Everything's Broken

Everything's Broken substack, curated by Scott Jennings, delves into a wide array of subjects like political dynamics, digital culture, gaming innovations, and contemporary challenges in social media. It frequently critiques public figures and platforms, dissects conflicts, and explores the intricate balance between technology, politics, and entertainment.

Politics Gaming Technology & Social Media Conflict and War Entertainment Critique Leadership and Governance Cultural and Political Analysis

The hottest Substack posts of Everything's Broken

And their main takeaways

Well, That's One Way To Fund Your Company

0 implied HN points • 28 Jul 10
  1. 38 Studios received a $75 million loan guarantee to move their company to Rhode Island.
  2. Local developers expressed disappointment at the company's move from Massachusetts to Rhode Island.
  3. There was political debate and controversy surrounding the incentive deal for 38 Studios to relocate.

Everquest II Joins The Free-To-Play Brigade

0 implied HN points • 27 Jul 10
  1. Everquest II introduced a free-to-play version alongside its subscription servers.
  2. The free-to-play version has restrictions based on membership level and offers additional content for purchase.
  3. There was an observed trend of more games adopting free-to-play models during that time.

Oh Hi, We Haven't Had Depressing Posts Like This In A While

0 implied HN points • 15 Jul 10
  1. Sony Online Entertainment, Firaxis, and Rockstar have all recently laid off employees.
  2. Firaxis laid off employees after shipping Civ 5, Rockstar did the same after Red Dead Redemption.
  3. The layoffs raise questions about how performance is rewarded in the industry.

RealID: The Ultimate Argument

0 implied HN points • 09 Jul 10
  1. RealID raises concerns about privacy
  2. The connection between avatar and player should not be removed
  3. Shades of Grey presents important arguments against RealID
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RealID: The Other Side

0 implied HN points • 09 Jul 10
  1. RealID has some support, not everyone is against it.
  2. Blizzard introduced RealID to address bad behavior online.
  3. People may have selective privacy concerns based on convenience.

RealID: Worst Case Scenario

0 implied HN points • 08 Jul 10
  1. The blog might get taken down as the author expects and even wants it to happen.
  2. Information about Robert Kotick, the CEO of Activision, including his political donations and personal life, was shared.
  3. The post references potential negative consequences of sharing personal information online.

RealID: Scare-Mongering From A Lot Of People With Funny Names

0 implied HN points • 07 Jul 10
  1. Real ID for forums by Blizzard caused a lot of concern and debate
  2. Using real names online can lead to privacy and safety issues
  3. Introducing Real ID fundamentally changed the perception of Blizzard among gamers

You Got Your Facebook In Your Message Board About My Orc Game

0 implied HN points • 06 Jul 10
  1. Blizzard introduced RealID system for friends lists, claiming it was optional
  2. Blizzard now considers everyone on official forums as your closest friends
  3. Discussion about Facebook integration on message boards related to orc game

Social Anonymity

0 implied HN points • 29 Jun 10
  1. Social media can create a false sense of intimacy with others.
  2. We often share on social media without revealing our true selves.
  3. Online connections can provide low-impact social interaction but may not fully satisfy our need for connection.

You Got Your Facebook In My Orc Game

0 implied HN points • 23 Jun 10
  1. Blizzard's new social network feature lacks privacy protections and opt-out options.
  2. The RealID system links players to their real names, removing the ability to be anonymous in World of Warcraft.
  3. Blizzard's social network raises concerns about privacy and security for players.

Lords Of Ultimaville

0 implied HN points • 22 Jun 10
  1. Neighborly Games interviews people waiting for Ultima Online updates.
  2. Penny Arcade provided commentary on Lords of Ultimaville years before its release.
  3. Check out the Lords of Ultimaville Facebook game for more information.

Layoffs at Linden Lab

0 implied HN points • 10 Jun 10
  1. 30% of the Second Life developer staff was laid off in a restructuring at Linden Lab.
  2. Linden Lab is cutting staff to focus on developing a new web-based client for Second Life.
  3. The press release did not clearly explain how the layoffs would help in creating the new product.

One Does Not Simply Purchase A Subscription To Mordor

0 implied HN points • 04 Jun 10
  1. Lord of the Rings Online announced a free-to-play option in 2010.
  2. Transitioning to a free-to-play model attracts new players and gains revenue from cash shop gear.
  3. The shift to free-to-play raises questions about matching subscription revenue and funding for future projects.

That's A Lot Of Paladins

0 implied HN points • 27 May 10
  1. 44 million gaming accounts were stolen and validated by a Trojan distributed to compromised computers.
  2. The stolen accounts include 210,000 World of Warcraft accounts, 60,000 Aion accounts, and 2 million PlayNC accounts.
  3. RMT fraud often originates from accounts stolen through malware, particularly in China.

