The hottest Gaming Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Decisions depend on the decision maker

Overthinking Everything • 419 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
🚌 Education Decision-making Gaming Learning Expertise Teaching
  1. Decisions depend on who is making them, as individual factors influence the best choice.
  2. Even in games with 'objective' optimal strategies, decisions are subjective based on each player's abilities and knowledge.
  3. Beginners should consider their own strengths and weaknesses when making decisions, rather than just emulating experts.

Vol. 2, Issue 16 - Interview with Universal Pokémon Network

Johto Times • 39 implied HN points • 18 Apr 24
🎭️ Culture Pop culture Fan Communities Anime Gaming Websites
  1. The Universal Pokémon Network was a popular fan site in the late 90s and early 2000s, offering news and a community for Pokémon fans. It became well-known for its clip archive and forum, where fans could connect and discuss.
  2. Running UPNetwork was expensive, especially during the dot-com bubble, and it ultimately shut down when financial support dwindled. Despite this, it peaked at 5.4 million pageviews in a single day, showcasing its popularity.
  3. Jaxel, the webmaster, reflects on the joy of sharing a passion for Pokémon and encourages others to spread that joy. He believes that enjoying and sharing the connections from the past is what truly matters.

Nadella's endgame

SuperJoost Playlist • 238 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
💼 Business Tech Investing Gaming Media Entertainment
  1. Microsoft under Satya Nadella wants to move away from console exclusives, but market competition dictates otherwise.
  2. Some critics fear Microsoft's acquisition will lead to issues similar to Hollywood, especially in terms of rising consumer prices and lack of options for creatives.
  3. In the gaming industry, the rise of free-to-play multiplayer games is changing the traditional content-selling model, posing new challenges and opportunities.
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The Lone Toad Newsletter - May 2023

The Lone Toad - Croaker RPGs Newsletter • 139 implied HN points • 05 May 23
🎭️ Culture Gaming RPG Solo Play Blogging Podcasts
  1. The newsletter discusses the choice between First-Person and Third-Person perspectives in solo games, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each.
  2. The author recommends solo RPG games like 'The Taming of the Slugiraffe' and 'A Wonderful, Awful Idea', providing links for further exploration.
  3. Upcoming content on the blog includes a retrospective to celebrate its 1-year anniversary, along with stats about games released and more.

The Lone Toad Newsletter - September 2023

The Lone Toad - Croaker RPGs Newsletter • 139 implied HN points • 07 Sep 23
🎙 Podcasts Gaming Interview Recommendations Projects Updates
  1. The newsletter features an interview with Steve Morrison from Errant Adventures podcast about solo RPGs and his favorite games like Ironsworn and Starforged.
  2. Steve Morrison discusses the appeal of Solo RPGs for focusing on a single character's story and his plans to continue telling stories within a specific universe.
  3. There are recommendations for releasing a Solo Actual Play podcast, including building up a backlog of episodes and maintaining a consistent production schedule.

MarketWire | Let me be clear: Monopoly Go is "successful"

The GameMakers Letter • 78 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Podcasts Mobile Market Analysis Industry Trends
  1. The discussion revolves around the success and profitability of Monopoly Go in the games industry.
  2. There is an emphasis on understanding the deeper nuances of game industry topics, such as defining profitability.
  3. Despite any controversies or disagreements, the main focus is on promoting open discussion and learning in the industry.

TITAA #47: Authenticity and Control

Things I Think Are Awesome • 137 implied HN points • 30 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Art Gaming AI NLP
  1. The article discusses digital image tools that can augment daily lives, highlighting authenticity challenges.
  2. Issues with digital unreality in daily tools like image processing are becoming more evident and concerning.
  3. Advancements in AI algorithms are being used to create images that appear authentic, raising questions about what is real and what is artificially generated.

