B industry. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
This week-ahead reading for Oct 6-12, 2025 is an excerpt from this week's Somatic Space class with Renee Sills. For the full-length forecast and embodied practice for this week, purchase the recording here. The writing read in today's class was by Assata Shakur, you can read the excerpt here.Over the course of Libra Season's sessions we are working the energetics of balance, polarity, opposition, and duality, exploring love, equanimity, and justice as somatic states and embodied ideals.
This weeks crew: Webby, Darren, Nick, Graham We spend an hour discussing Xbox and the fall out of raising the price of Gamepass, all Xbox Studio games being muti-platform and what this means for the gamers. We also discuss Xbox rumoured to be leaving the console business and the fallout of stores not stocking the consoles or games. Playstation Slim now has a smaller hard drive and EA being bought out by the Saudi's. Games we have played include: GT7, Cronos, Batman Telltale, Sword of the Sea, Puzzle Quest, Astrobot, Star Citizen, F1 25, Goldeneye, Mario Galaxy, Earthion, Ghost of Yotei, and more. https://www.patreon.com/360gamercast https://discord.gg/CqDMSg9 https://www.facebook.com/groups/360gamercast/ https://twitter.com/Webby360G https://twitter.com/360GamerCast All Access Patrons - John Smith
This week we talk about Electronic Arts, 3DO, and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.We also discuss Jared Kushner, leveraged buyouts, and loot boxes.Recommended Book: Bandwidth by Dan CarusoTranscriptElectronic Arts, often shorthanded as EA, was founded in 1982 in California by a former Apple employee named Trip Hawkins, who also went on to found the ill-fated 3DO company, which made video game hardware, and the somewhat more prolific, but also ultimately ill-fated casual game developer Digital Chocolate.EA, though, has been an absolutely astounding success. It's business model was predicated on the premise of selling video games directly to retailers, rather than going through intermediaries. This allowed them to gain more market share than their competitors right off the bat, and it helped them glean higher margins than their competitors from each direct sale, too.EA also established an early reputation for treating its developers really well. They were the first gaming company to feature their developers in advertising and to give them platforms, promoting them as video game artists, basically, and it shared the profits netted from those direct sales with these develops—which in turn meant all the best developers really wanted to work for EA, which led to a beneficial cycle where they created better and better, and more and more financially successful games.In the late-80s, they started deviating from this model somewhat, scooping up a collection of successful independent game development studios and deviating, at times, from the creative lead's vision when releasing their games. They also refocused a fair bit of their resources on franchises, like the immensely successful, as it turned out, Madden NFL series, and they branched out into producing games for the console market, including the still-new Nintendo Entertainment System, in 1990.That same year, EA went public on the NASDAQ, the company got new leadership when Hawkins decided to refocus on his far less successful 3DO hardware startup, and in an interesting twist, the arrival of the Sony Playstation in North America caused EA to drop support for 3DO hardware in the mid-90s so it could refocus on Playstation games, which were a lot more lucrative.By the mid-90s, EA had an astonishingly large and successful software library, including franchises like the aforementioned Madden games and the FIFA soccer games, but also celebrity-tied games like Shaq Fu, and military shooters like Jungle and Urban Strike.By the early-2000s, EA was making exclusive licensing deals with the NFL and ESPN, in order to stave off newfound sports game competitors, and it was the only video game company to consistently make a profit, most others experiencing feast and famine cycles, with periodic wins, but a whole lot of losses they had to cover with the profits from those wins. EA, in contrast, had a reliable stable of profit-sources, and it thus had a whole lot of leverage in terms of attracting and retaining talent, but also getting big names and brands on board, for collaborative projects.What I'd like to talk about today is what happened to EA during and following the 2008 economic crisis, and how and why it recently became an acquisition target for Saudi Arabia.—In 2008, when the global economy was collapsing, EA suffered a bad holiday sales season and fired 1,100 employees and closed 12 of their facilities early the following year. Later in 2009, the company announced the firing of another 1,500 employees, which was about 17% of their total workforce at the time, and in 2010 they acquired a gaming company that focused on mobile games, which were becoming increasingly popular, now that many people had touch-capable smartphones, which brought hot new franchises like Angry Birds under their brand umbrella.On the strength of that acquisition and all those downsizings, in early 2011, EA announced that it hit $3.8 billion in revenue in the financial year for the first time, and in early 2012, it announced it surpassed $1 billion in digital revenue during the previous year, which was a huge figure that early in the digital media landscape. It used some of those profits to scoop up another mobile-first gaming company, adding properties like Plants vs Zombies and Peggle to their library.EA completed another mass-firing in 2013, dismissing 10% of their employees under what they called a reorganization, around the same time they announced an exclusive license with Disney that would