Dr. Matt Loten
@intheinaka.bsky.social
Japanese Political Communication PhD | Working in Linguistic Validation by day; posting about politics on the internet by night
This one's easy, because it was then and will always be Final Fantasy VII, but good lord what a year.
Once again only going off Julianna's grid, but Grandia, Goldeneye, Quake II, FFT, Tekken 3, Gran Turismo, Croc, Lylat Wars...it's sickening to think how many hours I must have given 1997.
Once again only going off Julianna's grid, but Grandia, Goldeneye, Quake II, FFT, Tekken 3, Gran Turismo, Croc, Lylat Wars...it's sickening to think how many hours I must have given 1997.
Quote this with your favourite game from 1997 NOW, and what your favourite was THEN (if you had one)
(Please make clear which is which)
Localisations/expansions count, remasters/ports don't. Remakes depend.
Two-way ties count.
For a fuller refresher: backloggd.com/games/lib/po...
(Please make clear which is which)
Localisations/expansions count, remasters/ports don't. Remakes depend.
Two-way ties count.
For a fuller refresher: backloggd.com/games/lib/po...
January 6, 2026 at 12:48 PM
This one's easy, because it was then and will always be Final Fantasy VII, but good lord what a year.
Once again only going off Julianna's grid, but Grandia, Goldeneye, Quake II, FFT, Tekken 3, Gran Turismo, Croc, Lylat Wars...it's sickening to think how many hours I must have given 1997.
Once again only going off Julianna's grid, but Grandia, Goldeneye, Quake II, FFT, Tekken 3, Gran Turismo, Croc, Lylat Wars...it's sickening to think how many hours I must have given 1997.
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
anybody who thinks tomorrow isn’t going to be a fun filled day of maximising shareholder value needs their bloody head checking
January 4, 2026 at 9:41 PM
anybody who thinks tomorrow isn’t going to be a fun filled day of maximising shareholder value needs their bloody head checking
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
Listeners have been asking for a shoppable TGS bookshelf since we launched the show, so we’ve kindly obliged with the help of Bookshop!
You’ll be able to find books by our authors as well as the ones they’ve recommended on the pod, all while supporting indie bookstores! It’s really a win-win.
You’ll be able to find books by our authors as well as the ones they’ve recommended on the pod, all while supporting indie bookstores! It’s really a win-win.
January 4, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Listeners have been asking for a shoppable TGS bookshelf since we launched the show, so we’ve kindly obliged with the help of Bookshop!
You’ll be able to find books by our authors as well as the ones they’ve recommended on the pod, all while supporting indie bookstores! It’s really a win-win.
You’ll be able to find books by our authors as well as the ones they’ve recommended on the pod, all while supporting indie bookstores! It’s really a win-win.
Unbelievably hard, this, and that's without looking up any games that don't feature on this list.
At the time, definitely FFIX, hands down, despite playing *a lot* of Sims, THPS2, and Timesplitters. Now? I am currently replaying FFIX, but Diablo II became a really important game to me too.
At the time, definitely FFIX, hands down, despite playing *a lot* of Sims, THPS2, and Timesplitters. Now? I am currently replaying FFIX, but Diablo II became a really important game to me too.
Quote this with your favourite game from 2000 NOW, and what your favourite was THEN (if you had one)
Localisations count, remasters/ports don't. Remakes depend.
Two-way ties count.
For a fuller refresher: backloggd.com/games/lib/po...
Localisations count, remasters/ports don't. Remakes depend.
Two-way ties count.
For a fuller refresher: backloggd.com/games/lib/po...
January 4, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Unbelievably hard, this, and that's without looking up any games that don't feature on this list.
At the time, definitely FFIX, hands down, despite playing *a lot* of Sims, THPS2, and Timesplitters. Now? I am currently replaying FFIX, but Diablo II became a really important game to me too.
At the time, definitely FFIX, hands down, despite playing *a lot* of Sims, THPS2, and Timesplitters. Now? I am currently replaying FFIX, but Diablo II became a really important game to me too.
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
There was a drunk lassie in the chippy earlier crying about Maduro and as she left she said "I can't believe they've done this he was only inaugurated the other day" and I can only conclude that she has Maduro confused with Mamdani???? Fuckin hell hen.
January 3, 2026 at 10:26 PM
There was a drunk lassie in the chippy earlier crying about Maduro and as she left she said "I can't believe they've done this he was only inaugurated the other day" and I can only conclude that she has Maduro confused with Mamdani???? Fuckin hell hen.
Succinct. Clear. Emotive. Top class political communication.
January 3, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Succinct. Clear. Emotive. Top class political communication.
The world's not all bad.
January 3, 2026 at 6:53 PM
The world's not all bad.
The US is going to remain as an occupying administrative presence until such time as the government can be transitioned back into local control?
There's only one man for the job.
There's only one man for the job.
January 3, 2026 at 6:41 PM
The US is going to remain as an occupying administrative presence until such time as the government can be transitioned back into local control?
There's only one man for the job.
There's only one man for the job.
Really grateful for all the 'actually one thing about Trump is that he hates military conflict' opinion pieces over the last few years
January 3, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Really grateful for all the 'actually one thing about Trump is that he hates military conflict' opinion pieces over the last few years
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
My column in today's paper: oo remembers Coldplaygate? www.ft.com/content/7302...
Social media is taking us back to the Salem witch trials
It is none of our business if strangers choose to display their private affairs at a Coldplay concert
www.ft.com
December 23, 2025 at 12:57 PM
My column in today's paper: oo remembers Coldplaygate? www.ft.com/content/7302...
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
Finally home after > 27 hours of grindset creating shareholder value through AI agentic workflow and guiding a warrior-ethos meditation during my ketamine break.
