Matt Kondracki
@greyfox.bsky.social
Writer and communications guy.
Just awful news and right before Christmas too. My heart goes out to his family and everyone that was close to him.
Report: Vince Zampella, Battlefield Boss, Killed In Car Crash In California
Battlefield Boss Vince Zampella Killed In Car Crash
Zampella helped turn Battlefield 6 into one of the year's biggest games and was behind big hits like Titanfall
kotaku.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Just awful news and right before Christmas too. My heart goes out to his family and everyone that was close to him.
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
This is a wild hack. a16z gave a million dollars to startup called Doublespeed. They use a phone farm to flood social media with AI generated influencers and ads. A hacker remotely broke into the phone farm, unmasking the AI influencers/fake accounts, gave us the data www.404media.co/hack-reveals...
Hack Reveals the a16z-Backed Phone Farm Flooding TikTok With AI Influencers
A hacker gained control of a 1,100 mobile phone farm powering covert, AI-generated ads on TikTok.
www.404media.co
December 17, 2025 at 2:35 PM
This is a wild hack. a16z gave a million dollars to startup called Doublespeed. They use a phone farm to flood social media with AI generated influencers and ads. A hacker remotely broke into the phone farm, unmasking the AI influencers/fake accounts, gave us the data www.404media.co/hack-reveals...
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
If you trekked all the way to school this morning for work/learning, only for it to be cancelled -- my DMs are open!
Today is a rare, citywide snow day, following an eleventh hour announcement re: worsening conditions this A.M.
Did you show up to school/work before the call was made around 7:45 a.m.?
More to come via @winnipegfreepress.com #mbed #wfp
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
Did you show up to school/work before the call was made around 7:45 a.m.?
More to come via @winnipegfreepress.com #mbed #wfp
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
Winnipeg schools closed as blizzard blasts southern Manitoba
All Winnipeg schools are closed Thursday as a blizzard hammers southern Manitoba. An email from the Winnipeg School Division to staff Thursday morning said city divisions have made the decision to clo...
www.winnipegfreepress.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:35 PM
If you trekked all the way to school this morning for work/learning, only for it to be cancelled -- my DMs are open!
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
Throwback to the Xmas when I spoofed mobile game ads too accurately, and no one clicked on the video.
December 12, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Throwback to the Xmas when I spoofed mobile game ads too accurately, and no one clicked on the video.
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
We will be poorer for it if we outsource our compassion and creativity to a machine that can only ever approximate emotions because it’s never felt any. ChatGPT can only make you sound more empathetic. It can’t make you be more empathetic. Today’s column www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-lif...
Opinion: It’s not personal, AI... and that’s the problem
I have a photo album on my phone called Smile File. In it are screen shots of all kinds of correspondence from my friends and family, a hall of fame of sorts. Like the text my dad sent me after he dro...
www.winnipegfreepress.com
December 13, 2025 at 3:36 PM
We will be poorer for it if we outsource our compassion and creativity to a machine that can only ever approximate emotions because it’s never felt any. ChatGPT can only make you sound more empathetic. It can’t make you be more empathetic. Today’s column www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-lif...
I am so ridiculously excited for this. Remedy is so cool.
Remedy Entertainment has announced Control Resonant, the sequel to Control.
www.videogameschronicle.com/news/control...
www.videogameschronicle.com/news/control...
December 12, 2025 at 2:21 AM
I am so ridiculously excited for this. Remedy is so cool.
Hell yeah Casey Hudson doing the Star War again
December 12, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Hell yeah Casey Hudson doing the Star War again
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
There are many material reasons why Netflix owning WB/HBO sucks but the pettiest one I have is they suck at distributing their own work or building up any enthusiasm. They have failed their way to the top with a strategy that doesn’t benefit the work.
December 6, 2025 at 4:40 PM
There are many material reasons why Netflix owning WB/HBO sucks but the pettiest one I have is they suck at distributing their own work or building up any enthusiasm. They have failed their way to the top with a strategy that doesn’t benefit the work.
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
Hey folks: this morning we're launching a monthlong fundraiser for @techdirt.com. Over the last year, we've been steadfast in not self-censoring, not capitulating, not sanewashing bullshit. But that's come at a cost. And we need help: rtb.techdirt.com/products/fri...
