Crazy that an ad from 1982 would predict Elon musk controlling robot warriors considering he would be like 11 years olds at the time! would almost make someone think its fake!
On October 21 2026 23:41 iamperfection wrote: Crazy that an ad from 1982 would predict Elon musk controlling robot warriors considering he would be like 11 years olds at the time! would almost make someone think its fake!
Musk taught himself computer programming at approximately age 10 and, at age 12, created a video game called Blastar, which he sold to a computer magazine for approximately $500.
On October 21 2026 23:41 iamperfection wrote: Crazy that an ad from 1982 would predict Elon musk controlling robot warriors considering he would be like 11 years olds at the time! would almost make someone think its fake!
Here's the original:
Photoshop was the original menace that was going to destroy all truth in the world, years before generative AI was a thing.
Always a good sign. Remember that Frost Giant Studios quietly laid off approximately 75% of their staff in early 2025, eight months prior to their own "launch". Of course they didn't tell anyone, and they forced people to keep Frost Giant on their LinkedIn profiles, but the May 2026 SEC report confirmed that their salary expenses fell by about that much.
In contrast, Bonfire claims to only be laying off "seven people", although nobody seems to know how many people Bonfire actually employs. Their LinkedIn page claims there are 91 people working there, but the true number could be quite different.
On October 23 2026 07:36 Jeremy Reimer wrote: Of course they didn't tell anyone, and they forced people to keep Frost Giant on their LinkedIn profiles, but the May 2026 SEC report confirmed that their salary expenses fell by about that much.
it is not really force. it is quid pro quo. Tim Morten will talk about each of them privately and individually as though they performed miracles at the studio. Frost Giant will do everything they can quietly to get them new work.
LinkenIn is a lie. "Everything you know .. is wrong", CoD: Modern Warfare 2010.
On October 23 2026 07:36 Jeremy Reimer wrote: Bonfire Studios confirms layoffs ahead of Arkheron launch:
Always a good sign. Remember that Frost Giant Studios quietly laid off approximately 75% of their staff in early 2025, eight months prior to their own "launch". Of course they didn't tell anyone, and they forced people to keep Frost Giant on their LinkedIn profiles, but the May 2026 SEC report confirmed that their salary expenses fell by about that much.
In contrast, Bonfire claims to only be laying off "seven people", although nobody seems to know how many people Bonfire actually employs. Their LinkedIn page claims there are 91 people working there, but the true number could be quite different.
i want to create 4, self-referencing, fake LinkedIn profiles that claim they worked at Bonfire for 4 to 6 years. Exposing the fakes could force Bonfire to expose the internal disaster the whole studio is. So they might choose not to expose them.
sry, i've been watching too much Nathan Fielder lately.
On October 23 2026 12:50 ChillFlame wrote: Do you think enforcing obligations like this is even legal? It was probably done informally, but still.
On October 23 2026 22:28 JimmyJRaynor wrote: it is not really force. it is quid pro quo. Tim Morten will talk about each of them privately and individually as though they performed miracles at the studio. Frost Giant will do everything they can quietly to get them new work.
It's absolutely legal, and the way they force the issue isn't through some kind of "oh, we'll be really nice to you" quid pro quo, the way they do it is to tie your future behavior to getting your severance pay.
This kind of bullshit goes on all the time. When Microsoft bought Activision and laid off 1900 people (including myself), after lying to multiple governments that they wouldn't do that, the terms of termination included very strongly worded clauses that included, but were not limited to:
* We were not allowed to change the date of our employment on LinkedIn until a certain future date, even though the layoffs were public knowledge. * We were not allowed to post anything disparaging about Microsoft on social media.
Yes, those were the actual terms. I abided by them, and Microsoft paid me my severance. I've long since spent it, so I don't really care about spilling the beans any more, and I suspect neither does Microsoft, who got really high on laying people off from their games division and have decided to keep doing so.
