Bobby Mathew

Lots of people are being laid off because c-suite executives are convinced LLMs are going to replace skilled labor in multiple domains where it isn't even a relatively good fit. These people are going to need to be hired back (at renegotiated salaries) if the business has the cash flow and hasn't already made a fatal mistake. This isn't even considering that LLM usage is currently highly subsidized, and the companies developing them have not found market use cases which can bring in enough revenue to come even close to their spend. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.

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Want to learn more about Netflix culture? See this fantastic episode of Pragmatic Engineer podcast, featuring Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone. The episode covers key pillars of Netflix engineering culture, breadth of Tech work happening at Netflix and how we learn and iterate as a growing company. Especially excited about seeing Live used to demonstrate culture of rapid innovation, self-reflection and distributed ownership within Netflix engineering. Thanks Gergely Orosz for another great episode! #netflix #engineering #innovation #live

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some of my thoughts after going through the article: Live Ops Scaling: Lessons from Gossip Harbor A recent AppMagic review shows something interesting, Gossip Harbor increased its Live Ops cadence from ~20 events/month in 2024 to nearly 100 events/month today. Yes… 100 events per month. Many teams might worry this creates player fatigue. But the data — and player behavior — tell a different story. Here’s why: 1. High event volume ≠ overwhelming players Players may feel there are many events, but active users will always choose the ones that resonate with them. What matters is choice, not forcing everyone through the same path. Giving players options actually reduces negative sentiment. 2. Multiple events serve different player segments Different players enjoy different things: competition, collection, progression, co-op, or just casual fun. A diversified event strategy meets each segment’s needs — keeping more players engaged, more often. 3. Live Ops events bring the community together Co-op, guild, and competitive events help unify different segments. When done well, they boost: • DAU stability • session frequency • long-term retention 4. Key takeaway: High-volume Live Ops isn’t about overwhelming players, it’s about offering freedom, personalization, and continuous engagement loops. The industry is shifting from “one event for all” to multi-track Live Ops ecosystems that let players choose their own journey. Curious to hear, how many events per month do you think is the sweet spot for a different genres? https://lnkd.in/gnzk7rru

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I never post here, but it seemed like the only space with people who may understand. Running a "hobby" site dedicated to indie games is rewarding in some ways, but absolutely aggravating in many others. Perpetually fighting with the chicken/egg problem of how to get more traffic when generally featuring games nobody has ever heard of is sometimes plain exhausting. Just wish Nintendo themselves, or I suppose Golin (on their behalf) would see the value of what I've been consistently doing for nearly 9 years now... but anyway. I sent this in response to a perfectly-reasonable disclaimer from a developer explaining why they may not have codes for me, just figured it was worth sharing some frustration. "Just wanted to potentially save you time, while also making a case for myself. I absolutely understand that you're likely swamped with requests, and that it makes sense to use what limited keys you have to reach the highest potential number of people.   That said, one of the reasons my viewership (despite having been around now for nearly 9 years) is that I'm the person running towards the fire that is discovery for smaller developers and indie projects... the majority of which nobody has heard of and that don't get a load of traffic precisely because people can't seek our or search on games they've never heard of.    Within a few months I'll be crossing over 5,000 games reviewed, and I give every game I play and share about the same chance, whether single-developer or triple-A. These days I share gameplay video for every game I review (something not enough outlets do, many seem content to include stock press images with their reviews with no other coverage), at least one short, a written review, a video review, and then for games that rate high enough they can be included in future feature videos, which include ones for sales as well as best of genre and best of the year ones as well. [Previous game of theirs I did review redacted] has probably been in videos of mine at least 50 times over the years all said. So I flatly agree that I don't meet the standard you all are hoping for, but the reason for that is that I'm trying to help bring exposure to games that don't get enough. Even for more known or popular games my continued efforts to keep reintroducing their names over the years also creates new opportunities to be seen, even long after they've collectively been lost in the pile of loads of new games every week. Just figured I'd make my case, it's frustrating that no matter the effort it's a struggle to reach people when I'm offering something they don't know about more often than not."