allow them to develop Star Wars games.Their stock value boomed in the following years, as a result of those cost-savings measures, and those new relationships, and emboldened by record-high stock valuations, in the mid-20-teens, the company started releasing big-name games, like Star Wars Battlefront 2, with random-content loot boxes and other sorts of microtransactions.This did not go over well with players, who decried these in-game purchasing options as ‘pay to win' mechanics, as players could pay more money to get better characters and equipment, and a lot of the content, even after paying for the expensive games, was still locked behind paywalls, requiring more payments to unlock that content. A bunch of gaming journalists cried foul on this shift as the game careened toward its full release, as did a whole lot of early players, and Disney complained, too, so by the time it hit shelves, the game's loot system was substantially changed, but that whole controversy spooked investors, and led to an 8.5% stock value drop in just a single month, knocking $3.1 billion from the company's valuation. As a result of that controversy, EA also became the face for a larger legal and legislative debate about in-game purchases and how it's kinda sorta like gambling, from that point forward.Soon after, EA experienced a series of bad quarters, including a huge drop of 13.3% to its valuation when a major entry in one of their larger franchises, Battlefield V, was released late, and received very mixed reviews when it was released, which led to a million fewer sold copies than anticipated. The game was also lagging in terms of gameplay behind smaller, nimbler competitors, including then-burgeoning Fortnite.The company saw an overall boost with the surprise success of Apex Legends, and the COVID-19 pandemic boosted sales dramatically for a while, since everyone was staying home, which allowed EA to gobble up a few more competing companies with successful franchises, and they knocked out a few more successful Star Wars games, as well.In early 2021, Saudi Arabia's public investment funds bought 7.4 million shares of EA for about $1.1 billion, which flew under the radar for most gamers, but that'll be important in a moment.Later that year, the company experienced a massive hack, a lot of its data, including the source code for games, stolen and sold on the dark web. EA bought some more competitors, but word on the street in 2022 was the the higher ups at EA were quietly shopping the company around, themselves looking to be acquired by a larger entity, on the scale of Apple or Disney.In early 2023, the company announced more mass-layoffs and launched another internal reorganization. It gutted several of its most popular gaming sub-brands, including BioWare, it cancelled an upcoming Star Wars game, and it announced that it would be shifting away from licensing agreements and refocusing on EA-owned IP.The pattern of layoffs leading to better financial fortunes didn't pay off this time, though. In early 2025, EA divulged that it expected to underperform in the coming year, several of its big-name titles not doing as well as expected; the company cast blame on the market, but players and journalists pointed at the company's gutting of its big-name studios, and the firing of many of its veteran developers to explain the reduced sales.EA had another mass-firing in April of this year, and followed by another in May, which paralleled an announcement that they would no longer be moving forward with a big, planned Black Panther game.In late September of 2025, EA announced that it had reached a deal, worth $55 billion, to go private, no longer selling shares on the stock market, with the financial assistance of a group of investors, which included Affinity Partners, which is led by Jared Kushner, US President Trump's son-in-law, Silver Lake, which is a US-based private equity firm that helps make these sorts of big sales happen, and the aforementioned Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.This deal isn't done yet, it still needs to get regulatory approval and a successful vote by stockholders, but it seems likely to go through, since the US regulatory environment is pretty lax at the moment, and because Kushner is involved, it's unlikely President Trump will take a personal disliking to it.But the big story here seems to be that Saudi Arabia is buying up not just a video game company, but one of the biggest and most successful video gaming companies in the world, which, although it's lost a lot of fan-credibility over the years, still owns some massively influential intellectual property and has just a stunning number of relationships and connections throughout the media world, alongside its huge valuation.If the sale does go through, and we should know for sure by sometime around June 2026, it would be the largest-ever leveraged buyout, which means the purchase was completed by using borrowed money that was borrowed against the asset being purchased; so those investors have taken out debt against EA itself, which is an increasingly common means of buying a large asset on the cheap, but it also typically burdens that asset with a simply astounding amount of debt which must then be recouped, often by selling off undervalued assets.When this happens to a newspaper, for instance, the buyer will often sell off the paper's real estate and fire all their employees, to make money and pay off that debt, and in this case, there's a chance that debt will be paid by throwing up a bunch of new paywalls and really leaning into those in-game transactions that nobody really liked, including politicians, back in the day, but which in this current regulatory environment would probably be allowed, and they would probably make some serious bank off of it initially, before players started getting wise and