Nicol Smith
@ashenv.bsky.social
Digital culture student, player of games, watcher of cat, he/him
Reposted by Nicol Smith
I’m crying
November 16, 2025 at 1:32 PM
I’m crying
Grim, grim, grim!
The Saudis are buying Electronic Arts in a massive $55 billion deal — but why would they want a games publisher?
This week @nathangrayson.bsky.social joins @parismarx.com to discuss how Saudi Arabia uses games to try to improve its image.
Full ep: techwontsave.us/episode/302_...
This week @nathangrayson.bsky.social joins @parismarx.com to discuss how Saudi Arabia uses games to try to improve its image.
Full ep: techwontsave.us/episode/302_...
November 14, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Grim, grim, grim!
Mood, as they say.
November 12, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Mood, as they say.
Reposted by Nicol Smith
I still think this is a strong contender for the funniest video ever uploaded. Absolutely unbeatable comedic rhythm
June 20, 2025 at 5:42 PM
I still think this is a strong contender for the funniest video ever uploaded. Absolutely unbeatable comedic rhythm
Reposted by Nicol Smith
For those idles, we played part of a song for the performer once and told them: You don't have to remember it well. You don't have to be good, in fact it's better if you're not. Think "singing in the shower."
This Outer Worlds 2 clip was posted on Reddit with the note: "This tiny moment is my favorite in the entire game, a guard NPC is singing the radio songs to himself."
I worked on that mission so heard that clip 100x and it was never not funny to me. Thanks Andrew Kishino for the great performance!
I worked on that mission so heard that clip 100x and it was never not funny to me. Thanks Andrew Kishino for the great performance!
November 7, 2025 at 2:04 PM
For those idles, we played part of a song for the performer once and told them: You don't have to remember it well. You don't have to be good, in fact it's better if you're not. Think "singing in the shower."
Reposted by Nicol Smith
Reposted by Nicol Smith
Du hørte kanskje at NTB publiserte en KI-generert melding sist uke. Visste du at KI-sammendraget endret sikkerhetstrussel fra fiendtlige statlige aktører til ekstemvær og aldrende teknologi? Slik ideologisk vridning viser at KI-bias kan være en sikkerhetsrisiko. www.aftenposten.no/meninger/deb...
Teknologien truer kunnskapssystemet vårt. Men den norske staten har slukt tekgigantenes PR rått.
Les kronikken.
www.aftenposten.no
November 5, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Du hørte kanskje at NTB publiserte en KI-generert melding sist uke. Visste du at KI-sammendraget endret sikkerhetstrussel fra fiendtlige statlige aktører til ekstemvær og aldrende teknologi? Slik ideologisk vridning viser at KI-bias kan være en sikkerhetsrisiko. www.aftenposten.no/meninger/deb...
Reposted by Nicol Smith
A movie you've seen more than 7 times with a gif
November 2, 2025 at 12:07 AM
A movie you've seen more than 7 times with a gif
Reposted by Nicol Smith
This is the most ruthless act of union busting in the history of the UK games industry. Yesterday, @rockstargames.com unfairly fired over 30 employees for union activity.
We won't back down, and we're not scared - we will fight for every member to be reinstated.
We won't back down, and we're not scared - we will fight for every member to be reinstated.
BREAKING: Yesterday Grand Theft Auto VI maker Rockstar Games fired dozens of people, all of whom were involved in union efforts. A British union calls it "blatant and ruthless" union-busting. Take-Two Interactive says it was due to misconduct.
Here's the scoop: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here's the scoop: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
‘Grand Theft Auto’ Studio Accused of Union Busting After Firings
Union says 30 and 40 people were terminated. Rockstar Games’ parent company cites ‘gross misconduct’
www.bloomberg.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:01 PM
This is the most ruthless act of union busting in the history of the UK games industry. Yesterday, @rockstargames.com unfairly fired over 30 employees for union activity.