On October 24 2026 03:05 JimmyJRaynor wrote: In its compromised financial position How much severance can StormGiant offer?
The majority of the layoffs happened in early 2025, when Frost Giant still had some liquidity left. They continued to have a small amount of money left even after launch, as they were still paying for an office rental, even after they no longer had any employees. From their SEC report: "As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $131,442 in cash."
Don't forget that Tim also threw in $500,000 of his own money some time in 2025 to keep the company going.
On October 21 2026 01:01 Mrs Crabbleman wrote: Holy shit though just to rag on Arkhenonh for a second I've seen a couple clips and I have NO idea what's going on. I feel like I should be able to point out a character I want to play but it's like witch doctors doing karate with huge numbers on the screen wtf
I watched a clip of people playing Arkheron (Akerhon?) and felt exactly the same thing. Then after a while I felt mildly dizzy. Then I stopped watching clips of the game forever.
Maybe the experience of actually playing the game is better, but I'll never find out. In the Age of Twitch, this seems like an unrecoverable mistake.
But then again, it's only at version 0.23! Let them cook! Forever!
I've played it twice in the last two years. Your impression isn't wrong.
Not only is the Bonfire dev saga interesting to me, but the CM for Arkheron was the very public CM for Path of Exile (which is easily my favourite game of all time) for like 10 years so it's been interesting to watch how she tries to navigate that. "That" being posting high cost updates to an audience of 24 people versus in the PoE days the inverse of having a rag-tag crew of misfits in the midst of producing a growing, beloved cult classic.
Anywho.. the game is like, completely unreadable to a new player or viewer. You get thrown right in the deep end of the pool. Complete visual slop, hundreds of items and abilities that all do nothing visually but stack numbers on numbers. It's overly simple in all the worst ways and overly complex in all the worst ways at the same time. It's a marvel of a fuckup of a game, frankly. And they undoubtedly seem to be kicking the can down the road on truly unveiling it to the world because they know they have a lemon on their hands and it's going to be the rudest of awakenings when we all have to watch the Stormgate style launch where it hits 1500 concurrent users on launch weekend for a game that spent $55M over 6 years*.
*ballpark numbers, its impossible really to know, but jesus christ
Edit: And much like Stormgate, the layoff post generated more buzz on the subreddit than anything to do with the game. The engagement level is SO LOW its absolutely wild.
Edit2: After some snooping, it's very _possible_ she dipped from Bonfire in September, either by choice or not.
On October 24 2026 09:56 Gescom wrote: Not only is the Bonfire dev saga interesting to me,
it is fascinating watching former high level Blizzard employees navigate the real world without Bobby Kotick. On the surface, it sounds great. Kotick was an incompetent horrible leader with zero knowledge, a bad temper, and a fraud. Thus, once leaving the grips of this nepo-baby their talents will be able to truly shine. These hard working geniuses that had already done it all can do it again and collect all their revenue and profits for themselves.
Zempella and West did great, however, they had a fully functioning studio, Infinity Ward, to take with them to EA.
It seems most top level Blizzard employees struggle to build their own shop.
On October 24 2026 09:56 Gescom wrote: have to watch the Stormgate style launch where it hits 1500 concurrent users on launch weekend for a game that spent $55M over 6 years*.
Pardo left Blizzard over 12 years ago. zero games in 12 years.
In that time span Bob DeCrescenzo made Bounty Bob Strikes Back! (2024), Pac-Man: Double Feature / Pac-Man 7800 (2024), Frenzy , Berzerk, KC Munchkin, Armour Attack 2, etc etc etc etc
Pacman double feature is really cool... 1 player controls 1 ghost while the other controls Pacman. I play against my grandma and my cousins' children. its a great all ages game.
Bob Decrescenzo is a game maker. No idea what Rob Pardo is...
