David Merrett

@snakeydave.bsky.social

85 followers 190 following 210 posts

Social researcher, runner, climber, silly gaming man

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Economics 35%

Political science 25%

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David Merrett @snakeydave.bsky.social · Jan 12

Games completed 2025:

1. Lorelei and The Laser Eyes. Superb puzzle game with some narrative heft, improved no end by its use of survival horror aesthetics. Vivid, stylish, satisfying, I loved it.

Reposted by David Merrett

Chris Bratt @chrisbratt.bsky.social · 23h

Going to be on Novara Live later this evening (I think about 6:45PM?) discussing the Rockstar firings and the union's efforts to get those employees reinstated

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hjc...

Carer’s Allowance Crisis Leaves Hundreds Of Thousands In Debt | #NovaraLIVE

YouTube video by Novara Media

www.youtube.com

Reposted by David Merrett

David Timoney @fromarsetoelbow.bsky.social · 3d

"This is a government that was engineered by the politico-media caste to thwart the left, eject the hapless Tories before they did any more damage, and otherwise just sit tight until something turned up to give the economy a boost." More ...
fromarsetoelbow.blogspot.com/2025/11/a-to...

A Touch on the Tiller

This is a government that refuses to publicly choose between the interests of capital and labour and believes it can steer a course between the two.

fromarsetoelbow.blogspot.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, David Merrett

Kate Garraway Enjoyer @jorisbinned.bsky.social · 3d

Sorry to keep banging on about it but it's literally *they are on Twitter and think it's the majority view*

Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 3d

This is pretty striking and makes me wonder exactly what Labour have been up to in making policy seemingly in response to / fear of the former rather than the middle group.

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 5d

Why do people think England flags have been raised on lampposts?

White adults
National pride: 26%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 49%
Both: 19%

Ethnic minority adults
National pride: 15%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 55%
Both: 20%

yougov.co.uk/society/arti...

Reposted by David Merrett

Eurogamer @eurogamer.bsky.social · 5d

Ubisoft boss believes generative AI is as big a revolution for games as the shift to 3D, as tech is embraced company-wide

www.eurogamer.net/ubisoft-boss...

Reposted by James Harrison, David Merrett

The Herald @heraldscotland.bsky.social · 5d

For Women Scotland wins Public Campaign or Campaigner of the Year at The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year Awards 2025, in association with ScottishPower

www.heraldscotland.com/news...

#politicianawards25

Reposted by David Merrett

illusory wall @illusorywall.bsky.social · 6d

Showing up in the Epstein Files because you were a thorn in the side of one of his buddies is a serious flex. Rebecca Watson has been doing great work for a long time now.

youtu.be/VNLdyWPAz18?...

So I'm in the Epstein Files

YouTube video by Rebecca Watson (Skepchick)

youtu.be

David Merrett @snakeydave.bsky.social · 7d

I remember being blown away by cod 2 on a 360 demo station, how the smoke seemed like it was thick and had real volume in a way I'd never seen before.

Reposted by David Merrett

G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 10d

maybe if he takes more consultant advice to move to the right on immigration he can turn those numbers around

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, David Merrett, Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham

Gomi @gomizone.bsky.social · 11d

just saw the worst gaming ad ive ever seen

David Merrett @snakeydave.bsky.social · 12d

I finished Indika this morning. Deftly written, literate, with excellent performances. Understated mechanically, appropriately so, but occasionally its gameplay conceits feel underexplored or clumsily executed. Some superb bits of narrative design however, some overt, some wonderfully un-signposted.

David Merrett @snakeydave.bsky.social · 15d

youtu.be/c9nOwjeznjI?...

The Rockstar Workers Fired Before They Could Finish GTA 6

YouTube video by People Make Games

youtu.be

Reposted by David Merrett

Gareth Dennis @garethdennis.uk · 17d

Ignoring the pathetic, tragic jingoism of popping a bunch of nylon flags on the posts of road signage along a bypass, but these are such obvious hazards it should genuinely merit a national restraining order on the flag twats.

two flags attached to a large road sign, flapping into the road and causing - at best - a dangerous distraction

Reposted by Jason Mittell, Michael Barnett, Michael S. Rosenberg , and 30 more Jason Mittell, Michael Barnett, Michael S. Rosenberg, Jesse M. Shapiro, Delphine K. Farmer, Joshua S. Weitz, John R. Hutchinson, Scott L. Greer, Stacie B. Dusetzina, Steven French, Megan L. Ranney, Rosemary A. Joyce, Mark E. Schaffer, Amir Attaran, Dawn J. Wright, Paul E. Smaldino, Kevin Carey, Bonnie Honig, Smith, Rebecca Tushnet, Michael W. Kraus, David Merrett, W. Andy Knight, Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, Brian Keegan, Sarah Roberts, Lisa Diedrich, Ann Bartow, Catherine J. Frieman, Michael Larkin, Aviel Roshwald, Carly D. Ziter, Shan Kothari

Brittany Trang @brittanytrang.com · 18d

A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.

Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."

Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫

James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers

James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.

www.statnews.com

Reposted by David Merrett

PC Gamer @pcgamer.com · 19d

"Rockstar, Rockstar, you're disgusting, we charge you with union busting," the protesters declared.

'All you had to do was follow the damn law, Rockstar!': Workers are protesting outside Take-Two after GTA 6 dev's alleged 'brazen' union-busting

"They can get used to seeing us on their doorstep."

www.pcgamer.com

David Merrett @snakeydave.bsky.social · 23d

This article totally captured how I feel about Ball X Pit. It's totally empty, a pure lizard brain tickler, and nothing more. However, shamefully, I will finish it.

