Joseph Barron
@joebarron.bsky.social
Franchise Strategy Manager for F1 at EA Sports. Previously: Slightly Mad Studios, GameSpot. Sim racer, old games hoarder, and fan of red sports teams. Views are my own.
End of an era, as the final Slightly Mad Studios game available to buy is set to be delisted. PC3 was a project fraught with challenges and issues, and while the final game wasn’t what PC2 fans wanted, if we had positioned it properly it could have been a worthy successor to games like GRID and PGR.
I knew this day was coming, and yet I still feel deep sadness.
Still the favorite development experience I ever had.
Was it chaotic and seat-of-our-pants? Sure. But the final 2-3 months when we came together and just MADE IT WORK was magical.
@joebarron.bsky.social @yorkie065.bsky.social
Still the favorite development experience I ever had.
Was it chaotic and seat-of-our-pants? Sure. But the final 2-3 months when we came together and just MADE IT WORK was magical.
@joebarron.bsky.social @yorkie065.bsky.social
July 25, 2025 at 8:19 AM
End of an era, as the final Slightly Mad Studios game available to buy is set to be delisted. PC3 was a project fraught with challenges and issues, and while the final game wasn’t what PC2 fans wanted, if we had positioned it properly it could have been a worthy successor to games like GRID and PGR.
Giant Bomb Forever.
a man wearing glasses is holding a stuffed wario doll .
ALT: a man wearing glasses is holding a stuffed wario doll .
media.tenor.com
May 1, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Giant Bomb Forever.
Our Iconic Edition simply had to be red this year.
March 24, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Our Iconic Edition simply had to be red this year.
Reposted by Joseph Barron
Here we go, something I've been drafting for a long, long time: how the US-centric approach to video games and their history / culture basically gaslights us who come from other realities:
felipepepe.medium.com/the-gentrifi...
AKA, why LAN Houses, PokéTibia & Bomba Patch rule.
felipepepe.medium.com/the-gentrifi...
AKA, why LAN Houses, PokéTibia & Bomba Patch rule.
The Gentrification of Video Game History
We’re not all suburban kids who got a Nintendo 64 for Christmas
felipepepe.medium.com
January 3, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Here we go, something I've been drafting for a long, long time: how the US-centric approach to video games and their history / culture basically gaslights us who come from other realities:
felipepepe.medium.com/the-gentrifi...
AKA, why LAN Houses, PokéTibia & Bomba Patch rule.
felipepepe.medium.com/the-gentrifi...
AKA, why LAN Houses, PokéTibia & Bomba Patch rule.
Finished this game in one sitting today for well over the 100th time in my life. Locked-on with Sonic 3, naturally.
December 27, 2024 at 11:55 PM
Finished this game in one sitting today for well over the 100th time in my life. Locked-on with Sonic 3, naturally.
My wife absolutely nailed it with the gifts this year! Happy Crimbo everyone.
December 25, 2024 at 12:59 PM
My wife absolutely nailed it with the gifts this year! Happy Crimbo everyone.
Reposted by Joseph Barron
1 in 5 devs got sacked in the past two years. 1 in 10 left the industry entirely. 1/3 of juniors gave up on breaking in.
What impact have layoffs had on the games industry over the past two years?
InGame Job CEO Katya Sabirova shares insights from a key 2024 survey to explore who has been most affected, how long it takes to find a new job, and how many people have left the games industry
InGame Job CEO Katya Sabirova shares insights from a key 2024 survey to explore who has been most affected, how long it takes to find a new job, and how many people have left the games industry
What impact have layoffs had on the games industry over the past two years?
Mass layoffs have been the defining theme of the past two years — and they're not over yet. The industry is still feeli…
www.gamesindustry.biz
December 16, 2024 at 4:08 PM
1 in 5 devs got sacked in the past two years. 1 in 10 left the industry entirely. 1/3 of juniors gave up on breaking in.
Ah yes. The Game Awards. My annual reminder that I should probably write a book about one particular chapter in my career...
December 13, 2024 at 12:52 AM
Ah yes. The Game Awards. My annual reminder that I should probably write a book about one particular chapter in my career...
