Joshua
@elvenmonk.bsky.social
I'm a blogger, ESL teacher, and beginner indie dev.
I'm working on a new game, a donation based ESL website, and a new blog.
I'm working on a new game, a donation based ESL website, and a new blog.
Reposted by Joshua
GTA: Vice City (2002)
100% Free!
Now playable through your web browser instantly! No installs!
Enjoy!
dos.zone/grand-theft-...
#retrogames #gaming #gamedev
100% Free!
Now playable through your web browser instantly! No installs!
Enjoy!
dos.zone/grand-theft-...
#retrogames #gaming #gamedev
December 19, 2025 at 10:02 AM
GTA: Vice City (2002)
100% Free!
Now playable through your web browser instantly! No installs!
Enjoy!
dos.zone/grand-theft-...
#retrogames #gaming #gamedev
100% Free!
Now playable through your web browser instantly! No installs!
Enjoy!
dos.zone/grand-theft-...
#retrogames #gaming #gamedev
Why am I just now learning about this? That's like an important thing I've never seen anyone bring up before
December 19, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Why am I just now learning about this? That's like an important thing I've never seen anyone bring up before
Everyone always ignores that in the 90s and 00s they sexualized all characters. For some reason during the ps3's life cycle people started to pretend males weren't sexualized.
December 19, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Everyone always ignores that in the 90s and 00s they sexualized all characters. For some reason during the ps3's life cycle people started to pretend males weren't sexualized.
Reposted by Joshua
they forgot the b & r & n in brainstorming 😔
Nihon Falcom "actively" using AI for brainstorming scenarios, conducting research, and similar applications.
www.resetera.com/threads/13...
www.resetera.com/threads/13...
December 18, 2025 at 7:01 AM
they forgot the b & r & n in brainstorming 😔
Lmao. This week has been funny for me because lots of people i know have batted for Falcom and Larian relentlessly. So, this week has been great for me, but bad for them
Nihon Falcom "actively" using AI for brainstorming scenarios, conducting research, and similar applications.
www.resetera.com/threads/13...
www.resetera.com/threads/13...
December 18, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Lmao. This week has been funny for me because lots of people i know have batted for Falcom and Larian relentlessly. So, this week has been great for me, but bad for them
Reposted by Joshua
it sucks that this is the case but you're basically deluding yourself if you think there isn't any AI usage in large publisher/dev companies at this point. some of them are just smart enough to stay quiet about it
this is why its more important than ever to support indies and expand ur tastes
this is why its more important than ever to support indies and expand ur tastes
Nihon Falcom "actively" using AI for brainstorming scenarios, conducting research, and similar applications.
www.resetera.com/threads/13...
www.resetera.com/threads/13...
December 18, 2025 at 6:15 AM
it sucks that this is the case but you're basically deluding yourself if you think there isn't any AI usage in large publisher/dev companies at this point. some of them are just smart enough to stay quiet about it
this is why its more important than ever to support indies and expand ur tastes
this is why its more important than ever to support indies and expand ur tastes
I always say it's the CEOs that stole our jobs and very few people understand what I mean.
incredible that the oldest scam in the book — “look away from the greed and poor leadership that destroy your chance to make a career, it is the [blanks] that stole your job!” — still works
December 18, 2025 at 9:01 AM
I always say it's the CEOs that stole our jobs and very few people understand what I mean.
Still does but lots of people surround themselves in negative echo chambers.
science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
This is cool.
www.popularmechanics.com/science/a697...
So is this
www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
This could drastically help Indonesia.
science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
This is cool.
www.popularmechanics.com/science/a697...
So is this
www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
This could drastically help Indonesia.
December 18, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Still does but lots of people surround themselves in negative echo chambers.
science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
This is cool.
www.popularmechanics.com/science/a697...
So is this
www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
This could drastically help Indonesia.
science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
This is cool.
www.popularmechanics.com/science/a697...
So is this
www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
This could drastically help Indonesia.
This.
If you remove indies output, and quality of output, has drastically dropped. 6 studios worked on bf6 instead of making 6 different games.
Every company has fallen in terms of output which decreases the desire to purchase a console.
If you remove indies output, and quality of output, has drastically dropped. 6 studios worked on bf6 instead of making 6 different games.
Every company has fallen in terms of output which decreases the desire to purchase a console.
I say this as someone who loves video games so so so much, but I cannot think of a single game released in the last 5 years for any console that would make me go "yeah that's worth ~$500 USD + the cost of the game", and Fortnite runs fine on PS4 so 🤷
?????????????????????????????????????
www.ign.com/articles/vid...
www.ign.com/articles/vid...
December 18, 2025 at 3:31 AM
This.
If you remove indies output, and quality of output, has drastically dropped. 6 studios worked on bf6 instead of making 6 different games.
Every company has fallen in terms of output which decreases the desire to purchase a console.
If you remove indies output, and quality of output, has drastically dropped. 6 studios worked on bf6 instead of making 6 different games.
Every company has fallen in terms of output which decreases the desire to purchase a console.
