NFTs remain a contentious topic for developers, according to the State of the Game Industry survey, with a majority claiming their companies aren't interested at all.

The details: The survey states that 72% of respondents related to cryptocurrency and 70% of respondents related to NFTs have no interest in either.

Employees say most video game companies are not addressing misconduct and toxicity directly with their employees, according to a new survey.

Driving the news: Games Developers Conference (GDC) organizers released their 10th edition of the State of the Game Industry on Thursday, an annual survey that takes the temperature of developers across the industry.

Microsoft and Activision executives said plenty about the so-called metaverse as they promoted yesterday’s planned video game mega-deal, but little about another recent gaming buzzword: esports.

Why it matters: Esports may be big, but Activision’s portion of it hasn't dominated the way its Call of Duty games have in the traditional gaming marketplace.

An activist investor group that previously called on Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick to resign is now raising concerns about the executive’s golden parachute, should he exit the company.

Why it matters: Microsoft’s plans to buy Activision Blizzard for $70 billion may alter the consequences coming to Kotick, who has led the company for three decades.

Microsoft’s $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard sets the stage for the gaming giant to remove its sexual misconduct scandal from the spotlight, business ethicists say.

Why it matters: Mergers and acquisitions come with cultural shake-ups — and that’s precisely what Activision needs.

An unusual new PC game this week features more than two dozen recreations of other games’ approaches to virtual lockpicking.

Driving the news: Museum of Mechanics: Lockpicking, which can be completed in about 30 minutes, lets players move through a virtual museum where each exhibit is a playable lockpicking system.

Activision is asking a California court to allow it to subpoena 15 companies, including Twitter, Reddit, Google, Paypal, Discord and Coinbase, to find out the names of 15 people it says are involved in the sale of Call of Duty cheats.

Why it matters: Game companies are getting increasingly aggressive in their fight to stop rampant cheating in multiplayer games.

There were more than 1,100 acquisitions, investments and other financial deals in the games industry in 2021, making it a “landmark year for gaming,” according to a new report by industry tracker Drake Star.

Why it matters: Gaming’s COVID-driven player boom in 2020 was followed by an investment boom a year later, resulting in an industry flush with people who want it to thrive.

Microsoft isn't interested in "virtue-shaming" other companies, including Activision Blizzard, according to Xbox head Phil Spencer, who says "Xbox’s history is not spotless."

Driving the news: The New York Times published an interview with Spencer that includes talk about Activision Blizzard's ongoing harassment and abuse scandal.

An early build of Guerrilla Games' highly anticipated Horizon Forbidden West has reportedly leaked online ahead of the game's release next month.

Why it matters: Horizon Forbidden West is one of the year's most anticipated games and a huge exclusive for Sony's PlayStation.