Beck [they/them]

Cordial but Firm Anti-Creep Phrases ”This is a [professional space] and I’d really appreciate it if you’d act accordingly.” “I’m not interested in discussing my personal life.” AND/OR “I keep my personal and professional life separate, thanks.” “I really don’t think that’s appropriate behavior/to say at a [professional conference]. Is there something else we can discuss?” OR phrase it as a rhetorical question: “Do you think that’s an appropriate thing to do/say at a [professional conference]?” “That is not what I’m here for. Let’s change the subject.”

Due to recent discussions: when I worked at a library, I was trained on how to politely but directly respond to unwanted sexual comments. Unfortunately commonly-marketed fantasies about librarians mean it happens a lot.

Rehearse these. Be comfortable saying them forcefully, but politely.

Survey: tell us how you're using AI GamesIndustry.biz is running an editorial survey (with no commercial involvement) to find out how the industry is using AI, how you think it should be used, and how it should be presented to players. It's quite short, simple, and anonymous, although there's the option to give your email address if you'd like to talk more. Please note this survey is only for those working in the industry, not the general public. You can fill out the survey here. The survey will run until Wednesday 25 February, and we'll be reporting the results as part of a run of coverage on GamesIndustry.biz, in an effort to look past the controversy and judge the impact AI is having on how games are made and marketed.

Gi.biz have a survey up about genAI usage, you know what to do comrades

survey.alchemer.com/s3/8679343/b...

Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses

Facebook plans to put facial recognition in its glasses and they think we’re too stupid to fight back.

Their internal memo: “We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns.”

Benutzt besser @ghost.org (wahlweise selbstgehosted oder kommerziell) oder Steady (Plattform aus Deutschland). Beide sind einfach zu benutzen und haben integrierte Paywall-Mitgliedschaften (und weniger Nazis).

YouTube video by Dr. Glaucomflecken What To Do If You Get Pepper Sprayed

Great advice by @glaucomflecken.bsky.social: if you get pepper sprayed, wash your eyes with at least a liter of water mixed with baby shampoo. No rubbing.
Milk kinda works, but has higher chance of infection. Might want to use just water instead.
youtube.com/shorts/z4dy0...

Einreichen - Deutscher Computerspielpreis Alle Informationen zur Teilnahme beim deutschen Computerspielpreis.

🚨ALARM! Jetzt hier klicken und die richtige Entscheidung treffen: deutscher-computerspielpreis.de/einreichen/

Freitag ist der letzte Tag, an dem ihr Eure Spiele und Projekte noch für die diesjährige Preisverleihung einreichen könnt!

I am looking into this, I've reached out to Steam directly, and I'm actively pitching stories on this subject of the platform's shaky moderation. If any other devs have experienced something similar with reviews and moderation, do reach out.

💵 MONEY for GAME? In 2026??? 💵

There have been more and more successful-game-devs-turned-game-funders popping up, so here's a lil' thread of some of the more recent ones I've seen.

Hopefully this helps you get some $$$! 🔽

Every person on Bluesky should know:
* Every post on Bluesky is PUBLIC forever
* Every post on Bluesky is archived by ICE, NSA, and many other agencies
* Even if you delete a post, it’s already been captured
* Judges don’t care if you were “kidding” or being ironic

www.404media.co/the-200-site...

Someone complaining that MS Paint removed itself then when they went to the Microsoft Store to install it, it says "The version of Windows on your PC doesn't meet the minimum requirements for this product."

I still have to use Windows for some things and it seems to be just about every day now I'm seeing complaints about it sucking in new ways. So here's a little list of tools I use to make Windows not suck by debloating virtually everything out of it that makes it bad and making it more usable. 🧵

What to expect in 2026 is that we're boycotting! And signing the @nogamesforgenocide.com Boycott Xbox pledge

Screenshot der petitionsseite

Es sind noch 11 Tage, das Quorum noch nicht erreicht.
epetitionen.bundestag.de/petitionen/_...

And if they don’t - wow, that’s great for you! You’re going to leave your competition in the dust.

“Don’t be stuck in the past,”

Or what, Good Samaritan? Why are you so concerned for me? Won’t you benefit if I falter and stumble into the dust bin of history?

Screenshot of the tag field and AI generation disclosure on an itch.io edit game page. The tag field has "no-ai" filled in and a red X next to it. The AI generation disclosure answers "No - This project does not contain the output on Generative AI" and has a green check mark next to it.

