EnglishMobster's recent activity
-
Comment on Take-Two publishes WARN notice about 70 layoffs and studio closure in Seattle, possibly affecting Kerbal Space Program 2 developers Intercept Games in ~games
-
Take-Two publishes WARN notice about 70 layoffs and studio closure in Seattle, possibly affecting Kerbal Space Program 2 developers Intercept Games
Take-Two posted a legally-required notice that it is laying off 70 workers and closing a studio in Seattle. This is part of mass layoffs announced across Take-Two. This has also been mentioned by...
Take-Two posted a legally-required notice that it is laying off 70 workers and closing a studio in Seattle. This is part of mass layoffs announced across Take-Two. This has also been mentioned by Games Industry.biz, although without much more details than what I have here (at time of writing).
The only Take-Two studio in Seattle is Intercept Games, who have been making Kerbal Space Program 2. We also know that Intercept had about 65-70 people working there (half of which were on KSP2, half of which were on an unannounced project).
Various KSP2 devs have also posted on social media that they have been impacted by layoffs (not sure about the rules re: linking social media profiles, so I'll hold off).
We may or may not have more news in the coming days. It's hard times in the industry right now, and my heart goes out for everyone affected.
5 votes -
Comment on I made a mistake, I started using Reddit again in ~talk
EnglishMobster Link ParentThe ban message explicitly told me a human did it and not a bot, which makes it even more frustrating:The ban message explicitly told me a human did it and not a bot, which makes it even more frustrating:
Note: This decision was made without the assistance of automation.
-
Comment on ‘Red One’ down: How Dwayne Johnson’s tardiness led to a $250 million runaway production in ~movies
EnglishMobster Link ParentThat's what I was thinking. It's also odd to me that people who worked with him say one thing - but the companies who he worked for are saying something else. Like, I'm not necessarily inclined to...That's what I was thinking.
It's also odd to me that people who worked with him say one thing - but the companies who he worked for are saying something else. Like, I'm not necessarily inclined to believe the companies, but at the same time it's hard to say that isn't just some folks with a vendetta.
But also... there's enough of a pattern that there likely is some truth behind it.
-
Comment on US to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles in five years in ~transport
EnglishMobster Link ParentAnd making sure that folks who shouldn't be driving aren't driving anymore. For example - I love my grandma. She was born in a London bomb shelter during the Blitz in WWII. She still, to this day,...And making sure that folks who shouldn't be driving aren't driving anymore.
For example - I love my grandma. She was born in a London bomb shelter during the Blitz in WWII. She still, to this day, drives hundreds of miles alone.
She got in a car accident last month. Completely her fault. The guy stopped at a red light, and she mixed up the brakes and the accelerator. She hit the accelerator when she thought she was hitting the brakes.
She should not be driving anymore. Of course, she thinks otherwise. She took a driving test and passed, just a couple days before the accident. But clearly that's not enough, because she got in the accident a couple days later.
We need better systems for determining "hey maybe this person shouldn't be behind the wheel anymore". And we need a society that is able to support public transit and other mobility platforms for folks who are no longer able to drive (for any number of reasons).
-
Comment on I made a mistake, I started using Reddit again in ~talk
EnglishMobster Link ParentI've had my Reddit account for 13 years. I saw someone spreading hate on the platform. I reported it, like anyone should. Reddit banned my account site-wide because I was "abusing the report...I've had my Reddit account for 13 years.
I saw someone spreading hate on the platform. I reported it, like anyone should.
Reddit banned my account site-wide because I was "abusing the report system". Like, what?
-
Comment on Do you think this place will get big on/after July 1st? in ~tildes
EnglishMobster LinkI think a lot of Redditors like what Tildes looks like. Just anecdotally, I've seen people get turned off by some of the bigger Lemmy instances having a hard-left culture, with some even bringing...I think a lot of Redditors like what Tildes looks like.
Just anecdotally, I've seen people get turned off by some of the bigger Lemmy instances having a hard-left culture, with some even bringing out the term "tankie" to describe Lemmy users.
I can see where they're coming from, but I ultimately disagree - Lemmy is what you make it, and you can easily ignore those by going to a Lemmy instance like Beehaw.org (which is closer culturally to Reddit, but - like Tildes - doesn't allow people to make their own equivalent to subreddits).
Tildes, by contrast, is very pleasant and thoughtful. I think a lot of people will be drawn to that, but also I think a lot of them will see the similarities to Reddit and expect... Reddit. Tildes (of course) is different, more focused on thoughtful discussions... but you're going to see the people that want /r/aww or /r/politics or NSFW porn subs and think Tildes is going to be a 1:1 Reddit clone that has all those things.
So I expect a lot of new users to join (I'm one of them! Hi!). How many stick around when they realize it's not Reddit remains to be seen - I don't personally mind, myself, but part of me does miss seeing memes and cute cat photos (even though I totally get why they aren't here).
-
Comment on Disney is staring down the barrel of a no good, very bad year in ~movies
EnglishMobster Link ParentThere's also layoffs hitting the economy as well. I was laid off in late January. I'm in the tech sector, which is famously volatile... but my mom also got laid off recently, and she works for the...There's also layoffs hitting the economy as well.
