Matthew Hanlon
@thebag1981.bsky.social
🏴 •Lead coder at Playsport Games •Co-founder of Bit By Bit Games •ex-Lionhead gameplay & AI coder (B&W2, Fable 2 3 & H) #BAFTAGames he/him
Pinned
In July 2004 I joined #Lionhead in my first pro game dev job as a coder of Black & White 2. I've just found some screenshots from dev, so have at it.
One of the first things I did was add a villager behaviour so they'd go to the cathedral under the guidance of
@MrFlabyo (not on here)
One of the first things I did was add a villager behaviour so they'd go to the cathedral under the guidance of
@MrFlabyo (not on here)
Best podcast around
5 whole years since we uploaded our first (mediocre) episode. Fortunately, some of the later ones were quite good.
Thank you for supporting us!
Thank you for supporting us!
November 27, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Best podcast around
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
My thoughts on the parade have reversed completely now that I know the best character in all of pop culture has its own float
November 27, 2025 at 3:34 PM
My thoughts on the parade have reversed completely now that I know the best character in all of pop culture has its own float
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
🇷🇺 From 2019 - isn't that odd?!?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/10/brexit-party-meps-vote-against-measure-to-combat-russian-propaganda
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/10/brexit-party-meps-vote-against-measure-to-combat-russian-propaganda
Brexit party MEPs vote against plans to tackle Russian propaganda
Resolution seeking upgrade of EU counter-disinformation unit nevertheless passes easily
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:09 AM
🇷🇺 From 2019 - isn't that odd?!?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/10/brexit-party-meps-vote-against-measure-to-combat-russian-propaganda
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/10/brexit-party-meps-vote-against-measure-to-combat-russian-propaganda
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
What amazes me about the UK Government, is that papers/investigations/reports etc that the previous Government did, are not available to the new Government.
WHY! They are carried out with public money, so new Governments should be able to decide to release previous stuff if they see fit.
WHY! They are carried out with public money, so new Governments should be able to decide to release previous stuff if they see fit.
🔥 Highly recommended that you all sign and share.
Link to the petition—> petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Link to the petition—> petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 26, 2025 at 9:03 AM
What amazes me about the UK Government, is that papers/investigations/reports etc that the previous Government did, are not available to the new Government.
WHY! They are carried out with public money, so new Governments should be able to decide to release previous stuff if they see fit.
WHY! They are carried out with public money, so new Governments should be able to decide to release previous stuff if they see fit.
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
Gender-affirming care saves lives
1. A landmark study was just published in The Journal of Pediatrics.
It found a 68% reduction in suicidality for trans youth getting HRT.
It also found only 7 of more than 400 stopped taking HRT... and of those that did, 4 still identified as gender-diverse.
Transgender care saves lives.
It found a 68% reduction in suicidality for trans youth getting HRT.
It also found only 7 of more than 400 stopped taking HRT... and of those that did, 4 still identified as gender-diverse.
Transgender care saves lives.
Study In The Journal Of Pediatrics Finds Trans Youth Care Lowers Suicidality, Few Detransition
The groundbreaking study found that suicidality dropped for transgender youth receiving hormone therapy by nearly 70%, with only 7 patients of 432 discontinuing treatment.
www.erininthemorning.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Gender-affirming care saves lives
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
We’re not small business owners, ffs - we’re independent contractors, and we are routinely robbed by the world’s dumbest dingbats.
![A quote-tweet with the profile blocked out because I won’t be accused of sending flying monkeys at this digital turd.
counterpoint: pirate everything all the time. pirate a sandwich. download a car. abscond from from small business owner mindset with your brain
[High Priestess, Low Patie... • @cherie... • 14h
Re: previous post - People who steal art of any kind are assholes, full stop. If *you* deserve to be paid for your labor, so do I - and so does everybody else; this means writers, visual artists, musicians, and every other category of People Who Make Things.]
• • •
every time vulgar leftism pipes in from the sidelines of petit bourgeoisdom i am forced to become 8.75% more marxist](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:x2ssvkga34xug334b66hvrje/bafkreigp2f33rtfu62kqjygnsxhg3jxxs6udwuyisipmyqrh5ew4c6kbyi@jpeg)
November 25, 2025 at 7:25 PM
We’re not small business owners, ffs - we’re independent contractors, and we are routinely robbed by the world’s dumbest dingbats.
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
I released chapter 4 of The Hayseed Knight back in February 1st 2023 and this scene only got more and more relevant with every month since
#thehayseedknight
#thehayseedknight
January 21, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I released chapter 4 of The Hayseed Knight back in February 1st 2023 and this scene only got more and more relevant with every month since
#thehayseedknight
#thehayseedknight
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
I would watch the fuck out of Ken Burns' From Software
A solid eight hours before you even get to Demon's Souls....
A solid eight hours before you even get to Demon's Souls....
November 25, 2025 at 3:54 AM
I would watch the fuck out of Ken Burns' From Software
A solid eight hours before you even get to Demon's Souls....
A solid eight hours before you even get to Demon's Souls....
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
Recent discussion about the perils of doors in gamedev reminded me of a bug caused by a door in a game you may have heard of called "Half Life 2".
I wrote it up over on Mastodon (I find it's better at long threads):
mastodon.gamedev.place/@TomF/115589...
I wrote it up over on Mastodon (I find it's better at long threads):
mastodon.gamedev.place/@TomF/115589...
Tom Forsyth (@[email protected])
Attached: 1 image
Recent discussion about the perils of doors in gamedev reminded me of a bug caused by a door in a game you may heard of called "Half Life 2". Are you sitting comfortably? Then I sha...
mastodon.gamedev.place
November 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Recent discussion about the perils of doors in gamedev reminded me of a bug caused by a door in a game you may have heard of called "Half Life 2".