On October 24 2026 03:12 Jeremy Reimer wrote: Don't forget that Tim also threw in $500,000 of his own money some time in 2025 to keep the company going.
he threw in a token amount of cash to incentivize other employees to make similar financial sacrifices. Any severance was a tiny amount of money. So, we get back to a quid pro quo being an important lever in obtaining of their silence. They don't want to appear to rock the boat. It is sad man. Worker bees are so afraid.
Is this more Tim Morten pessimism, or is he planning his big comeback once we're past "peak oversupply"?
Peak oversupply is coming. No amount of platform gatekeeping will avert this. Break-out titles will clearly still be possible, but average releases will effectively be valueless. We were already trending this direction without AI; increasingly powerful tools just accelerate the outcome.
So everyone's energy goes towards answering the same question of how to breakout. And everyone arrives at the same answers. Quality. Uniqueness. Community. Infinite competition drives the bar for executing against these higher and higher.
In a way, it will be good for players: some great games will result. And it will clearly be good for the developers who do score a break-out, which contributes to the flood of new releases.
But the state of the industry is objectively bad for professional developers. Reliable repeatable success is what pays salaries, and that is increasingly scarce. Companies (and IPs) with existing aggregated audiences have some durability, but even there erosion is happening.
Pessimism that mediocrity is no longer rewarded? Hot take from Tim, as usual. The market cap for gaming continues to go up, but not as fast as ease of entry nor international growth. Buddy always talks like a guy who sees dollar signs in an industry and nothing else. No art, no passion. He might as well be talking about commodity trading of raw materials or something.
People will be throwing huge dollars after 100 different games this holiday season, and medium dollars after 500 different games too. Unfortunately a AA/AAA game that is a 6/10 will no longer recoup its cost. Boo hoo, really. I don't miss spending $90CAD on boxed products that were mediocre, as was the case from 1980-2010.
It's the same story for software in a broader sense. The C-tier producers are pushed out and you're not longer entitled to 6-figures USD to be mediocre, at best.
I've felt the same watching Double Fine and Bioware recently as well. I've you want to operate in Cali, you be half as good as Supergiant.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1165990/Kiln/ would have survived the high cost, high barrier era, but it's no surprised it tanked in 2026. Suddenly Tim Shafer (what is it with these Tims?!) is confused and annoyed.
Peak oversupply is coming. No amount of platform gatekeeping will avert this. Break-out titles will clearly still be possible, but average releases will effectively be valueless. We were already trending this direction without AI; increasingly powerful tools just accelerate the outcome.
So everyone's energy goes towards answering the same question of how to breakout. And everyone arrives at the same answers. Quality. Uniqueness. Community. Infinite competition drives the bar for executing against these higher and higher.
In a way, it will be good for players: some great games will result. And it will clearly be good for the developers who do score a break-out, which contributes to the flood of new releases.
But the state of the industry is objectively bad for professional developers. Reliable repeatable success is what pays salaries, and that is increasingly scarce. Companies (and IPs) with existing aggregated audiences have some durability, but even there erosion is happening.
I expect more turbulence ahead...
Tim is just whining. He has no plans for a comeback.
Where is that guy who kept insisting he was “working on a second game”? Seems like the Second Coming is going to arrive faster.
Gescom wrote: Buddy always talks like a guy who sees dollar signs in an industry and nothing else. No art, no passion. He might as well be talking about commodity trading of raw materials or something.
So true. I honestly don’t think Tim was ever a gamer. He started as a programmer, but got into management as soon as he could.
On October 25 2026 02:39 crablogic wrote: Is this more Tim Morten pessimism, or is he planning his big comeback once we're past "peak oversupply"?
Peak oversupply is coming. No amount of platform gatekeeping will avert this. Break-out titles will clearly still be possible, but average releases will effectively be valueless. We were already trending this direction without AI; increasingly powerful tools just accelerate the outcome.
So everyone's energy goes towards answering the same question of how to breakout. And everyone arrives at the same answers. Quality. Uniqueness. Community. Infinite competition drives the bar for executing against these higher and higher.