Reposted by Joshua
To many people judge nintendo positively because they quite literally do the bare minimum for their employees as dictated by what Japanese law says they are supposed to do for them.
on yesterday's CSB woolie and pat were listing off all the evil shit game companies have done and someone in chat said "and yet Nintendo somehow avoided all this" it's so funny, nintendo fans really do live in another dimension
December 17, 2025 at 7:44 PM
To many people judge nintendo positively because they quite literally do the bare minimum for their employees as dictated by what Japanese law says they are supposed to do for them.
Reposted by Joshua
"Oh it's just inflation"
No jackass, they used to fucking mark down these consoles. The PS3 launched at $599 US Dollars and five years later I got mine for about $300.
Five years ago the PS5 launched around $500 and without the current holiday sales it's $550 with the disc drive.
This is stupid.
No jackass, they used to fucking mark down these consoles. The PS3 launched at $599 US Dollars and five years later I got mine for about $300.
Five years ago the PS5 launched around $500 and without the current holiday sales it's $550 with the disc drive.
This is stupid.
US video game hardware total units sold and average price paid, Nov 1995 through Nov 2025.
December 17, 2025 at 6:03 PM
"Oh it's just inflation"
No jackass, they used to fucking mark down these consoles. The PS3 launched at $599 US Dollars and five years later I got mine for about $300.
Five years ago the PS5 launched around $500 and without the current holiday sales it's $550 with the disc drive.
This is stupid.
No jackass, they used to fucking mark down these consoles. The PS3 launched at $599 US Dollars and five years later I got mine for about $300.
Five years ago the PS5 launched around $500 and without the current holiday sales it's $550 with the disc drive.
This is stupid.
Reposted by Joshua
i do not want to boycott Larian, they made one of the greatest games of all time, but the more they speak the more frustrated I become.
I'm completely baffled on why they decided to die on this hill when they have a history being anti-ai
I'm completely baffled on why they decided to die on this hill when they have a history being anti-ai
December 17, 2025 at 2:45 PM
i do not want to boycott Larian, they made one of the greatest games of all time, but the more they speak the more frustrated I become.
I'm completely baffled on why they decided to die on this hill when they have a history being anti-ai
I'm completely baffled on why they decided to die on this hill when they have a history being anti-ai
Reposted by Joshua
the CEO of larian just pulled the "i'm 12 years old on myspace and my internet girlfriend dumped me" move i'm not kidding
December 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM
the CEO of larian just pulled the "i'm 12 years old on myspace and my internet girlfriend dumped me" move i'm not kidding
Reposted by Joshua
If you need really high quality reference material of clothing from any historical era and you want to make sure the data is captured by human people who want to use it ethically, @render-ready.com is literally right here
This is a bad excuse for lazy craftsmanship
This is a bad excuse for lazy craftsmanship
Cmon man maybe you should double check your posts before towing the company line.
December 16, 2025 at 9:14 PM
If you need really high quality reference material of clothing from any historical era and you want to make sure the data is captured by human people who want to use it ethically, @render-ready.com is literally right here
This is a bad excuse for lazy craftsmanship
This is a bad excuse for lazy craftsmanship
Reposted by Joshua
This Larian genAI bullshit really reminds me of all the gamedev stories I've heard where management doesn't understand what in-development games *actually look like* when their employees show them.
They're the ones *creating* the problem of needing "placeholder" assets to look like finished art!
They're the ones *creating* the problem of needing "placeholder" assets to look like finished art!
December 16, 2025 at 5:49 PM
This Larian genAI bullshit really reminds me of all the gamedev stories I've heard where management doesn't understand what in-development games *actually look like* when their employees show them.
They're the ones *creating* the problem of needing "placeholder" assets to look like finished art!
They're the ones *creating* the problem of needing "placeholder" assets to look like finished art!
Reposted by Joshua
If I had known the two paragraphs about genAI in my article today would be so controversial, I would have expanded them a bit! Here's a rough transcript of the relevant portion of my interview with Swen Vincke, so everyone has all the context. (Full article here: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...)
December 16, 2025 at 11:52 PM
If I had known the two paragraphs about genAI in my article today would be so controversial, I would have expanded them a bit! Here's a rough transcript of the relevant portion of my interview with Swen Vincke, so everyone has all the context. (Full article here: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...)
Not even surprised. I've heard this before from friends about other studios stealing their work ( art, translations, and writing) with everyone being too afraid to speak out because it'll blacklist them from the industry
Larian's horrible hirring process is an open secret in the industry – insane amounts of unpaid work in "writing tests", excessive numbers of interviews, months and months of back and forth, etc. Everyone in games narrative circles has heard the stories at this point, probably from multiple people.