moving on to other games released by less predatory companies.The really interesting facet of this story, though, is the question of why Saudi Arabia wants a video game company.And to understand that, it's important to understand that, first, the country's Public Investment Fund is meant to help its economy shift away from purely extractive resources, like oil, and it has thus invested in all sorts of things, including luxury beach resorts, minority stakes in financial service companies like Citigroup, stakes in companies like Disney and Boeing and Meta, and increasingly, investments in companies run by allies of President Trump, like the aforementioned Affinity Partners, which was formed by Jared Kushner.So this is an economic play, but also a political play, almost certainly, by the Saudis, to get in good with the people who are in good with the US government.It's also been alleged that this might be an attempt by the Saudis to engage in what's being called game-washing, which is similar to greenwashing, but instead of trying to make a company seem green and sustainable by doing kinda sorta green things, but only as a veneer to cover up the opposite, in this case it means using sports and video games and the like to increase a nation's reputation with humanistic seeming things, despite, well, the truth being much more complicated.Just as when the Fund participated in buying a Premier League football, a soccer team, back in 2021, then, alongside their concomitant establishment of LIV Gold, a golf league meant to compete with the PGA, this investment in EA, and other investments it's made in video game companies like Capcom and Nexon, might be part of a larger effort to diversify the nation's brand, not just its economics. It's human rights record is abysmal, and it's possible they're trying to cover that up, make people forget about it, by creating more connections between Saudi Arabia and more positive things, like sports and games and the like.There are additional concerns about this purchase of EA, too, by the way, because Saudi Arabia's cultural values are very anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-liberal, democratic values. So there are fears that we might see less representation and fewer what we might call western values portrayed in the games released by these studios, as a result of this ownership.The folks running EA have said their core values will remain unchanged by the buyout, but it's expected, bare-minimum, that this will lead to another several restructurings and mass-layoffs throughout the company in the coming years, to help recoup all that debt, at the end of which even the people making those promises might be long gone.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Investment_Fundhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/business/dealbook/electronic-arts-buyout-jared-kushner.htmlhttps://www.wsj.com/business/deals/ea-private-deal-buyout-video-game-maker-808aefechttps://www.ft.com/content/61cef75e-ceba-43ee-80e3-040756c6154f?accessToken=zwAGQAMTiJKIkc9hzvdezrpD7tOA4wQHVsYVTw.MEUCIHND3WOT4rS4frIMIOoeXHQeil_Ma1yGrwOqUD2m306DAiEAtA_QLvpyObai9zoo_9GZSljJuJyTKxJgFHpQDcCcVsE&sharetype=gift&token=03dd6ca5-c34f-4925-8a3d-a89f4058ee80https://www.wsj.com/business/deals/ea-silver-lake-deal-jared-kushner-c145cd55?st=eZghQHhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Arts This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
All anyone wants to talk about right now is Electronic Arts, and reasonably so. The American publishing titan is on the verge of being purchased by external interests for $55 billion, and when we say external, we mean it. The major player in reverting EA to a private corporation is Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, muddying this already complex deal that also happens to be the largest leveraged buyout in human history. Perhaps not surprisingly, this gives us much to pontificate on. Other news this week includes rumblings of a DualSense revision with a removable battery, the very real potential that a Prototype remaster is imminent, the wisdom (or perhaps lack thereof) in Forza Horizon 6 skipping PlayStation 5 at launch, and more. We then get into listener inquiries to wrap up the show, as we always do. What are our thoughts on Xbox's staggering Game Pass price hike? How do we feel about Magic: The Gathering's stylish new collaboration with PlayStation? Is Destiny officially on death's door? Will Dustin have a coffee named after him at a cafe in Texas? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:27:35 - Sacred Sweaters! Preorder starts Monday!0:30:44 - Sacred Coffee specials0:38:06 - Salary for a henchman0:44:03 - EA sells to a consortium for $55 billion1:31:33 - Is Sony a "terrible company"?1:46:24 - New DualSense revision1:53:25 - Revisions to the PS5 Slim1:54:51 - Prototype remaster incoming?2:05:22 - Forza Horizon 6 is coming to PS5, but delayed2:14:03 - Ubisoft and Tecent's collaboration is called Vantage Studios2:17:13 - What We're Playing (Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition, BioShock 2, Baby Steps, Silent Hill f, Megabonk)2:46:17 - Xbox's price hike3:23:32 - What's next for Halo?3:40:36 - Direct sequels or spiritual successors3:47:29 - Sony/Magic the Gathering3:57:56 - Is Destiny 2 dead?4:04:54 - Series prime for AA sequels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jeff and Christian welcome Daniel Bloodworth from Easy Allies to the show this week to discuss the huge price increase to Xbox Gamepass, the huge sale of EA to the Saudis, and huge amounts of ads for a free cloud gaming service. The Playlist: Daniel: Tokyo Game Show, Anata, Power Wash Simulator 2, Lego Party, Carimara Christian: Hades II, Fortnite x Kpop Demon Hunters Jeff: Cloverpit, finished Lego Voyagers, Lego Party, Sonic Racing: Crossworlds Parting Gifts!