GM Shaders Guest: Gaming Engineer

GM Shaders Mini Tuts • 137 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Graphics Game Development Shaders 3D Modeling
  1. Noah Pauw discusses creating advanced 3D graphics in GameMaker using shaders for real-time lighting and PBR materials.
  2. Game Maker is favored by Noah despite advice to switch to Unity or Unreal for photorealistic 3D games.
  3. Noah shares insights on using Blender for 3D modeling, creating lighting shaders, implementing PBR materials, and drawing 3D environments in Game Maker.

#118 (Un)certainty

Design Lobster • 359 implied HN points • 19 Sep 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Psychology Quote Gaming Creativity
  1. In a corporate setting, "certainty theatrics" can stifle creativity by creating a culture that demands absolute certainty in inherently uncertain situations
  2. Pachinko parlors use uncertainty to create excitement and engagement, showcasing the psychological effect of intermittent reinforcement
  3. Embracing experimentation and uncertainty is vital for personal growth and avoiding becoming static or repetitive in design and in life

The Path Ahead For Homeland

The Lunacian • 138 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Community Development Feedback Innovation
  1. Return to foundational Axie building principles: focus on iterative development, community involvement, social features, and cross-platform accessibility.
  2. Revamp Homeland gameplay by emphasizing social strategy, quicker gameplay, and reducing clicking for better user experience.
  3. Introduce combat elements, avatar axies for social interaction, AXP integration, and restructured Moonfall quests to enhance the player experience in Homeland.

Vol. 2, Issue 23 - Interview with Tim Street (Pokémon Official Magazine)

Johto Times • 19 implied HN points • 06 Jun 24
🎭️ Culture Media Entertainment Pop culture Gaming Interviews
  1. Pokémon Official Magazine was a short-lived magazine that ran for only two issues in the UK in late 2004. It was the first official Pokémon magazine there, created around the launch of new games.
  2. The magazine faced challenges in sales and was ultimately canceled due to low advertising revenue and high costs. It sold around 12,000 to 15,000 copies when 25,000 were printed.
  3. Despite its short life, Pokémon continues to thrive and remains popular, showing that the love for it crosses generations.

Are Games Bad?

Donkeyspace • 18 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Gaming Art Media Entertainment Aesthetics
  1. Hideo Kojima creates unique video games that mix action and storytelling, making them feel personal and artistic. People love his work for being different and imaginative.
  2. However, many of his games contain really boring cutscenes with bad dialogue that can spoil the overall experience. These parts are often criticized for being unnecessarily lengthy and confusing.
  3. Some fans try to embrace the bad elements as part of Kojima's unique charm, but there's a feeling that video games could be so much better if they didn't have these flaws. Many gamers realize that video games are capable of deep storytelling and creativity beyond simple entertainment.

The Mandate of Heaven in Fallout: New Vegas

Trantor Publishing • 119 implied HN points • 20 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Gaming Narratives Power Dynamics Fantasy
  1. Fallout: New Vegas presents a gameplay where the player's persuasive argument decides the victor, not might.
  2. The game emphasizes the power of narratives in securing control and the player being central in these narratives.
  3. None of the factions in the game are strong enough to create a lasting society, showcasing a flaw in the power dynamics.

Vol. 1, Issue 1 - Introductions

Johto Times • 279 implied HN points • 09 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Gaming Nostalgia Community Personal Story Entertainment
  1. The author, Darren, has been a Pokémon fan since he first discovered it in 1999. His love for Pokémon started with the anime and trading card game, and he got his first Pokémon game, Blue, in 2001.
  2. Darren has a strong connection to Pokémon through his favorite game, Crystal, and his top Pokémon, Rowlet. He enjoys collecting Pokémon items, including games and toys, showcasing his passion.
  3. Darren has used his love for Pokémon to create meaningful experiences, like producing a story-driven album for charity and fostering community through an online Pokémon website. Pokémon has been a positive influence in his life for many years.

