Brandon Sanderson BackerKit

Sanderson’s Flaw: The Trouble With Constantly Dynamic Characters

Brandon Sanderson is widely respected as a meticulous world builder, an innovative storyteller, and a prolific writer. Over the past two decades he's made his name as a crafter of ultra-refined magic systems and dynamic characters. But no methodology is flawless, and new writers can learn just as much from…
December 17, 20247 Comments
Walk Away

The Illusion of Choice and the Responsibility to Walk Away

A recent exchange online captured a recurring tension in the debate raging around entertainment and consumer culture. One side argues that people don't actually want good products—they want easy products. Ease of access governs most consumer decisions, which is why streaming services, retail giants, and movie franchises dominate the market.…
December 16, 202410 Comments
Mall Comeback

Can the Mall Make a Comeback?

For decades, shopping malls were more than just commercial zones. They were social hubs, cultural hotbeds, and even fonts of information. Time was, if you wanted to know the next hot game's release date or keep up with current trends, you headed down to the mall and marinated in the…
December 10, 20249 Comments
Bloodstained retro

Should AAA Studios Revisit Retro Style Games?

The AAA video game industry stands at a turning point. Facing runaway development costs, dwindling consumer trust, and rising market instability, big studios must adapt to a rapidly changing market. Could the answer lie in the unlikeliest of places: reviving retro-style games? That idea may not be as far-fetched as…
December 9, 202418 Comments
A.I. Music

Why A.I. Music Can’t Replicate the Human Touch

As we've explored on this blog, A.I. has made remarkable strides in fields from image generation to writing. But when it comes to creating music that really touches people, A.I. faces formidable obstacles. Because while A.I. music generators can churn out competent melodies, their output often feels hollow or disconnected…
December 6, 20243 Comments
Elon Musk Hasbro

Could Elon Musk Revolutionize Wizards of the Coast?

Back-to-back seismic shifts rocked the tabletop gaming world in 2024: the resignation of Wizards of the Coast president Cynthia Williams and speculation that Elon Musk might be eyeing Hasbro, WotC’s parent company. While Williams’ departure marks the end of a tumultuous era for Wizards, Musk’s potential interest hints at a…
December 5, 202416 Comments
Anime Police

How A.I. Policing Anime Piracy Could Reshape the Industry

The anime industry has long been on the horns of a dilemma: Pursue artistic innovation, or bow to commercial pressures? And the latest move by the Japanese government to combat piracy with A.I. could change anime's trajectory. With $2 million allocated to develop an A.I.-powered system that tracks and removes…
December 3, 20243 Comments
Anime Girl Psyop 2

The Anime Girl Depopulation Psyop

In recent years, the cultural exchange between Japan and the West has seen anime grow from a niche interest to a major entertainment force. However, this cultural phenomenon coincides with alarming trends in birthrates, both in Japan and in Western nations. Crazy as it sounds at first, the severity of…
November 25, 202443 Comments
Third Place Mall

After the Mall: Can We Build a New Third Place?

It's hard for Zoomers to believe, but the mall was once not only the preferred place to shop, its importance went beyond a mere retail hub. The mall served as a gathering spot where people connected, interacted, and shared their lives beyond their homes and workplaces. Malls, which began in…
November 19, 202412 Comments