Beware of Falling into Ball x Pit

Ball x Pit is a hollow, repetitive roguelite that cynically preys on players' weakness and offers little in return--and I need to go play it again.

www.endlessmode.com

Reposted by David Merrett, David R. Miller, Steven S. Taylor , and 2 more David Merrett, David R. Miller, Steven S. Taylor, Simon Lester, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 25d

It is time to admit that Republicans won the 2024 election by running to the center.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/o...

The most obvious thing in politics is often the hardest to admit: If you lose an election, the best thing that you can do to make sure you win the next one is to find a message that puts you closer to the median voter than you were the last time around.

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Steve Peers, David Merrett

Jason Schreier @jasonschreier.bsky.social · 25d

BREAKING: Yesterday Grand Theft Auto VI maker Rockstar Games fired dozens of people, all of whom were involved in union efforts. A British union calls it "blatant and ruthless" union-busting. Take-Two Interactive says it was due to misconduct.

Here's the scoop: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

‘Grand Theft Auto’ Studio Accused of Union Busting After Firings

Union says 30 and 40 people were terminated. Rockstar Games’ parent company cites ‘gross misconduct’

www.bloomberg.com

Reposted by David Merrett

Chris B. @tenderchris.bsky.social · Oct 25

Please kill me

Reposted by David Merrett

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · Oct 24

It was an Issue on which serious people were expected to have opinions.

Over and over again we’ve seen the media refuse to create Issues out of anything related to right-wing radicalization. If they get any mention, they’re in stories about ‘polarization,’ a misstatement of the actual problem.

Reposted by David Merrett

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · Oct 24

This is a huge part of the media’s role in a democracy, not simply reporting the facts but collecting them into Major Political Issues to which the citizenry and politicians pay attention.

In 2021 when homicide rates spiked, for example, we got a wave of stories about causes, fixes, fallout, etc.

Reposted by David Merrett

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · Oct 24

It’s true that these incidents appear in the news section, but they’re rarely collected into trend pieces or framed by the media as part of a single, urgent story.

Compare this to ‘campus free speech,’ which had magazine covers, entire verticals and dedicated beat reporters.

Reposted by Mark Bray, Brendan Nyhan, David Merrett , and 2 more Mark Bray, Brendan Nyhan, David Merrett, Dana R. Fisher, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · Oct 24

DHS posted a disturbing video today featuring a song that’s popular with Nazi creators

DHS Posts Video Featuring Song Popular With Nazi Creators

The agency denied making

gizmodo.com

Reposted by Margaret Mitchell, Alan Richardson, David Merrett , and 4 more Margaret Mitchell, Alan Richardson, David Merrett, Dana R. Fisher, David Murakami Wood, Lisa Diedrich, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Mar @histoftech.bsky.social · Oct 23

This person is one hundred percent correct and it’s scary af. We will never “media literacy” our way out of this as a society. We are about to reap the whirlwind when it comes to misinformation, disinformation, and informational warfare.

David Merrett @snakeydave.bsky.social · Oct 22

Always love it when a game does this. A couple of my favourite variants include 'under the stairs' and 'behind the waterfall.' Mario is probably the king here; the levels are always stuffed with coyly 'hidden' secrets, little gems of set-up and payoff.

David Merrett @snakeydave.bsky.social · Oct 22

Sensible.

Reposted by Alison Phipps, David Merrett

Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · Oct 22

The interviewer asks @zackpolanski.bsky.social if he's worried about splitting the left vote & whether the best way to beat the right is to vote Labour.

Zack: "The idea that the Labour party are on the left is completely incoherent"

Reposted by Jonathan Hopkin, David Merrett

Jack Bailey @jack-bailey.co.uk · Oct 22

I just cannot take this shit seriously. If you're a senior Labour figure and think that the party's stance is cowardly but are too afraid to put your name on the record saying it YOU ARE A COWARD.

Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · Oct 22

Senior Labour figures have expressed dismay at the Party's "cowardly" and "incompetent" response to Tory shadow minister Katie Lam calling for legal migrants to "go home".

"What’s the point of us saying we’re anti-racist when we fail to call out racism," said one MP.

Exclusive: Labour Anger Erupts Over Party's Response To Katie Lam Immigration Row

"What’s the point of us saying we’re anti-racist when we fail to call out racism," said one MP.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Reposted by David Merrett

Rock Paper Shotgun @rockpapershotgun.bsky.social · Oct 21

Arc Raiders boss boasts of being able to AI generate guns from Youtube videos, but says it'll never replace "the human aspect"

Embark Studios CEO and former EA guy Patrick Söderlund has been chatting about the controversial usage of generative AI and machine learning in Arc Raiders.

www.rockpapershotgun.com

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Steven French , and 5 more Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Steven French, Elizabeth Stokoe, David Merrett, Maria Abreu, Christina Pagel, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · Oct 21

“We welcome those who come to this country, legally, and give more than they take. We believe the right to stay here must not be automatic, but that those who play their part should be able to earn that right."

Reposted by David Merrett

Keza MacDonald @mackeza.bsky.social · Oct 21

It is unfortunate for Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 that I binged AMC's Interview with the Vampire series before playing it. One of these is a masterful, frightening, sexually charged and deftly comic reimagining of vamp mythology. The other is *okay*.

www.theguardian.com/games/2025/o...

Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 review – an interestingly toothless piece of noir fiction

Arriving more than two decades after the original, this sequel was mired in development disaster – resulting in an interesting almost-failure

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