PSA: Answering "No" to the AI generation disclosure on itch automatically adds your project to the "No AI" tag ( itch.io/games/tag-no... ). Adding it to the tag field too just wastes one of your 10 tag slots (if you want a visible indicator that no genAI was used, add it to the description instead)

Former Critical Reflex Employee Alleges Harassment And Unfair Labor Practices Ex-employee Evelina Zemljic accuses Critical Reflex of sexual harassment, unpaid labor, and poor working conditions in a revealing YouTube exposé.

With Critical Reflex being such a major player in the indie space, these accusations of covered up sexual harassment and unfair labour practices are all deeply disappointing and distressing. I hope this all gets tackled quickly and decisively.

noisypixel.net/critical-ref...

Again I say: how fucking interesting that remote work technology is bad and not worth adopting despite all research pointing to productivity gains, but genAI which offers NOTHING is so important to adopt and force on people who have no use for it despite all the horrible things genAI does

I have many thoughts about this, one is I can't help but think this is all just shining a light on how games are still being held to wildly different standards than other media like film. I've played very few games like HORSES but watched so many films like it (as a connoisseur of arthouse horror).

Wait, that’s the game about traveling across the country with a vehicle, right? Final Fantasy XV?

Game developers were here first. Not executives.

Game developers make games. Not executives.

Game developers have skills & knowledge important to the business. Not executives.

Game developers deserve to keep their jobs. Not executives.

Executives are replaceable. Not game developers.

Yesterday, the Epic Games Store decided at the last minute not to distribute the game, after having previously approved a release build. HORSES is otherwise now available on GOG, Itch, and Humble for $4.99. www.horses.wtf

“AI is clearly sticking around so you have to get used to it” wrong. I don’t have to get used to shit. I am a practiced hater and I can keep this going for decades if I am required to

Hahaha, right?! Or what about mandatory disclosures for the discrepancy between the salaries of the CEO and their lowest paid worker? That would be so funny, right?! Let’s do it as a funny joke!!!

If I was dead set that all games should and inevitably will include a specific production feature I would absolutely want a label so I could point to how successful those games are.

Sween obviously wants to be able to claim that all games are now made with genAI without you being able to check.

screenshot of a tumblr post from user “wildmansters” The thing that really boils my potatoes about Al in general is that I have been a creative professional for over a decade now and the devil has ALWAYS been in the details. Big and small, I've had single-person businesses rip me to shreds over how their colors turned out on newsprint, and have worked with huge companies with THICK brand guidelines with every detail of their brand identity laid out and enforced with an iron fist. But I guess all of that stuff doesn't matter anymore? Who gives a fuck if this Al generated baby has six fingers, that mom-and-pop shop is still going to use it. That rug from Temu says Happy Thanksgivirg? Oh well haha it's just a silly funny thing now (nevermind that you never would have given a B-grade item from a craft show the same consideration). I don't actually care that the Al Coca-cola ad has a truck that changes size every scene, but I can't help but think about how, if it had been some poor underpaid artist, they would have been laughed out of the building. I don't really know how to put it in a succint way but it just feels all the more obvious how much more grace and flexibility has always been possible but never offered.

i know WHY this is but that just makes it even more of a kick in the pants lmao

Eine Kundin weniger. So einfach ist es.
DM muss das in der Kasse merken, WAS wir von Demokrat*innen erwarten.

Danke an @parentsforfuture.de für das Zitat, das leider hinter der SZ-Paywall liegt.

www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/b...

I think Demonschool is a good video game but I think Brandon’s approach to how staff worked together and were credited REALLY deserves a lot of attention. Video game crediting is a stupid black box and transparency will help average people understand these roles.

Just to be 100% clear: do not *trust* your employers - that's super silly. The relationship is economical, not based in loyalty, trust, or kindness. There's no judgement in forming a union, just understanding that capitalism requires a risk of financial loss to get companies to do the right thing.

Company that financially benefits from selling overpriced tickets for an event tries to guilt-trip people into buying overpriced tickets for said event.

How original.

Good advice in thread for all protests.
Tl;dr:
Don’t register for a protest.
Cover identifiable features (hair, face, tattoos, piercings)
Leave your phone at home (get a burner)
You don't know anyone there!
No SM posts!
Look up a lawyer beforehand and write down their number in sharpie on your arm