TWIG #327 The East-West LiveOps Clash and the New Era of Extraction Shooters

Kress is fresh back from Turkiye, sharing on-the-ground insights before diving headfirst into the week’s big beats.

We break down Epic Games Store’s revenue, debate the Minecraft movie’s potential for franchise dominance, and unpack the latest M&A and investment trends shaping gaming’s future. Inflation’s creeping impact on game pricing gets a hard look, while the crew wrestles with the evolving MTX and revenue models.

Things heat up with Marvel Rivals throwing punches at Overwatch, a sharp take on Western vs. Eastern LiveOps strategies, and a no-holds-barred discussion about Bungie’s Marathon pivot into extraction shooters. To wrap, a quick (and slightly roasted) look at Kingdom’s celebrity-packed ad campaign.

00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions

03:09 Chris' Insights from Turkey

07:02 Epic Games Store Revenue Discussion

13:30 Minecraft Movie and Franchise Management

21:07 M&A and Investment Trends in Gaming

29:47 Game Pricing and Inflation

30:31 MTX and Revenue Models

32:59 Marvel Rivals vs. Overwatch

37:33 Western vs. Eastern LiveOps

44:24 Marathon: The Extraction Shooter

58:13 Kingdom's Celebrity Ad Campaign