Jason Swan
@bartlebey.bsky.social
Builder of digital things. Fan of cardboard things. And cats.
Pinned
Jason Swan
@bartlebey.bsky.social
· Oct 18
Guess with all the new folks, intros are in order again.
Hey! I'm Jason. I've built some UIs for Wildstar, Anthem Next, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as well as some non UI work on other projects.
Mostly though, I post about broad game industry things, libraries, books, and games. Welcome!
Hey! I'm Jason. I've built some UIs for Wildstar, Anthem Next, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as well as some non UI work on other projects.
Mostly though, I post about broad game industry things, libraries, books, and games. Welcome!
Reposted by Jason Swan
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
November 29, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Reposted by Jason Swan
Working in games means your answer to the question "If you could do anything you wanted in life, what would it be?" isn't a different career, but the same career in a kinder version of the same industry.
November 25, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Working in games means your answer to the question "If you could do anything you wanted in life, what would it be?" isn't a different career, but the same career in a kinder version of the same industry.
Reposted by Jason Swan
And folks this is why even if you choose not to be in a union--for whatever reason--you still owe your co-workers solidarity. The discussions were, seemingly,bcomparing salaries and talking about a company policy change to their slack server. Someone went to management and got 34 people fired.
PMG understands Rockstar became aware of these messages after at least one non-union member of the server raised concerns about these discussions with management and this either kicked off, or contributed to, a wider investigation.
November 24, 2025 at 3:10 PM
And folks this is why even if you choose not to be in a union--for whatever reason--you still owe your co-workers solidarity. The discussions were, seemingly,bcomparing salaries and talking about a company policy change to their slack server. Someone went to management and got 34 people fired.
Saw an article that made me realize people made games while working at Toys R Us. Changed schools, realized I disliked C++ but enjoyed scripting, and have been meandering through various game dev roles since.
November 23, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Saw an article that made me realize people made games while working at Toys R Us. Changed schools, realized I disliked C++ but enjoyed scripting, and have been meandering through various game dev roles since.
Strange New Worlds gets so much right at its best, but holy shit the bad episodes are so so bad. I'm not even half way through the Vulcan episode in season 3 and can't finish it.
November 22, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Strange New Worlds gets so much right at its best, but holy shit the bad episodes are so so bad. I'm not even half way through the Vulcan episode in season 3 and can't finish it.
Reposted by Jason Swan
Reposted by Jason Swan
A reminder that the crises routinely treated as separate—housing, food, climate, healthcare, electricity—are anything but.
This moment in America makes it glaringly clear: each feeds the other, driven by the same rapacious, profit-maximizing forces.
This moment in America makes it glaringly clear: each feeds the other, driven by the same rapacious, profit-maximizing forces.
November 12, 2025 at 9:29 PM
A reminder that the crises routinely treated as separate—housing, food, climate, healthcare, electricity—are anything but.
This moment in America makes it glaringly clear: each feeds the other, driven by the same rapacious, profit-maximizing forces.
This moment in America makes it glaringly clear: each feeds the other, driven by the same rapacious, profit-maximizing forces.
Reposted by Jason Swan
MANFRED ON A SKATE OMG 🛹💚
November 7, 2025 at 5:00 PM
MANFRED ON A SKATE OMG 🛹💚
Reposted by Jason Swan
NEW: After my last piece about what's slowing down game development, folks wrote in to ask "why didn't you talk about bad leadership?"
It uhhhh never came up. So I returned to the well and asked devs to explain why better leadership—not AI or any other tool—is vital to efficient game development.
It uhhhh never came up. So I returned to the well and asked devs to explain why better leadership—not AI or any other tool—is vital to efficient game development.
How poor leadership slows down game development
How poor leadership slows down game development
No tool—AI or otherwise—can speed up game development if leaders don't rise to the occasion.
www.gamedeveloper.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:34 PM
NEW: After my last piece about what's slowing down game development, folks wrote in to ask "why didn't you talk about bad leadership?"
It uhhhh never came up. So I returned to the well and asked devs to explain why better leadership—not AI or any other tool—is vital to efficient game development.
It uhhhh never came up. So I returned to the well and asked devs to explain why better leadership—not AI or any other tool—is vital to efficient game development.
Reposted by Jason Swan
Sunflower seed slo mos may just be the most baseball
November 2, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Sunflower seed slo mos may just be the most baseball
Reposted by Jason Swan
Just to be 100% clear: do not *trust* your employers - that's super silly. The relationship is economical, not based in loyalty, trust, or kindness. There's no judgement in forming a union, just understanding that capitalism requires a risk of financial loss to get companies to do the right thing.
"Unionisation efforts just signal to employers you don’t trust them"
"Just profit share"
Have you been in the industry these past three years? Some ppl just wanna marry the boot
"Just profit share"
Have you been in the industry these past three years? Some ppl just wanna marry the boot
November 1, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Just to be 100% clear: do not *trust* your employers - that's super silly. The relationship is economical, not based in loyalty, trust, or kindness. There's no judgement in forming a union, just understanding that capitalism requires a risk of financial loss to get companies to do the right thing.