My 8 year old dog: "Do you have to slay so hard because the villain misrepresented an OBR analysis to Parliament?"
Me: "Bitcoin."
My 8 year old dog: "Do you have to slay so hard because the villain misrepresented an OBR analysis to Parliament?"
Me: "Bitcoin."
December 4, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Finally home after > 27 hours of grindset creating shareholder value through AI agentic workflow and guiding a warrior-ethos meditation during my ketamine break.
My 8 year old dog: "Do you have to slay so hard because the villain misrepresented an OBR analysis to Parliament?"
Me: "Bitcoin."
My 8 year old dog: "Do you have to slay so hard because the villain misrepresented an OBR analysis to Parliament?"
Me: "Bitcoin."
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
i’m setting you free. i’m releasing you from the discourse
December 2, 2025 at 1:39 AM
i’m setting you free. i’m releasing you from the discourse
GULLIS MENTIONED
Three former Conservative MPs, Jonathan Gullis, Lia Nici and Chris Green, have defected to Reform UK, the party confirms
December 1, 2025 at 12:04 PM
GULLIS MENTIONED
Just seen a skit doing the rounds on Insta, of which the central premise is that mainstream politicians are baffled by Zack Polanski because he's 'really worryingly quite normal.'
He's not normal! He's a very talented politician - communicating clearly and effectively is not an easy skill!
He's not normal! He's a very talented politician - communicating clearly and effectively is not an easy skill!
December 1, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Just seen a skit doing the rounds on Insta, of which the central premise is that mainstream politicians are baffled by Zack Polanski because he's 'really worryingly quite normal.'
He's not normal! He's a very talented politician - communicating clearly and effectively is not an easy skill!
He's not normal! He's a very talented politician - communicating clearly and effectively is not an easy skill!
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
That is a lot of tweets. If you got this far you deserve a prize. Reasonable people will debate this growth strategy. But claiming there isn’t one is lazy nonsense. Higher growth matters because rising living standards are the goal, and higher investment is a key tool.
November 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM
That is a lot of tweets. If you got this far you deserve a prize. Reasonable people will debate this growth strategy. But claiming there isn’t one is lazy nonsense. Higher growth matters because rising living standards are the goal, and higher investment is a key tool.
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
Rightly lots of debates about growth this weekend - rightly because it was low productivity growth that saw wages entirely flatline during the 2010s.
November 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Rightly lots of debates about growth this weekend - rightly because it was low productivity growth that saw wages entirely flatline during the 2010s.
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
The content is still obviously delusional to anyone reading it. It’s just organised crazy. But the real danger is the internal effect on the user. The AI provides coherence and validation, stabilising the narrative they’re caught in.
November 19, 2025 at 2:24 PM
The content is still obviously delusional to anyone reading it. It’s just organised crazy. But the real danger is the internal effect on the user. The AI provides coherence and validation, stabilising the narrative they’re caught in.
Just watch Inside Llewyn Davis. It was okay. Not the Coens' best.
November 28, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Just watch Inside Llewyn Davis. It was okay. Not the Coens' best.
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
And that becomes a problem if your party leader doesn't know his own mind (Miliband), is an empty vessel (Starmer), or is a sparksnotes ideologue (Badenoch)
You don't, imv, need to communicate your intellectual pathways, but you do need to have some rhyme, reason and mental road-test to what you do
You don't, imv, need to communicate your intellectual pathways, but you do need to have some rhyme, reason and mental road-test to what you do
November 28, 2025 at 5:27 PM
And that becomes a problem if your party leader doesn't know his own mind (Miliband), is an empty vessel (Starmer), or is a sparksnotes ideologue (Badenoch)
You don't, imv, need to communicate your intellectual pathways, but you do need to have some rhyme, reason and mental road-test to what you do
You don't, imv, need to communicate your intellectual pathways, but you do need to have some rhyme, reason and mental road-test to what you do
A theological and intellectual titan here
November 28, 2025 at 3:52 PM
A theological and intellectual titan here
Working through company-mandated training for well-known project management software. Unable to focus on the introductory video because I'm so distracted by the painful and transparent attempt to shoehorn 'AI-powered' or 'AI-driven' into every sentence in the script.
November 27, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Working through company-mandated training for well-known project management software. Unable to focus on the introductory video because I'm so distracted by the painful and transparent attempt to shoehorn 'AI-powered' or 'AI-driven' into every sentence in the script.
Kemi Badenoch is just a bit weird and unlikeable isn't she?
November 26, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Kemi Badenoch is just a bit weird and unlikeable isn't she?
They're maybe not getting the uh, best press today, but at least the OBR can see through the AI revolution mirage.
The cut to productivity growth really is a big one
Now 1.5% in 2030, previously 1.8%
Trend productivity growth now only 1.0% down from 1.3%
And this *includes* expected gains from AI
Now 1.5% in 2030, previously 1.8%
Trend productivity growth now only 1.0% down from 1.3%
And this *includes* expected gains from AI
November 26, 2025 at 1:24 PM
They're maybe not getting the uh, best press today, but at least the OBR can see through the AI revolution mirage.
Reposted by Dr. Matt Loten
And honestly I don't give a fuck if it's popular or not. It's going to make a lot of kids' lives better. That's the point of government. Not an opinion poll.
November 26, 2025 at 1:12 PM
And honestly I don't give a fuck if it's popular or not. It's going to make a lot of kids' lives better. That's the point of government. Not an opinion poll.
The OBR: hold my beer
I don't think we should know even one thing about the Budget until the chancellor gets to the despatch box on the day, surprise us
November 26, 2025 at 12:07 PM
The OBR: hold my beer