Mollie L Patterson

Jetpack Cat, funny enough, led to one of the reasons I quit Overwatch. There was all this talk about how JC was too weird and outside the lore for the game... and then they added that stupid f'n hamster in a giant mecha hamster ball.

Screenshot of new Overwatch character that is an orange and white cat riding a flying mech.

I don't really care about the game anymore, but HOLY SHIT, Overwatch is adding Jetpack Cat.

For us Overwatch Olds, that's kinda crazy to see.

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that art without it either being on the cover of the game or an issue of TurboForce.

Kat tilts gravity, laughing as her shop teeters. 2B adjusts calmly, a rare smile flickering. “Efficient placement,” 2B says. “Stylish chaos,” Kat replies—both blushing, trading glances as the store (and sparks) fly 💫🖤

Neither notices who wins; they’re too busy orbiting each other.

I legitimately laughed at this.

This is dumb. Who would want this?

And especially who'd want a personalized podcast featuring Gravity Rush's Kat and Nier's 2B sitting around for two hours flirting with each other while you can hear they're playing Top Shop via PS1 emulation on PS5 (as part of PS+)?

NOT ME, that's who. Not me...

I still have the install CD for one of those. Graduation, I think? I remember them sending it to me to cover in GameFan.

I still have this issue (and many of the following). As someone who was in their "Japan is so cool!" boom period at that point, it seems unbelievable that we were finally getting something akin to Japan's tankouban publications.

And then, of course, that influenced Viz to do Animerica Extra.

I'm not smart enough about these kinds of situations to know if making a plea deal can negate the minimum sentences, but if those are going to be in place but he gets lower sentences due to working with the feds, then yeah, it seems he's got at LEAST 20 years across all of the charges.

It's basically what it sounds like, or maybe worse? And I guess there's a certain irony of someone who identifies as a furry also being into animal cruelty videos.

shrek from the movie shrek is smiling and looking at something ALT: shrek from the movie shrek is smiling and looking at something

Hey, maybe after 20 years Sony will finally have given him his PSN account back.

There's been movement on the case recently, but seems like maybe because of this. Haven't seen anything on further set dates yet.

Reading through those charges again, it still doesn't fully feel real. That stuff you head about from someone you don't really know in the news, not someone you were friends with for decades.

GUILTY PLEA Defendant is pleading guilty to all counts of the indictment in United States v. Nicolas Des Barres, No. 2:24-cr-00477-1. TJH, which charges defendant with Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) (count one), Receipt of Child Pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C §§ 2252(a)(2)(A), (b)(1) (count two), Distribution of Animal Crushing Videos, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 48(a)(3) (count three), Receipt of Child Pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2242A(a)(2)(A), (b)(1) (count four), Production of Child Pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a), (e) (count five), Distribution of Animal Crushing Videos in violation of 18 U.S.C § 48(a)(3) (count six), Production of Child Pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a), (e) (counts seven and eight), and Distribution of Animal Crushing Videos in violation of 18 U.S.C 48(a)(3) (count nine).

Prison Time: Count 1 (Enticement of a Minor): 10 years to life imprisonment Counts 2 & 4 (Receipt of Child Pornography): 5 to 20 years each Counts 3, 6, & 9 (Distribution of Animal Crushing Videos): Up to 7 years each Counts 5, 7, & 8 (Production of Child Pornography): Up to 30 years each Other Penalties: Supervised release: Potentially lifetime supervision after prison Fines: Up to $250,000 per count (or twice the gain/loss if greater) Special assessments: $100 per count, plus potentially $5,000 additional and up to $50,000 for child pornography convictions Restitution: Approximately $40,000 to victims

Welp.

Guilty plea, and a breakdown of the potential consequences. (The low number of years on counts 1, 2, and 4 are minimums.)

I just want to go back and time and tell my younger self to ignore my brother who told me not to buy Apple stock, and do so originally when I wanted to as Steve Jobs returned to the company.

Whomever's been in charge of who lives and who dies lately needs to get their fucking priorities in order.

Of course—but young people need to have drilled into their heads that ANY amount is going to grow given time. $100 invested at age 20 can become $2000 (if not more) by 65.

While you're young, have energy, and fewer expenses, put whatever you can away. I really wish I'd understood that sooner.

If you do not already have one, open a retirement investment account. Seriously.

Don’t deprive yourself, but DO find those moment when you really don’t need yet another new game or toy or meal out or whatever, and put that money into the account. Keep doing that.

It comes sooner than you think.

As someone now way too familiar with all of the EGM covers, that is absolutely one of my favorites.

We did TWO ME covers over at Play—one for the mag and one for Girls of Gaming—but neither was nearly as good.

@superpac.bsky.social Was just listening to the bonus episode, and found it funny because I also temporarily worked for a law office between working in games media.

I am stupidly jealous that you got to see Aimee Mann.

(And to make this all funnier, I literally googled her earlier tonight because I wanted to confirm how her first name was spelled as reference for something.)

Five concerts you’ve seen with women lead singers:

Tori Amos
Morning Musume
Babymetal
Perfume
Hamasaki Ayumi

I don't really get into "real life" stuff on here often, but that doesn't mean I'm not constantly thinking about it . Instead, it means I—like everyone—need a place to escape all of that sometimes.

Talking about things that bring joy is important, as it reminds us of why it's important to fight.

Typically, the claims he'd make that were clearly suspect tended to be in regards to his gaming skills, or—as is typical for small business owners—where the company would be going next.

Claiming to have been the inspiration for EWJ on his own just doesn't feel to me like something he'd make up.

(This is all, of course, taking the story at face value. There are other explanations as well, such as statements being taken out of context, statements being blown out of proportion, misunderstandings, a runny joke, etc.)

If Rob asks Doug about the story under the context Rob is currently working with Dave (H), what is Doug going to say? "Naw, that was just a lie/joke"?

Especially when Doug was involved with a new project at the same time Dave was running the relaunched GF. Why burn a potential bridge for coverage?

Few other things:

Having concept art doesn't mean anything. That stuff wasn't considered worth keeping back then like it is now. I've been given some of that stuff too.

Also, not calling Rob out at all in this. He was told something by multiple parties and would have no reason not to believe them.

Hey, maybe I'm totally wrong. But knowing what I know about Dave, GF, timelines, and just how the industry did (and still can) work, I think this was simply a statement made to try to get more coverage for a game that needed to be a success for multiple parties.

Where do paths cross that Doug has enough contact with Dave to use him as inspiration for a major new character he's trying to pitch to Shiny? Or to really meet Dave at all, so that even a very surface level amount of "this person is [adjective], that gives me an idea for a new char" takes place?

GameFan launched late 1992. EWJ hit in 1994. Doug doesn't seemed to have had a major role on a game until EWJ. Dave is not the socialite-type, so I don't see him having had much contact with Doug before EWJ was already in production and being previewed to magazines.