Nathan Labun
@yyvgproductions.bsky.social
Artist. Writer. Game developer. Yes Yes Very Good Productions. Currently working on 2D/3D mystery/adventure game #TheBarkerAndMustardFiles. He/him.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
everyone dislikes genai in games, but kids and story-focused players the most.
sounds like we'll be ok. just have to stay the course here and the "inevitable" new technology nobody likes will die. again.
quanticfoundry.com/2025/12/18/g...
sounds like we'll be ok. just have to stay the course here and the "inevitable" new technology nobody likes will die. again.
quanticfoundry.com/2025/12/18/g...
Gamers Are Overwhelmingly Negative About Gen AI in Video Games, but Attitudes Vary by Gender, Age, and Gaming Motivations.
Learn about how gender, age, and gaming motivations shape the perception of Gen AI in video games.
quanticfoundry.com
December 20, 2025 at 12:53 AM
everyone dislikes genai in games, but kids and story-focused players the most.
sounds like we'll be ok. just have to stay the course here and the "inevitable" new technology nobody likes will die. again.
quanticfoundry.com/2025/12/18/g...
sounds like we'll be ok. just have to stay the course here and the "inevitable" new technology nobody likes will die. again.
quanticfoundry.com/2025/12/18/g...
Reposted by Nathan Labun
Doing your budgets or schedules with a technology that routinely hallucinates is a terrible idea (as is contracts, legal advice, etc.).
Doing docs with AI is making the primary source of truth unreliable for the team and creates ambiguity or conflict, and thus also a terrible idea.
Doing docs with AI is making the primary source of truth unreliable for the team and creates ambiguity or conflict, and thus also a terrible idea.
As the backlash to generative AI in video games continues to pick up steam heading into 2026, it'll be fascinating to see what is considered "made with generative AI." Can a dev team say they're not using AI if they're writing design docs with Copilot or using chatGPT to make schedules and budgets?
December 21, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Doing your budgets or schedules with a technology that routinely hallucinates is a terrible idea (as is contracts, legal advice, etc.).
Doing docs with AI is making the primary source of truth unreliable for the team and creates ambiguity or conflict, and thus also a terrible idea.
Doing docs with AI is making the primary source of truth unreliable for the team and creates ambiguity or conflict, and thus also a terrible idea.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
"look we're not using AI in the final product we're just using it to speed up the conceptual stage" is what a lot of dopes affecting an enlightened middle position keep saying. I truly do not get that one. You hate imagining stuff? You don't like thinking and conceptualizing? Get a grip
December 16, 2025 at 8:37 PM
"look we're not using AI in the final product we're just using it to speed up the conceptual stage" is what a lot of dopes affecting an enlightened middle position keep saying. I truly do not get that one. You hate imagining stuff? You don't like thinking and conceptualizing? Get a grip
Reposted by Nathan Labun
epic will pay for every game that gets claimed this way so yes, you are still giving money to rowling (and by extension an international campaign against trans people) by claiming this
there are other, better franchises - let this one go
there are other, better franchises - let this one go
Epic Games partnered with The Game Awards to give away this week's free game on the Epic Games Store.
Hogwarts Legacy is now at the right price: $0
Epic Games partnered with The Game Awards to give away this week's free game on the Epic Games Store.
www.polygon.com
December 13, 2025 at 5:27 PM
epic will pay for every game that gets claimed this way so yes, you are still giving money to rowling (and by extension an international campaign against trans people) by claiming this
there are other, better franchises - let this one go
there are other, better franchises - let this one go
Reposted by Nathan Labun
This is bullshit.
"absolutely no genAI in games" is the middle ground.
"how many years in jail should Sam Altman get for knowingly stealing all data ever" is the somewhat more extreme stance I personally adopt.
"absolutely no genAI in games" is the middle ground.
"how many years in jail should Sam Altman get for knowingly stealing all data ever" is the somewhat more extreme stance I personally adopt.
"Surely there's a middle ground here?" The CEO of Helldivers 2 studio Arrowhead says people "jump to extreme takes" when debating generative AI, and that there needs to be more nuance in the discussion.
www.videogameschronicle.com/news/surely-...
www.videogameschronicle.com/news/surely-...
‘Surely there’s a middle ground here?’ Helldivers studio CEO says people ‘jump to extreme takes’ when debating GenAI | VGC
“This is such a trigger point for big parts of the games industry today”…
www.videogameschronicle.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:49 PM
This is bullshit.
"absolutely no genAI in games" is the middle ground.
"how many years in jail should Sam Altman get for knowingly stealing all data ever" is the somewhat more extreme stance I personally adopt.
"absolutely no genAI in games" is the middle ground.