Cyberpunk 2077

Have You Played? • 117 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Graphics Storytelling RPGs Immersion
  1. Cyberpunk 2077 has an overly long and linear prologue, which takes away from the player's freedom in the game.
  2. The game struggles with editing in terms of dialogue and storytelling, making it feel verbose and lacking in immersion.
  3. Despite impressive graphics and familiar cyberpunk aesthetics, Cyberpunk 2077 falls short in delivering unique gameplay, compelling story, and engaging world interactions.

DeFi Kingdoms - Intro to Gaming

DeFi Education • 739 implied HN points • 03 Dec 21
🔮 Crypto DeFi GameFi Blockchain Gaming Finance
  1. DeFi Kingdoms combines gaming and decentralized finance, creating a fun way to engage with crypto. This mix, called 'GameFi', is becoming more popular.
  2. The game features elements like a marketplace, yield farming, and quests, much like a classic RPG. Players can earn while they play.
  3. This new trend in DeFi shows that gaming can be a creative way to explore and use financial tools in a digital world.

Hunyuan-Large, AI model for open-world games, X-Portrait 2 for realistic character animations, FLUX1.1 [pro] Ultra and Raw, Magentic-One, Hume AI App, action model for GUI agents and More

AI Brews • 15 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Models Gaming Animation Software Data science
  1. Tencent has released Hunyuan-Large, a powerful AI model with lots of parameters that can outperform some existing models. It's good news for open-source projects in AI.
  2. Decart and Etched introduced Oasis, a unique AI that can generate open-world games in real-time. It uses keyboard and mouse inputs instead of just text to create gameplay.
  3. Microsoft's Magentic-One is a new system that helps solve complex tasks online. It's aimed at improving how we manage jobs across different domains.

Vol. 2, Issue 5 - The Time I Almost Lost My Charizard

Johto Times • 59 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Collectibles Nostalgia Gaming Literature
  1. Owning a Charizard card was a big deal, and the author really valued it as a kid. It was popular among friends, making it even more special.
  2. A childhood friend stole the Charizard card, showing how trust can be broken by those we least expect.
  3. Even after getting the card back, it was bent, leaving a lasting reminder of that betrayal and changing how the author views trust and possessions.

Vol. 1, Issue 12 - Interview with Danior Snyder

Johto Times • 199 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Gaming Disability Access Interviews Community
  1. The newsletter is changing to include featured content directly in emails. This way, subscribers can see more without clicking to another link.
  2. Danior Snyder, a Pokémon fan with a rare eye condition, shares his challenges accessing games. This highlights the need for better accessibility in gaming.
  3. Danior suggests that companies like Nintendo should add text-to-speech features and sound cues to help those with vision impairments enjoy games more easily.

Disassembling Crossroads, part 1

Dan’s MEGA65 Digest • 11 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Software Emulation Programming Computing
  1. The game Crossroads is a fast-paced maze shoot'em up where players collect items and battle various enemies. It's a classic Commodore 64 game that invokes nostalgia for many fans.
  2. Reverse engineering games like Crossroads can help understand how they work, especially their graphics and sound mechanics. Using modern tools, you can inspect the game’s code and see how it produces effects.
  3. New features for gaming boards, like high score tables for MEGA65 games, enhance competitive play. These tools suggest an active community looking to improve gaming experiences on older hardware.

Vol. 1, Issue 23 - How to spot fake Pokémon games

Johto Times • 139 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Gaming Collecting Hobbies Media Online Communities
  1. Know what real Pokémon games look like before you buy. Research and compare labels online to make sure you're getting the real deal.
  2. Pay attention to the quality of the game cartridge. Look for things like crisp print, correct colors, and legitimate logos to spot fakes easily.
  3. Always buy from trusted sellers and feel free to ask them questions. If something seems off or too cheap, it's better to walk away.

