Stephane Rappeneau
@weird-loop.com
Game Industry Finance 🎮 http://weird-loop.com indie studio & indie-plaza.eu cofounder. Teacher of game economics at La Sorbonne university. French Excel Artist. MtG nerd. He/Him.
Dread Delusion is an incredibly tight and dense open-world with splendid writing, haunting soundtrack and an otherworldly setting that made me feel like a teenager discovering Morrowind for the first time. It succeeds where most AAA fail, distilling fantasy/escapism to its unadulterated essence.
November 13, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Dread Delusion is an incredibly tight and dense open-world with splendid writing, haunting soundtrack and an otherworldly setting that made me feel like a teenager discovering Morrowind for the first time. It succeeds where most AAA fail, distilling fantasy/escapism to its unadulterated essence.
Absolutely ! One thing I have come to dislike is when color tone doesn't match mana color. For me that's one of the biggest fail, readability-wise, of UB "through the ages" sheets
November 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Absolutely ! One thing I have come to dislike is when color tone doesn't match mana color. For me that's one of the biggest fail, readability-wise, of UB "through the ages" sheets
Regardez comme on est bien 😍
November 6, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Regardez comme on est bien 😍
And that feels great. AAA game productions have relied on the same myths and settings since the beginning of the medium. D&D, Urban Warfare and hard sci-fi. I yearn for a different energy, visuals, pantheon of gods, and it seems humans around the world too.
November 6, 2025 at 7:15 AM
And that feels great. AAA game productions have relied on the same myths and settings since the beginning of the medium. D&D, Urban Warfare and hard sci-fi. I yearn for a different energy, visuals, pantheon of gods, and it seems humans around the world too.
Hello ! On sous-loue un espace pro indépendant (+ espace commun cuisine / salle de réunion) à 5min d'Auber et St Lazare dans une chouette rue. Parfait pour un studio indé de 3-5 personnes. Deviendez coloc de Weirdloop et Humble Reeds ! Me contacter 🏠
November 5, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Hello ! On sous-loue un espace pro indépendant (+ espace commun cuisine / salle de réunion) à 5min d'Auber et St Lazare dans une chouette rue. Parfait pour un studio indé de 3-5 personnes. Deviendez coloc de Weirdloop et Humble Reeds ! Me contacter 🏠
Also an incredible performance from Miki Martz on We Lost track.
October 28, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Also an incredible performance from Miki Martz on We Lost track.
The many faces of the INSANE concert from Clair Obscur : Expedition 33 at one of the most prestigious classical hall of Paris, #Pleyel. What a wild ride it has been.
October 28, 2025 at 10:24 PM
The many faces of the INSANE concert from Clair Obscur : Expedition 33 at one of the most prestigious classical hall of Paris, #Pleyel. What a wild ride it has been.
It's less obvious than many other games and feedback on B&W have generaly been positive, but I believe it's because it's unusual. There are many inconsistencies and the heavily cross hatched style is both too complex for a production pipeline and so convenient to hide AI artefacts.
October 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
It's less obvious than many other games and feedback on B&W have generaly been positive, but I believe it's because it's unusual. There are many inconsistencies and the heavily cross hatched style is both too complex for a production pipeline and so convenient to hide AI artefacts.
While I understand the appeal for B&W, I have an incredibly hard time believing it’s not -at least partially- AI based, in spite of studio founder namedropping artists pretty hard.
October 27, 2025 at 8:06 AM
While I understand the appeal for B&W, I have an incredibly hard time believing it’s not -at least partially- AI based, in spite of studio founder namedropping artists pretty hard.
I’ve been playing the Invincible and my jaw has dropped literally every frame. Composition, color, it’s stunningly beautiful. As a lover of polish SciFi movies, in particular classics such as O-bi O-ba, or Sexmission, I wished there had been a polish voice over. But hey, still a great trip ! 🌑
October 21, 2025 at 6:21 AM
I’ve been playing the Invincible and my jaw has dropped literally every frame. Composition, color, it’s stunningly beautiful. As a lover of polish SciFi movies, in particular classics such as O-bi O-ba, or Sexmission, I wished there had been a polish voice over. But hey, still a great trip ! 🌑
She doesn't really look like her, but her mother Marlène Jobert was the archetype of a spunky woman lead in "Les Mariés de l'an II", a great classic from my childhood ⚔️(director is a relative of mine !)