"how many years in jail should Sam Altman get for knowingly stealing all data ever" is the somewhat more extreme stance I personally adopt.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
steam is apparently allowing "this game had AI in it that it didn't disclose" as a valid return statement, so if you or anyone you know actually paid $70 for slop, get that money back
Insulting to the players, insulting to the IP, insulting to the medium, the developers. And the craft itself. Fuck you executives who pushed this garbage.
frvr.com/blog/call-of...
frvr.com/blog/call-of...
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is littered with AI art slop, because your $70 means nothing anymore
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is littered with AI generated artwork which makes the $70 feel like a complete rip-off.
frvr.com
November 15, 2025 at 9:10 AM
steam is apparently allowing "this game had AI in it that it didn't disclose" as a valid return statement, so if you or anyone you know actually paid $70 for slop, get that money back
Reposted by Nathan Labun
![[Scene is a kitchen - a middle aged woman called JANET is boiling peas at the stove. A younger more colourfully dressed woman named LIZ approached her.]
JANET:
Ugh...
LIZ:
What's up?
JANET:
I am so bored of cooking peas!
LIZ:
Have you tried...
AI peas?
JANET:
AI peas?
LIZ:
They're peas with AI!
[Liz holds up to us a packet of peas labelled: Pea-i AI - Peas with AI].
LIZ:
Al-powered peas harness the potential of your peas
JANET:
What
LIZ [Now a voiceover as we cut to a whizzy technology diagram of peas all connected by meaningless dotted lines]
Why not take your peas to the next level with Al Peas' new Al tools to power your peas?
[Show a techno diagram of a pea with a label reading 'AI' pointing to a random zone in it]
LIZ:
Each pea has Al in a way we haven't quite worked out yet but it's fine
[Show Janet and Liz now in a Matrix-style world of peas]
LIZ:
With Al peas you can supercharge productivity and make AI work for your peas!
JANET:
What
LIZ:
Shut up
LIZ:
Our game-changing Pea-Al gives you the freedom to unlock the potential of the power of the future of your peas workflow
From opening the bag of peas
to boiling the peas
to eating the peas
To spending millions on adding Al to the peas and then having to work out what that even means.
JANET:
Is it really necessary to-
LIZ [Grabbing Janet by the collar]:
THE PEAS HAVE GOT AI, JANET
[Cut to an advert ending screen, with the bag of peas and the slogan:
AI PEAS: Just 'Peas' for god's sake buy the AI peas.
[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayqa37f7kik7l7s7fbtfp2sir5ckb662ry2lylinyjrfa2rkvvka@jpeg)
Reposted by Nathan Labun
No.
“It’s important to assume every game company is now using AI.” Nexon CEO comments on role of human creativity as AI tools become the norm
automaton-media.com/en/news/its-...
automaton-media.com/en/news/its-...
“It’s important to assume every game company is now using AI.” Nexon CEO comments on role of human creativity as AI tools become the norm - AUTOMATON WEST
In an interview following the launch of ARC Raiders, the CEO of Embark Studios' parent company Nexon shares his views on AI.
automaton-media.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:42 AM
No.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
We don’t use generative AI at Strange Scaffold and I can confirm that a *lot* of other studios are not—whether indie or AAA.
Get outta here with this normalization bullshit.
Get outta here with this normalization bullshit.
“It’s important to assume every game company is now using AI.” Nexon CEO comments on role of human creativity as AI tools become the norm
automaton-media.com/en/news/its-...
automaton-media.com/en/news/its-...
“It’s important to assume every game company is now using AI.” Nexon CEO comments on role of human creativity as AI tools become the norm - AUTOMATON WEST
In an interview following the launch of ARC Raiders, the CEO of Embark Studios' parent company Nexon shares his views on AI.
automaton-media.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:25 AM
We don’t use generative AI at Strange Scaffold and I can confirm that a *lot* of other studios are not—whether indie or AAA.
Get outta here with this normalization bullshit.
Get outta here with this normalization bullshit.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
HOLLOWBODY V2.0 IS NOW LIVE! ⚠️
💸40% off
🇪🇸 Spanish
🇷🇺 Russian
🇧🇷 BZ-PT
🇯🇵 Japanese
🖥️Engine Upgrade
📈Loading Optimisations
🐛Bug Fixes + Tweaks
Available NOW! store.steampowered.com/app/2123640/...
Special thanks to @thewarlocs for their work on the localisations❤️
Happy 1st bday to Hollowbody🥹
💸40% off
🇪🇸 Spanish
🇷🇺 Russian
🇧🇷 BZ-PT
🇯🇵 Japanese
🖥️Engine Upgrade
📈Loading Optimisations
🐛Bug Fixes + Tweaks
Available NOW! store.steampowered.com/app/2123640/...