Friend Of Techdirt
Get an Insider Badge on your profile
rtb.techdirt.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Hey folks: this morning we're launching a monthlong fundraiser for @techdirt.com. Over the last year, we've been steadfast in not self-censoring, not capitulating, not sanewashing bullshit. But that's come at a cost. And we need help: rtb.techdirt.com/products/fri...
Load-bearing drywall
December 1, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Load-bearing drywall
I saw Wake Up Dead Man opening night which was just spectacular and blindsided me with enormously moving moments. Ditched Telus and dropped my phone bill. Finay watched the super charming Roofman too. I've had an unusually great weekend y'all.
December 1, 2025 at 6:07 AM
I saw Wake Up Dead Man opening night which was just spectacular and blindsided me with enormously moving moments. Ditched Telus and dropped my phone bill. Finay watched the super charming Roofman too. I've had an unusually great weekend y'all.
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
"why did you start a new website?"
December 1, 2025 at 4:05 AM
"why did you start a new website?"
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
If you work a studio that’s been nominated for a Game Award this year (or even years’ past), I would love to speak to you about your experience getting tickets! How many did your studio get? How many did you buy?
This can be anonymous. DMs are open and email is alyssamerc[at]gmail[dot]com.
This can be anonymous. DMs are open and email is alyssamerc[at]gmail[dot]com.
November 29, 2025 at 4:38 PM
If you work a studio that’s been nominated for a Game Award this year (or even years’ past), I would love to speak to you about your experience getting tickets! How many did your studio get? How many did you buy?
This can be anonymous. DMs are open and email is alyssamerc[at]gmail[dot]com.
This can be anonymous. DMs are open and email is alyssamerc[at]gmail[dot]com.
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
What a great headline
November 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
What a great headline
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
😈 Maleficent, the evil queen, had her goblins searching for Sleeping Beauty for 16 years.
🛑 BUT…. they were looking for a baby the whole time. Acceptance criteria fail!
🧠 This is why it’s so important for villains to leverage AGILE practices. Don’t let this become your team. My new ecourse will
🛑 BUT…. they were looking for a baby the whole time. Acceptance criteria fail!
🧠 This is why it’s so important for villains to leverage AGILE practices. Don’t let this become your team. My new ecourse will
November 25, 2025 at 3:26 PM
😈 Maleficent, the evil queen, had her goblins searching for Sleeping Beauty for 16 years.
🛑 BUT…. they were looking for a baby the whole time. Acceptance criteria fail!
🧠 This is why it’s so important for villains to leverage AGILE practices. Don’t let this become your team. My new ecourse will
🛑 BUT…. they were looking for a baby the whole time. Acceptance criteria fail!
🧠 This is why it’s so important for villains to leverage AGILE practices. Don’t let this become your team. My new ecourse will
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
demonschool credits all 145 people who touched the game over the course of its multi-year dev cycle AND explains what exactly they contributed. the rest of the games industry, which commonly omits people from credits entirely, should be taking notes
![“We worked [on Hyper Gunsport] with a localization company that refused to give the names of the people that actually did the work; they just wanted to have their company name in there,” Sheffield said. “They say they do that because ‘It's the standard’ and ‘to avoid poaching’ or whatever, but I hate that and think it's total BS. … I've also seen a lot of folks complain about how they weren't credited on a game because they'd left the studio before the game they worked on was finished. And indeed, our lead 3D artist left two years ago. But he's still the first artist credited because he set the style and visual tone for a lot of the game. Not working on the game to the very end doesn't negate the work he did.”
The more Sheffield thought about how to meet the needs of so many different types of contributors – and discussed the matter on social media – the more a comprehensive, detail-oriented approach to crediting started to make sense.
