Samantha Fry
@benolot.com
Lead platform engineer @ UK Game Studio working on a classic MMO. Personal account.
Prev: BBC, Frontier Dev and others.
Posts / TL is about everything, not just tech.
She/her, Bi, 🇬🇧
Thoughts and opinions are mine not employers.
Prev: BBC, Frontier Dev and others.
Posts / TL is about everything, not just tech.
She/her, Bi, 🇬🇧
Thoughts and opinions are mine not employers.
CEO Georg is an outlier and should not be counted
The average salary for games industry professionals based in the United States was $142,000 in 2025, according to a new report from GDC Festival of Gaming.
www.gamesindustry.biz/gdc-survey-a...
www.gamesindustry.biz/gdc-survey-a...
GDC Survey: Average salary for US games professionals was $142,000 in 2025
Findings reveal 33% of workers feel employers are "working to close existing pay gaps," while one-tenth report no efforts are being made
www.gamesindustry.biz
November 14, 2025 at 9:24 PM
CEO Georg is an outlier and should not be counted
Reposted by Samantha Fry
"i asked grok" "i asked chatgpt" yeah well i asked carl sagan and he said the greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge 🧪
July 18, 2025 at 4:12 AM
"i asked grok" "i asked chatgpt" yeah well i asked carl sagan and he said the greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge 🧪
Reposted by Samantha Fry
Back in my day, AI used to stand for Adobe Illustrator! And we hated that, too!
October 29, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Back in my day, AI used to stand for Adobe Illustrator! And we hated that, too!
Reposted by Samantha Fry
This is the most ruthless act of union busting in the history of the UK games industry. Yesterday, @rockstargames.com unfairly fired over 30 employees for union activity.
We won't back down, and we're not scared - we will fight for every member to be reinstated.
We won't back down, and we're not scared - we will fight for every member to be reinstated.
BREAKING: Yesterday Grand Theft Auto VI maker Rockstar Games fired dozens of people, all of whom were involved in union efforts. A British union calls it "blatant and ruthless" union-busting. Take-Two Interactive says it was due to misconduct.
Here's the scoop: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here's the scoop: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
‘Grand Theft Auto’ Studio Accused of Union Busting After Firings
Union says 30 and 40 people were terminated. Rockstar Games’ parent company cites ‘gross misconduct’
www.bloomberg.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:01 PM
This is the most ruthless act of union busting in the history of the UK games industry. Yesterday, @rockstargames.com unfairly fired over 30 employees for union activity.
We won't back down, and we're not scared - we will fight for every member to be reinstated.
We won't back down, and we're not scared - we will fight for every member to be reinstated.
Reposted by Samantha Fry
As recent waves of layoffs impact our fellow workers and union members, we see again and again how little the word of your boss means when it is not backed up by a union contract or challenged with collective action.
August 27, 2025 at 9:04 PM
As recent waves of layoffs impact our fellow workers and union members, we see again and again how little the word of your boss means when it is not backed up by a union contract or challenged with collective action.
Reposted by Samantha Fry
Got judged by a lizard today... he found me very sus
August 30, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Got judged by a lizard today... he found me very sus
I'm in the cloud - going to steal all those files y'all backed up 😈
August 28, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I'm in the cloud - going to steal all those files y'all backed up 😈
Legend has it that inside of this is a single immortal snail...
IYKYK
IYKYK
BAIKONUR cosmodrome ... "MAZ-543" tows a tank for cryogenic storage systems and refueling with liquid hydrogen and oxygen to the UKSS under the ENERGY-BURAN program ...
Does this look authentic to you @buranarchive.space ?
Does this look authentic to you @buranarchive.space ?
August 11, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Legend has it that inside of this is a single immortal snail...
IYKYK
IYKYK
UK Folk, what's our GOAT TV shows?
Merlin? Line of Duty? Life on Mars? Maybe even Spooks or some of those made for TV Film series like Sharpe.
Merlin? Line of Duty? Life on Mars? Maybe even Spooks or some of those made for TV Film series like Sharpe.
Take away all the GOAT candidates: The Wire, Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and Lost.
What’s the best show outside of that group?
What’s the best show outside of that group?
August 1, 2025 at 7:20 AM
UK Folk, what's our GOAT TV shows?
Merlin? Line of Duty? Life on Mars? Maybe even Spooks or some of those made for TV Film series like Sharpe.
Merlin? Line of Duty? Life on Mars? Maybe even Spooks or some of those made for TV Film series like Sharpe.
I genuinely thought this was Kier Starmer playing Balatro for a minute 😅
July 21, 2025 at 7:03 PM
I genuinely thought this was Kier Starmer playing Balatro for a minute 😅
"Ship games" is that the thing everyone did with Animal Crossing and DOOM?
July 18, 2025 at 5:18 PM
"Ship games" is that the thing everyone did with Animal Crossing and DOOM?
Went to a cat cafe yesterday, they had some wonderful babies 🥺
June 22, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Went to a cat cafe yesterday, they had some wonderful babies 🥺
*sniffle*
The good old days...
The good old days...
June 18, 2025 at 10:13 AM
*sniffle*
The good old days...
The good old days...
Reposted by Samantha Fry
Time to post it again.