We won't back down, and we're not scared - we will fight for every member to be reinstated.
We won't back down, and we're not scared - we will fight for every member to be reinstated.
Reposted by Nicol Smith
New article on ★ daiz.moe ★
Crunchyroll is destroying its subtitles for no good reason
daiz.moe/crunchyroll-...
A ton of research and effort went into this one. This is the article to read to get to the bottom of Crunchyroll's subtitle changes!
Replies here will show up as comments (eventually)
Crunchyroll is destroying its subtitles for no good reason
daiz.moe/crunchyroll-...
A ton of research and effort went into this one. This is the article to read to get to the bottom of Crunchyroll's subtitle changes!
Replies here will show up as comments (eventually)
Crunchyroll is destroying its subtitles for no good reason | Daiz.moe
With the Fall 2025 anime season, Crunchyroll demonstrates zero respect for anime as a medium as the presentation quality of its subtitles reach an all-time low.
daiz.moe
October 29, 2025 at 10:44 PM
New article on ★ daiz.moe ★
Crunchyroll is destroying its subtitles for no good reason
daiz.moe/crunchyroll-...
A ton of research and effort went into this one. This is the article to read to get to the bottom of Crunchyroll's subtitle changes!
Replies here will show up as comments (eventually)
Crunchyroll is destroying its subtitles for no good reason
daiz.moe/crunchyroll-...
A ton of research and effort went into this one. This is the article to read to get to the bottom of Crunchyroll's subtitle changes!
Replies here will show up as comments (eventually)
Another excellent thread from the fashion guy, this time on the origin of Jordan Peterson's weird suits.
I can answer this. I interviewed Peterson's tailor a few years ago, although the interview was never published because I fell behind on work. Here is the story of this suit. 🧵
What is happening with this outfit?
October 31, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Another excellent thread from the fashion guy, this time on the origin of Jordan Peterson's weird suits.
Realms of the Haunting freaked me out so much I had to share controls with a friend. He did mouse and I took keyboard, then we'd kick open a door, run around a new section of the game to spawn all the monsters before doubling back, slamming the door shut and taking a deep breath before reentering.
What's the scariest game you've ever played?
For me, it's Outlast II, far and away. I can't believe the places that game goes lol.
For me, it's Outlast II, far and away. I can't believe the places that game goes lol.
October 31, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Realms of the Haunting freaked me out so much I had to share controls with a friend. He did mouse and I took keyboard, then we'd kick open a door, run around a new section of the game to spawn all the monsters before doubling back, slamming the door shut and taking a deep breath before reentering.
Reposted by Nicol Smith
ladies and gentlemen...we got him
October 30, 2025 at 7:10 PM
ladies and gentlemen...we got him
Reposted by Nicol Smith
This appropriation of gaming imagery and culture to push authoritarianism is, as @alyssamerc.bsky.social points out here, the natural extension of what Gamergate began
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/o...
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/o...
Why Trump’s White House is using video game memes to recruit for ICE
A recent spate of posts has garnered attention, but Trump and his allies have long been using gaming imagery to mobilise a toxic subculture of ‘rootless white males’
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 11:40 AM
This appropriation of gaming imagery and culture to push authoritarianism is, as @alyssamerc.bsky.social points out here, the natural extension of what Gamergate began
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/o...
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/o...
Reposted by Nicol Smith
Cookie Monster’s date: Can we talk about something else
October 28, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Cookie Monster’s date: Can we talk about something else
Reposted by Nicol Smith
I think about this in how the guy who ran MySpace sold his company and then traveled the world doing photography, while the guy who runs Facebook never let it go and has gone out of his way to destroy democracy in order to gain more power.
The desperate need to accumulate more and more at the cost of everyone else’s wellbeing should be classified as a mental disorder, and I will absolutely die on this hill.
