Memo
Company
Documents about Memo
George's VGIM Update: August 2025
The August 2025 update for the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a status report on the publication’s operational trajectory and the author’s professional projects.
- The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) has surpassed 5,000 free subscribers and achieved a 10% increase in paid memberships since the start of summer 2025.
- Author George is extending his operational hiatus until October 2, 2025, to finalize his book, 'Power Play: Video Games, Politics, and the Battle for Global Influence,' which is scheduled for release in June 2026.
- During the author's absence in September 2025, contributors George Young and Tom Regan will manage newsletter operations to maintain content continuity.
Ask George: Power Play Special, July 2025
The July 2025 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo provides a status update regarding the publication of the book Power Play.
- Prometheus has acquired the North American publishing rights for the book Power Play.
- The book Power Play will be released with a new subtitle as part of its upcoming publication.
- The author has entered a period of dedicated leave to finalize the manuscript following 12 months of development.
Ask George: June 2025
The June 2025 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as an analytical update on critical hardware and labor developments within the global gaming sector.
- The SAG-AFTRA generative AI agreement serves as a critical precedent for future labor negotiations and policy development across the technology and entertainment sectors.
- Industry stakeholders are currently undergoing a structural recalibration of game development budgets to adapt to a maturing global market.
- Hands-on evaluations of the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware as of June 2025 have yielded a positive, though cautious, assessment of the platform.
State of the Union: An Insider Look at the Video Games Industry
The provided text serves as an introductory overview for a periodic state-of-the-union update regarding the Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM), a niche publication focused on the business and professional landscape of the gaming sector.
- The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) has transitioned to a reader-supported business model to sustain its operations.
- Paid membership benefits include exclusive access to industry events, product discounts, and additional proprietary content.
- The publication focuses exclusively on the professional business landscape, industry trends, and networking opportunities within the gaming sector.
Ask George: March 2025
The March 2025 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as an analytical Q&A column designed to provide industry professionals with insights into current market trends and strategic developments.
- Netflix is actively integrating generative artificial intelligence into its gaming and interactive media strategy to strengthen its position in the digital entertainment market.
- The broader video game industry experienced significant volatility throughout the first quarter of 2025.
- Despite general market instability, specific industry sectors and AI-integrated applications are showing resilience and potential for future expansion.
Pitching Guidelines for PRs
The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) provides clear guidelines for public relations professionals seeking to secure editorial coverage within its weekly publication.
- Pitches must focus on high-level policy, commercial, and cultural trends rather than consumer-facing content like standard game reviews, previews, or guides.
- Editorial priority is given to substantive offerings such as access to senior leadership, exclusive market data, or analysis of gaming's intersection with AI, healthtech, and geopolitics.
- Interview subjects must be prepared for rigorous, analytical dialogue and avoid superficial or overly managed promotional messaging.
Five Video Games Newsletters Worth Reading: February 6, 2025
The 100th edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a milestone reflection on the evolving landscape of gaming journalism.
- Sumo Group has ceased all internal intellectual property initiatives to pivot exclusively toward providing development services for other companies.
- The Entertainment Software Association has raised formal concerns regarding the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors on the gaming industry.
- A recent House of Lords report warns that the United Kingdom faces the risk of becoming an 'incubator economy' due to insufficient support for creative tech startups.
Ask George: December 2024
The December 2024 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a year-end personal reflection, shifting away from standard industry analysis to curate a list of cultural highlights.
- The December 2024 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a personal year-end reflection rather than a professional industry analysis.
- The report provides a subjective list of media highlights across six categories: fiction, non-fiction, film, television, music, and video games.
- Specific cultural recommendations include The Secret History (1992), Meet Me in the Bathroom (2017), Sing Sing (2023), Tigers Blood (2024), Industry (2020–2024), and Fallout: New Vegas (2010).
Ask George: November 2024
The November 2024 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a monthly question-and-answer column addressing operational and industry-related inquiries from subscribers.
- The publication maintains its presence on Substack following the platform's early 2024 policy reversal regarding the removal of extremist content.
- The author evaluated alternative hosting platforms including Ghost, Beehiiv, and ButtonDown during late 2023 but determined that the logistical migration burden was unfeasible during a period of high professional stress.
- Continued use of the Substack platform is conditional, with the author prepared to migrate the publication if future moderation failures occur.
Ask George: October 2024
The October 2024 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a summary of insights shared during a Q&A session at the Education Symposium in Melbourne.
- Video games are currently undervalued as a cultural force despite their widespread influence on daily life and societal dynamics.
- The gaming industry must prioritize the development of better support structures to assist parents in navigating digital gaming environments.
- A shift in public and industry perception is required to recognize gaming as a critical cultural medium rather than a peripheral activity.
Ask George: September 2024
The September 2024 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a Q&A-style commentary, providing personal insights into the gaming habits of industry analyst George Osborn while touching upon broader sector trends.
- The esports sector is currently undergoing a critical evaluation to determine if the industry has moved past its peak growth phase.
- Regulatory scrutiny is intensifying regarding the intersection of loot box monetization mechanics and legal definitions of gambling.
- Player engagement trends favor titles that prioritize meaningful agency and world-building, exemplified by RPGs like Pentiment and Fallout: New Vegas.
Introducing VGIM Insider
The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) has launched a new paid subscription tier, VGIM Insider, designed to establish a sustainable financial foundation for the newsletter’s continued operation.
- The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) has launched a paid subscription tier, VGIM Insider, to secure a sustainable financial model for its independent editorial operations.
- The core weekly newsletter will remain free to all readers, continuing to be supported by existing advertising partnerships.
- VGIM Insider is priced at £6 per month or £50 per year, with additional discounts offered for early adopters and group business subscriptions.