Kevin Hovdestad
@hovdestad.ca
Director, Brand Development at CATAN Studio
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
being silly with your children is one of the best parts of being a parent
the eight year old and I were playing Catan Jr and I kept getting goats so I started chanting “goats goats goats” and doing a silly dance and now he is randomly coming up to me and going “goats goats goats” and it’s adorable
the eight year old and I were playing Catan Jr and I kept getting goats so I started chanting “goats goats goats” and doing a silly dance and now he is randomly coming up to me and going “goats goats goats” and it’s adorable
January 11, 2026 at 6:28 PM
being silly with your children is one of the best parts of being a parent
the eight year old and I were playing Catan Jr and I kept getting goats so I started chanting “goats goats goats” and doing a silly dance and now he is randomly coming up to me and going “goats goats goats” and it’s adorable
the eight year old and I were playing Catan Jr and I kept getting goats so I started chanting “goats goats goats” and doing a silly dance and now he is randomly coming up to me and going “goats goats goats” and it’s adorable
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
Synopsis: You need to kick more people out.
You will actually have a larger base of customers/attendees if you kick more people out. You will make more money. I am dead serious.
You will actually have a larger base of customers/attendees if you kick more people out. You will make more money. I am dead serious.
January 6, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Synopsis: You need to kick more people out.
You will actually have a larger base of customers/attendees if you kick more people out. You will make more money. I am dead serious.
You will actually have a larger base of customers/attendees if you kick more people out. You will make more money. I am dead serious.
Speaking as someone who has also seen the data for this at major game companies, this is universally true. The worst 2% of your players/customers/whatever that you aren't dealing with are costing you 10x as many people who won't participate because of them.
I spent an excessive number of years moderating a gaming forum and I learned a great deal about community spaces and cultivation, whether I wanted to or not. I have critical advice for anyone who runs a game store or gaming convention. Please share this thread with people who run those things.
January 7, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Speaking as someone who has also seen the data for this at major game companies, this is universally true. The worst 2% of your players/customers/whatever that you aren't dealing with are costing you 10x as many people who won't participate because of them.
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
“Hybrid” just means “onsite.” Can we be honest here.
January 6, 2026 at 2:25 PM
“Hybrid” just means “onsite.” Can we be honest here.
Kids got new iPads for Christmas, and I need @shappy.bsky.social and @johnathan.bsky.social to know that some of their amazing @rawsignal.ca stickers finally found good homes.
December 29, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Kids got new iPads for Christmas, and I need @shappy.bsky.social and @johnathan.bsky.social to know that some of their amazing @rawsignal.ca stickers finally found good homes.
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
This might sound harsh, and judgmental, but if video is your preferred way of getting information about a topic, you’re a fucking moron
December 28, 2025 at 2:05 AM
This might sound harsh, and judgmental, but if video is your preferred way of getting information about a topic, you’re a fucking moron
I agree, but I also think it behooves the good faith actors in this scenario to just meet people where they are with terminology. We had lots of language for “AI” - playing against the computer, bots, RNG, etc. - before the intentional obfuscation hit. Using those can help us get genAI dealt with.
December 23, 2025 at 10:00 PM
I agree, but I also think it behooves the good faith actors in this scenario to just meet people where they are with terminology. We had lots of language for “AI” - playing against the computer, bots, RNG, etc. - before the intentional obfuscation hit. Using those can help us get genAI dealt with.
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
Zero tolerance is the ONLY and FITTING response to genAI being used in production of media.
Sure, you might think it's too harsh. Sure, they might've only used it for early stuff in development, etc
Listen, it's not even a SLIPPERY slope, there is NO friction at all unless we speak out against it.
Sure, you might think it's too harsh. Sure, they might've only used it for early stuff in development, etc
Listen, it's not even a SLIPPERY slope, there is NO friction at all unless we speak out against it.
December 22, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Zero tolerance is the ONLY and FITTING response to genAI being used in production of media.
Sure, you might think it's too harsh. Sure, they might've only used it for early stuff in development, etc
Listen, it's not even a SLIPPERY slope, there is NO friction at all unless we speak out against it.
Sure, you might think it's too harsh. Sure, they might've only used it for early stuff in development, etc
Listen, it's not even a SLIPPERY slope, there is NO friction at all unless we speak out against it.
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
This one is easy: No. Don’t use the evil slop generation “tools” anywhere in your process. Consumers have been so, so clear on their preferences here.
As the backlash to generative AI in video games continues to pick up steam heading into 2026, it'll be fascinating to see what is considered "made with generative AI." Can a dev team say they're not using AI if they're writing design docs with Copilot or using chatGPT to make schedules and budgets?
December 21, 2025 at 4:19 PM
This one is easy: No. Don’t use the evil slop generation “tools” anywhere in your process. Consumers have been so, so clear on their preferences here.
And my point is that if consumers say “every possible use case is unacceptable,” that leaves openings for devs who explicitly refuse to touch the stuff to succeed.
A lot of the genAI argument boils down to, “It exists, ergo we have to accept its use.” That’s both false, and not how markets work.
A lot of the genAI argument boils down to, “It exists, ergo we have to accept its use.” That’s both false, and not how markets work.
December 23, 2025 at 2:49 AM
And my point is that if consumers say “every possible use case is unacceptable,” that leaves openings for devs who explicitly refuse to touch the stuff to succeed.
A lot of the genAI argument boils down to, “It exists, ergo we have to accept its use.” That’s both false, and not how markets work.
A lot of the genAI argument boils down to, “It exists, ergo we have to accept its use.” That’s both false, and not how markets work.
