Legal Dimensions of the Gaming Industry

In this episode of the Law Practice Today podcast features Chrissie Scelsi discussing how law applies to video games. Scelsi shares her background as an in-house attorney, co-editor and contributor to ABA publications on game development and intellectual property, former U.S. general counsel at Wargaming (World of Tanks), and her work at Universal Orlando on licensing and adapting The Last of Us into a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house. The conversation highlights the wide range of legal issues in gaming beyond IP—international operations, HR and office matters, esports contracts and rulebooks, data privacy, banking and anti-money laundering concerns, marketing and trend-based advertising, and uncertainty over laws aimed at online child safety and social media features. They also discuss ESRB ratings’ impact on content and advertising, right of publicity, and college football/NIL developments, and advice for young lawyers on networking and writing to break into the field.

00:00 ESRB And Ratings
00:22 Podcast Intro And Disclaimer
01:01 Meet Chrissie Scelsi
01:40 Her Path Into Game Law
02:53 Universal And Horror Nights
04:12 Beyond IP Global And Ops
07:00 Marketing Trends And Risk
08:20 New Regulations And Uncertainty
09:11 Live Service Bills And Layoffs
11:23 Breaking In Networking Writing
15:30 Esports And Litigation War Stories
17:44 Concerts In Games And Content Choices
21:06 Right Of Publicity And NIL
22:39 Books Resources And Wrap Up
23:52 Closing Credits