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mcconnell.bsky.social
Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC
@mcconnell.bsky.social
4.4K followers 3.2K following 19K posts
Bayou Billy fan account. Age Ratings Manager @ Riot, used to work at Twitter (the less bad times) and Niantic.
Runs @instructionderby.bsky.social

Instruction Derby: A video game manual stream!
Wednesdays at noon Pacific
twitch.tv/nicmcconnell

He/him
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mcconnell.bsky.social
Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC @mcconnell.bsky.social · Oct 12
Wednesdays at noon pacific, I host a stream called Instruction Derby where I have a look at video game manuals past (and present!) and read through all the character, color and weirdness within. I’d love for you to join for Storytime!

twitch.tv/nicmcconnell
Wednesdays, noon Pacific
Reposted by Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC
alcalico.com
Did you play the NEW DEMO yet??

• 5 levels
• 4 bosses
• Lots of secret collectables!
• And even more fun!!

Check it out on Steam!
store.steampowered.com/app/2993100/...

#demo #indiegame #steam #retro #gamedemo #gamedev #indiedev #kickstarter #16bit #shootemup #shmup
February 19, 2026 at 8:13 AM
Reposted by Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC
wario64.bsky.social
BALL x PIT (PS5/Switch) up for preorder at Best Buy ($29.99)
PS5 buff.ly/04MIUoD
Switch buff.ly/BHCpXSH #ad

Amazon amzn.to/4tAA6oA
VGP buff.ly/WbF0QdH
PNP buff.ly/1xSwuNR
February 18, 2026 at 6:00 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
[peppy hare voice]
Do a
Barolo wine bottle
February 19, 2026 at 2:29 AM
mcconnell.bsky.social
I don’t think I’ve ever been mad, but I’ve definitely left disappointed and the harshest disappointment was probably Furiosa
yelix.bsky.social woke stifler @yelix.bsky.social · 12h
fun question: what’s the maddest you’ve ever been leaving a movie theater? not necessarily worst movie you’ve seen, but the one that just pissed you off the most. mine is Batman v Superman
February 18, 2026 at 10:25 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
The two manuals I had tee'd up for today's stream were decent but not amazing and fairly brief, so I wound up checking out Avenging Spirit on Game Boy and let me tell you...that is a journey.

It's also a rarity in that it's a GB game with credits - and the manual author is even listed, Kate Hunt.
February 18, 2026 at 9:20 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
Live now!

twitch.tv/nicmcconnell
instructionderby.bsky.social Instruction Derby @instructionderby.bsky.social · 16h
It’s another Wednesday in our American dystopia so why not take in some cautionary texts* that proved prophetic?

twitch.tv/nicmcconnell
12 noon TODAY!

Instruction Derby is part of the @soundstone.network
Super smash tv on snes manual cover Chuck Norris game for Atari manual cover. It has a lot of text: CHUCK NORRIS SUPERKICKS™ You are "Chuck Norris" trying to reach an ancient monastery to rescue a famous leader that is being held hostage, BEWARE! Dangerous warriors lie in waiting to spou your efforts to reach your goal. You begin your journey as a White Belt, the first belt in the sport of Karate. By defeating the attackers, scorng points, and learning new martial skills, you will earn each of the colored belts associated with the Tang Soo Do" style of karate, You must achieve the highest rank of all, the Black Belt, in order to reach and enter ひ the monastery which is guarded by the fearsome NINJA ASSASSINS
February 18, 2026 at 8:00 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
👀
February 18, 2026 at 7:49 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
Please leave Twitter, if only for your own wellbeing
jongreen.bsky.social Jon Green @jongreen.bsky.social · 16h
X's algorithm is in fact doing what you think it's doing. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Article: The political effects of X’s feed algorithm Abstract: Feed algorithms are widely suspected to influence political attitudes. However, previous evidence from switching off the algorithm on Meta platforms found no political effects1. Here we present results from a 2023 field experiment on Elon Musk’s platform X shedding light on this puzzle. We assigned active US-based users randomly to either an algorithmic or a chronological feed for 7 weeks, measuring political attitudes and online behaviour. Switching from a chronological to an algorithmic feed increased engagement and shifted political opinion towards more conservative positions, particularly regarding policy priorities, perceptions of criminal investigations into Donald Trump and views on the war in Ukraine. In contrast, switching from the algorithmic to the chronological feed had no comparable effects. Neither switching the algorithm on nor switching it off significantly affected affective polarization or self-reported partisanship. To investigate the mechanism, we analysed users’ feed content and behaviour. We found that the algorithm promotes conservative content and demotes posts by traditional media. Exposure to algorithmic content leads users to follow conservative political activist accounts, which they continue to follow even after switching off the algorithm, helping explain the asymmetry in effects. These results suggest that initial exposure to X’s algorithm has persistent effects on users’ current political attitudes and account-following behaviour, even in the absence of a detectable effect on partisanship. Figure 2. ITT estimates of feed-setting changes on engagement and political attitudes. ITT effect estimates of switching the algorithm on and off (in s.d.). Left, effect of moving from the chronological to the algorithmic feed for users initially on the chronological feed. Right, effect of moving in the opposite direction for users initially on the algorithmic feed. For each outcome, the results of two specifications are reported. Blue, unconditional estimates with robust s.e., controlling only for the initial feed setting and, where applicable, pre-treatment outcome levels. Orange: conditional estimates, controlling for pre-treatment covariates using GRFs; 90% and 95% CIs are reported. Numerical effect sizes and P values correspond to the conditional estimates (all tests are two-sided). The unit of observation is respondent. From top to bottom, sample sizes are n = 4,965, n = 3,337, n = 4,965, n = 4,965, n = 4,596, n = 4,596 and n = 4,850. Tests are described in Methods. Supplementary Information Table 2.16 reports the exact numerical point estimates, s.e., CIs and sample sizes for every specification. All outcomes are standardized. Additional results are presented in Supplementary Information section 2. PCA, first principal component from principal component analysis.
February 18, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC
seanseanson.bsky.social
We have to find the guy who keeps making these and tell him it's time to stop and sort your life out.

