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Playing Politics: September 2026
The September 2026 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo addresses the intersection of American political messaging and the gaming sector, specifically focusing on the White House’s recent utilization of video game intellectual property for promotional purposes.
- The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund is reportedly considering a merger between Savvy Games Group and Electronic Arts.
- The White House has launched a digital arcade featuring five 'Trump-ified' versions of popular video games to promote administration talking points.
- The Trump administration utilized social media to post a video featuring an N64-style parody of Donald Trump, raising concerns regarding copyright infringement of intellectual property owned by companies like Nintendo and Sega.
All’s Well That Endres Well: VGIM Daily, 24/08/2026
The August 24, 2026, edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a comprehensive preview of Gamescom, the prominent international video game trade and consumer event held in Cologne, Germany.
- Gamescom 2026 has reached a record capacity with over 1,600 registered companies and exhibitors from 67 countries, utilizing 47 national pavilions.
- The event's growth is attributed to its hybrid model, specifically the 2019 launch of Opening Night Live and subsequent digital platform expansion, which now generates over 1.1 billion views on digital content.
- Gamescom is hosting the first European 'Games Done Quick' event, which features a 'Gaming for Democracy' initiative to facilitate charitable donations.
Stop Killing Games: Playing Politics, August 2026
The August 2026 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo examines the unintended consequences of the CyberLeek group’s unauthorized disclosure of Grand Theft Auto VI assets.
- The consumer advocacy campaign 'Stop Killing Games' is experiencing negative collateral damage from the 'CyberLeek' group's recent leaks of Grand Theft Auto VI assets and footage.
- While Rockstar Games is the primary target of the CyberLeek leaks, the report indicates that the 'Stop Killing Games' campaign is suffering more significant strategic harm from the association than the developer is experiencing in direct business damage.
- The CyberLeek group has utilized social media to disseminate stolen content related to the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI, creating a volatile environment that has ensnared unrelated industry advocacy efforts.
Five Video Game Journalists You Should Be Following: 20 August 2026
The August 20, 2026, edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a curated guide to essential voices in contemporary games journalism.
- Apple has proposed a 15% fee for digital purchases made outside the App Store, with a reduced 5% rate for small businesses, as part of its ongoing legal dispute with Epic Games.
- France’s constitutional council has blocked a proposed law that would have banned social media access for individuals under 15, citing infringements on freedom of expression.
- Twitch is facing backlash after announcing that user content is being used for AI training, with reports indicating that data harvesting may have occurred prior to the official opt-out announcement.
Playing Politics: How to Grow the UK Video Games Industry's Influence
The July 2026 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo, titled Playing Politics, examines the strategic shortcomings of the United Kingdom’s video games sector regarding its political engagement and institutional presence.
- The UK video games industry needs to increase its political influence by moving away from secrecy and investing more heavily in its own institutions.
- Ofcom has signaled a shift toward stricter regulatory enforcement regarding age assurance technology for businesses.
- The industry is currently facing a critical need to improve its strategic engagement with political stakeholders to better shape its future operating environment.
The Other Putin: Playing Politics
The piece serves as a promotional preview for George E. Osborn’s forthcoming audiobook, Power Play, released on major platforms such as Audible and Spotify.
- George E. Osborn is releasing a new audiobook titled 'Power Play' on major platforms including Audible and Spotify this Thursday.
- The final audiobook is condensed to 12.5 hours from the original manuscript and was recorded during a four-day session in London.
- A 14-minute exclusive excerpt from Chapter 6, 'Nothing is True and Everything is Playable,' is available to Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) Insiders.
The Sharma Memo
The recent appointment of Asha Sharma as CEO of Xbox marks a strategic pivot for Microsoft’s $25 billion gaming division, moving away from a content-centric subscription model toward a platform-based approach that prioritizes audience aggregation and indirect monetization.
- Xbox is pivoting from a content-centric subscription model to an ad-supported platform strategy under new CEO Asha Sharma, as the current $30/month Game Pass model has hit a structural growth ceiling.
- The company aims to close a significant monetization gap, noting that gaming currently captures less than 4% of digital advertising spend despite accounting for 13% of consumer time.
- The new strategy adopts an 'Instacart model' that utilizes advertising as a high-margin growth driver to subsidize access and expand the platform to a broader, global audience.
Roblox’s Rumble Down Under: Playing Politics, February 2026
The February 2026 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo examines the intersection of digital platform governance and political oversight, specifically focusing on the mounting regulatory pressure facing Roblox in Australia.
- Australian Communications Minister Annika Wells has formally demanded a meeting with Roblox to address ongoing concerns regarding content safety and moderation on the platform.
- The Australian government is shifting toward more aggressive regulatory intervention, demanding greater accountability from digital service providers operating within its jurisdiction.
- The confrontation highlights a growing global trend of national governments intensifying scrutiny over user-generated content and safety standards within interactive digital environments.
Games for Change Is Coming to London
The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) has announced a strategic partnership with the London Games Festival and the non-profit organization Games for Change to host a inaugural one-day summit in London on April 15, 2026.
- The Video Games Industry Memo, London Games Festival, and Games for Change will host an inaugural social impact summit in London on April 15, 2026, targeting 150 professionals from the gaming, civil society, and political sectors.
- The summit aims to establish a centralized forum for 'serious games' development in the UK and Europe, addressing gaps in consistent support and funding for projects focused on public health, sustainability, diversity, and education.
- The Nintendo Switch has officially surpassed the Nintendo DS to become the best-selling console in Nintendo's history.
Inside the World Health Organization's Video Games Webinar, Playing Politics
The January 2026 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo examines the evolving intersection of global health policy and interactive entertainment.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) hosted a webinar on January 14, 2026, titled 'Social Health and Digital Play' to discuss the impact of gaming on social isolation and loneliness.
- Despite the stated goal of exploring social health, the WHO webinar struggled to move beyond its institutional focus on gaming disorder and negative mental health narratives.
- The January 2026 event convened 245 participants, including a mix of academics, industry representatives, and policymakers.
George's Cultural Picks of 2025
The year-end review serves as a personal retrospective of notable cultural developments throughout 2025, specifically curated for subscribers of the Video Games Industry Memo.
- The 2025 year-end review serves as a subjective retrospective of cultural touchpoints and media trends within the global entertainment landscape.
- The content is curated specifically for subscribers of the Video Games Industry Memo to provide context for the creative environment that influenced industry output throughout 2025.
- The analysis relies on qualitative editorial curation rather than quantitative market research or formal data sets.
You're Invited to VGIM's 2nd Birthday Party
The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) is marking its second anniversary by hosting a networking event for industry professionals.
- The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) will host its second-anniversary networking event on November 26, 2025, at The Craft Beer Pub in Farringdon, London.
- The event is sponsored by Fifty, The Games Rating Authority, and Renaissance PR, highlighting the publication's established ties with key industry stakeholders.
- Attendance is free, but participants must secure tickets in advance due to venue capacity constraints.