Jason Swan

European game unions combine forces to protest against AI, toxic workplaces and layoffs "Together, workers can transform their jobs, their careers, and their lives for the better"

European game unions combine forces to protest against AI, toxic workplaces and layoffs
www.gamesindustry.biz/european-gam...

Ask yourself if kids prefer toys, or stores. Games from a generation ago were allowed to be toys. Games today are forced to be stores.

A meme of "Lumpy", the orc who lead the invasion of Osgiliath. He is wearing a Santa hat and saying "The game of man is over. Now the Jingle Hop has begun"

A comic from The Pigeon Gazette. A character is embarrassed about coming out in a swimsuit because she is too pale. When she does, a friend yells "The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!"

I have a feeling games like Uplink that are almost entirely UI would absolutely confound AI

It's weird how funny Return of the King has become for me. John Noble (Denethir) always reminds me of the Legends of Tomorrow episode where they travel to the LOTR set and "Shadowfax, show me the meaning of haste!" makes me think of the Shadowfax MTG card that defines Haste (most cards don't)

Joint Statement on the Acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Netflix The world's largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent. The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers, raise prices for consumers, and reduce the volume and diversity of content for all viewers. Industry workers along with the public are already impacted by only a few powerful companies maintaining tight control over what consumers can watch on television, on streaming, and in theaters. This merger must be blocked.

The following is a statement from the WGA on the Acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Netflix.

TOMORROW IS BANDCAMP FRIDAY!
Whenever I post *on* bandcamp Friday, shit gets hella buried. Posting early to get ahead of the curve lol SUPPORT ARTISTS AND BUY MUSIC!

It's still crazy to me that 4e got so much hate while gloomhaven got so much love. Still no denying that both are narratively weaker than 3.5 or 5.

The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste

Working in games means your answer to the question "If you could do anything you wanted in life, what would it be?" isn't a different career, but the same career in a kinder version of the same industry.

Given the frequency and severity of holodeck malfunctions, I'm amazed they include them on ships at all.

And folks this is why even if you choose not to be in a union--for whatever reason--you still owe your co-workers solidarity. The discussions were, seemingly,bcomparing salaries and talking about a company policy change to their slack server. Someone went to management and got 34 people fired.

One of the winners mentioning the state of the industry. Free space is Geoff ignoring the state of the industry.

Saw an article that made me realize people made games while working at Toys R Us. Changed schools, realized I disliked C++ but enjoyed scripting, and have been meandering through various game dev roles since.

Strange New Worlds gets so much right at its best, but holy shit the bad episodes are so so bad. I'm not even half way through the Vulcan episode in season 3 and can't finish it.

I’m howling.

Mine were the same until I used some litter attractant in it. One time and they were at least willing to use it. Still took them a while until they weren't nervous when it ran though.

An orange tabby and grey tabby cuddling on a blanket

Buddies

A reminder that the crises routinely treated as separate—housing, food, climate, healthcare, electricity—are anything but.

This moment in America makes it glaringly clear: each feeds the other, driven by the same rapacious, profit-maximizing forces.

I also recommend DIE if you like his work and haven't read it yet. The first series is 4 TPBs long and complete, but issue 1 of the follow up series came out today

I haven't been buying singles, but Power Fantasy is interesting if you like Kieron Gillen's stuff (Wicked + Divine, DIE) and is only 13 issues in

MANFRED ON A SKATE OMG 🛹💚

NEW: After my last piece about what's slowing down game development, folks wrote in to ask "why didn't you talk about bad leadership?"

It uhhhh never came up. So I returned to the well and asked devs to explain why better leadership—not AI or any other tool—is vital to efficient game development.

"They would try to block us from doing more damage and give more people adequate representation" is an easy sell

Blaseball

Welp

9! More! Innings!

Sunflower seed slo mos may just be the most baseball

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.

PLUS ordering books via Bookshop.org supports your local indie bookstore

so I believe you know what you should do!