In a way, it will be good for players: some great games will result. And it will clearly be good for the developers who do score a break-out, which contributes to the flood of new releases.
But the state of the industry is objectively bad for professional developers. Reliable repeatable success is what pays salaries, and that is increasingly scarce. Companies (and IPs) with existing aggregated audiences have some durability, but even there erosion is happening.
I expect more turbulence ahead...
\ Tim is just whining. He has no plans for a comeback.
Where is that guy who kept insisting he was “working on a second game”? Seems like the Second Coming is going to arrive faster.
Gescom wrote: Buddy always talks like a guy who sees dollar signs in an industry and nothing else. No art, no passion. He might as well be talking about commodity trading of raw materials or something.
So true. I honestly don’t think Tim was ever a gamer. He started as a programmer, but got into management as soon as he could.
he is the Elizabeth Holmes of video games. Seriously though, within a proper org structure Morten is an effective employee. Also, I think Tim Morten truly loved Zork and the Great Underground Empire. I suggest Frost Giant get posthumously renamed as FrobozzCo International.
He was smart and got himself some free money during the 0% gold rush. It is the American way.
Elizabeth Holmes has raised $18M while in jail. Time to start singing the American National Anthem.
On October 21 2026 01:01 Mrs Crabbleman wrote: Holy shit though just to rag on Arkhenonh for a second I've seen a couple clips and I have NO idea what's going on. I feel like I should be able to point out a character I want to play but it's like witch doctors doing karate with huge numbers on the screen wtf
I watched a clip of people playing Arkheron (Akerhon?) and felt exactly the same thing. Then after a while I felt mildly dizzy. Then I stopped watching clips of the game forever.
Maybe the experience of actually playing the game is better, but I'll never find out. In the Age of Twitch, this seems like an unrecoverable mistake.
But then again, it's only at version 0.23! Let them cook! Forever!
I've played it twice in the last two years. Your impression isn't wrong. .
Anywho.. the game is like, completely unreadable to a new player or viewer. You get thrown right in the deep end of the pool. Complete visual slop, hundreds of items and abilities that all do nothing visually but stack numbers on numbers. It's overly simple in all the worst ways and overly complex in all the worst ways at the same time. It's a marvel of a fuckup of a game, frankly. And they undoubtedly seem to be kicking the can down the road on truly unveiling it to the world because they know they have a lemon on their hands and it's going to be the rudest of awakenings when we all have to watch the Stormgate style launch where it hits 1500 concurrent users on launch weekend for a game that spent $55M over 6 years*. .
I can understand why it happens, possibly for the same reason pro chefs make complicated dishes that underwhelm. Exquisite execution of simple food is daunting.
On October 25 2026 02:39 crablogic wrote: Is this more Tim Morten pessimism, or is he planning his big comeback once we're past "peak oversupply"?
Peak oversupply is coming. No amount of platform gatekeeping will avert this. Break-out titles will clearly still be possible, but average releases will effectively be valueless. We were already trending this direction without AI; increasingly powerful tools just accelerate the outcome.
So everyone's energy goes towards answering the same question of how to breakout. And everyone arrives at the same answers. Quality. Uniqueness. Community. Infinite competition drives the bar for executing against these higher and higher.
In a way, it will be good for players: some great games will result. And it will clearly be good for the developers who do score a break-out, which contributes to the flood of new releases.
But the state of the industry is objectively bad for professional developers. Reliable repeatable success is what pays salaries, and that is increasingly scarce. Companies (and IPs) with existing aggregated audiences have some durability, but even there erosion is happening.
I expect more turbulence ahead...
God AI really is going to break the dam. I think to the point where people (players, consumers, nommers) are overcooked and kinda shut down. It's gonna be a gg no re. Tim droppin truth bombs. Tim droppin truth bombs on truth social. Ol' Timmy-stealth-truth-bomber-bags.