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Engineers and PMs are being incentivized to complexify instead of simplify. I've definitely been seeing this trend grow over the last 5 years. https://lnkd.in/geizav_r

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MICROSOFT'S 30% PROFIT MANDATE. What It Means for Xbox's Future. We finally have answers about what's been happening behind the scenes at Microsoft's Xbox division. According to a recent Bloomberg report by Jason Schreier, Microsoft is pushing Xbox to achieve 30% profit margins (or "accountability margins" as they call it internally). Let me break down why these matters: THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE Back in 2023, Xbox was operating at single-digit profit margins. Nintendo, by comparison, typically runs at 25-30% margins. That's a MASSIVE gap Microsoft is trying to close. To hit these targets, Microsoft has been: - Laying off tens of thousands of employees - Canceling multiple game projects (Contraband, Perfect Dark) - Closing studios like The Initiative - Cutting teams in half (Turn 10) This explains the aggressive price increases we've seen. Game Pass jumped from 20 to 30 dollars practically overnight. That's a 50% increase driven by margin requirements from CFO Amy Hood. Here's where it gets interesting. Traditionally, console makers sell hardware at a loss to build their ecosystem. But with 30% margin requirements, I think Microsoft might price their next console at 1,000 dollars or MORE... Let that sink in... Sarah Bond already said it'll be a "premium experience." Now we know why. That 70 billion dollar Activision Blizzard deal? It's both a blessing and a curse. Microsoft is so invested now they can't back out. But can they actually reach 30% margins? That's the real question. Expect Xbox games everywhere. Switch 2, PlayStation, you name it. Microsoft is casting the widest possible net to hit these numbers. Gaming has always been a volume business, not a high-margin one. Microsoft is trying to change that formula, and honestly, it doesn't look great for the Xbox brand's traditional identity. At least we now understand WHY all these seemingly random decisions are happening. It's not chaos. It's a mandate from the top. What do you think? Can Xbox survive this transformation? Drop your thoughts below. --- I am a solopreneur that makes content around job hunting tips and tricks with a video game spin. If you’re a job seeker, talent acquisition specialist, or recruiter, that loves video games, press start with me and level up your feed. Check out my YouTube channel, website, and newsletter for more cheat codes. Your level up, is here.

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📌 EA to go Private in Largest Leverage Buyout in history of $55B Electronic Arts has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by a consortium led by Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia’s PIF, and Affinity Partners in an all-cash transaction valuing EA at $55 billion. 🔍 Transaction Highlights - EA shareholders will receive $210/share (~25% premium over the unaffected closing price) - The deal comprises ~$36 billion in equity and ~$20 billion in debt financing (JPMorgan as lead arranger) - PIF will roll over its existing ~10% stake into the deal 📊 EA’s Recent Financials & Capital Structure (FY25) - Net revenue: ~$7.5b - Net income: ~$1.1b - Operating cash flow: ~$2.1b - Debt: ~$1.5b; very low leverage of 1.1x (Debt/EBITDA) and 0.3x (Net Debt/EBITDA) 💡 Strategic Rationale 🎯 For EA (Target) Freedom from quarterly pressures will allow EA to make long term capital intensive bets; EA plans to go beyond console / PC 🎯 For Sponsors (Silver Lake, PIF, Affinity) - Secular Growth in gaming industry which is growing faster than the broader media and entertainment - Strong cash flows and low leverage levels make EA an ideal candidate for LBO - allows investors to layer more leverage and comfortably service interest - PIF has time and again shown its ambitions to dominate gaming and entertainment - For Silver Lake, this is part of their typical playbook leveraging their expertise in scaling digital platforms (Endeavor, UFC, Skype) - Affinity Partners (Jared Kushner): brings in influence via access and relationships [Hint: DJT] This record breaking deal is a big bold bet on gaming to become the key pillar of global media and entertainment

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Today marks a pivotal moment for the millions of customers we serve around the world. This partnership isn’t just about adopting new technology - it’s about redefining how work gets done. As part of our AI-first transformation, we’re embedding these capabilities directly into both our customer experiences and our internal business workflows. From an internal workflows perspective, we’re not experimenting at the edges. We’re fundamentally evolving how our workforce operates - elevating productivity, accelerating decision velocity, and unlocking entirely new possibilities for impact. Excited to be part of the team that are reshaping how modern enterprises operate.

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