Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Jun 25

I'm definitely Mamdani pilled tonight. Feeling hopeful.
apnews.com/article/andr...

Zohran Mamdani declares victory in NYC's Democratic mayoral primary as Cuomo concedes

The race’s ultimate outcome will still be decided by a ranked choice count. But Mamdani was in a commanding position after polls closed Tuesday night.

apnews.com

Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Jun 8

Posting this for no specific reason. Stay strong LA.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuZh...

Incubus - Megalomaniac (Video Version)

YouTube video by IncubusVEVO

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Zak Frank

Shayna Moon (scary) @themoonis.gay · Jun 8

NYC I’m begging you to elect this man

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · Jun 8

Three months ago today, plain-clothes ICE agents abducted Mahmoud Khalil in his apartment building lobby after they'd followed him home.

Free Mahmoud.

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Jun 8

Don't want to pay for an expensive 27x40 mass-produced poster? Why not make your own? Had fun making this for my new apartment.

#2D #Illustrator #poster

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Reposted by Zak Frank

Austo @austofrosto.bsky.social · Jun 6

Remember Chao Garden? me neither, but here is a game that lets you collect little creatures and put them in competitions. BOBO BAY.

#PitchYaGame

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · May 21

👀

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · May 21

New "ick" unlocked: Using ChatGPT as a source of validation for opinions you share online. . .

Don't ask AI to fight your battles for you. Do the critical thinking on your own.

a man is wearing a black sweater and making a funny face .

ALT: a man is wearing a black sweater and making a funny face .

media.tenor.com

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · May 21

🎮 Trying to break into the #GamesIndustry? Are you in games and wondering how to get that promotion?

If you answered yes to either of these questions and are in Austin, definitely check out this Games Industry panel. Excited to see you there.

#Unity #UnrealEngine #GameDev #IndieDev

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Reposted by Zak Frank

Cameron Paxton🎵Engraving @cameronpaxton.com · May 19

In a few minutes is a live premiere of a special video I've been working on a while. It's my full Game Jam Anthology album, a comp of OST tracks from 12 game jams.

The video includes gameplay & pop-up facts about each game, the jam, & the music I made.

Join me in the chat! 💚

youtu.be/J15earRVfY0

Game Jam Anthology, Vol. 1 [FULL ALBUM]

YouTube video by Cameron Paxton

youtu.be

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · May 3

Cameron does great work and is a wonderful person! Make sure to check him out!!

Cameron Paxton🎵Engraving @cameronpaxton.com · May 2

It's #BandcampFriday! I'm sure you know, but it's a great way to directly support the artists you enjoy, as 100% of revenue goes directly to them.

You can grab my entire catalog for about $10, if you're feelin' so inclined. Either way, I appreciate you listening!

#vgm

Bandcamp Friday promotional image featuring character illustrations from Bippinbits game jam games.

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · May 2

Do you like boats? Do you like battling with boats? If so, you should 100% check out Sirocco on Steam! The amazing team at Lunchbox Entertainment just released this game into early access.
#GameDev #Gaming #Boats

store.steampowered.com/app/2790090/...

Sirocco on Steam

MOBA meets Vampire Survivors in a dynamic 5v5 arena inspired by the legendary Warcraft 3 mod: Battleships. Rally your team as you swap abilities mid-match, load up auto-firing weapons, and craft strat...

store.steampowered.com

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · May 2

Wild news! I wonder if this will encourage devs to really push players to buy on EGS. I'd guess this will mostly be a big deal for smaller teams.

I feel like the problem is still that most players buy games on Steam... hard issue to overcome.

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · May 2

Hearing Wales is tropical wasn't on my 2025 bucket list. We can barely keep tropical plants alive in Texas it feels like. Backyard looks great!!

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · May 1

I just referenced that Matthew Ball presentation in a podcast episode small world.

Good call out on the "we aren't making enough new gamers" comment. Never thought about the impact of birth rates on future sales.

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Reposted by Zak Frank

Some Patches Required @patchesrequired.bsky.social · May 1

A new #podcast episode of SPR dropped yesterday. This week we're talking Bungie's extraction shooter, Marathon, and whether it can help fulfill Sony's live service ambitions.

What are your thoughts on Marathon?
#gamedev #gaming #gamesnews

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mgq...

Marathon: Can Bungie Fulfill Sony's Live Service Ambitions?

YouTube video by Some Patches Required

www.youtube.com

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Apr 29

Yeah, only one person needs to own the game! It’s super nice.

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Apr 29

If you haven't picked up #Sunderfolk, you absolutely should. Jackbox and DnD lovers should especially pick up this game. Super fun co-op experience. It's like a digital board game.
#gamedev #gaming

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Apr 28

Who told Bravil it could get away with looking so good?!?
#Oblivion

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Apr 22

My CHILDHOOD it's returned to me.
#Oblivion #Bethesda

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Apr 14

Quick side note, the price of AAA premium game budgets has skyrocketed over the years. That said these budgets don't need to be that high.

Make more small scale projects. It'll make the loses hurt less and lead to better returns when games do "pop off". Not everything needs a massive budget.

Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Apr 14

The price of premium games will likely rise to $80 across the board. US wages have been stagnant since the 1970s. They haven't kept up with the cost of housing/rent, tuition, and healthcare. People have less disposable income than in 1980. Keep games affordable.

Some Patches Required @patchesrequired.bsky.social · Apr 14

A quick tease of this week's #podcast episode of SPR. TLDR: US Wages have been stagnant since 1970 (and haven't kept up with CPI). Consumers have less disposable income. Gaming should be financially accessible. Thanks for attending my TEDTalk.

#gamedev #gaming #nintendo

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Apr 8

Event Link: www.meetup.com/unity3dausti...

Austin Unity User Group: Building Unity Games at Economic Scale, Thu, Apr 17, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup

**Talk Summary:** Creating, maintaining, and scaling a build system can be daunting, both economically and technically. Come learn how to use GitHub Actions and GameCI to b

www.meetup.com

Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Apr 8

Attention all #GameDev folks in #Austin. There will be a #Unity User Group happening next Thursday.

Our speaker will be chatting about making affordable easy to manage build systems for your games using GitHub and GameCI.

(Reposting because of error with previous post.)

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Zak Frank @zaktothebasics.bsky.social · Apr 8

It looks like it is. I was just looking for a more engaging Unity logo image. It would appear some parts of the internet are confused about it being a Unity Game. Must have been why this image was made.

It’s not an official Unity image regardless.

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Reposted by Zak Frank

Shayna Moon (scary) @themoonis.gay · Apr 7

You can find my job search template on itch now since gumroad decided to do ai fascism qorquiq.itch.io/job-search

Job Search Template by Shayna M

Track your job search in this handy spreadsheet!

qorquiq.itch.io

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