Special thanks to @thewarlocs for their work on the localisations❤️
Happy 1st bday to Hollowbody🥹
Save 40% on Hollowbody on Steam
A tech-noir survival horror short story, set in the urban decay of a long abandoned British city. Solve environmental puzzles, manage limited resources and fight for a way to escape beyond the wall.
store.steampowered.com
October 27, 2025 at 5:45 PM
HOLLOWBODY V2.0 IS NOW LIVE! ⚠️
💸40% off
🇪🇸 Spanish
🇷🇺 Russian
🇧🇷 BZ-PT
🇯🇵 Japanese
🖥️Engine Upgrade
📈Loading Optimisations
🐛Bug Fixes + Tweaks
Available NOW! store.steampowered.com/app/2123640/...
Special thanks to @thewarlocs for their work on the localisations❤️
Happy 1st bday to Hollowbody🥹
💸40% off
🇪🇸 Spanish
🇷🇺 Russian
🇧🇷 BZ-PT
🇯🇵 Japanese
🖥️Engine Upgrade
📈Loading Optimisations
🐛Bug Fixes + Tweaks
Available NOW! store.steampowered.com/app/2123640/...
Special thanks to @thewarlocs for their work on the localisations❤️
Happy 1st bday to Hollowbody🥹
Reposted by Nathan Labun
The only truly ethical response that a self-described artist can make. Anything else is a betrayal of one's colleagues.
“I am not interested, nor will I ever be interested. I'm 61, and I hope to be able to remain uninterested in using it at all until I croak. ... The other day, somebody wrote me an email, said, ‘What is your stance on AI?’ And my answer was very short. I said, ‘I'd rather die.’” 🫡
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro says 'I'd rather die' than use generative AI
Del Toro's new Frankenstein adaption reimagines Mary Shelley's 1818 Gothic novel. Frankenstein was like a tech bro: "creating something without considering the consequences," he explains.
www.npr.org
October 23, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The only truly ethical response that a self-described artist can make. Anything else is a betrayal of one's colleagues.
This is some very solid advice for pretty much all creative folks
working on a talk i'm going to give
thought you might appreciate this slide
thought you might appreciate this slide
October 17, 2025 at 7:40 PM
This is some very solid advice for pretty much all creative folks
Reposted by Nathan Labun
Reposted by Nathan Labun
I know I'm flippant about cyberpunk dystopia fiction being overtaken by reality, but...
October 4, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I know I'm flippant about cyberpunk dystopia fiction being overtaken by reality, but...
Reposted by Nathan Labun
I can answer this!
EARTH MUST DIE is about a dumbass authoritarian dictator, and the whole game is deeply, unashamedly anti-fascist in nature.
The GOOD news is, if you're a fascist, most of the jokes will go over your head and you can just look at the pretty colours? 👍
EARTH MUST DIE is about a dumbass authoritarian dictator, and the whole game is deeply, unashamedly anti-fascist in nature.
The GOOD news is, if you're a fascist, most of the jokes will go over your head and you can just look at the pretty colours? 👍
October 2, 2025 at 10:29 AM
I can answer this!
EARTH MUST DIE is about a dumbass authoritarian dictator, and the whole game is deeply, unashamedly anti-fascist in nature.
The GOOD news is, if you're a fascist, most of the jokes will go over your head and you can just look at the pretty colours? 👍
EARTH MUST DIE is about a dumbass authoritarian dictator, and the whole game is deeply, unashamedly anti-fascist in nature.
The GOOD news is, if you're a fascist, most of the jokes will go over your head and you can just look at the pretty colours? 👍
Reposted by Nathan Labun
Hollowbody is 40% off over on Steam 🙌
go grab it and leave a nice lil review if you wanna support more games from meeeee
store.steampowered.com/app/2123640/...
go grab it and leave a nice lil review if you wanna support more games from meeeee
store.steampowered.com/app/2123640/...
September 29, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Hollowbody is 40% off over on Steam 🙌
go grab it and leave a nice lil review if you wanna support more games from meeeee
store.steampowered.com/app/2123640/...
go grab it and leave a nice lil review if you wanna support more games from meeeee
store.steampowered.com/app/2123640/...
Reposted by Nathan Labun
Reminder: if you are worried about AI replacing you as an artist: don’t use AI voices,
If you don’t want composing to be handed over to AI: don’t use it to write text.
You get the idea.
If you value your job: protect others jobs too.
If you don’t want composing to be handed over to AI: don’t use it to write text.
You get the idea.
