July 14, 2026

The "Pay-to-Play" Scheme That (Almost) Ruined Video Games, with Dan Soder

Virtual currency is a new cheat code. But when EA Sports tried to squeeze extra cash out of sports fans with so-called "microtransactions" inside its latest-college football title, gamers revolted... and won? Comedian Dan Soder, who's been playing video games with a future NFL coach since childhood, takes Pablo on a journey to the seventh circle of nerddom: What does this phenomenon say about private equity turning fun into an asset? How do we stop sacrificing community for convenience? And is shame still possible?• Subscribe to "Soder"Previously on PTFO:• Share & Madden & Tell with Katie Nolan and Dan Soder• We Smoked All the Athlete-Branded Weed We Could Find Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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