13 Followers
5 Following
26 Posts

independent journalist focused on discussing representation in media

agender

Pronounsthey/them
Gaming from the Mezzaninehttps://gaming.themezzanine.sbs/
The Mezzanine GameDBhttps://gamedb.themezzanine.sbs/
Gaming from the Mezzanine on Mastodonhttps://mastodon.social/@themezzgaming
@LeBonk Their news shows up in your Activity feed, like when curators or individual games you follow post anything.

RE: https://mstdn.games/@cautionaryfable/116546667733556899

Interesting results here. There were actually more people who follow developers than I expected, even though the vast majority of people didn't know it was a feature.

#gaming #games

@silverspookgames Is Neofeud 2 a direct sequel?

@joandaro I wouldn't say the whole thing is "doomed" as much as I'd say that it's so entrenched in its tropes and norms that the style sends any of a number of messages that are understandably unappealing ("boobs" are honestly the least of those - there are a LOT more that are a LOT worse).

Media that is trying to get away from those tropes exists, but it definitely has to work like 5x as hard to not be seen as part of the problem. Like, for example, there's a reason that Ghibli is a household name, even for people who don't typically engage with anime, while most other anime isn't.

@joandaro Frankly, it's less about the style (because, ultimately, yes, it is just an art style) and more about the culture around the style. There were "norms" that were codified way before it became the global phenomenon it is now (look at things like Urusei Yatsura in the 70s-80s). These things don't exist in a vacuum. They've become a part of it (and are arguably getting worse, though that's a LONG discussion with more intense plot points than most want to go into) and they're often replicated in anime-styled media made outside of Japan (including, yes, Western artists). An active effort has to be made to go against those norms/tropes. Some people make that effort. Some people don't.

Random question: does anyone actually follow game developers (or even curators) on Steam? The feature is there, but I've literally never heard anyone mention it. I don't even see it mentioned in marketing emails from game developers/publishers.

#games #gaming #gamedev

I follow developers
20%
I follow curators
5.3%
I follow both
6.7%
Steam lets you follow developers?
68%
Poll ended at .

I recently published an interview I did with the creator of a queer witch short, Coven of the Midnight Son. Set during the Salem Witch Trials, it follows a man who is pushing himself to his limit in an effort to hold on.

https://themezzanine.sbs/coven-of-the-midnight-son-asks-how-far-you-would-go-to-hold-on/

#queer #witch #film #lgbtq #lgbtqia #shorts

This is really cool. Would be cool to see this for other kinds of games (maybe turn-based games?), but it has some unique limitations.

https://gizmodo.com/the-visible-zorker-lets-you-peer-under-the-hood-to-see-how-games-worked-in-the-80s-2000753421

#gaming #gamedev #retrogaming

The Visible Zorker Lets You Peer Under the Hood to See How Games Worked in the 80s

Some things have changed, and some haven't. Also: hello sailor!

Gizmodo

It's a bit of a concerning sign for #gaming that more and more of Steam's "Popular New Releases" are getting less than 100 (often less than 50) reviews on day one. This seems to indicate that a lot of them aren't breaking 5000 sales before sales stagnate, despite homepage visibility.

This kind of goes in line with what a lot of devs have been saying. Even the CEO of Monument Valley developer Ustwo Games just referred to "having employees" and "long-term employment" as ideas that are "a little bit too romantic."

It feels like the consolidation of wealth is hitting gaming hard, but it remains to be seen.

Learned last night that even #Touhou is using #AI now, which is so incredibly frustrating. Zun is probably one of the most well-known solo devs and even he's turned to AI to generate backgrounds.

Not to mention that AI disclosures on Steam are becoming more and more common, no matter how small a role AI played. Nexon is viewing #ARCRaiders as a "Trojan horse" for getting AI into game development. More and more major companies are admitting to AI use...

...and now I've seen people say MiHoYo's #PetitPlanet is "cool" because of its AI conversations.

Getting concerned. AI is getting harder and harder to avoid in gaming.