I was laid off in late January. I'm in the tech sector, which is famously volatile... but my mom also got laid off recently, and she works for the University of Chicago. Now I've been reading articles about Disney doing layoffs and JP Morgan doing layoffs, and it's only a matter of time before the economy slows enough that other non-tech sectors start performing layoffs.
I think it's already starting to happen and people are cutting back while they can.
-
Comment on Disney is staring down the barrel of a no good, very bad year in ~movies
EnglishMobster Link ParentDisney has kind of always moved in cycles, so I'm not too surprised. The issue is that when Disney was releasing bombs in the 80s, their animation department was largely spared (except for Black...Disney has kind of always moved in cycles, so I'm not too surprised. The issue is that when Disney was releasing bombs in the 80s, their animation department was largely spared (except for Black Cauldron).
Now the issue is that they are so big and releasing so many different movies that a lot of them are just... bad.
-
Comment on Introductions | June 2023, part 1 in ~talk
EnglishMobster Link ParentIt's probably best if I compare it to the others: The Jungle Cruise could be exhausting, but fun. It was really hard to screw up at Jungle, and once you understood what made people laugh you could...- Exemplary
It's probably best if I compare it to the others:
The Jungle Cruise could be exhausting, but fun. It was really hard to screw up at Jungle, and once you understood what made people laugh you could get really good at it. There was a laid-back culture at Jungle, and since it was incredibly hard to mess up you could kind of do your thing without worry.
Tiki was nice because it was air conditioned and you could sit down. You generally sat inside for 20 minutes, then stood outside for 20 minutes, then went back inside. You just enforced the rules, but you didn't have to do anything other than start and end the show. There was no heavy machinery to keep an eye on and nothing super important to remember.
The Disneyland Railroad could be fast-paced. You were genuinely on a schedule. When it was busy, you would have to leave on a green light. But once you locked up the station and the train was on its way, it was very zen. You just peoplewatched for the most part, and you'd go around the park seeing what was happening.
By comparison, Indy was just not fun. There was a lot to remember at Indy. There were a lot of rules, and if you accidentally did something wrong you'd be fired. This was true at the other places too... but like I said, it was really hard to mess up at Jungle/Tiki, and only 1 way to mess up on the train - don't leave if the station gates are unlocked. It could be really easy to forget to lock the gates if you were busy, but it was only 1 thing to remember.
Indy... you had to know what button to push if XYZ happened. You had to know how to react if the ride went down - there were dozens of very important steps and I forgot half of them after training. I asked for a reminder, but a lot of Indy people are jerks and it seemed like a chore for them to remind you how to do your job properly. Then there were times where something happened and you were by yourself... and you sure had to hope to remember all the steps you needed to do in order. On top of that, Indy was much faster-paced as far as work went, with a height requirement that you had to strictly enforce... and deal with the people who are upset that Timmy is too short, while also doing the rest of your job.
I never had fun at Indy, but everywhere else could be really fun.
-
Comment on New users: Ask your questions about Tildes here! in ~tildes
EnglishMobster LinkI know this place is still fresh - is there an Android app in development? I usually browsed Reddit on mobile (I had 50 hours in Relay for Reddit this week...) so it'd be great if there was an app...I know this place is still fresh - is there an Android app in development? I usually browsed Reddit on mobile (I had 50 hours in Relay for Reddit this week...) so it'd be great if there was an app so I can pretend nothing happened. ;)
-
Comment on Introductions | June 2023, part 1 in ~talk
EnglishMobster LinkHello! I've been a Redditor for 11 years - I was even in the Century Club subreddit (it's not nearly as interesting as you probably think it is). I work as a AAA game programmer. I previously...Hello!
I've been a Redditor for 11 years - I was even in the Century Club subreddit (it's not nearly as interesting as you probably think it is).
I work as a AAA game programmer. I previously worked on the Battlefield series, but EA laid me off earlier this year as part of them shutting down my former studio. Now I'm working on a new AAA title I can't really talk about.
Before I worked in the AAA space, I worked at Disneyland! I used to be a skipper on the World-Famous Jungle Cruise. I also worked as a host at the Tiki Room (fun fact: technically, this is considered part of the Jungle Cruise), a conductor on the Disneyland Railroad, and an "archaeologist" on the Indiana Jones ride they have there (although I hated working Indy).
As a hobby, I have a model train layout. It's in N-Scale (1:160). I'm also part of a local model railroad club that periodically meets up and puts together modular layouts. We meet at local convention centers and whatnot, where we string together a bunch of 4x2-foot layout sections that we each individually own/maintain and make one big mega-layout.
I'm super excited to be here!
Say what you will about the state of KSP2, but it seems there were internal problems regarding game direction and it wasn't the fault of these devs.
I work in the AAA space myself and my prior studio got shut down January 2023 under similar circumstances. I moved to a different project, which got cancelled February 29th of this year. I've found another home for now - but it's really scary seeing stuff like this constantly.
The community manager posted an update last week saying things were "full steam ahead" - they recently updated their LinkedIn saying they were "open to work". Having been on the other side of it - you know your project is in trouble (well, sometimes you know), but you always hope you have enough time to right the ship. For legal reasons nobody is told that things are cancelled until appropriate legal notices have been filed. So from their perspective - last week things were "full steam ahead"... until they weren't.