Episode 196: We Have Horizon: Zero Dawn at Home (News Show)

INT. POSH HOTEL SUITE - DAY TENCENT: Hey, Sony. Can we make a Horizon game? SONY: Nah. We good. TENCENT: Oh okay. Bummer. SONY: WHAT THE F—- So yeah… Sony is suing Tencent for what it calls a “slavish clone” of Horizon: Zero Dawn. Bold move! Also: EA, Microsoft, Capcom earnings, an update on the Mastercard/Visa censorship of legal game content, and more. You can support Virtual Economy’s growth via our Ko-Fi and also purchase Virtual Economy merchandise! TIME STAMPS [00:00:30] - Some News From Us! [00:05:21] - An Update on the Conservative Assault on Steam and Itch.io [00:15:34] - EA Q1 FY26 Earnings [00:20:25] - Microsoft Q4 FY25 Earnings [00:30:00] - Capcom Q1 FY26 Earnings [00:35:48] - Sony Sues Tencent Over Horizon: Zero Dawn Clone [00:41:59] - Investment Interlude [00:50:23] - Quick Hits [00:50:44] - Labor Report SOURCES Mastercard Denies Pressuring Steam To Censor ‘NSFW’ Games [Update: Valve Responds] | Kotaku Vile is Banned | DreadXP Freedom to Buy Games | GOG Electronic Arts Reports Q1 FY26 Results | EA Earnings Release FY25 Q4 | Microsoft Consolidated financial results for the 1st Quarter of FY2025 | Capcom Sony’s PlayStation Sues Tencent Over Its ‘Slavish Clone’ of ‘Horizon’ Video Game Franchise | Variety Complaint for Copyright and Trademark Infringement | United States District Court, Northern District of California INVESTMENT INTERLUDE Atari enters into an agreement to invest in Thunderful Group AB | Atari Puzzle & Dragons studio considers shareholder group request for a vote to dismiss its president | VGC Lyrical Media Launches Indie Video Game Publisher Led by UTA, Take Two Vet Blake Rochkind; Three Titles in Development | Variety LABOR REPORT Supermassive Layoffs | Supermassive on LinkedIn Indie Publisher Firestoke Games is Shutting Down | Paul Farley on LinkedIn The studio behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed brings in union after facing closure | GamesIndustry Raven Software Workers Secure First Contract at Microsoft | CODE-CWA