With Activision Blizzard King now formally a part of tech giant Microsoft, changes are definitely happening. But what is happening and why? And is the firing of almost 2,000 people cause for industry-wide alarm? Let's talk about it...LIVE in Virtual Legality KEY POINTS - Microsoft's decision to lay off approximately 1900 roles from its gaming workforce is a reflection of the business process of identifying redundancies and aligning strategies post-merger, which, while legally and economically sound, can be deeply impactful to the individuals affected. - The layoffs at Microsoft are not isolated but part of a broader trend in the gaming industry, where companies are adjusting to a post-pandemic economic environment that includes reduced revenue growth and increased costs. - Unions in the gaming industry argue that while they may not prevent layoffs, union representation can offer workers greater transparency and layoff protections; the actual effectiveness of unions in layoff scenarios can vary. *** CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction and background 1:16 Microsoft and Activision Blizzard merger and layoffs 9:21 Role of investors and stockholders in a corporation 16:05 Departure of leadership personnel 19:19 Role of unions 24:19 Outsourcing of customer support and future of Xbox in retail 26:05 Cancellation of Blizzard's unnamed game and related layoffs 29:03 State of the gaming industry, layoffs, and the impact of generative AI 37:14 Listener queries on gaming industry trends and transition of Activision Blizzard 49:10 Future of game development, types of redundancies, and potential layoffs 57:21 The future of gaming, console preferences, and potential acquisitions 59:08 Closing remarks and disclaimers *** SUPPORTING THE CHANNEL UTREON/PLAYEUR - https://playeur.com/c/aT-zMZf4XVIxwix2pAVNjE/videos/virtual-legality PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/VirtualLegality STORE - null *** Discussed in this episode: (AS A RESULT OF YOUTUBE POLICIES, LINKS WILL NO LONGER BE PROVIDED HERE. PLEASE SEE PODCAST NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE AT https://vl.hoeglaw.com/.) *** "Virtual Legality" is a continuing series discussing the law, video games, software, and everything digital, hosted by Richard Hoeg, of the Hoeg Law Business Law Firm (Hoeg Law). CHECK OUT THE REST OF VIRTUAL LEGALITY HERE:    • Virtual Legality   DISCUSSION IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE. INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN THE LEGAL TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS VIDEO SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEIR OWN COUNSEL. PODCAST PAGE (with AI chat links) https://vl.hoeglaw.com/