Playdom Acquires Acclaim

0 implied HN points • 19 May 10
  1. Playdom acquired Acclaim
  2. Social game developer buying Asian MMO importer
  3. Traditional video game industry assets shifting to new gaming industry

That Whisper You Hear In The Wind Is The Snickering Of Darkfall Fans

0 implied HN points • 12 May 10
  1. Darkfall fans are having a good laugh at Age of Conan's latest expansion review.
  2. Eurogamer pulled the review 2 hours later due to a touch of schadenfreude for hardcore PvP MMO players.
  3. Funcom faced technical issues with a 22-hour downtime upon launching the expansion.

Derek Smart Is A Very Original Writer

0 implied HN points • 10 May 10
  1. Derek Smart may have plagiarized a press release in 2010.
  2. Press releases in the gaming industry tend to sound very similar.
  3. In the gaming industry, plagiarism controversies can become a source of drama.

In Today's Update, Bobby Kotick Discovers Other People Can File Lawsuits

0 implied HN points • 27 Apr 10
  1. Employees of Infinity Ward file lawsuit against Activision for unpaid royalties
  2. Activision allegedly withheld money to keep employees working on Modern Warfare 3
  3. Bobby Kotick received over $50 million from Activision stock sales while facing employee lawsuits

Widgets And Themes And Things

0 implied HN points • 22 Apr 10
  1. The website is experimenting with ads to cover hosting costs.
  2. New features like comment editor and privacy policy have been added.
  3. Improved formatting and a Facebook Like button are also part of the updates.

The Strange And Terrible Saga Of The Soviet Commuter College

0 implied HN points • 22 Apr 10
  1. Woodbury University had a presence in Second Life that involved trolling and causing disruptions.
  2. Academics and students at Woodbury engaged in controversial behavior in Second Life, leading to their ban.
  3. The banning incident raised questions about online governance and the intersection of virtual and real-world academia.

Turbine Bought By Warner Brothers

0 implied HN points • 20 Apr 10
  1. Turbine was bought by Warner Brothers.
  2. No impact expected on current games like AC, DDO, or LOTRO.
  3. The acquisition reduces the number of independently owned MMO development studios.

My God It's Full Of Derek Smart And Also Stars

0 implied HN points • 19 Apr 10
  1. The blog post mentions the ongoing drama between Derek Smart and David Allen.
  2. Derek Smart mentions copyright protection for his blog posts.
  3. There is a humorous reference to David Allen carrying a firearm in the blog post.

My God It's Full Of Stars And Also Money

0 implied HN points • 15 Apr 10
  1. Blizzard introduced a $25 mount purchase in-game, initially cosmetic but now offers faster gameplay.
  2. The line between cosmetic and functional items in the game is becoming blurred.
  3. Players have spent over $600,000 on a virtual sparkly mount, showing a surprising demand.

Live! Nude! Hacks!

0 implied HN points • 13 Apr 10
  1. The webpage might have been targeted by an exploit that occasionally vandalizes it.
  2. It's important to take quick action to address any hacking or exploitation issues on websites.
  3. Regularly checking and monitoring for client-side hacks is crucial for website security.

Mythic Decides Billing People Is Fun, Can't Stop Doing It

0 implied HN points • 09 Apr 10
  1. Mythic Entertainment was billing customers multiple times by mistake
  2. Customers faced significant financial inconvenience due to overbilling
  3. Official response lacked clear responsibility or compensation for affected customers

A Brief Meta Note

0 implied HN points • 06 Apr 10
  1. The author has stopped writing for MMORPG.com due to lack of time and having covered various topics already
  2. The author will continue to write on their blog and Twitter occasionally
  3. The author refrained from making a scatological tweet about New Jersey

I Am Not Making Any Word Of This Up

0 implied HN points • 11 Mar 10
  1. Alganon replaced David Allen with Derek Smart as a controversial developer.
  2. Derek Smart announced changes to Alganon, including getting rid of monthly subscriptions.
  3. The game is shifting to a subscription-free model supported by sales and micro-transactions.

STALKER ALERT: Keeping Up With Your Lum

0 implied HN points • 09 Mar 10
  1. The author will not be attending GDC this year, sticking with what works for them.
  2. The author will be at SXSW to give a talk on social gaming with Wagner James Au.
  3. The author is open to hearing about any cool SXSW parties with no trendiness requirement.

The Twitterfication of Lum the Mad

0 implied HN points • 03 Mar 10
  1. The author's interest in long-form blogging has decreased recently.
  2. The author recommends following on Twitter for shorter updates.
  3. Author hints at possible return to long-form blogging in the future.

I Hate You, Internet

0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 10
  1. The author is frustrated with having a common email address mistaken for others' addresses.
  2. The author receives a variety of emails meant for different people with similar names.
  3. The situation makes the author feel like a bad person for reading others' emails.

Gleefully Touching Third Rails

0 implied HN points • 27 Jan 10
  1. Author's latest article is about failures in a player-vs-player game
  2. Game crashed with a cryptic error due to various reasons
  3. Errors were caused by network instability, server instability, and other factors

Life After Metaplace: Somewhere Near Farmville

0 implied HN points • 13 Jan 10
  1. Metaplace launches a beta version of their new Facebook game.
  2. Explore life after Metaplace near Farmville on everythings.brokentoys.org.
  3. Scott Jennings shares insights on Life After Metaplace in an article.