I know this because they tried to recruit me and I strongly considered it but they’re also a “do an unpaid writing test where you have to also make it playable” company so that’s not something I vibe with
December 17, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Not even surprised. I've heard this before from friends about other studios stealing their work ( art, translations, and writing) with everyone being too afraid to speak out because it'll blacklist them from the industry
Reposted by Joshua
Larian's horrible hirring process is an open secret in the industry – insane amounts of unpaid work in "writing tests", excessive numbers of interviews, months and months of back and forth, etc. Everyone in games narrative circles has heard the stories at this point, probably from multiple people.
I know this because they tried to recruit me and I strongly considered it but they’re also a “do an unpaid writing test where you have to also make it playable” company so that’s not something I vibe with
December 16, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Larian's horrible hirring process is an open secret in the industry – insane amounts of unpaid work in "writing tests", excessive numbers of interviews, months and months of back and forth, etc. Everyone in games narrative circles has heard the stories at this point, probably from multiple people.
Reposted by Joshua
well, not just that, but “make it perfectly fit to our style guide (which we don’t provide) and also fulfil some sort of secret criteria (which we also don’t provide)”
my exp with it almost pushed me out of the industry, I was only a few years in and the rejection felt awful!
my exp with it almost pushed me out of the industry, I was only a few years in and the rejection felt awful!
December 16, 2025 at 5:53 PM
well, not just that, but “make it perfectly fit to our style guide (which we don’t provide) and also fulfil some sort of secret criteria (which we also don’t provide)”
my exp with it almost pushed me out of the industry, I was only a few years in and the rejection felt awful!
my exp with it almost pushed me out of the industry, I was only a few years in and the rejection felt awful!
Reposted by Joshua
YUP they offered little to no actual success criteria and I made myself sick with stress over it for like a week because I wanted it so bad until I stopped and went “wait why am I letting a company I don’t even work for do this to me”
December 16, 2025 at 5:54 PM
YUP they offered little to no actual success criteria and I made myself sick with stress over it for like a week because I wanted it so bad until I stopped and went “wait why am I letting a company I don’t even work for do this to me”
Since Larian made those comments about AI allow me to say something as a solo dev who can't draw a straight line:
I've been learning how to model with clay and draw so I can create the games I want. Fuck gen AI. I wish I had the money to hire artists.
This is also why I've been learning music too
I've been learning how to model with clay and draw so I can create the games I want. Fuck gen AI. I wish I had the money to hire artists.
This is also why I've been learning music too
December 17, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Since Larian made those comments about AI allow me to say something as a solo dev who can't draw a straight line:
I've been learning how to model with clay and draw so I can create the games I want. Fuck gen AI. I wish I had the money to hire artists.
This is also why I've been learning music too
I've been learning how to model with clay and draw so I can create the games I want. Fuck gen AI. I wish I had the money to hire artists.
This is also why I've been learning music too
It's the portfolio rape scene from Silicon Valley, and just about every tech company does it.
finding out so many companies use art/writing tests to get weeks of free work from people genuinely makes me so infuriated I can't see straight. I will never patronize any company that does this.
December 17, 2025 at 1:47 AM
It's the portfolio rape scene from Silicon Valley, and just about every tech company does it.
I'm going to stop you right there. No corporation should be beloved. When you love a company you let them abuse you and get away with tons of shit.
i understand that these corporations are beloved by many, but as soon as you start defending their use of AI, even if it's "a little bit", i need you to understand that you are being used as a corporate tool to normalize AI. reject it with all your might. corporations arent your friend.
December 17, 2025 at 1:22 AM
I'm going to stop you right there. No corporation should be beloved. When you love a company you let them abuse you and get away with tons of shit.
You do not hate ad agencies enough
Australia’s Social Media Ban Was Pushed By Ad Agency Focused On Gambling Ads It Didn’t Want Banned
We’ve talked about the Australian social media ban that went into effect last week, how dumb it is, and why it’s already a mess. But late last week, some additional news broke that makes the whole…
We’ve talked about the Australian social media ban that went into effect last week, how dumb it is, and why it’s already a mess. But late last week, some additional news broke that makes the whole…
Australia’s Social Media Ban Was Pushed By Ad Agency Focused On Gambling Ads It Didn’t Want Banned
We’ve talked about the Australian social media ban that went into effect last week, how dumb it is, and why it’s already a mess. But late last week, some additional news broke that makes the whole thing even more grotesque: turns out the campaign pushing hardest for the ban was run by an ad agency that makes gambling ads.
www.techdirt.com
December 17, 2025 at 1:19 AM
You do not hate ad agencies enough
This ain't even new lore. 3rd literally has a black man on the cover.
I believe 4th introduced women into IG too and 2nd had PoCs as well. Cadians had women, and PoC women, in 4th ed lore.
I believe 4th introduced women into IG too and 2nd had PoCs as well. Cadians had women, and PoC women, in 4th ed lore.
December 16, 2025 at 8:01 AM
This ain't even new lore. 3rd literally has a black man on the cover.
I believe 4th introduced women into IG too and 2nd had PoCs as well. Cadians had women, and PoC women, in 4th ed lore.
I believe 4th introduced women into IG too and 2nd had PoCs as well. Cadians had women, and PoC women, in 4th ed lore.