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Advertise in VGIM
Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) provides a specialized advertising platform for organizations seeking to reach a high-level audience within the global video games sector.
- VGIM reaches an audience of over 4,000 industry professionals, with nearly 40% of subscribers holding C-level, founder, or director roles.
- The publication maintains high engagement levels, reporting a 44% weekly open rate and a 10% click-through rate per edition.
- The readership is heavily concentrated in the UK (49%) and the US (18%), with over 60% of subscribers working in marketing, business development, law, or policy.
VGIM Insider
The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) Insider program functions as a premium subscription tier designed to augment the existing weekly industry newsletter.
- The VGIM Insider program offers a tiered subscription model for industry professionals, with standard monthly access at £6 and an annual rate of £50, representing a 31% discount.
- Group subscriptions are available to organizations at a 20% discount per seat, reducing the annual cost to £40 per user.
- A founding membership tier is available for £100, designed to incentivize early supporters of the platform.
Investing in Influence: Video Games Industry Memo, 15/02/2024
The video games industry is witnessing a strategic shift toward "investing for influence" rather than traditional internal development or full-scale acquisitions.
- Major media and technology firms are shifting from internal development to an 'investing for influence' model to secure presence in digital ecosystems without the operational burden of managing game divisions.
- Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games serves as a primary example of this strategy, allowing the company to gain creative influence over a virtual platform while outsourcing technical complexities.
- The industry is moving toward a model of minority stakes, similar to Tencent’s long-standing strategy, to capture audience engagement and foster connections within dominant 'walled garden' platforms.
About Video Games Industry Memo
The Video Games Industry Memo functions as a specialized weekly newsletter designed to provide high-level analysis of the power dynamics, political landscapes, and business developments shaping the global gaming sector.
- The Video Games Industry Memo is a weekly newsletter designed to provide high-level analysis of the global gaming sector's business, policy, and power dynamics.
- Each edition is structured to be consumed in approximately 15 minutes and is delivered to subscribers on Thursday mornings.
- Content includes a deep-dive trend analysis, summaries of five critical news stories, executive job movement tracking, a curated events calendar, and analysis of three significant game releases.
About George Osborn
George Osborn serves as the editor of the Video Games Industry Memo, a publication focused on the intersection of the gaming sector, business strategy, and political influence.
- George Osborn is the editor of the Video Games Industry Memo, a publication specializing in the intersection of gaming, business strategy, and political influence.
- He possesses nearly 15 years of industry experience, including a former leadership role as the Head of Campaigns and Communications at the trade association Ukie.
- Through his firm, Half-Space Consulting, Osborn advises stakeholders on navigating the commercial and regulatory dynamics of the global video game market.
Game of the Year: Everything Else Edition
The final 2023 installment of the Video Games Industry Memo serves as a curated retrospective, shifting focus away from major AAA blockbusters to highlight notable, smaller-scale titles that defined the year for industry professionals.
- The 2023 Video Games Industry Memo highlights eight independent and mid-tier titles that resonated with industry professionals, shifting focus away from major AAA blockbusters.
- The selected titles include Against the Storm, Storyteller, Humanity, Dave the Diver, Cocoon, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Loddlenaut, and Venba.
- These games were chosen for their specialized design, unique mechanics, and narrative depth, demonstrating the creative breadth of the non-AAA market.
Game of the Year: Blockbuster Edition
The Video Games Industry Memo’s year-end review serves as a community-driven retrospective on the most significant titles of 2023.
- Epic Games secured a landmark antitrust victory against Google in late 2023, signaling a major shift in digital storefront competition and platform dynamics.
- The E3 trade show officially dissolved in 2023, marking a transition toward decentralized promotional models for the video game industry.
- Top-performing titles of 2023 included The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Super Mario Wonder, Alan Wake 2, Marvel Snap, and Resident Evil 4 (Mercenaries mode).
An Epic Court Battle: Video Games Industry Memo
The legal conflict between Epic Games and Google serves as a focal point for analyzing the shifting power dynamics within the global mobile gaming industry.
- The Epic Games versus Google litigation challenges the industry-standard 30% revenue commission and restrictive policies on third-party payment systems and alternative app stores.
- Global regulatory bodies in South Korea, India, and the Netherlands have already mandated concessions, including reduced fees and the adoption of alternative payment methods.
- The European Union’s Digital Markets Act is expected to further erode platform control by facilitating the sideloading of content.
EA Sports FC Sheds FIFA Name: Video Games Industry Memo, 28/09/2023
The transition of Electronic Arts’ flagship football franchise from the FIFA brand to EA Sports FC marks a significant shift in the power dynamics between video game publishers and external intellectual property holders.
- Electronic Arts ended its three-decade partnership with FIFA after the governing body demanded a $300 million increase in licensing fees.
- The rebrand to EA Sports FC demonstrates that Electronic Arts prioritizes control over its internal ecosystem and flagship Ultimate Team mode over the external FIFA brand.
- The transition signals a shift in industry power dynamics, where major publishers no longer view external IP holders as essential for market dominance.
Video Games Industry Memo: Explaining Games
The Video Games Industry Memo serves as a weekly newsletter designed to bridge the gap between specialized industry insiders and a broader, non-specialist audience.
- The Video Games Industry Memo is a weekly newsletter authored by George E. Osborn that analyzes the business and political mechanics of the global gaming sector.
- The publication targets a market void by providing accessible, non-technical analysis for government officials, charities, and corporate stakeholders who require industry literacy.
- Content strategy centers on a weekly deep-dive analysis supplemented by curated news, professional development resources, and game release summaries.
Play Time Isn’t Over in China: Video Games Industry Memo
Recent academic research indicates that government-mandated play time limits in China have failed to curb gaming among minors.
- A study of 2.4 billion players by the University of York found that China’s government-mandated playtime limits failed to reduce gaming among minors.
- Playtime among heavy users, defined as those playing more than four hours per day, remained stable or increased slightly in the year following the implementation of regulations.
- Regulatory efficacy was undermined because restrictions primarily targeted major companies like Tencent, while a vast ecosystem of independent developers remained largely ungoverned.
Mobile Market Monthly
Mobile Market Monthly represents a strategic collaboration between Mobile Dev Memo and Deconstructor of Fun, established to provide ongoing analytical insights into the mobile gaming industry.
- Mobile Dev Memo and Deconstructor of Fun launched a collaborative monthly research product titled Mobile Market Monthly in Q1 2020.
- The partnership aims to provide recurring market analysis and research insights specifically focused on the mobile gaming industry.