Updater, Shannon Liao's gaming newsletter

Updater by Shannon Liao is a gaming newsletter offering exclusive insights into the gaming and tech industries, from major corporate movements like Activision Blizzard's merger blockage and industry layoffs, to the nuances of games journalism and unionization efforts within gaming companies. Liao's personal experiences and the shifting landscape of the gaming world underscore her reporting.

Corporate mergers and acquisitions in gaming Layoffs and economic impacts in the tech and gaming industries Games journalism and media outlet unionization Tech industry trends and investments Worker unionization and company culture in gaming Antitrust cases and legal battles Personal reflections and professional transitions

The hottest Substack posts of Updater, Shannon Liao's gaming newsletter

And their main takeaways

IGN is unionizing

137 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Tech industry AI
  1. IGN employees are forming a union with the majority of them signing union authorization cards due to current industry instability and a desire for protection.
  2. Xbox reassured employees in a town hall that they have no plans to stop making consoles amidst rumors of Xbox exclusives moving to the PS5.
  3. Disney is investing in Epic Games, hinting at a possible metaverse collaboration without using the term explicitly. The potential partnership is seen as a strategic move by Disney after past gaming industry setbacks.

One cool trick to keep games journalism alive

137 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Gaming Journalism Media
  1. Shannon Liao is now deputy gaming editor at Inverse, accepting freelance pitches and writing investigative pieces.
  2. She plans to publish about once a week on her newsletter, Updater, while remaining on top of gaming news.
  3. The future of investigative games journalism remains uncertain but is crucial in the industry.

Activision Blizzard, blocked

235 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
💼 Business Mergers Stocks Antitrust Regulation
  1. Activision Blizzard's $70 billion merger with Microsoft was blocked by the U.K.'s antitrust regulator, causing a significant drop in stock shares.
  2. Rumors of the U.K. approving the deal earlier in the week proved false as the regulator rejected it.
  3. Paid subscribers can access the full content of the post.

Where you can find my articles

157 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
📰 News Journalism
  1. The post lists all the outlets where the author has written after leaving The Post in March.
  2. Readers find it challenging to track all the author's stories and outlets.
  3. The post is only viewable for paid subscribers.
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Democracy dies in Dark Souls

196 implied HN points • 12 May 23
🎭️ Culture Gaming
  1. Shannon Liao's newsletter is named _Updater_.
  2. The newsletter is reader-supported and offers subscription options.
  3. The post 'Democracy dies in Dark Souls' is for paid subscribers.

The biggest moment in video games

157 implied HN points • 21 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Gaming
  1. Microsoft is defending its $70 billion deal to buy Activision in court.
  2. The author is freelancing stories for IGN and posting highlights to the newsletter.
  3. The deal between Microsoft and Activision is considered one of the biggest stories in tech.

A stopgap for games journalism

157 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture
  1. The author's last day with the Post, facing a crossroads in employment
  2. A new direction is hinted for the author towards more reporting
  3. This post is for paid subscribers only

The future of games journalism

117 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
  1. High demand for new gaming media outlets due to recent layoffs in games journalism.
  2. Many talented games journalists seeking job opportunities.
  3. Limited availability of open game journalist positions despite the abundance of talent.

Ex-Riot developers are making “Breath of the Wild with friends”

117 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Video Games Venture Capital Game Development Animation
  1. Former Riot developers are creating an open-world game similar to 'Breath of the Wild' with a focus on playing with friends
  2. The game studio secured $55 million in funding and aims to create a world characterized by optimism and worth fighting for
  3. The developers emphasize creating a rich player experience and aspire to build a media universe around the game, including an animated TV show

Inside the Xbox wars

78 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
💼 Business Tech Acquisition Antitrust Gaming
  1. Microsoft is in court defending a $69 billion deal to buy Candy Crush developer Activision Blizzard.
  2. The deal is a significant tech acquisition and a notable antitrust case drawing attention from many.
  3. The outcome of this case will determine the future of gaming, including the exclusivity of games like Call of Duty on Xbox.