Just take me back to ping pong in a moldy basement. Take me straight back to playing Need For Speed II on the same keyboard as my friend holy shit someone on the WASD someone on the arrows. SPIKE STRIP DEPLOYED. OAAHWWW. ABUYAAAAAAAAAAAAA
On October 21 2026 01:01 Mrs Crabbleman wrote: Holy shit though just to rag on Arkhenonh for a second I've seen a couple clips and I have NO idea what's going on. I feel like I should be able to point out a character I want to play but it's like witch doctors doing karate with huge numbers on the screen wtf
I watched a clip of people playing Arkheron (Akerhon?) and felt exactly the same thing. Then after a while I felt mildly dizzy. Then I stopped watching clips of the game forever.
Maybe the experience of actually playing the game is better, but I'll never find out. In the Age of Twitch, this seems like an unrecoverable mistake.
But then again, it's only at version 0.23! Let them cook! Forever!
I've played it twice in the last two years. Your impression isn't wrong. .
Anywho.. the game is like, completely unreadable to a new player or viewer. You get thrown right in the deep end of the pool. Complete visual slop, hundreds of items and abilities that all do nothing visually but stack numbers on numbers. It's overly simple in all the worst ways and overly complex in all the worst ways at the same time. It's a marvel of a fuckup of a game, frankly. And they undoubtedly seem to be kicking the can down the road on truly unveiling it to the world because they know they have a lemon on their hands and it's going to be the rudest of awakenings when we all have to watch the Stormgate style launch where it hits 1500 concurrent users on launch weekend for a game that spent $55M over 6 years*. .
I can understand why it happens, possibly for the same reason pro chefs make complicated dishes that underwhelm. Exquisite execution of simple food is daunting.
On October 25 2026 02:39 crablogic wrote: Is this more Tim Morten pessimism, or is he planning his big comeback once we're past "peak oversupply"?
Peak oversupply is coming. No amount of platform gatekeeping will avert this. Break-out titles will clearly still be possible, but average releases will effectively be valueless. We were already trending this direction without AI; increasingly powerful tools just accelerate the outcome.
So everyone's energy goes towards answering the same question of how to breakout. And everyone arrives at the same answers. Quality. Uniqueness. Community. Infinite competition drives the bar for executing against these higher and higher.
In a way, it will be good for players: some great games will result. And it will clearly be good for the developers who do score a break-out, which contributes to the flood of new releases.
But the state of the industry is objectively bad for professional developers. Reliable repeatable success is what pays salaries, and that is increasingly scarce. Companies (and IPs) with existing aggregated audiences have some durability, but even there erosion is happening.
I expect more turbulence ahead...
God AI really is going to break the dam. I think to the point where people (players, consumers, nommers) are overcooked and kinda shut down. It's gonna be a gg no re. Tim droppin truth bombs. Tim droppin truth bombs on truth social. Ol' Timmy-stealth-truth-bomber-bags.
Just take me back to ping pong in a moldy basement. Take me straight back to playing Need For Speed II on the same keyboard as my friend holy shit someone on the WASD someone on the arrows. SPIKE STRIP DEPLOYED. OAAHWWW. ABUYAAAAAAAAAAAAA
That's a great analogy re: the underwhelming complicated dishes. In the restaurant biz you can't afford to underwhelm for long. Arkheron was definitely there upon unveiling the new dish in 2022. By the time it crashes and burns, they may set the record for doubling, tripling, quadrupling down. At this point they're functioning running a rich kid UBI program with Chinese VC money. But, I've seen other studios do it too. Many of the "ex-Riot" shops are this way. The gravy train is almost fully dried up.
As for Need for Speed II... the irony about the AI ecosystem is that there will be a solo dev working in Romania releasing exactly the game you describe for five bucks. So many amazing retro-feel but with modern QoL games getting released right now. I've been tinkering with these myself (and have released two games on Steam this year).
EPT![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/iyyp86j.png)
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/ZO8t5yU.jpeg)
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/A425NUK.jpeg)
