Nicole Carpenter
@nicolecarpenter.bsky.social
10K followers 2.4K following 970 posts
reporter, former polygon text me on signal @ nicolecarpenter.87
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nicolecarpenter.bsky.social
I'm getting more sad about getting laid off. My work means so much to me. I'm a really good reporter. I've been getting scoops every single week lately, while also doing in-depth, award-winning reporting. I have good ideas!

New email: [email protected]

www.polygon.com/23776996/bar...
The untold history of Barbie Fashion Designer, the first mass-market ‘game for girls’
How Digital Domain and Mattel Media built Barbie’s wardrobe
www.polygon.com
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
nathangrayson.bsky.social
spoke to @afterclimate.com.au about the sustainable games standard, a means of tracking emissions now publicly available for use by the entire games industry. a lot of thought went into this thing
“In terms of methodology, each one is a little bit different,” said Abraham. “I started with whatever already existed, talked to a lot of our member companies and some other contributing ones. We knew we needed a quick and dirty method for as many as possible, so where there's the option to make a ‘spend based’ calculation, we've put one in there. Those are good for fast and easy numbers, but they don't give you any control over the emissions, because the only way to reduce them is ‘spend less money,’ which you might not want to do if you're marketing your new game.”

This meant that in some cases, Abraham – alongside games industry experts – had to devise new methods entirely.

“Like the [section 3.11] use of sold products (mobile) component, which says ‘OK, phones have batteries, what if we measure the battery level at the start and the end of a game session, that will tell us how much power the game has used,’” said Abraham. “Because the use of energy at the battery doesn't actually directly generate emissions, we also have to trace it back to the source, which is grid electricity emissions. To get power from the grid there has to be a charger that converts AC to DC, and when you do that you get power losses, so you also need to account for that by adding some extra on top for charger losses.”
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
josephcox.bsky.social
New from 404 Media: the Discord hack is every users' worst nightmare. Yesterday the hackers started posting Discord users' selfies, identity documents, email addresses, phone numbers, more. I watched in real time. This is risk of tech storing ID for age verification
www.404media.co/the-discord-...
The Discord Hack is Every Users’ Worst Nightmare
A hack impacting Discord’s age verification process shows in stark terms the risk of tech companies collecting users’ ID documents. Now the hackers are posting peoples’ IDs and other sensitive informa...
www.404media.co
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
kerrblimey.bsky.social
If you only read one story today, make it @nicolecarpenter.bsky.social's breakdown of the Saudi-backed EA buyout, which includes thoughts from multiple business analysts and experts who explain what the $55B deal could mean for EA workers, its video games, and the wider industry.

Essential reading.
nicolecarpenter.bsky.social
unfortunately my dog has permanently altered these crocs and they no longer have all wheel drive!!!!!
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
stephentotilo.bsky.social
SCOOP: Last year, Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin's Creed game set during Reconstruction. Was to feature a Black Assassin who, among other things, fought the rise of the Klan

Sources: Leadership nixed it over concerns re: U.S. political climate, backlash to Yasuke

www.gamefile.news/p/scoop-ubis...
Scoop: Ubisoft cancelled a post-Civil War Assassin’s Creed last year
Company leadership deemed the project too controversial for the moment, sources tell Game File
www.gamefile.news
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
aftermath.site
Epic Games suing two Fortnite Island makers over inflated "bot" engagement: aftermath.site/epic-games-sui...
an image of a pile of V Bucks
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
kojamf.bsky.social
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
v21.bsky.social
play Consume Me! last night I was at a party and when I said I was a videogame developer to the literary people there they asked me what they should play and I said Consume Me!
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
aftermath.site
Trying to find a job in video games right now is like crawling through hell:

aftermath.site/video-game-rec...
nicolecarpenter.bsky.social
maxi boch told me about the sound design in baby steps!!
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
pokachee.bsky.social
Are there any editors taking tabletop pitches these days? It’s been a minute since I’ve done freelance tabletop coverage so I wanted to see if followers had a pulse on what’s out there. I have a great idea for a Pokemon TCG story that I need to find a home for. 😈
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
kickstarterunited.org
‼️🚨KICKSTARTER WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE🚨‼️

As of 8am this morning, the workers of Kickstarter United/OPEIU Local 153 are on strike.

WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR A BOYCOTT! Creators and allies, please continue using and supporting the platform.
Kickstarter United is on strike!
We are not asking for a boycott! Creators & Allies: Please continue to support & use the platform
swipe for ways to show your solidarity Why We're Striking
A codified 4-day work week.
We simply want to protect the way we've been working for over 3.5 years. The 4dww has proven benefits, such as increased productivity and improved employee satisfaction. It's part of what makes Kickstarter a special, innovative place to work.
Fair pay for our lowest-paid workers.
We're fighting for livable minimum salaries for roles that are undervalued by the market but crucial to keeping Kickstarter running. We believe none of our workers should struggle to make ends meet. Creators
Show your solidarity by:
Continue using the platform like normal
When something breaks, complain loudly that it is management's fault for causing the strike
Include our logo and strike info on your project
Send a letter to KSR leadership urging them to meet our demands & end the strike bit.ly/KSRUletter Community Allies
Show your solidarity by:
Support your favorite creators on the platform like normal
Send a letter to KSR leadership urging them to meet our demands & end the strike: Creators
Show your solidarity by:
Continue using the platform like normal
When something breaks, complain loudly that it is management's fault for causing the strike
Include our logo and strike info on your project
Send a letter to KSR leadership urging them to meet our demands & end the strike bit.ly/KSRUletter
Donate to our solidarity fund: bit.ly/KSRUdonate
Attend a rally or picket either in-person near you (NYC and Seattle) or virtual
nicolecarpenter.bsky.social
read read read read read!!!
pokachee.bsky.social
I interviewed Toby Fox again. :) You can read the conversation in both and digital and print (!!!!!) editions of Game Informer. We talked about the “stupid” way to make games and his new journey with Deltarune. Read to see our convo and some awesome fan art.

gameinformer.com/2025/09/30/i...
Inefficient And Laborious – The Ongoing Path To Making Deltarune
We spoke with Toby Fox about his “stupid” way of making games and the big leap from Undertale to Deltarune.
gameinformer.com
Reposted by Nicole Carpenter
billwearsties.bsky.social
Indie director Barbara Marques has been kidnapped by ICE. She is legally married to a U.S. citizen & was at a green card mtg when she was abducted and prevented from seeing her lawyer. Her husband Tucker May does not know where she is. Please spread the word so he can find her /1
nicolecarpenter.bsky.social
thank YOU for sharing your insights!!