Elizabeth Zelle
@kohizeri.bsky.social
Head of User Research @ Amazon Games | Making games since 2008 | Bethesda and Volition alum | Midwest is Best | Opinions expressed are my own | She/Her
A excellent piece on why 'Design by Reddit' is a terrible replacement for actual user research.
Keeping a finger on the pulse of social media sentiment can be an important *complement* to understanding your users (and even add context to your research responses), but can't replace #GamesUR
Keeping a finger on the pulse of social media sentiment can be an important *complement* to understanding your users (and even add context to your research responses), but can't replace #GamesUR
Today's Load-bearing Tomato addresses the age old question:
"why don't the devs just [SOCIAL MEDIA OPINION]"
It turns out, "a lot of reasons", but if you never have to test your ideas, you never have to discover why they're not any good.
loadbearingtomato.com/p/why-chasin...
"why don't the devs just [SOCIAL MEDIA OPINION]"
It turns out, "a lot of reasons", but if you never have to test your ideas, you never have to discover why they're not any good.
loadbearingtomato.com/p/why-chasin...
Why chasing twitter's approval doesn't work
The opinions you believe are universal are being fed to you by an algorithm designed to show you what you want.
loadbearingtomato.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:57 PM
A excellent piece on why 'Design by Reddit' is a terrible replacement for actual user research.
Keeping a finger on the pulse of social media sentiment can be an important *complement* to understanding your users (and even add context to your research responses), but can't replace #GamesUR
Keeping a finger on the pulse of social media sentiment can be an important *complement* to understanding your users (and even add context to your research responses), but can't replace #GamesUR
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
The game you are about to play is a product of its time. It may depict the PS3, which was commonplace in society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today.
New intro screen for Metal Gear Solid 4 in Master Collection vol 2
February 13, 2026 at 8:05 AM
The game you are about to play is a product of its time. It may depict the PS3, which was commonplace in society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today.
My favorite recent thing is the new trend of people commenting “AI could NEVER” under videos of beautiful, heartfelt human-made art on TikTok.
People recognize and understand the difference when they see art made with soul.
People recognize and understand the difference when they see art made with soul.
February 13, 2026 at 1:43 PM
My favorite recent thing is the new trend of people commenting “AI could NEVER” under videos of beautiful, heartfelt human-made art on TikTok.
People recognize and understand the difference when they see art made with soul.
People recognize and understand the difference when they see art made with soul.
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
DinoCon with a more prompt response to academics complicit in sexual abuse than uh, the entirety of academia.
February 10, 2026 at 8:11 AM
DinoCon with a more prompt response to academics complicit in sexual abuse than uh, the entirety of academia.
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
Every photo from Minneapolis looks like this. Cops decked out with guns and full tac gear facing off against people in bathrobes, parkas, and sweatpants armed only with whistles and cell phones.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
February 11, 2026 at 11:50 PM
Every photo from Minneapolis looks like this. Cops decked out with guns and full tac gear facing off against people in bathrobes, parkas, and sweatpants armed only with whistles and cell phones.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
thank you for contacting the abyss. your scream is very important to us.
February 10, 2026 at 10:10 PM
thank you for contacting the abyss. your scream is very important to us.
me: shares post with partner for the laughs
partner: immediately proves post true with half a dozen texts about how w40k lore is serious business
partner: immediately proves post true with half a dozen texts about how w40k lore is serious business
Every nerd couple has a warhammer explainer and a warhammer hostage
February 11, 2026 at 4:39 AM
me: shares post with partner for the laughs
partner: immediately proves post true with half a dozen texts about how w40k lore is serious business
partner: immediately proves post true with half a dozen texts about how w40k lore is serious business
February 9, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
February 8, 2026 at 10:23 PM
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
Patriots didn’t really show up for anything other than the Bad Bunny concert, did they
February 9, 2026 at 3:02 AM
Patriots didn’t really show up for anything other than the Bad Bunny concert, did they
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
#BadBunny's performers continued to dance and party outside the stadium after the #SuperBowl #HalftimeShow
February 9, 2026 at 1:58 AM
#BadBunny's performers continued to dance and party outside the stadium after the #SuperBowl #HalftimeShow
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
I'm hardly the first person to note this, but it's enormously instructive that our President and his followers saw the message "THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE" and understood it, correctly, as an attack on them
February 9, 2026 at 2:11 AM
I'm hardly the first person to note this, but it's enormously instructive that our President and his followers saw the message "THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE" and understood it, correctly, as an attack on them
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
the bushes were people 😂
February 9, 2026 at 2:26 AM
the bushes were people 😂
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
I’m only watching because there’s still a chance the Bears could come back and win this thing
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
I’m only watching because there’s still a chance the Bears could come back and win this thing
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
they should just put the Chicago Bears out on the field and pretend nothing's different, like a late-season sitcom recasting
February 9, 2026 at 1:48 AM
they should just put the Chicago Bears out on the field and pretend nothing's different, like a late-season sitcom recasting
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
Genuinely gives me a lot of hope that the NFL is a cynical, cash-motivated organization and they're betting on this being the future
February 9, 2026 at 1:38 AM
Genuinely gives me a lot of hope that the NFL is a cynical, cash-motivated organization and they're betting on this being the future
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
The Super Bowl halftime show is the America im rooting for
February 9, 2026 at 1:28 AM
The Super Bowl halftime show is the America im rooting for
Got off the plane, navigated the DFW airport, and now racing home for the halftime show
February 9, 2026 at 12:32 AM
Got off the plane, navigated the DFW airport, and now racing home for the halftime show
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
Take a shot every time you seen an ai ad with a butthole logo
February 9, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Take a shot every time you seen an ai ad with a butthole logo
Reposted by Elizabeth Zelle
Me in school: the two things I hate most are homework, and presentations
Me today: *writing a conference talk in my spare time* I sure love doing homework for this presentation
Me today: *writing a conference talk in my spare time* I sure love doing homework for this presentation
February 8, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Me in school: the two things I hate most are homework, and presentations
Me today: *writing a conference talk in my spare time* I sure love doing homework for this presentation
Me today: *writing a conference talk in my spare time* I sure love doing homework for this presentation