No, it’s not. Consumers loathe generative AI badly enough that you a) cannot use it; and b) might have to come up with other terms for other things we used to describe with AI. That’s not a crisis.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's GOTY retraction signals the start of something huge
The debate over gen AI in games is about to get a lot messier in 2026
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's GOTY retraction signals the start of something huge
www.polygon.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:35 AM
No, it’s not. Consumers loathe generative AI badly enough that you a) cannot use it; and b) might have to come up with other terms for other things we used to describe with AI. That’s not a crisis.
Because people don’t want that either? I don’t think this is as complicated as you’re making it out to be.
Consumers don’t want genAI tools used in the creation of art. Arguing over what kind of spoon is in use after the customer said, “No spoons, please!” doesn’t seem productive.
Consumers don’t want genAI tools used in the creation of art. Arguing over what kind of spoon is in use after the customer said, “No spoons, please!” doesn’t seem productive.
December 23, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Because people don’t want that either? I don’t think this is as complicated as you’re making it out to be.
Consumers don’t want genAI tools used in the creation of art. Arguing over what kind of spoon is in use after the customer said, “No spoons, please!” doesn’t seem productive.
Consumers don’t want genAI tools used in the creation of art. Arguing over what kind of spoon is in use after the customer said, “No spoons, please!” doesn’t seem productive.
This one is easy: No. Don’t use the evil slop generation “tools” anywhere in your process. Consumers have been so, so clear on their preferences here.
As the backlash to generative AI in video games continues to pick up steam heading into 2026, it'll be fascinating to see what is considered "made with generative AI." Can a dev team say they're not using AI if they're writing design docs with Copilot or using chatGPT to make schedules and budgets?
December 21, 2025 at 4:19 PM
This one is easy: No. Don’t use the evil slop generation “tools” anywhere in your process. Consumers have been so, so clear on their preferences here.
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
this is a good battle to pick. the CEO mentioned using "AI" and got so much shit for it immediately that he's rattled and backpedaling. easy win there
this shit, despite its faults, is not going anywhere and people are going to have to pick their battles
Larian CEO Responds to Divinity Gen AI Backlash: 'We Are Neither Releasing a Game With Any AI Components, Nor Are We Looking at Trimming Down Teams to Replace Them With AI' - IGN
This morning, the news broke that Larian Studios, developer of Baldur's Gate 3 and the upcoming, just-announced Divinity, is apparently using generative AI behind the scenes. The backlash has been swi...
www.ign.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:11 PM
this is a good battle to pick. the CEO mentioned using "AI" and got so much shit for it immediately that he's rattled and backpedaling. easy win there
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
my team has never used ChatGPT for any of our writing. these are 100% artisanal handmade mistakes, thank you
December 17, 2025 at 12:43 AM
my team has never used ChatGPT for any of our writing. these are 100% artisanal handmade mistakes, thank you
Happy to report that the new Bluey game is - for its target audience age - fantastic. Highly recommend.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsGY...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsGY...
Bluey's Quest for The Gold Pen | Official Launch Trailer
YouTube video by Halfbrick Studios
www.youtube.com
December 17, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Happy to report that the new Bluey game is - for its target audience age - fantastic. Highly recommend.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsGY...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsGY...
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
Merriam-Webster’s human editors have chosen ‘slop’ as the 2025 Word of the Year.
December 15, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Merriam-Webster’s human editors have chosen ‘slop’ as the 2025 Word of the Year.
ohh I gotta crack my copy of Beastro open yet, good reminder
December 15, 2025 at 4:36 PM
ohh I gotta crack my copy of Beastro open yet, good reminder
The thing that drives me genuinely bananas about this is that the correct response to this is for developers, influencers, and advocates to *stop using Steam*. It's a bad platform run by maliciously compliant people that's causing real downstream harms to the whole industry.
December 10, 2025 at 5:04 PM
The thing that drives me genuinely bananas about this is that the correct response to this is for developers, influencers, and advocates to *stop using Steam*. It's a bad platform run by maliciously compliant people that's causing real downstream harms to the whole industry.
Oh this is a fascinating prompt. In 2016 I'd have almost assuredly said Overwatch; with the benefit of time and distance, probably Civ VI, by a fair margin.
December 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Oh this is a fascinating prompt. In 2016 I'd have almost assuredly said Overwatch; with the benefit of time and distance, probably Civ VI, by a fair margin.
The Blair Witch Project, Joker (2019), and Rise of Skywalker.
December 9, 2025 at 3:37 PM
The Blair Witch Project, Joker (2019), and Rise of Skywalker.
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
Some people (not me) use Sunday morning to catch up on their politics, so here was my Say No to AI piece from this week for that. www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
The time has come to declare war on AI
"It's now in everything, even if you don't want it there."
www.sfgate.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Some people (not me) use Sunday morning to catch up on their politics, so here was my Say No to AI piece from this week for that. www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
why is miss universe always from earth
November 18, 2025 at 10:58 PM
why is miss universe always from earth
Reposted by Kevin Hovdestad
I gotta say this is a pretty decent list (bolstered by the fact that it's huge, but still). You'll get a better picture of where games are this year browsing through this than anything (literally anything) that happens at The Game Awards.
The best games of 2025, picked by NPR's staff
From indies like Blue Prince to big console exclusives like Donkey Kong Bananza, NPR staff members and contributors round up their favorite games of 2025.
www.npr.org
December 3, 2025 at 9:18 PM
I gotta say this is a pretty decent list (bolstered by the fact that it's huge, but still). You'll get a better picture of where games are this year browsing through this than anything (literally anything) that happens at The Game Awards.
Yeah, we made the switch to Apple a few years ago to be on Anything But Spotify, and it's unfortunately not great out there no matter what you do.
December 3, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Yeah, we made the switch to Apple a few years ago to be on Anything But Spotify, and it's unfortunately not great out there no matter what you do.