October 7, 2025 at 8:46 AM
She doesn't really look like her, but her mother Marlène Jobert was the archetype of a spunky woman lead in "Les Mariés de l'an II", a great classic from my childhood ⚔️(director is a relative of mine !)
I’ve tried Magic the Gathering with all of my kids, but my 2nd son is the only one who got the virus. Each friday we play at the studio, and each birthday I give him one of my spare Reserve List card, not unlike of bottle of beautifully preserved red wine. Happy birthday son ! 🎂
September 25, 2025 at 5:56 AM
I’ve tried Magic the Gathering with all of my kids, but my 2nd son is the only one who got the virus. Each friday we play at the studio, and each birthday I give him one of my spare Reserve List card, not unlike of bottle of beautifully preserved red wine. Happy birthday son ! 🎂
It's too hard to choose, his whole filmography is stuffed with evergreen classics and that's NOT even including his action at Sundance and his activism.
I keep coming back to LOST with my kids tho.
I keep coming back to LOST with my kids tho.
September 16, 2025 at 1:36 PM
It's too hard to choose, his whole filmography is stuffed with evergreen classics and that's NOT even including his action at Sundance and his activism.
I keep coming back to LOST with my kids tho.
I keep coming back to LOST with my kids tho.
So yeah : things are still hard out there but as someone said "Life, uh, finds a way"
September 15, 2025 at 9:01 PM
So yeah : things are still hard out there but as someone said "Life, uh, finds a way"
4️⃣Although Steam remains the undisputed store for PC Games, distribution of mobile apps is telling us that dominance of walled garden and their platform fees will increasingly be challenged in the years to come. Ask Xsolla how their 3rd party distrib biz is going !
www.konvoy.vc/newsletters/...
www.konvoy.vc/newsletters/...
September 15, 2025 at 9:01 PM
4️⃣Although Steam remains the undisputed store for PC Games, distribution of mobile apps is telling us that dominance of walled garden and their platform fees will increasingly be challenged in the years to come. Ask Xsolla how their 3rd party distrib biz is going !
www.konvoy.vc/newsletters/...
www.konvoy.vc/newsletters/...
14/ Kepler Interactive on fire. After EXP33 & Rematch, bunker sim PVKK builds massive hype. Rare “risk-taking” publisher still exists, and they’re winning.
15/ Strong Lego push. Heavy on IP collabs w/ game studios. Clear intent to cement themselves in gaming culture.
15/ Strong Lego push. Heavy on IP collabs w/ game studios. Clear intent to cement themselves in gaming culture.
August 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
14/ Kepler Interactive on fire. After EXP33 & Rematch, bunker sim PVKK builds massive hype. Rare “risk-taking” publisher still exists, and they’re winning.
15/ Strong Lego push. Heavy on IP collabs w/ game studios. Clear intent to cement themselves in gaming culture.
15/ Strong Lego push. Heavy on IP collabs w/ game studios. Clear intent to cement themselves in gaming culture.
12/ Crowds: way more than 2023. Likely >350K visitors. Packed everywhere.
13/ Lines brutal: 2–3h for popular booths (Metal Gear Remake etc.). Even early trade visitor slots (9–10AM) were swamped.
13/ Lines brutal: 2–3h for popular booths (Metal Gear Remake etc.). Even early trade visitor slots (9–10AM) were swamped.
August 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
12/ Crowds: way more than 2023. Likely >350K visitors. Packed everywhere.
13/ Lines brutal: 2–3h for popular booths (Metal Gear Remake etc.). Even early trade visitor slots (9–10AM) were swamped.
13/ Lines brutal: 2–3h for popular booths (Metal Gear Remake etc.). Even early trade visitor slots (9–10AM) were swamped.
