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Richard Moss

@mossrc.bsky.social

1K followers 130 following 320 posts

Writer/Director: *TerrorBytes: The Evolution of Horror Gaming* Author: *A Tale of Two Halves*, *Shareware Heroes*, *The Secret History of Mac Gaming*, a book on Age of Empires 1 dev (TBA) Co-Writer/producer: FPSDOC Australian [email protected]

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Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · Jul 15

The feature-length first episode of @terrorbytesdoc.bsky.social is now free to watch on YouTube. Dozens of interviews digging into the history and evolution of horror in games, written and directed by me. And if you like it, you can buy the whole series from terrorbytesdoc.com. youtu.be/TA2aZVn9FvE

TerrorBytes Ep. 1 – Enter the Survival Horror | Full Documentary Episode (FREE)

YouTube video by CREATORVC LIVE

Reposted by Richard Moss

Michael @michaelklamerus.bsky.social · 8h

Found the collection of 160 games made in world builder on the ScummVM website and this is all I will be talking about this month
www.scummvm.org/games/#games...

That 2nd game, Pirate Attack, has a really nice story from the designer from two years ago
www.macintoshrepository.org/19772-pirate...

image from Mountain of Mayhem of a smiling bartender and text describing him and the bar

image of a pirate in the game Pirate Attack and text describing him attacking you

a game called The Thompson Kids Meet the Swamp Witch of the faces of two kids and a haunted house at night

screenshot from a game called Fortune Teller of a black and white illustration of a fortune teller

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 1d

I saw @re4mat.bsky.social speculating the same thing a few weeks ago. I'm not aware of any explicit link between them, but agree they seem similar and the approximate age of the Subspace devs would align with them potentially having played Continuum as kids.

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 1d

The Continuum web/JS port now has a bunch of fan-made "galaxies" (level sets) in addition to the original one, and apparently one of the galaxies was just a 17-level sampler pack for the full 75-level set advertised in this incredible flyer.

A flyer for a Continuum level set, promising "75 of the hardest levels anywhere" if you send a disk and 50 cents (or $3 and no disk) to an address in Oklahoma. The flyer has several different fonts and a few custom graphics.

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 1d

Ah, lovely. I hope you enjoy the book and find everything you're looking for. May I ask what the paper's about (other than something related to football/soccer games)?

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah. The only thing you're missing is the publisher mismanaging their apology (which I think is understandable, given the torrents of outrage and abuse on social media) and the author gloating about beating cancel culture, which has ignited more culture wars stuff.

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 1d

This thread is the most even-handed take I've seen on the Bitmap mess, and I share his "second-hand anxiety" about the book content being ravaged. As an author with two books they've published, I'm especially sad to see the poor judgement and worried about implications from the ongoing fallout.

Ryan Zhao @insrtcoins.bsky.social · 1d

Quick thoughts on the Bitmap Books controversy: the whole "going back on your apology" thing seems like a massive mistake. The original apology felt reasonable -- the author still benefits from having the work published, but Dyer publicly acknowledges the problem respectfully.
🧵

Reposted by Richard Moss

Chris Chapman @retrohistories.bsky.social · 2d

Some of the authors of *excellent* books from Bitmap who don't deserve to be caught in the fallout. Please follow and support them!

@felipepepe.bsky.social
@hg101.bsky.social
@gamesthatwerent.com
@stuartmaine.bsky.social
@mossrc.bsky.social
@davecook.bsky.social
@aaronpotter.bsky.social

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 2d

Apparently this is called AI SEO, or LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation), but I really think they've missed a great chance to call it AIEO or genAIEO. And then they could have made a song set to the tune of B-I-N-G-O to promote their services.

Reposted by Richard Moss

Retro Football Video Games @roadtotheball.bsky.social · 2d

ISS Deluxe has a cheat code that turns the match officials into dogs. It's adorable.

A dog linesman.

The referee is a dog.

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 5d

I was reading a big internal EA document tracking this game's AI module development, and most of the bugfixes are like "fixed player not passing the ball" or "improved CPU logic", but then every so often there'd be something like this round of fixes and I'd burst into laughter imagining it.

Retro Football Video Games @roadtotheball.bsky.social · 5d

Some funny bugfix logs for the AI in EA's F.A. Premier League STARS from March 30, 1998, a bit over a year before the game was finished.

Bugs Fixed
1. Fixed bug causing players to spin uncontrollably after a canned animation completes its playback.
2. Fixed bug allowing the ball to penetrate the net.
3. Fixed bug in switching logic on volley shots.
4. Fixed invisible wall in front of net bug.
5. Fixed bug where the ball is attached to a celebratng player’s hand.
6. Revised tackle model to minimize ball blipping.
7. Fixed bug causing the goalie to get stuck outside the 18 yard box.

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 6d

I wouldn't mind at all. I'd be happy to give you any advice or suggestions you might need.

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 6d

I'd love to read that, if you ever do it.

Reposted by Richard Moss

Retro Football Video Games @roadtotheball.bsky.social · 6d

My favourite aesthetic: mid-90s football management game skeuomorphism.

Premier Manager II

On The Ball (or Anstoss in the original German release)

Ultimate Soccer Manager

European Superleague

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 8d

All of these can be overcome with the right approach, but the right approach is different for every person. (And I'm sure it helped in my case that I'm an established journalist and historian with a well-respected body of work to point to.)

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 8d

Some don't think there's any value in what they made (horrifyingly, Captain Comic creator Mike Denio was like that, and I couldn't persuade him otherwise), others don't see the message or forget to reply, and some are too embarrassed by their old creation to talk about it.