May 28, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Time to post it again.
Reposted by Samantha Fry
this feels like it's only a problem if you, for arbitrary and irrational reasons, want to use genAI? If your customer base hates it, and your workforce hates it, and the world at large hates it, it seems like it's no problem at all to just... not use it
In recent weeks, video game publishers Take-Two and EA both warned investors about potential "reputational" risks to the use of gen-AI in games. It's a problem that all game companies will soon need to confront: Players hate genAI.
This week's column: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
This week's column: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Video-Game Companies Have an AI Problem: Players Don’t Want It
Publishers like EA and Take-Two are warning shareholders about the potential “reputational” risks of AI
www.bloomberg.com
May 23, 2025 at 6:06 PM
this feels like it's only a problem if you, for arbitrary and irrational reasons, want to use genAI? If your customer base hates it, and your workforce hates it, and the world at large hates it, it seems like it's no problem at all to just... not use it
A lot of industries - including other creative ones like TV and film have unionisation. It's about time Game Workers did too.
400 employees laid off at EA, while the CEO took home $25.6 million in pay last year.
This isn't an issue of money. It's one of power and unaccountable CEOs. With a strong union in your workplace, we can change this.
Work in the UK games industry? Join our union today: iwgb.org.uk/en/join/game...
This isn't an issue of money. It's one of power and unaccountable CEOs. With a strong union in your workplace, we can change this.
Work in the UK games industry? Join our union today: iwgb.org.uk/en/join/game...
For no particular reason, let's look at how much money EA execs made recently
aftermath.site/electronic-a...
aftermath.site/electronic-a...
May 1, 2025 at 10:46 AM
A lot of industries - including other creative ones like TV and film have unionisation. It's about time Game Workers did too.
Reposted by Samantha Fry
Your "dumb little projects" are so important during this harrowing time. Don't forget that. Your creativity has value, for yourself and for the world.
April 15, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Your "dumb little projects" are so important during this harrowing time. Don't forget that. Your creativity has value, for yourself and for the world.
Looking at potentially buying a car and WHY IS EVERYTHING FULL OF COMPUTERS???
I just want something where I have mechanical control of the vehicle, not "one pedal drive" or an automatic or cruise control or any of these other features
Maybe it's because I work with computers, but please... stop 😦
I just want something where I have mechanical control of the vehicle, not "one pedal drive" or an automatic or cruise control or any of these other features
Maybe it's because I work with computers, but please... stop 😦
April 15, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Looking at potentially buying a car and WHY IS EVERYTHING FULL OF COMPUTERS???
I just want something where I have mechanical control of the vehicle, not "one pedal drive" or an automatic or cruise control or any of these other features
Maybe it's because I work with computers, but please... stop 😦
I just want something where I have mechanical control of the vehicle, not "one pedal drive" or an automatic or cruise control or any of these other features
Maybe it's because I work with computers, but please... stop 😦
Reposted by Samantha Fry
I am extremely annoyed by The Guardian claiming 'Romantasy has reclaimed the geeky fantasy dominion for women, celebrating female friendship, agency and sexuality'.
This skewed view stems from the ongoing erasure of women writers in SF&F through fewer reviews, omission from 'Best of' lists etc etc
This skewed view stems from the ongoing erasure of women writers in SF&F through fewer reviews, omission from 'Best of' lists etc etc
February 10, 2025 at 11:32 AM
I am extremely annoyed by The Guardian claiming 'Romantasy has reclaimed the geeky fantasy dominion for women, celebrating female friendship, agency and sexuality'.
This skewed view stems from the ongoing erasure of women writers in SF&F through fewer reviews, omission from 'Best of' lists etc etc
This skewed view stems from the ongoing erasure of women writers in SF&F through fewer reviews, omission from 'Best of' lists etc etc
Is the software for this literally just a try catch? 🤔
January 16, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Is the software for this literally just a try catch? 🤔
Got sick on the last day of the year 😦, the only thing I'm drinking this NYE is Lemsip 😭
December 31, 2024 at 2:32 PM
Got sick on the last day of the year 😦, the only thing I'm drinking this NYE is Lemsip 😭
Reposted by Samantha Fry
The biggest waste of money I’ve seen in video game development, across many years and studios (not my current one - one of the reasons I wanted to work there), wasn’t on graphics. It was abruptly being told to throw out months or years of work bc one executive decided they didn’t like something.
December 28, 2024 at 1:52 PM
The biggest waste of money I’ve seen in video game development, across many years and studios (not my current one - one of the reasons I wanted to work there), wasn’t on graphics. It was abruptly being told to throw out months or years of work bc one executive decided they didn’t like something.
Reposted by Samantha Fry
We have entered the season of no meal rules. Dessert is breakfast. Dinner is lunch. A snack is an entire honey-mustard ham
December 21, 2024 at 6:42 PM
We have entered the season of no meal rules. Dessert is breakfast. Dinner is lunch. A snack is an entire honey-mustard ham
If I worked on a game which gets onto the BAFTA long list? Does that technically make me a BAFTA nominated game dev? 🤔
December 11, 2024 at 3:09 PM
If I worked on a game which gets onto the BAFTA long list? Does that technically make me a BAFTA nominated game dev? 🤔