Eyes wide shut

SuperJoost Playlist • 198 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Augmented reality Virtual reality Tech industry
  1. Esports is facing challenges with declining popularity and financial issues, leading to a shift towards more mainstream content
  2. Growing interest in digital fashion and apparel in the gaming world, with top brands like Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, and Gucci being favored
  3. Apple's Vision Pro for augmented reality shows potential but also raises concerns about practicality, costs, and target audience

3D Gaming Before VR

Ironic Sans • 248 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Virtual reality Software Hardware Future
  1. 3D gaming was possible before VR with LCD shutter glasses that created the illusion of 3D by alternating between two views for each eye.
  2. LCD shutter glasses allowed playing existing games in 3D without special design, like Tomb Raider and Thief 2.
  3. While VR is now more common, there are efforts to bring classic games into VR, although converting them is challenging due to control and graphical limitations.

When prospect theory and poker bubbles collide

The Leap • 1 HN point • 12 Sep 24
🎾 Sports Poker Decision-making Psychology Risk management Gaming
  1. In poker tournaments, players often face decisions that can greatly affect their outcomes. Choosing whether to play it safe or take risks can make all the difference in winnings.
  2. Prospect theory shows that people view gains and losses differently, often fearing losses more than valuing equivalent gains. This means players may avoid risks, even when the potential rewards are greater.
  3. Even though playing aggressively didn't work out this time, taking calculated risks can lead to bigger rewards in the long run. Balancing risk and safety is important in both poker and life.

Vol. 1, Issue 34 - Miles's Pokemon Figure Collection

Johto Times • 99 implied HN points • 28 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Collecting Toys Fan culture Entertainment Gaming
  1. Miles has a huge collection of Pokémon figures, including around 700 figures. He loves collecting because it brings him joy and reminds him of his childhood.
  2. The Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic is coming out in November 2023, and it sold out quickly for pre-orders. Fans are excited about the new and rare cards included in the set.
  3. Collecting can start at any age, and you don't need a huge collection to enjoy it. Whether it's figures, cards, or plushies, it's all about what makes you happy.

What's Next?

Have You Played? • 98 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Reviews Gaming Industry Content creation
  1. The author reflected on their least-read and most-read posts, highlighting the importance of diverse content for their audience.
  2. The author discussed their experience playing long games and the belief that shorter entertainment options are generally better.
  3. The author emphasized the importance of clear, descriptive writing in discussing games to broaden understanding beyond familiar genres.

GM Shaders Mini: CRT

GM Shaders Mini Tuts • 98 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Graphics Shaders Effects Tutorial Gaming
  1. Emulating the retro CRT monitor look involves RGB color masking, pixelation, chromatic aberration, screen curvature, vignette, pulsing, scanlines, and bloom.
  2. Creativity allows for creating variations using different effects like scanlines, chromatic aberration, vignette, or just the RGB mask and pixelation.
  3. The tutorial provides insights on how to recreate the CRT effect for a game's visuals, providing a cozy and nostalgic feel.

A Realization as a High-Level DM

Fireside Chat Logs • 39 implied HN points • 03 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Gaming Entertainment Creativity Education
  1. Balancing high-level D&D combat encounters can be a challenge due to the abundance of abilities and actions, leading to potential slow gameplay.
  2. To streamline high-level combat encounters, reduce battlemap size, limit the number of opponents, and encourage players to prepare, act promptly, and avoid retro actions.
  3. Implementing changes to make combat encounters more efficient and engaging can lead to smoother gameplay and heightened player emotions.

Vol. 1, Issue 14 - My Pokémon Collection - Part 3

Johto Times • 159 implied HN points • 11 May 23
🎭️ Culture Pop culture Media Collectibles Nostalgia Gaming Entertainment
  1. The author shares their personal Pokémon collection, focusing on classic VHS movies that are nostalgic for them. They have great memories connected to these movies and have kept them despite not having a VHS player.
  2. Pokémon GO's monthly revenue has dropped significantly, and the game's company, Niantic, faced backlash after increasing prices and limiting features. They claim that changes have improved gameplay, but many players feel ignored.
  3. The newsletter includes a mailbag segment where a reader asked about a pink Pikachu. While there's evidence of a temporary pink Pikachu in an anime episode, it’s not a permanent feature in the games.