Reposted by Jason Swan
PLUS ordering books via Bookshop.org supports your local indie bookstore
so I believe you know what you should do!
so I believe you know what you should do!
Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
October 30, 2025 at 11:07 PM
PLUS ordering books via Bookshop.org supports your local indie bookstore
so I believe you know what you should do!
so I believe you know what you should do!
As much as I'm enjoying the Avatar MTG spoiler season and honestly enjoy multiple versions of the same character within a set from a story perspective, it only makes me more disappointed that they didn't include Korra
October 30, 2025 at 8:40 PM
As much as I'm enjoying the Avatar MTG spoiler season and honestly enjoy multiple versions of the same character within a set from a story perspective, it only makes me more disappointed that they didn't include Korra
Reposted by Jason Swan
hi, musical artist here! please replace your streaming with plays on a different platform or buy the artists’ music on bandcamp instead of just canceling your spotify and then consuming less music! the latter only hurts artists. k thanks
Spotify is now running ICE recruitment ads. We asked them to stop. They ignored us. Let's show them what we showed Disney. No Kings, No Collaborators, No Capitulators. indivisible.org/cancel-spotify
Don’t Stream Fascism: Cancel Spotify
indivisible.org
October 28, 2025 at 10:21 PM
hi, musical artist here! please replace your streaming with plays on a different platform or buy the artists’ music on bandcamp instead of just canceling your spotify and then consuming less music! the latter only hurts artists. k thanks
Remember inning 12? Good times.
October 28, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Remember inning 12? Good times.
Dodgers sure know how to stress their fans out. Feels like they're hanging on by the skin of their teeth every inning
October 28, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Dodgers sure know how to stress their fans out. Feels like they're hanging on by the skin of their teeth every inning
Reposted by Jason Swan
Moral of this thread is: just because we consume content quickly doesn’t mean it’s quickly made. I’m a human who grinds to make the videos I do, and as much as I love it, love doesn’t pay the rent or bills unfortunately. It takes time, and we should normalize supporting artist for their time!
October 25, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Moral of this thread is: just because we consume content quickly doesn’t mean it’s quickly made. I’m a human who grinds to make the videos I do, and as much as I love it, love doesn’t pay the rent or bills unfortunately. It takes time, and we should normalize supporting artist for their time!
Reposted by Jason Swan
"Studios build teams; teams build games"
That's it, that's the skeet. I'm gonna be yelling this for years.
That's it, that's the skeet. I'm gonna be yelling this for years.
I think smaller teams make better games. I think happy people make better games.
I think every studio should be thinking of the team as their #1 product and strength, and the games are the OUTPUT of that team.
People should be trained, given opportunities, given reasons to WANT to be there
I think every studio should be thinking of the team as their #1 product and strength, and the games are the OUTPUT of that team.
People should be trained, given opportunities, given reasons to WANT to be there
October 21, 2025 at 8:32 PM
"Studios build teams; teams build games"
That's it, that's the skeet. I'm gonna be yelling this for years.
That's it, that's the skeet. I'm gonna be yelling this for years.
Reposted by Jason Swan
Was sad to hear @bencloward.bsky.social was impacted by a recent round of lay-offs at Unity. His work in teaching about shaders and material creation, across engines, is a real gift.
If you're interested in learning about shaders, check out his incredible YT channel:
www.youtube.com/bencloward
If you're interested in learning about shaders, check out his incredible YT channel:
www.youtube.com/bencloward
Ben Cloward
Shader creation and other game dev tips and tricks in Unity and Unreal. My opinions are my own and do not represent the positions of my employer.
Ben Cloward has been a game dev for over 20 years and...
www.youtube.com
October 17, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Was sad to hear @bencloward.bsky.social was impacted by a recent round of lay-offs at Unity. His work in teaching about shaders and material creation, across engines, is a real gift.
If you're interested in learning about shaders, check out his incredible YT channel:
www.youtube.com/bencloward
If you're interested in learning about shaders, check out his incredible YT channel:
www.youtube.com/bencloward
Reposted by Jason Swan
A friend at EA asked me to share this.
Time for solidarity... again 😞
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ma...
Time for solidarity... again 😞
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ma...
Make EA Better for Workers and Gamers - Not Billionaires
A group of investors - including the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners - wants to buy Electronic Arts, concentrating even more power and wealth into the hands...
actionnetwork.org
October 16, 2025 at 6:02 PM
A friend at EA asked me to share this.
Time for solidarity... again 😞
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ma...
Time for solidarity... again 😞
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ma...
Reposted by Jason Swan
I’m not kidding when I say these weird ass costumes and antics are actually an extremely effective tactic from a media standpoint bc when enough people do them, the media can’t fully scrub them out
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
October 9, 2025 at 9:20 PM
I’m not kidding when I say these weird ass costumes and antics are actually an extremely effective tactic from a media standpoint bc when enough people do them, the media can’t fully scrub them out
Reposted by Jason Swan
The only correct take on a fundamentally anti-human technology.
October 8, 2025 at 10:34 PM
The only correct take on a fundamentally anti-human technology.