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 8d

I've started @roadtotheball.bsky.social to talk more about old football/soccer videogames and share cool research materials, trivia, screenshots, and other fun or nostalgic stuff that I gathered while putting together A Tale of Two Halves: The History of Football Video Games for @bitmapbooks.com.

Reposted by Richard Moss

Retro Football Video Games @roadtotheball.bsky.social · 8d

When Paul and Oliver Collyer were looking for a publisher for Championship Manager (originally called European Champions), they sent demo builds out to all the major companies, including EA, which declined due to the lack of 'live action' graphics. This is their rejection letter.

Reposted by Richard Moss

Retro Football Video Games @roadtotheball.bsky.social · 9d

Behind the scenes on Sony's FIFA/ISS killer from the late PS1 days, This is Football, which featured the legendary Clive Tyldesley in the commentary chair and is perhaps best remembered for its dedicated "dive" and "intentional foul" buttons.

Clive Tyldesley starting a commentary recording session for This Is Football (1999).

Player animation editor for This Is Football (1999).

A photo of a mo-cap actor doing a bicycle kick, with the ball hanging from a string attached to a long yellow pole.

One of the stadium models for This Is Football (1999).

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 13d

I've been talking over email to the developer of this port, and he has info about how the sound interruption system works in the original. One sound plays at a time, with interruptions based on priority score, but with some nuance:

Our discussion caused me to look back at the game code and realize there was a subtlety in the original implementation I had missed. The game didn't JUST implement a simple priority system for sounds. For certain sounds it also had the priority "decay" over time, meaning every screen refresh the priority would drop a little. Why? This allowed later sounds with lower priority to interrupt them IF the original sound had been playing for a while. There are a couple places this enhances the experience
1. If you kill a bunker and then another bunker shoots, which normally has lower priority, if you are very near the end of the original bunker explosion it will be allowed to interrupt because the priority has "faded".
This is probably what Randy/Brian meant when they told you there was a "fade" system.
2. When bunkers shoot very rapidly you get a cool rapid fire effect because the later shot can interrupt the earlier. Level 9 is a good example of this. It's pretty cool and I'm glad to have that working.

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 13d

Apparently new research indicates the low return on investment of genAI in the workplace that MIT reported on recently is mainly due to "workslop", or "AI generated work content that masquerades as good work but lacks the substance to meaningfully advance a given task".
hbr.org/2025/09/ai-g...

AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity

Despite a surge in generative AI use across workplaces, most companies are seeing little measurable ROI. One possible reason is because AI tools are being used to produce “workslop”—content that appea...

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 15d

we were told that backer fulfilment was getting prioritised. Okay, fair enough, but then they gave no timeline or info for getting a bulk order to Romero in motion. We never got another response, even after multiple (two or three) follow-ups, and the deal never happened.
2/2

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 15d

Random Unbound incompetence story that just popped into my mind: when Shareware Heroes first came out, John Romero told me he wanted to sell some copies from his store. I thought that was awesome and asked my editor to help. She matched my enthusiasm and made the necessary introductions, then
1/2

Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 19d

Embracer CEO talked at length at an AGM about genAI use in gamedev workflows, including several specific examples. Their underlying principle is that "we believe the greatest risk is not in using AI, but in using it without a strong, ethical framework." www.tombraiderchronicles.com/headlines528...

Tomb Raider Chronicles - EMBRACER CEO PHIL ROGERS HIGHLIGHTS AI AS A CATALYST FOR CREATIVITY AT AGM

At its Annual General Meeting, Embracer Group CEO Phil Rogers outlined how the company is accelerating its adoption of AI tools to transform game development pipelines, with major franchises such as T...

www.tombraiderchronicles.com

Reposted by Richard Moss

Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️‍⚧️ @sharkabytes.bsky.social · 19d

This is the cost of casual legitimization of genai. The blood of this kind of suffering is on the hands of everyone who uses it for all the kind of stuff Giger has pointed out. Because you've been told for at least two years now what the cost of it is and to stop doing it.

GigerPunk @gigerpunk.bsky.social · 20d

Fuck me this is bleak.
But please, do continue to use GenAI slop thumbnails for your YouTube videos, or your album art, or your book covers or whatever else. I'll continue to refuse to watch/listen/read any of them, knowing already they're not worth the time & that you're a disappointing lazy hack.

‘Children's book illustrator isn't a job anymore.’
I've been out of work for a while now. I made children's book illustrations, stock art, and took various art commissions.

Now I have several maxed out credit cards and use a donation bin for food. I haven't had a steady contract in over a year. two weeks ago, when a client who has switched to AI found out about this he gave me $50 out of "a sense of guilt." Basically pity for the fact that Illustrator, as a job, does not exist anymore.

It was my birthday recently and I sincerely considered not living anymore.
The worst part of all is that the parents who once supported me fully in being an artist sent me an AI generated picture of a caricature of themselves holding a birthday cake with my name spelled incorrectly.

Reposted by Richard Moss

Chris Chapman @retrohistories.bsky.social · 20d

It's nothing short of amazing that Chris can turn around an hour-long multi-segment audio show every week at a consistently great level. I haven't word-of-mouthed this show nearly enough, but it's an essential listen for anyone interested in the culture of games.

Chris Plante @plante.bsky.social · 20d

Related:

Have you heard about the new show Post Games? It's like NPR for video games.

Thoughtful, surprising interviews with guests like Dunkey, the CEO of Atari, and NSFW game makers.

And it's free on all podcast platforms.

I know, it seems too good to be true! But it's real!

Video Games Podcast · Updated Weekly · Post Games is a listener-supported podcast about how and why we love video games. Each week, host Chris Plante reports on a new, overlooked, or underappreciated ...

podcasts.apple.com