Sony: "Sorry Kojima, we only want live service games now. They do so well for us." XBox: "We're back in the publishing business!" Man the games industry is so weird right now.
Allan Kaspar - Author - Rep'd by Tricia Skinner
@retrorentsal.bsky.social
Allan Kaspar writes cozy fantasy from his secret lair in the Poconos. A tech professional by day and a father of three energetic daughters by night, Allan blends a background in technical writing and gaming journalism into his whimsical storytelling.
In between book edits, I've been playing #BloodOfDawnwalker and WOW. Writing, Characters, and this time mechanic (and the fact that "failure outcomes" are also really well written and has me continuing on just to see how it plays out?) Real gem here. People will be talking about this one for sure.
At this point I remember I contributed money to #StarCitizen - but hearing Squadron 42 is delayed again just feels like par for the course here. 10 years. I can't see how this releases well after so many delays. It's kinda ridiculous at this point.
Is this Game of Thrones RTS game using the BFME2 engine? looks cool, but wonder what they're doing differently to the RTS formula. #GamesCom
If I get a substantial amount of editing work done this week, I'm going to spend some time playing Star Wars: Zero Company. It looks fantastic! And I love any XCom-like, so I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it, the setting is icing on the cake! Who else is looking forward to playing that on Thursday?
Took a break from edits this morning to read the news. The lack of coverage in American media on the state of our food system thanks to this current administration is mind boggling. These recalls and their status should be headline news until someone is held accountable, and this is fixed. @cnn.com
What is it like having a literary agent? (Part 1) What is it like having a literary agent? Well, it's pretty early in my journey with Tricia Skinner, but (spoiler alert) it's awesome.
What is it like having a literary agent? (Part 1)
What is it like having a literary agent? Well, it's pretty early in my journey with Tricia Skinner, but (spoiler alert) it's awesome.
allanmwriting.com
Packing up before vacation. Can't wait for the beach, seafood, and writing my head off while sitting on the beach in a comfy beach chair. One time :p maybe. We'll see.
@joshuawolens.bsky.social pc gamer article on MUDs has completely shifted the plans for my night www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/no... I didn’t realize how much I missed playing a MUD. And I need to check out Sil-Q too. So many fun 90s memories in one acronym :)
No MMO will ever have graphics as good as the text MUDs I played for years
A word says a thousand polygons.
pcgamer.com
I’m still baffled at people using A.I. powered A.I checkers to determine something is written by A.I. I watched a video at one point that showed one checking work by Dickens that came up 30% or something A.I. written. I see the chaos and bugs this stuff creates in code every day 1/2
About to hit the 3/4s mark in Chuck Wendig’s The Calamities and I really don’t want this dark and twisted ride to end :)
While I wait (excited) for feedback on my latest batch of Supernatural Philadelphia edits, I’m back to working on A Dragon’s Guide to Estate Sales. My main character, Tuli, is a cantankerous 1500+ year old dragon who just wants to get her damn horde back. Oh, and she hates trying to park in Boston.
For the record, I absolutely support the fight to keep physical media around as long as possible, but at this point for me the real battleground going forward is increased digital media rights. My latest for @pcmag.com www.pcmag.com/opinions/im-...
I’m Ready for an All-Digital Gaming Future. Just Don’t Take Away My Ownership Rights
A digital-only gaming landscape shouldn't give publishers unlimited control over what we actually own. Physical media may die, but our rights should live forever.
pcmag.com
I really enjoy me some cozy games. I’m loving #MoonlightPeaks. But a request for all cozy game devs: can we please make manual saving a standard thing? Saving on sleep only is so frustrating and losing progress is real when life happens and you need to step away. Just saying :)
Spot on, sadly, and it shows how much @sonyplaystation.bsky.social is out of step and missing the mark by stopping physical production. @dannyodwyer.bsky.social nails it: you won’t be bringing in that “new audience”. Your current base isn’t young anymore. Time is short :)
dannyodwyer@dannyodwyer.bsky.social · 2mo agothere are loads of reasons why the death of physical is bad news, but I think there are downstream effects that the industry is already suffering from today - that are only going to get worse youtu.be/jGtv_lyaNww
I was up entirely too late last night reading #TheCalamities … LOVE it so far. Hooks you from the beginning and hasn’t let up yet
Find your tense, and rock it. I take a minute to reflect on the experience editing "A Cook's Guide to Supernatural Philadelphia," and the obstacles I hit writing in First Person, Present Tense, which led to issues like tense slips and passive voice. After feedback from my Agent I restructured the…
Find your tense, and rock it.
I take a minute to reflect on the experience editing "A Cook's Guide to Supernatural Philadelphia," and the obstacles I hit writing in First Person, Present Tense, which led to issues like tense slips and passive voice. After feedback from my Agent I restructured the manuscript to First Person, Past Tense. And did it in about 2 and a half weeks! (I'm way more comfortable with Past Tense)
allanmwriting.com
Phew... @microsoft.com and @xbox.com going out of their way to make sure they sell even less xboxes this year. Yowch.
Five chapters left to edit, then we’ll see where we’re at! Really productive couple days
Getting ready with the fam to go visit Dad in the physical therapy facility as he recovers from a spinal fracture. Can’t wait to get him better and home for the best welcome home party ever! Had a wonderful morning with my beautiful wife and girls :) it’s been a great fathers day so far
Edits – Round 2 Deep in the edits process with my agent, an update on where we're going and the next deadline!
Edits – Round 2
Deep in the edits process with my agent, an update on where we're going and the next deadline!
allanmwriting.com
Tied up another chapter in the new novel last night, then spent the rest of the evening playing 007: First Light. Wow did they nail “playing” a Bond movie. Super fun so far.
My Dad fell this past Sunday getting out of bed. At 75, falls are always serious. He has a spinal fracture, but thankfully no surgery needed. 6-8 weeks in a back brace and physical therapy. @stlukeshealth.bsky.social has been taking incredible care of him. Really thankful for that.
I’ve been online since the time of bulletin board services. That brief period where the internet matched the vision was an amazing time. Then everything became commoditized, monetized, and purposely catered to what we see and hear (see: the algorithm) What a time to grow up.
Evan Simko-Bednarski@simko-bednarski.bsky.social · 4mo agoI don't think folks younger than 30 know what the internet once legitimately promised to be (and I would argue briefly was): a boundary-less space of pretty much uncommodified information and communication. A mix between community bulletin boards and university library stacks.
Yup, imma be that guy. It’s way too hot to write out on the porch. It went from running the heater at night because it was in the 40s, to full blast on the AC in the span of a week. #howboutthatheat
Finished chapter 2 of the new novel last night. I love when all the ideas come together and all of a sudden BAM it's like a rushing train that comes alive of its own accord and I'm just scrambling to put the story down that it's telling me :p
That mad scientist feeling when the outline for your latest novel (yes I’m a planner) really starts cooking and your hands can’t type fast enough :-p Then you realize it’s late and you have to hit the hay so you’re not useless at the day job in the morning…. A boooooo
Been working most of the evening on a new idea for a novel. Took a break for the past 30 minutes to check out #Mixtape , and now I'm blasting the music of my insane younger days in the 90s while I get back to writing. All that babble to say, I think Mixtape might be something special :)