“That had all been percolating in the back of my mind as we got close to finishing, and then it just sort of hit me as it came time for me to write the credits,” he said. “I discussed this approach with the team and everyone was fine with it, so we just went for it. We always want to credit everyone that touched the game, so even though the core team was 7 or 8 people at any given time, we credited around 145 people in Demonschool. Who cares if it's a lot of people? Who cares if it's long? They all did something and they deserve credit. And you basically can tell who the core team was by reading the descriptions. None of us are precious about that anyway.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5gdejlhcswjbzraadoltdpps/bafkreibksibak2xsgvbrid7evym3utz6yzfccilowfs7apv7b2sddssd3q@jpeg)
November 25, 2025 at 7:32 PM
demonschool credits all 145 people who touched the game over the course of its multi-year dev cycle AND explains what exactly they contributed. the rest of the games industry, which commonly omits people from credits entirely, should be taking notes
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
Snitching to corporate and getting 30 people fired is not mandatory — rats have to make that choice for themselves.
PMG understands Rockstar became aware of these messages after at least one non-union member of the server raised concerns about these discussions with management and this either kicked off, or contributed to, a wider investigation.
November 24, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Snitching to corporate and getting 30 people fired is not mandatory — rats have to make that choice for themselves.
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
There's a lot to say about the Roblox CEO interview, and the right place to start is definitely his answers on children's safety, because that's kind of the fire that is hottest and closest.
However, I have to also say, the polymarket stuff is real 'summation of our neoliberal dumpster fire' shit.
However, I have to also say, the polymarket stuff is real 'summation of our neoliberal dumpster fire' shit.
November 21, 2025 at 6:40 PM
There's a lot to say about the Roblox CEO interview, and the right place to start is definitely his answers on children's safety, because that's kind of the fire that is hottest and closest.
However, I have to also say, the polymarket stuff is real 'summation of our neoliberal dumpster fire' shit.
However, I have to also say, the polymarket stuff is real 'summation of our neoliberal dumpster fire' shit.
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
The first episode of the Arc Raiders series we produced for Embark is now live.
For years folks were asking what happened to the original PvE hero-shooter version of the game.
Well, now you know…
youtu.be/tdorU3sjt_0?...
For years folks were asking what happened to the original PvE hero-shooter version of the game.
Well, now you know…
youtu.be/tdorU3sjt_0?...
The Evolution of ARC Raiders EP1 - Finding ARC Raiders
YouTube video by ARC Raiders
youtu.be
November 21, 2025 at 8:55 PM
The first episode of the Arc Raiders series we produced for Embark is now live.
For years folks were asking what happened to the original PvE hero-shooter version of the game.
Well, now you know…
youtu.be/tdorU3sjt_0?...
For years folks were asking what happened to the original PvE hero-shooter version of the game.
Well, now you know…
youtu.be/tdorU3sjt_0?...
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
RIP to a games industry pioneer and legend, Rebecca Heineman (@burgerbecky.bsky.social) If your unfamiliar, look her up. Her career is like the story of videogames itself.
November 18, 2025 at 3:01 AM
RIP to a games industry pioneer and legend, Rebecca Heineman (@burgerbecky.bsky.social) If your unfamiliar, look her up. Her career is like the story of videogames itself.
Your last saved meme is your moral philosophy
November 17, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Your last saved meme is your moral philosophy
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
Reposted by Matt Kondracki
“Don’t gather some of the most brilliant activists in the industry, treat us like crap, and then expect us to do nothing about it.” After the Game Awards cancelled its Future Class programme, @alyssamerc.bsky.social talked to its former honorees
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/n...
“We were effectively props”: young stars of game development feel let down by the ‘gaming Oscars’
Announced in 2020 by the Game Awards as an inclusive programme for the industry’s next generation, the Future Class initiative has now been discontinued. Inductees describe clashes with organisers and...
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:33 PM
“Don’t gather some of the most brilliant activists in the industry, treat us like crap, and then expect us to do nothing about it.” After the Game Awards cancelled its Future Class programme, @alyssamerc.bsky.social talked to its former honorees
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/n...
I think this might be the first time they've referred to the end of Dispatch as a "season" finale
November 10, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I think this might be the first time they've referred to the end of Dispatch as a "season" finale
Finished episode two of Pluribus and I'm hooked hard. I'm so happy Vince Gilligan is taking a swing at sci-fi and it's incredible so far.
November 10, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Finished episode two of Pluribus and I'm hooked hard. I'm so happy Vince Gilligan is taking a swing at sci-fi and it's incredible so far.