Guillermo del Toro on wealth: "a wealthy man is a man who has enough, not a man that needs more. If you have enough to invite someone for a beer? You're rich. If you have a yacht, planes, islands, and you still need more? You're not rich."
October 27, 2025 at 5:20 AM
I think about this in how the guy who ran MySpace sold his company and then traveled the world doing photography, while the guy who runs Facebook never let it go and has gone out of his way to destroy democracy in order to gain more power.
Reposted by Nicol Smith
WHAT!? 1 year already!? 🎉 🤯
Over 1,300 #VideoGame books spotlighted so far 📚
THOUSANDS more to go, so please consider sharing. Let’s make this the biggest Book Thread on @bsky.app!! 💪
(Thank you @ashenv.bsky.social for the reminder 💙🙏)
Over 1,300 #VideoGame books spotlighted so far 📚
THOUSANDS more to go, so please consider sharing. Let’s make this the biggest Book Thread on @bsky.app!! 💪
(Thank you @ashenv.bsky.social for the reminder 💙🙏)
Alright, let's see how big this gets!
❤️ 1 Like = 1 Video Game Book 📚
❤️ 1 Like = 1 Video Game Book 📚
October 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM
WHAT!? 1 year already!? 🎉 🤯
Over 1,300 #VideoGame books spotlighted so far 📚
THOUSANDS more to go, so please consider sharing. Let’s make this the biggest Book Thread on @bsky.app!! 💪
(Thank you @ashenv.bsky.social for the reminder 💙🙏)
Over 1,300 #VideoGame books spotlighted so far 📚
THOUSANDS more to go, so please consider sharing. Let’s make this the biggest Book Thread on @bsky.app!! 💪
(Thank you @ashenv.bsky.social for the reminder 💙🙏)
Reposted by Nicol Smith
this rocks. when indiana edu killed the student newspaper, Purdue stepped up, printed the forbidden issue, drove it to Bloomington and stocked the boxes.
October 18, 2025 at 6:27 PM
this rocks. when indiana edu killed the student newspaper, Purdue stepped up, printed the forbidden issue, drove it to Bloomington and stocked the boxes.
Reposted by Nicol Smith
Reposted by Nicol Smith
wikipedia's data shows that AI is siphoning traffic away from the site, which is a danger to its sustainability. ironically Wikipedia is more important than ever to users who want reliable information instead of slop, and to AI companies that need it for training data www.404media.co/wikipedia-sa...
Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visitors
“With fewer visits to Wikipedia, fewer volunteers may grow and enrich the content, and fewer individual donors may support this work.”
www.404media.co
October 17, 2025 at 1:15 AM
wikipedia's data shows that AI is siphoning traffic away from the site, which is a danger to its sustainability. ironically Wikipedia is more important than ever to users who want reliable information instead of slop, and to AI companies that need it for training data www.404media.co/wikipedia-sa...
Reposted by Nicol Smith
the only reason any writing gets done at all is through the expedient of writing some garbage and appending a note that says "come back to this later and replace with something that isn't garbage"
October 17, 2025 at 2:41 AM
the only reason any writing gets done at all is through the expedient of writing some garbage and appending a note that says "come back to this later and replace with something that isn't garbage"
Reposted by Nicol Smith
tearing into the mod files for the mysummerdog addon and finding the funniest UV unwrap ive ever seen in my life
October 15, 2025 at 11:51 PM
tearing into the mod files for the mysummerdog addon and finding the funniest UV unwrap ive ever seen in my life
When the grade in my e-lit class for a midterm project is a B, but the feedback makes it feel better than an A.
October 13, 2025 at 12:20 PM
When the grade in my e-lit class for a midterm project is a B, but the feedback makes it feel better than an A.
Brad Pitt, best known for his role as Floyd, the stoner roommate, in Tony Scott's romantic crime thriller, True Romance.
October 8, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Brad Pitt, best known for his role as Floyd, the stoner roommate, in Tony Scott's romantic crime thriller, True Romance.