Mike Diver

Happy birthday!

Cheers from The Beer Engine in Southwick. Quality little boozer this. More folks in the Portslade area should make the walk.

When on PTO, why not pit stop at the craft beer place on your walk home...

Three urinals but only one of them has those freshening things in it. Suspicious.

You can't tell me this isn't a Korok puzzle.

I am enjoying a pint, or what is left of it, outside The Cricketers on Southwick Square. Not the best of pubs but I walked down here as there's a TJ whatever it is around the corner and it's the nearest place to buy Retro Gamer. Remember when you had a local newsagents? Portslade could sure do with one... though that's not the way the winds of change are blowing, huh. Anyway. Blue sky and a pint. A thrill of a lunchtime.

Console-related posts sent from my current office.

A PTO pint in the sun? What a concept.

Are you able to dm me?

The cover of my book, The Console, covering 50 years of home video game consoles, and some press quotes that say it's not rubbish.

I now have copies of The Console in hand and am very happy to sell to any UK folks who may want a copy at £15 (that includes 2nd class postage). Can sign/personalise if wanted. Message me here or leave a comment and I can get in touch. It's a good book? I think? Idk.

In their defence, Retro game prices change all the time so maintaining a website with a lot of stock on it might be too much. (See when suddenly Cex sells out of a game at £5 when some video goes viral and pushes the resell value up to £30, etc.)

Yeah it's not ideal but I'm sure they have their reasons. I doubt it's deliberately to make transactions more difficult.

Whereas deliberately posting what is definitely 'slop' and then acting like anyone against it isn't worth listening to, or isn't worth their business, is a big shame.

Idk about the website stuff, maybe that works for them (and I know other stores that do the same). But choosing to be kinda aggressive about a poor decision is not the way to go, imo. They walk it back, cool, chalk it up to experience and chances are no damage is done. Fingers crossed sense is seen.

Sore Thumb going on the defensive re their genAI should be a 101 for how not to engage with a very selective audience. Their shop is awesome. Their rep, til now, pretty stellar. Just say: soz, we didn't need to do that, and we won't again. It's simple. Don't attack customers in your comments, jeez.

Ninja Commando running on Evercade EXP.

Name a more 1992-titled video game.

Really happy that Perfect Organism is getting a deserved second chance after the mess of the original publisher.

Anyone who loves Alien: Isolation should get it. It's that simple.

I will be doing this. I've ordered some stock. Not a lot, but enough to cover a few UK folks who want a copy. Will pop an update here in the next few days. Feel free to DM if you know you want one.

In the distant past, in a former professional guise, the chap in charge briefly introduced a -5 to +5 system, with zero the dead average. It didn't last long. I can only imagine the fits PRs were in seeing their well-received new album score what looked like a 2/5. Such silliness.

Can you come over and play this for me cos the monster in the ceiling has me shook, tyty.

If you like your metal doomy and boomy, do check out Matador.

Had their new album - Above, Below, and So - on a bit this weekend and it's scratching some ISIS/Russian Circles/Pelican itches.

Exactly the sort of noise I'd be looking to book on a bill if I was still doing that sort of thing.

Nintendo Land for Wii U

Been party gaming with the best to do it.

Turrican II running on an Evercade EXP console. There is also a cat (mine) on a lap (mine).

Cat on lap.

Banger on Evercade.

Leeds v Man City: Boos heard during Ramadan pause at Elland Road Boos are heard during a brief break in play to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast during Saturday's match between Leeds United and Manchester City.

Ah, more here.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

I was waiting to see if it'd be mentioned by the host/pundits, but nothing. Wasn't just a handful of boos. So disappointing.

20.20 into the iplayer version of yesterday's MOTD if you feel like checking for yourself.

*their own players*

Anyway.

Don't.

Catching up with MOTD, as I can never stay awake for it on a Saturday night, and is that Leeds and/or Man City fans *booing* thrir own players breaking their Ramadan fast, briefly pausing the game, or is it shitty editing to give that impression?

Either way, maybe don't?

*legally distinct Saturn-like gaming console*

Anyway, back to being terrified about *everything*

It's such a terrible image too. Idk how you don't look at it and think, immediately, that posting it makes you look bad.

Support small independent businesses.

(Not those ones.)

In the grand scheme of *everything* this is tiny and inconsequential, but soon as a business uses genAI imagery to promote itself, I am done with them. So it was sad yesterday to unfollow Sore Thumb Games, the kind of operation you'd think would understand why using such 'art' is a no-no.

Is this a #randomgamesaturday ? Sure.

I said what I said.