11/ Indies: devs right by their game, chatting, raw, authentic. A true pulse of innovation vs. AAA endless gritty fantasy soulslikes
- Horror w/ webcam + eye tracking
- Light used in new ways
- 3D world capture + filters → fresh art styles
- Wonderfall : we did the designs ! 😍
- a MAZE stand
- Horror w/ webcam + eye tracking
- Light used in new ways
- 3D world capture + filters → fresh art styles
- Wonderfall : we did the designs ! 😍
- a MAZE stand
August 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
11/ Indies: devs right by their game, chatting, raw, authentic. A true pulse of innovation vs. AAA endless gritty fantasy soulslikes
- Horror w/ webcam + eye tracking
- Light used in new ways
- 3D world capture + filters → fresh art styles
- Wonderfall : we did the designs ! 😍
- a MAZE stand
- Horror w/ webcam + eye tracking
- Light used in new ways
- 3D world capture + filters → fresh art styles
- Wonderfall : we did the designs ! 😍
- a MAZE stand
7/ Biz side: fewer studios, more service companies. GenAI boom visible: mocap AI, 3D modeling AI. Surge of marketing/publishing agencies too.
8/ Merch: still mostly junk. Shockingly ~50% of t-shirts used GenAI art. Even “artist corners” full of it. Ugly & bland overall.
8/ Merch: still mostly junk. Shockingly ~50% of t-shirts used GenAI art. Even “artist corners” full of it. Ugly & bland overall.
August 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
7/ Biz side: fewer studios, more service companies. GenAI boom visible: mocap AI, 3D modeling AI. Surge of marketing/publishing agencies too.
8/ Merch: still mostly junk. Shockingly ~50% of t-shirts used GenAI art. Even “artist corners” full of it. Ugly & bland overall.
8/ Merch: still mostly junk. Shockingly ~50% of t-shirts used GenAI art. Even “artist corners” full of it. Ugly & bland overall.
6/ Gachas & F2P everywhere. Goodies = grindy daily quests. “Wishlist my game” is the only coin. Every Asian studio now has an ARPG. Free games w/ staggering content + polish, but art directions all start to blur together.
August 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
6/ Gachas & F2P everywhere. Goodies = grindy daily quests. “Wishlist my game” is the only coin. Every Asian studio now has an ARPG. Free games w/ staggering content + polish, but art directions all start to blur together.
2/ Asian big AAA still dominate w/ Phantom Blade Zero, Inzoi etc., huge flashy booths. But compared to them, US/EUR publishers now look small, almost fragile. The center of gravity has shifted.
August 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
2/ Asian big AAA still dominate w/ Phantom Blade Zero, Inzoi etc., huge flashy booths. But compared to them, US/EUR publishers now look small, almost fragile. The center of gravity has shifted.
Random Gamescom very personal thoughts 🧵
1/ Industry still sluggish. Deals trickle in only for cheap & innovative indies. The “shorter/cheaper games” trend spreads fast, leaving AA productions stranded in a financing desert. The middle ground is collapsing.
1/ Industry still sluggish. Deals trickle in only for cheap & innovative indies. The “shorter/cheaper games” trend spreads fast, leaving AA productions stranded in a financing desert. The middle ground is collapsing.
August 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Random Gamescom very personal thoughts 🧵
1/ Industry still sluggish. Deals trickle in only for cheap & innovative indies. The “shorter/cheaper games” trend spreads fast, leaving AA productions stranded in a financing desert. The middle ground is collapsing.
1/ Industry still sluggish. Deals trickle in only for cheap & innovative indies. The “shorter/cheaper games” trend spreads fast, leaving AA productions stranded in a financing desert. The middle ground is collapsing.
Watched « the Brutalist » and here’s my opinion : now that everyone has access to porn streaming, why are there so many useless sex scenes in mainstream movies, other then men directors wanting to hump their lead actress by proxy ?
August 25, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Watched « the Brutalist » and here’s my opinion : now that everyone has access to porn streaming, why are there so many useless sex scenes in mainstream movies, other then men directors wanting to hump their lead actress by proxy ?
I peaked for the first time after 5 frustrating failures ! I carried my son through Mesa and he carried me through the Kiln. Great feeling 🔥
August 15, 2025 at 9:33 PM
I peaked for the first time after 5 frustrating failures ! I carried my son through Mesa and he carried me through the Kiln. Great feeling 🔥
« I drew 2 capsules, which one do you prefer » Am actually about to leave every gamedev subreddit this is spreading like plague several times a day
August 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
« I drew 2 capsules, which one do you prefer » Am actually about to leave every gamedev subreddit this is spreading like plague several times a day