If you value your job: protect others jobs too.
September 2, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Reminder: if you are worried about AI replacing you as an artist: don’t use AI voices,
If you don’t want composing to be handed over to AI: don’t use it to write text.
You get the idea.
If you value your job: protect others jobs too.
If you don’t want composing to be handed over to AI: don’t use it to write text.
You get the idea.
If you value your job: protect others jobs too.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
While defending the luddite argument in Discord, I stumbled into this IMO succinct explanation for opposing generative AI:
At every step in the process, it impoverishes us.
At every step in the process, it impoverishes us.
August 28, 2025 at 7:05 PM
While defending the luddite argument in Discord, I stumbled into this IMO succinct explanation for opposing generative AI:
At every step in the process, it impoverishes us.
At every step in the process, it impoverishes us.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
'Microsoft has no place being accomplice of a genocide:' Arkane union workers demand Xbox maker sever ties with Israel
'Microsoft has no place being accomplice of a genocide:' Arkane union workers demand Xbox maker sever ties with Israel
Arkane Studios' STJV section in France has published an open letter in support of the Palestinian-led BDS movement.
www.gamedeveloper.com
August 12, 2025 at 4:28 PM
'Microsoft has no place being accomplice of a genocide:' Arkane union workers demand Xbox maker sever ties with Israel
Reposted by Nathan Labun
This is what the game I'm making looks like.
July 29, 2025 at 1:29 PM
This is what the game I'm making looks like.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
If you use AI you’re accelerating climate crisis, polluting deprived communities, burning through water, giving bosses excuses to reduce workers rights and wages. It’s a moral and ethical degradation.
A researcher calculates that, without increased production, AI will consume up to 82 terrawatt-hours of electricity this year—around the same as the annual electricity consumption of Switzerland.
AI Is Eating Data Center Power Demand—and It’s Only Getting Worse
A new analysis of AI hardware being produced and how it is being used attempts to estimate the vast amount of electricity being consumed by AI.
wrd.cm
May 26, 2025 at 11:20 PM
If you use AI you’re accelerating climate crisis, polluting deprived communities, burning through water, giving bosses excuses to reduce workers rights and wages. It’s a moral and ethical degradation.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
Fourteen Thousand.
The long campaign to dehumanize Palestinians is, fundamentally, about this. To provide cover for the annihilation of a people and their culture, from the youngest to the oldest, to shrugs from the most powerful nations in the world.
The long campaign to dehumanize Palestinians is, fundamentally, about this. To provide cover for the annihilation of a people and their culture, from the youngest to the oldest, to shrugs from the most powerful nations in the world.
“I want to save as many as these 14,000 babies as we can in the next 48 hours,” he told the BBC.
UN warns 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in next 48 hours without aid – Israel-Gaza war live
UN’s humanitarian chief says aid lorries, which contain baby food and nutrition, are technically in Gaza but have not reached civilians
www.theguardian.com
May 20, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Fourteen Thousand.
The long campaign to dehumanize Palestinians is, fundamentally, about this. To provide cover for the annihilation of a people and their culture, from the youngest to the oldest, to shrugs from the most powerful nations in the world.
The long campaign to dehumanize Palestinians is, fundamentally, about this. To provide cover for the annihilation of a people and their culture, from the youngest to the oldest, to shrugs from the most powerful nations in the world.
Reposted by Nathan Labun
Hey folks, the Crips for eSims for Gaza bundle is very nearly hitting a whopping $100K raised, sitting at just over $99.5K raised, do you think we could make a little last minute push and get it over the $100,000 goal?
itch.io/b/2965/crips...
itch.io/b/2965/crips...
Crips for eSims for Gaza Bundle by Crips for eSims for Gaza and 176 others
Crips for eSims for Gaza Bundle: 237 items for $16.00
itch.io
May 19, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Hey folks, the Crips for eSims for Gaza bundle is very nearly hitting a whopping $100K raised, sitting at just over $99.5K raised, do you think we could make a little last minute push and get it over the $100,000 goal?
itch.io/b/2965/crips...
itch.io/b/2965/crips...
Reposted by Nathan Labun
Saw this and thought my oomfs' feeds could use this
May 11, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Saw this and thought my oomfs' feeds could use this
Reposted by Nathan Labun
Itch is one of the most important resources on the web right now to get started as a games developer, if not _the_ most important resource. To see it struggling to provide its services because AI companies don't want to respect the boundaries of the internet makes me extremely angry.
May 1, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Itch is one of the most important resources on the web right now to get started as a games developer, if not _the_ most important resource. To see it struggling to provide its services because AI companies don't want to respect the boundaries of the internet makes me extremely angry.