I wrote it up over on Mastodon (I find it's better at long threads):
mastodon.gamedev.place/@TomF/115589...
I wrote it up over on Mastodon (I find it's better at long threads):
mastodon.gamedev.place/@TomF/115589...
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
don’t talk to me
November 21, 2025 at 1:45 PM
don’t talk to me
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
I've opened up my Blood Money article where I talk about the multiplexor used in it. Based on the wonderful Armalyte multiplexor, it made it super flexible and quick.
#C64 #Commodore #gamedev #retrodev #DMADesign #Psygnosis
lemmings.info/c64-blood-mo...
#C64 #Commodore #gamedev #retrodev #DMADesign #Psygnosis
lemmings.info/c64-blood-mo...
C64 Blood Money – Part 3 - Sprites - THE LIFE OF A GAME DEVELOPER
In this post, we take a look at the Sprite multiplexor used in C64's Blood Money,
lemmings.info
November 21, 2025 at 10:57 AM
I've opened up my Blood Money article where I talk about the multiplexor used in it. Based on the wonderful Armalyte multiplexor, it made it super flexible and quick.
#C64 #Commodore #gamedev #retrodev #DMADesign #Psygnosis
lemmings.info/c64-blood-mo...
#C64 #Commodore #gamedev #retrodev #DMADesign #Psygnosis
lemmings.info/c64-blood-mo...
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
If you scroll on X, you are only being shown what Elon wants you to see. If you create content on X, no one will see it unless Elon wants them to.
November 21, 2025 at 1:23 AM
If you scroll on X, you are only being shown what Elon wants you to see. If you create content on X, no one will see it unless Elon wants them to.
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
Before the midterms of 1866, President Andrew Johnson called his congressional opponents traitors and said they should be hanged.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Before the midterms of 1866, President Andrew Johnson called his congressional opponents traitors and said they should be hanged.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
Absolute psychic damage for me seeing Xbox 360 on the cover of Retro Gamer. I was reviewing new games for the former when I was first writing for the latter.
Retro Gamer 279 celebrates 20 years of the Xbox 360! The magazine also includes a 2026 Mario calendar.
Also inside: Stormbringer, Pipe Mania, Mega Man X, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, Brian Shea, Terminator games and much more.
Grab it in shops or buy it online: www.magazinesdirect.com/uk/retro-gam...
Also inside: Stormbringer, Pipe Mania, Mega Man X, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, Brian Shea, Terminator games and much more.
Grab it in shops or buy it online: www.magazinesdirect.com/uk/retro-gam...
November 20, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Absolute psychic damage for me seeing Xbox 360 on the cover of Retro Gamer. I was reviewing new games for the former when I was first writing for the latter.
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
Elon Musk Nominated For “Most Divorced Gamer” At The Game Awards
Elon Musk Nominated For “Most Divorced Gamer” At The Game Awards - Hard Drive
“He just plays Elden Ring and retweets anyone who gets closest to saying the 14 words”
hard-drive.net
November 19, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Elon Musk Nominated For “Most Divorced Gamer” At The Game Awards
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
"One of the most brilliant programmers around" - tributes pour in as Interplay co-founder Rebecca Heineman passes away www.eurogamer.net/one-of-the-m...
November 18, 2025 at 11:50 AM
"One of the most brilliant programmers around" - tributes pour in as Interplay co-founder Rebecca Heineman passes away www.eurogamer.net/one-of-the-m...
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
Not everyone is unhappy about the Government's descent into anti-refugee politics
November 16, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Not everyone is unhappy about the Government's descent into anti-refugee politics
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
We have to kick these Nazis out at all costs.
Refugees’ jewellery could be seized to pay for asylum costs, says Home Office minister
Refugees’ jewellery could be seized to pay for asylum costs, says Home Office minister
Idea borrowed from Denmark is latest attempt to reduce number of refugees coming to UK
Refugees could have jewellery or other valuables taken to pay for the costs of processing their cases, a Home Office minister has said, in another detail of changes to migration policy likely to cause worries among Labour MPs.
Speaking to broadcasters before the formal announcement of sweeping changes to asylum policy on Monday, the Home Office minister Alex Norris said while this would not involve seizing wedding rings, jewellery without sentimental value could be taken. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:57 AM
We have to kick these Nazis out at all costs.
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
This rancid trash understands the significance of Labour's anti-refugee policies.
November 16, 2025 at 10:43 AM
This rancid trash understands the significance of Labour's anti-refugee policies.
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
New article: one thing from every inkle game that we failed to explain clearly enough, and how often we've been made to regret it.
You can’t underestimate everyone
Here is a quick list of features in inkle games which we failed to tutorialise or remind players of enough. The data is empirically backed…
medium.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:57 PM
New article: one thing from every inkle game that we failed to explain clearly enough, and how often we've been made to regret it.
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
When a major story beat in Ghost of Yotei was labeled "The Cost of Revenge," I felt relief because I am glad a Playstation game is finally covering this topic. I hope we can get some answers re: revenge, and whether it is a bad thing, and maybe even causes a cycle of violence
November 13, 2025 at 4:29 PM
When a major story beat in Ghost of Yotei was labeled "The Cost of Revenge," I felt relief because I am glad a Playstation game is finally covering this topic. I hope we can get some answers re: revenge, and whether it is a bad thing, and maybe even causes a cycle of violence
Reposted by Matthew Hanlon
If you have to get permission to teach in your area of expertise from people who are definitionally not qualified to adjudicate your expertise then you are no longer working at a university.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M adopts policy requiring professors to get OK from school president to discuss certain race and gender issues.
November 13, 2025 at 11:48 PM
If you have to get permission to teach in your area of expertise from people who are definitionally not qualified to adjudicate your expertise then you are no longer working at a university.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.