We’re Back, Baby––And It’s For Real This Time
June 13, 2025
After a much-needed (and much-longer-than-expected) hiatus, Laine and Joost return to kick off this season of UNBOXING with a new episode. What happened while we were away? Only, like, the entire industry collapsing.
But first: some catching up. Laine went on a world sabbatical that included pit stops in Tokyo, Taipei, Athens, Brussels, and Paris. Joost stayed grounded, worked on his business, fixed a baby blue cruiser bike, and is coping with his kids getting older (and taller). Life happened—and so did burnout. But with the help of a dedicated producer (shoutout to Keaton) and a new platform (goodbye, Substack. Hello, Buttondown!), the pod has found its second wind.
And good thing, too—because there’s a lot to unbox!
This episode surveys a year of dramatic transformation in games. Joost outlines how the market has officially entered a “formal decline,” with over 15,000 layoffs in 2024 alone. Laine revisits the empty promises of forever growth and the dawning realization that maybe—just maybe—games aren’t immune to late-stage capitalism. Both comment on some of the recent news coverage of Roblox––and the risk that its online space poses to children. Then, Joost reflects on the emergence of “luxury gamers” as the new monetization target, while Laine breaks down how market segmentation in mobile has become a terrifying spreadsheet science of hyper-casual-hybrid-casual-everything.
They also dive into the year’s big legal and regulatory fights—Epic vs. Apple, Steam’s looming class action, and the bizarrely persistent in-app tax. Laine offers a scorching recap of their testimony at the Copyright Office advocating for game preservation, only to be stonewalled (again) by the ESA’s lawyers.
There are bright spots: The Last of Us and Fallout shows elevated games to new cultural heights; Black Myth: Wukong gave China a moment of global prestige; SAG-AFTRA announces they’ve reached a tentative agreement with video game companies; and the GTA VI hype machine rolls ever onward, keeping hope alive for an industry in need of a win.
So pull up a chair. It’s long, it’s lively, and it’s a reminder of why we missed this so damn much.
Listen in!