The Weird World of PS1 Licensed Games is live now!

youtu.be/Bnb16hT-e38
The Weird World of PS1 Licensed Games | Sean Seanson
YouTube video by Sean Seanson
youtu.be
February 18, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC
fabraz.bsky.social
In case you missed it, DEMON TIDES is coming out TOMORROW on Steam!
February 18, 2026 at 4:16 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
Sega should relaunch the Saturn and also the Dreamcast, now is the time to
February 18, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC
jparish.bsky.social
“Get in, loser, we’re going to hell”
fangsoft.bsky.social fray (ˉ﹃ˉ) @fangsoft.bsky.social · 1d
found a god-tier panel in a history of hyrule promo zine
February 18, 2026 at 5:10 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
Go Mecha Ball is a master class in movement and action (and is gorgeous, to boot) and right now it’s 50% off which is just 10 bucks. Thats a steal!

store.steampowered.com/app/2008510/...
Save 50% on Go Mecha Ball on Steam
Load up and roll out, in this twin stick shooter with roguelike progression! Blast your way through arcade-style levels, using pinball-style physics mixed with an arsenal of devastating weapons. Defea...
store.steampowered.com
February 18, 2026 at 5:11 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
Stream day!
instructionderby.bsky.social Instruction Derby @instructionderby.bsky.social · 16h
It’s another Wednesday in our American dystopia so why not take in some cautionary texts* that proved prophetic?

twitch.tv/nicmcconnell
12 noon TODAY!

Instruction Derby is part of the @soundstone.network
Super smash tv on snes manual cover Chuck Norris game for Atari manual cover. It has a lot of text: CHUCK NORRIS SUPERKICKS™ You are "Chuck Norris" trying to reach an ancient monastery to rescue a famous leader that is being held hostage, BEWARE! Dangerous warriors lie in waiting to spou your efforts to reach your goal. You begin your journey as a White Belt, the first belt in the sport of Karate. By defeating the attackers, scorng points, and learning new martial skills, you will earn each of the colored belts associated with the Tang Soo Do" style of karate, You must achieve the highest rank of all, the Black Belt, in order to reach and enter ひ the monastery which is guarded by the fearsome NINJA ASSASSINS
February 18, 2026 at 4:49 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
[me seeing this footage] Hell yeah, this rules. I wanna play this right now.
velodus.bsky.social Velodus✨ @velodus.bsky.social · 1d
Burnout 3 is underrated as one of the very, very best games of all time because you can show Burnout 3 footage to people two decades later and their reaction will still be "hell yeah, this rules. I wanna play this right now."
February 18, 2026 at 6:37 AM
mcconnell.bsky.social
I am once again asking democrats not to let this guy be the nominee
gilduran.com Gil Durán @gilduran.com · 1d
Read this sentence slowly:

“Gov. Gavin Newsom, crypto executives and business leaders are ramping up efforts this week to stop the proposed wealth tax...”

gift link:

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/u...
As Bernie Sanders Comes to California, Wealth Tax Opponents Intensify Efforts
www.nytimes.com
February 18, 2026 at 12:28 AM
mcconnell.bsky.social
Introducing my daughter to the classics
A kid with her face in a virtual boy
February 18, 2026 at 12:19 AM
mcconnell.bsky.social
i feel so sick after 3 minutes with the virtual boy lol man
February 17, 2026 at 5:46 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
As someone who had a virtual boy as a kid, I’m happy to see that the new setup for switch is every bit as ungainly, uncomfortable and uncompromising as the original. My eyes hurt, I have nausea, it’s a real hassle to put the switch in, I can’t seem to turn it off when it’s in the shell. It’s perfect
February 17, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC
aerialknight.com
Aerial_knight's DropShot OUT NOW!!!! WE DID IT!!!!! 🥳💪🎊🎉🎉🎉
February 17, 2026 at 2:03 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
Jesse Jackson was a true hero and legend. Rest in peace
February 17, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC
benphillips76.bsky.social
I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is
February 17, 2026 at 11:41 AM
mcconnell.bsky.social
Holy shit lightning and thunder
February 17, 2026 at 3:28 PM
Reposted by Nic McConnell arrow emoji GDC
jisaacgadient.bsky.social
I think I know a coupla JPN-ENG game localizers here…I have a curiosity, if you'd be willing to field a question! TIA ^_^
February 17, 2026 at 3:23 PM
mcconnell.bsky.social
Happy DropShot launch day to those who celebrate (all of us)
February 17, 2026 at 3:24 PM