Rule of 3 Simpsons

The Rule of 3 in Pop Culture: Why the 3rd Try Wins the Crowd

Whether we're talking about a tabletop roleplaying game, a video game, or a movie franchise, when a new IP launches, success isn’t always immediate. In fact, it often takes more than one attempt to win mass appeal. History shows that pop culture products frequently achieve breakout success not with the…
September 27, 20246 Comments
Model Collapse

Alexander Macris on Model Collapse

It's the final 2 days for our Lord of Fate campaign. Don't miss your last chance to claim exclsusive rewards and unlock the Burned Book in audio. Back it on Kickstarter now. A concept that's proven illuminating for those just learning about it is the idea of model collapse. The…
September 24, 202415 Comments
Sega

Ground Zero: Sega – The Fall of the Blue Giant

To my valued readers: Help reconquer dark fantasy by backing my epic adventure novel Lord of Fate, now funding on Kickstarter. Last week's post on Sony's downfall from the height of the video game industry drew multiple mentions of Sega's similar collapse 30 years ago. Related: Sony - The Fall of…
September 16, 20249 Comments
ACKS to Grind - Rick Stump

Macris’ ACKS to Grind With Stump

Dear readers: You can help save dark fantasy by backing my epic adventure novel Lord of Fate, now funding on Kickstarter. Video gaming has gotten a lot of attention lately, in large part due to colossal blunders made by industry leaders. It helps that vidya is now the dominant entertainment sector,…
September 12, 20246 Comments
Sony Pain

Sony: The Fall of a Titan?

Note to readers: You can help save dark fantasy by backing my epic adventure novel Lord of Fate, now funding on Kickstarter. Sony has long been a titan in the video game industry, riding high on the success of the PlayStation brand since its inception in the mid-90s. But recently, Sony…
September 11, 202412 Comments
Crash Video Game

Is a Second Video Game Crash on the Horizon?

The video game industry is a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut. It boasts massive profits, blockbuster releases, and a global audience that spans all age groups. Yet, despite its success, concerns are growing about the possibility of a second game market implosion akin to the infamous crash of 1983. While the market today…
August 8, 202413 Comments
Time Machine

We All Have Our Time Machines

Getting my new dark fantasy novel The Burned Book ready for launch is demanding more of my time of late. So here's a blast from the past that didn't get enough love the first time around. Did you know that you own a time machine? As a matter of fact,…
June 19, 20248 Comments
St. Carlo Acutis

Millennial Saint of Gamers

In the latest sign of spiritual renewal in the Catholic Church, the announcement came down yesterday that Blessed Carlo Acutis will be canonized. The fifteen-year-old Italian web designer gained acclaim for his cataloging of eucharistic miracles. Now, Pope Francis has officially recognized a second miracle attributed to Acutis' intercession, clearing…
May 24, 20244 Comments
2D 5

How AAA Studios Killed 2D

A recent thread on X by author JD Cowan kicked off a trip down gaming memory lane. In particular, he addressed how AAA studios killed 2D games for a generation. Related: FF7: The 1st Unfinished AAA Game? JD is right. The fifth home video game console generation was when game…
May 22, 202418 Comments
WotC Cynthia Williams

Wizards of the Coast President Resigns

The tabletop role-playing scene was rocked yesterday by news that Wizards of the Coast president Cynthia Williams is stepping down. Wizards of the Coast president Cynthia Williams is leaving the company at the end of the month. An SEC filing disclosed that Cynthia Williams, the president of Wizards of the…
April 18, 202413 Comments