Erren
@erren.bsky.social
Owner at NovaCrystallis.com. Staff Writer at TechRaptor. Digital illustrator.
Reposted by Erren
Another year, another round of layoffs at Vox Media. In solidarity with our laid-off colleagues, here is our full statement:
January 16, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Another year, another round of layoffs at Vox Media. In solidarity with our laid-off colleagues, here is our full statement:
Reposted by Erren
First watercolor this year ❤️☄️
January 11, 2026 at 8:13 PM
First watercolor this year ❤️☄️
Reposted by Erren
This is a decision that makes sense for our specific and very small 'operation', but I hope you'll continue to follow and support us. Effective 1/15 we are retiring our X account.
January 9, 2026 at 9:42 PM
This is a decision that makes sense for our specific and very small 'operation', but I hope you'll continue to follow and support us. Effective 1/15 we are retiring our X account.
You can live without Twitter and its FYP slop feed. I promise, it will be okay.
January 8, 2026 at 12:31 AM
You can live without Twitter and its FYP slop feed. I promise, it will be okay.
Reposted by Erren
Veteran Square Enix artist Toshiyuki Itahana goes freelance:
Veteran Square Enix artist Toshiyuki Itahana goes freelance - Nova Crystallis
In a blog post shared on social media today, veteran Square Enix artist Toshiyuki Itahana has exited his position at Square Enix to pursue a freelance career beginning this year. Itahana’s career in g...
novacrystallis.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Veteran Square Enix artist Toshiyuki Itahana goes freelance:
Reposted by Erren
I can get if you work for or own a brand that the brand account might need to keep trundling for various business reasons but as an individual it costs little to cut that platform out. If you're on here you have already taken the first step
Grok's new "feature" that allows users to undress women in photos posted to X is a new low for the platform. If you're somehow still active over there, I urge you to let this be your final straw.
January 1, 2026 at 5:33 PM
I can get if you work for or own a brand that the brand account might need to keep trundling for various business reasons but as an individual it costs little to cut that platform out. If you're on here you have already taken the first step
Stranger Things 5 feels like they had maybe 4-5 hours worth of material and stretched it out to 10. Most of it seems to be the very definition of: what are we even doing here?
December 30, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Stranger Things 5 feels like they had maybe 4-5 hours worth of material and stretched it out to 10. Most of it seems to be the very definition of: what are we even doing here?
Reposted by Erren
bsky has no shortage of issues, but generally the engagement here (on our site acct) has been a lot better quality and generally more people here seem to actually look at the stuff you are sharing
December 27, 2025 at 5:57 AM
bsky has no shortage of issues, but generally the engagement here (on our site acct) has been a lot better quality and generally more people here seem to actually look at the stuff you are sharing
Iron Man 3 is a Christmas movie.
December 25, 2025 at 6:01 AM
Iron Man 3 is a Christmas movie.
Reposted by Erren
Users are noticing Twitter/X has added a Grok-powered AI image editor that lets anyone edit any image on the platform, including other people’s artwork using text prompts.
Artists warn there’s no opt-out or consent, raising concerns over unauthorized edits and misuse.
Artists warn there’s no opt-out or consent, raising concerns over unauthorized edits and misuse.
December 24, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Users are noticing Twitter/X has added a Grok-powered AI image editor that lets anyone edit any image on the platform, including other people’s artwork using text prompts.
Artists warn there’s no opt-out or consent, raising concerns over unauthorized edits and misuse.
Artists warn there’s no opt-out or consent, raising concerns over unauthorized edits and misuse.
Reposted by Erren
Octopath Traveler 0 builds upon the series' excellent battle system in interesting ways and tells a potent, heartful story about seeking refuge in each other and finding your conviction when monsters reign.
Our review:
Our review:
Octopath Traveler 0 Review - Nova Crystallis
Octopath Traveler 0 is an adaptation of 2020’s Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, a mobile game with all of the typical gacha-style trappings including limited time banners and currencies ...
novacrystallis.com
December 21, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Octopath Traveler 0 builds upon the series' excellent battle system in interesting ways and tells a potent, heartful story about seeking refuge in each other and finding your conviction when monsters reign.
Our review:
Our review:
Reposted by Erren
We spoke to a dozen professional concept artists who are currently or have previously worked in game development about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs any easier.
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Concept Artists Say Generative AI References Only Make Their Jobs Harder
“The ‘early ideation stages’, when worlds are being fleshed out by writers and artists, are literally crucial to the development of a game’s vision,” said one artist.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:06 PM
We spoke to a dozen professional concept artists who are currently or have previously worked in game development about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs any easier.
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Reposted by Erren
🚨 Digital Foundry is hiring a Junior Producer!
Rich and the team are fantastic, and jobs like these don't often pop up. If you know how to use Photoshop, edit on Premiere Pro, and are based in the UK/Europe, and love gaming and tech, this might be for you:
www.patreon.com/posts/145970...
Rich and the team are fantastic, and jobs like these don't often pop up. If you know how to use Photoshop, edit on Premiere Pro, and are based in the UK/Europe, and love gaming and tech, this might be for you:
www.patreon.com/posts/145970...
Digital Foundry Is Looking For A Junior Producer | Digital Foundry
Get more from Digital Foundry on Patreon
www.patreon.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:10 AM
🚨 Digital Foundry is hiring a Junior Producer!
Rich and the team are fantastic, and jobs like these don't often pop up. If you know how to use Photoshop, edit on Premiere Pro, and are based in the UK/Europe, and love gaming and tech, this might be for you:
www.patreon.com/posts/145970...