Every year I think I’ve played a great variety of games. Every year it’s the football game that comes out on top. It’s a sickness! Glad that FF7R, Infinite Wealth and Astro Bot made it into my top 5 though. I’ll just pretend my number 4 wasn’t last year’s football game too…
December 12, 2024 at 1:18 PM
Every year I think I’ve played a great variety of games. Every year it’s the football game that comes out on top. It’s a sickness! Glad that FF7R, Infinite Wealth and Astro Bot made it into my top 5 though. I’ll just pretend my number 4 wasn’t last year’s football game too…
This is one of the most underrated games and soundtracks on the Mega Drive. Well worth a look if you’ve never tried it. #retrogaming
December 7, 2024 at 6:23 PM
This is one of the most underrated games and soundtracks on the Mega Drive. Well worth a look if you’ve never tried it. #retrogaming
Is this house we worship at the altar of “Lock-On Technology.” #retrogaming
November 30, 2024 at 5:17 PM
Is this house we worship at the altar of “Lock-On Technology.” #retrogaming
My last 10 GOTY picks:
2023: Alan Wake II
2022: Kirby & the Forgotten Land
2021: Yakuza: Like A Dragon
2020: Astro's Playroom
2019: Control
2018: Yakuza 6
2017: Breath of the Wild
2016: Hitman
2015: Metal Gear Solid V
2014: Assetto Corsa
2023: Alan Wake II
2022: Kirby & the Forgotten Land
2021: Yakuza: Like A Dragon
2020: Astro's Playroom
2019: Control
2018: Yakuza 6
2017: Breath of the Wild
2016: Hitman
2015: Metal Gear Solid V
2014: Assetto Corsa
November 30, 2024 at 3:09 PM
My last 10 GOTY picks:
2023: Alan Wake II
2022: Kirby & the Forgotten Land
2021: Yakuza: Like A Dragon
2020: Astro's Playroom
2019: Control
2018: Yakuza 6
2017: Breath of the Wild
2016: Hitman
2015: Metal Gear Solid V
2014: Assetto Corsa
2023: Alan Wake II
2022: Kirby & the Forgotten Land
2021: Yakuza: Like A Dragon
2020: Astro's Playroom
2019: Control
2018: Yakuza 6
2017: Breath of the Wild
2016: Hitman
2015: Metal Gear Solid V
2014: Assetto Corsa
I’ve been playing the MvC collection all afternoon, so inspired by my Capcom mood, here’s today’s random game from my collection. Probably Capcom’s worst early 00s fighter, but an interesting curiosity because of the unusual mix of sprites & artwork taken from a variety of other games. #retrogaming
November 23, 2024 at 6:07 PM
I’ve been playing the MvC collection all afternoon, so inspired by my Capcom mood, here’s today’s random game from my collection. Probably Capcom’s worst early 00s fighter, but an interesting curiosity because of the unusual mix of sprites & artwork taken from a variety of other games. #retrogaming
Four games I've worked on:
I could have gone with just racing games, but I had to find at least a bit of variety!
I could have gone with just racing games, but I had to find at least a bit of variety!
November 19, 2024 at 11:16 AM
Four games I've worked on:
I could have gone with just racing games, but I had to find at least a bit of variety!
I could have gone with just racing games, but I had to find at least a bit of variety!
Today’s random game from my collection is the Neo-Geo CD version of Windjammers. One of my favourite ever 2-player games. The manual for this version has some lovely artwork and great little backstories for the characters. I love the arranged soundtrack too. #retrogaming
November 16, 2024 at 2:53 PM
Today’s random game from my collection is the Neo-Geo CD version of Windjammers. One of my favourite ever 2-player games. The manual for this version has some lovely artwork and great little backstories for the characters. I love the arranged soundtrack too. #retrogaming
Todays random game from my collection is one I’m replaying at the moment. A flight game that’s all about the journey, adventure, & good vibes, rather than combat. With great music by Kow Otani who went on to compose for Shadow of the Colossus. #retrogaming
November 9, 2024 at 11:29 AM
Todays random game from my collection is one I’m replaying at the moment. A flight game that’s all about the journey, adventure, & good vibes, rather than combat. With great music by Kow Otani who went on to compose for Shadow of the Colossus. #retrogaming
It’s about time I join in with the #retrogaming crowd posting a random game from their collection on Saturdays. Here’s a recent acquisition that I’d been hunting for a good couple of years.
November 2, 2024 at 5:38 PM
It’s about time I join in with the #retrogaming crowd posting a random game from their collection on Saturdays. Here’s a recent acquisition that I’d been hunting for a good couple of years.
I think this Xbox Live Arcade title was the first review I got paid for by GameSpot in 2010. As @alexnavarro.bsky.social said, there was a time where you could make a decent living writing about smaller games, but sadly those days are long gone.
October 29, 2024 at 10:01 AM
I think this Xbox Live Arcade title was the first review I got paid for by GameSpot in 2010. As @alexnavarro.bsky.social said, there was a time where you could make a decent living writing about smaller games, but sadly those days are long gone.