Rich and the team are fantastic, and jobs like these don't often pop up. If you know how to use Photoshop, edit on Premiere Pro, and are based in the UK/Europe, and love gaming and tech, this might be for you:
www.patreon.com/posts/145970...
Reposted by Erren
The second season of Fallout was cause for worry. Returning to New Vegas could have lead to fan service and lore digressions. Instead, the show builds on that game's themes and central messages.
The second season of Fallout was cause for worry. Returning to New Vegas could have lead to fan service and lore digressions. Instead, the show builds on that game's themes and central messages.
Fallout Season Two teased fans with the return to New Vegas. The show doesn't just recreate the game's locations; it builds on their themes and messages.
Read this article on TechRaptor
dlvr.it
December 16, 2025 at 4:55 PM
The second season of Fallout was cause for worry. Returning to New Vegas could have lead to fan service and lore digressions. Instead, the show builds on that game's themes and central messages.
Reposted by Erren
Just so I'm clear on this, computer memory has tripled in price because a bunch of it that hasn't been produced yet has been ordered to populate GPUs that aren't installed in data centers that aren't built yet in order to service a demand that doesn't exist to make profits that don't happen.
December 15, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Just so I'm clear on this, computer memory has tripled in price because a bunch of it that hasn't been produced yet has been ordered to populate GPUs that aren't installed in data centers that aren't built yet in order to service a demand that doesn't exist to make profits that don't happen.
Reposted by Erren
This is like paying the guys that robbed your house to also burn it down.
Disney is making a $1 billion investment in OpenAI and will let the AI platform use its characters to make social-media videos.
Disney to Invest $1 Billion in OpenAI, License Characters for Use in ChatGPT, Sora
The three-year licensing deal will let users generate videos of more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar characters.
on.wsj.com
December 11, 2025 at 5:14 PM
This is like paying the guys that robbed your house to also burn it down.
Reposted by Erren
Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter 90 Summary - Patch 7.4 trailer revealed & patch series content and features detailed:
Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter 90 Summary - Patch 7.4 series detailed - Nova Crystallis
In the 90th Letter from the Producer Live broadcast conducted by the Final Fantasy XIV team, producer/director Naoki Yoshida and global community producer Toshio Murouchi went over content and feature...
novacrystallis.com
December 5, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter 90 Summary - Patch 7.4 trailer revealed & patch series content and features detailed:
Reposted by Erren
The Writers Guild of America says the Netflix & Warner Bros merger “must be blocked”
“The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent.”
“The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent.”
December 5, 2025 at 8:03 PM
The Writers Guild of America says the Netflix & Warner Bros merger “must be blocked”
“The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent.”
“The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent.”
Reposted by Erren
Remember that one time Microsoft acquired Activision for $68.7 billion? It was a huge boon for its Xbox ecosystem when everybody signed up for Game Pass, right?
December 5, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Remember that one time Microsoft acquired Activision for $68.7 billion? It was a huge boon for its Xbox ecosystem when everybody signed up for Game Pass, right?
Reposted by Erren
I'm being totally genuine saying KPop Demon Hunters being far and away the biggest movie of 2025 is proof that audiences want:
A) More than just legacy franchises
B) Want an actual story and not just spectacle
It would've zoomed past a billion if it was just a theatrical release too.
A) More than just legacy franchises
B) Want an actual story and not just spectacle
It would've zoomed past a billion if it was just a theatrical release too.
December 1, 2025 at 4:01 AM
I'm being totally genuine saying KPop Demon Hunters being far and away the biggest movie of 2025 is proof that audiences want:
A) More than just legacy franchises
B) Want an actual story and not just spectacle
It would've zoomed past a billion if it was just a theatrical release too.
A) More than just legacy franchises
B) Want an actual story and not just spectacle
It would've zoomed past a billion if it was just a theatrical release too.
Media is culturally trapped in the year 2015.
Exciting! Instead of making a fully animated Moana, they made a mostly animated Moana that looks way worse! www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKYF...
Moana | Official Teaser
YouTube video by Disney
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Media is culturally trapped in the year 2015.
Reposted by Erren
This is a really remarkable video essay on contemporary film and the theories of Laura Marks. It's making me think about movies in a new way.
Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real" Anymore
YouTube video by Like Stories of Old
www.youtube.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:40 PM
This is a really remarkable video essay on contemporary film and the theories of Laura Marks. It's making me think about movies in a new way.
Reposted by Erren
Square Enix aims to automate 70% of QA and debugging work with generative AI by 2027:
Square Enix aims to automate 70% of QA and debugging work with generative AI by 2027 - Nova Crystallis
Today, Square Enix president and CEO Takashi Kiryu briefed investors with progress report on his medium-term initiatives within the company to create “long-term growth”. Framed as “Square Enix Reboots...
novacrystallis.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Square Enix aims to automate 70% of QA and debugging work with generative AI by 2027:
Reposted by Erren
i can’t believe a good thing happened we should do this more often
November 5, 2025 at 2:26 AM
i can’t believe a good thing happened we should do this more often
Reposted by Erren
Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter 89 Summary - Patch 7.4 launches December 16, 2025:
Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter 89 Summary - Patch 7.4 launches December 16, 2025 - Nova Crystallis
In the 89th Letter from the Producer Live broadcast conducted by the Final Fantasy XIV team, producer/director Naoki Yoshida and global community producer Toshio Murouchi went over content and features to be added to the game in its next major patch: “Into the Mist”. Otherwise referred to as Patch 7.4, it will release Tuesday, December […]
novacrystallis.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter 89 Summary - Patch 7.4 launches December 16, 2025: