James
@jamesbutlin.bsky.social
Lead Programmer @FuturLab working on PowerWash Simulator 2 ๐ฆ. Previously worked on PWS VR ๐ง, on a mental health & wellbeing study in PWS 1 with Oxford University ๐งโ๐ฌ and on Onward (VR) ๐ซ
Opinions are my own. ENFJ, He/Him
Opinions are my own. ENFJ, He/Him
Pinned
James
@jamesbutlin.bsky.social
ยท Nov 21
Fair Play Summit: Implementing a Mental Health and Wellbeing Research Study in Games
With their first-of-its-kind research study released and proven to be delivering extremely valuable data, in this session James Butlin will discuss how FuturLab created his role specifically to work w...
www.gdcvault.com
For anyone interested in how and why we did a study on mental health & wellbeing with Oxford University, and how I integrated it into the gameplay of PowerWash Simulator - I did a talk about it at GDC 2023 and the VOD is free for anyone to watch! ๐
#GameDev #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #GamesResearch
#GameDev #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #GamesResearch
Reposted by James
Oh my goodness Iโm still doing art. C'est Impossible!
February 1, 2026 at 11:17 AM
Oh my goodness Iโm still doing art. C'est Impossible!
Reposted by James
Do you like my balls?
December 27, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Do you like my balls?
Reposted by James
โBeakerโ - A new original painting up on jameshance.com today ๐ค
โจ๐จ Gesso / Acrylic Gouache
On Canvas Panel
โจ๐จ Gesso / Acrylic Gouache
On Canvas Panel
February 1, 2026 at 7:55 PM
โBeakerโ - A new original painting up on jameshance.com today ๐ค
โจ๐จ Gesso / Acrylic Gouache
On Canvas Panel
โจ๐จ Gesso / Acrylic Gouache
On Canvas Panel
Reposted by James
This is how far Iโve come this weekend
February 1, 2026 at 8:17 PM
This is how far Iโve come this weekend
Reposted by James
I think most game dev teams underestimate how damaging slow workflows are to the ultimate quality of their game.
If it takes 5 minutes to launch the game and see your changes, I think your game is going to be MUCH worse than the alternate timeline where it took 1 minute
If it takes 5 minutes to launch the game and see your changes, I think your game is going to be MUCH worse than the alternate timeline where it took 1 minute
January 30, 2026 at 10:29 PM
I think most game dev teams underestimate how damaging slow workflows are to the ultimate quality of their game.
If it takes 5 minutes to launch the game and see your changes, I think your game is going to be MUCH worse than the alternate timeline where it took 1 minute
If it takes 5 minutes to launch the game and see your changes, I think your game is going to be MUCH worse than the alternate timeline where it took 1 minute
Reposted by James
One negative review killed Pendragon. It was posted within hours of release: a detailed "objective" explanation of why they didn't connect with it.
But it's ticked as helpful by passing people *who have not played the game*. This keeps it pinned to the top.
It's longer than our description text.
But it's ticked as helpful by passing people *who have not played the game*. This keeps it pinned to the top.
It's longer than our description text.
RE that RT.. itโs wild how steam reviews are still so damn important to getting visibility. If you play and like indie games, the most generous and helpful thing you can do is spend an hour popping positive reviews onto anything you like with <500 or so reviews.
January 31, 2026 at 11:02 AM
One negative review killed Pendragon. It was posted within hours of release: a detailed "objective" explanation of why they didn't connect with it.
But it's ticked as helpful by passing people *who have not played the game*. This keeps it pinned to the top.
It's longer than our description text.
But it's ticked as helpful by passing people *who have not played the game*. This keeps it pinned to the top.
It's longer than our description text.
Reposted by James
What a horrible day to have eyes.
January 31, 2026 at 6:58 PM
What a horrible day to have eyes.
Reposted by James
Personally, I think that anyone who was sending friendly emails back and forth with Jeffrey Epstein or attending events with him post-2008 should be thrown into an active volcano.
January 31, 2026 at 10:52 PM
Personally, I think that anyone who was sending friendly emails back and forth with Jeffrey Epstein or attending events with him post-2008 should be thrown into an active volcano.
Reposted by James
โNotorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein played a role in convincing Bobby Kotick to embrace loot boxes, essentially gambling for childrenโ what is this sentence, what is this world
February 1, 2026 at 1:54 AM
โNotorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein played a role in convincing Bobby Kotick to embrace loot boxes, essentially gambling for childrenโ what is this sentence, what is this world
Reposted by James
Gaming stocks are dropping today after Google's rollout of Project Genie, an AI tool that lets users create and explore virtual worlds for 60 seconds. This is the result of a market that does not understand how video games are made. Allow me to suggest that the Street read Blood, Sweat, and Pixels
January 30, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Gaming stocks are dropping today after Google's rollout of Project Genie, an AI tool that lets users create and explore virtual worlds for 60 seconds. This is the result of a market that does not understand how video games are made. Allow me to suggest that the Street read Blood, Sweat, and Pixels
Congrats! And good luckkkkk! ๐คโจ
January 30, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Congrats! And good luckkkkk! ๐คโจ
Reposted by James
This looks bad, right? But here is the thing... ITS WORSE
This survey only reached a narrow selection of respondents. Notably cut anybody who has been unemployed for too long. Mostly just ppl who can afford to attend GDC. Many laid off before 2025 are still looking!
variety.com/2026/gaming/...
This survey only reached a narrow selection of respondents. Notably cut anybody who has been unemployed for too long. Mostly just ppl who can afford to attend GDC. Many laid off before 2025 are still looking!
variety.com/2026/gaming/...
One-Third of U.S. Video Game Industry Workers Were Laid Off in 2025, GDC Study Reveals
One-third of U.S. video game industry workers say they were laid off last year, according to GDC.
variety.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:03 PM
This looks bad, right? But here is the thing... ITS WORSE
This survey only reached a narrow selection of respondents. Notably cut anybody who has been unemployed for too long. Mostly just ppl who can afford to attend GDC. Many laid off before 2025 are still looking!
variety.com/2026/gaming/...
This survey only reached a narrow selection of respondents. Notably cut anybody who has been unemployed for too long. Mostly just ppl who can afford to attend GDC. Many laid off before 2025 are still looking!
variety.com/2026/gaming/...
Reposted by James
"Our standing rule is: If one of us brings up using GenAI in any of our work, then it's safe to assume we've been assimilated by The Thing and should be burned alive by Kurt Russell," said a game design consultant in the US.
Over 50% of game developers now think generative AI is bad for the industry, a dramatic increase from just 2 years ago: 'I'd rather quit the industry than use generative AI'
The latest GDC survey also found that managers are more likely to use generative AI than their employees.
www.pcgamer.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:45 PM
"Our standing rule is: If one of us brings up using GenAI in any of our work, then it's safe to assume we've been assimilated by The Thing and should be burned alive by Kurt Russell," said a game design consultant in the US.
Reposted by James
"Not only don't people work less when they are guaranteed an income, they might actually put in more effort at work. And the fact that they have more money to spend leads to the creation of more jobs."
Nobel Prizeโwinning economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Nobel Prizeโwinning economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
January 29, 2026 at 5:55 PM
"Not only don't people work less when they are guaranteed an income, they might actually put in more effort at work. And the fact that they have more money to spend leads to the creation of more jobs."
Nobel Prizeโwinning economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Nobel Prizeโwinning economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Reposted by James
New year, new series of coasters.
January 27, 2026 at 10:59 PM
New year, new series of coasters.
Reposted by James
This is actually...idk a quietly huge story to me haha. Geoff Keighley altering plans of devs around having content for his show is like...deeply unethical lmao.
'Highguard' was planned as a shadowdrop but Geoff came in and wanted it for TGA.
kotaku.com/highguard-ga...
kotaku.com/highguard-ga...
January 26, 2026 at 7:00 PM
This is actually...idk a quietly huge story to me haha. Geoff Keighley altering plans of devs around having content for his show is like...deeply unethical lmao.
Reposted by James
wanna be them honestly
(lovers' rest, 2024)
(lovers' rest, 2024)
January 26, 2026 at 1:03 PM
wanna be them honestly
(lovers' rest, 2024)
(lovers' rest, 2024)
Reposted by James
The correct answer to this is "Yes, and everyone else too."
Should artists get a basic income like they do in Ireland?
Could the government pay salaries to musicians and artists - no strings attached like they do in Ireland?
www.bbc.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:49 PM
The correct answer to this is "Yes, and everyone else too."
Reposted by James
this makes total sense. my cat purrs all the time and has at most half a brain cell
In fact, the weirdest part: sustained purring doesn't require *brain involvement at all*.
There are fibrous pads in the throat (plica vocalis) that are set in motion by an impulse, then SELF-SUSTAIN the purring until the breathing pattern stops.
It's "flow-induced self-sustained oscillation" ๐งช๐ธ
There are fibrous pads in the throat (plica vocalis) that are set in motion by an impulse, then SELF-SUSTAIN the purring until the breathing pattern stops.
It's "flow-induced self-sustained oscillation" ๐งช๐ธ
Domestic cat larynges can produce purring frequencies without neural input
Cat purring has been assumed to be produced by centrally controlled cyclic contractions
of intrinsic laryngeal muscles, but Herbst etย al. now show that cat larynges can generate
purring-like sounds vi...
www.cell.com
January 26, 2026 at 9:06 AM
this makes total sense. my cat purrs all the time and has at most half a brain cell
Reposted by James
Unvarnished truth. This is the one area where I give a crap about games being taken seriously โas an artformโ.. because as it stands, funds are limited, and frankly select for charlatans.
If youโre unwilling to lie about a 10x return, youโre fucked. So liars get funded
If youโre unwilling to lie about a 10x return, youโre fucked. So liars get funded
The UK videogames sector seems to be facing a duality:
On one hand, it is trying to convince investors that it's a high-growth, low-risk sector so that it raises financing.
On the other hand, it is trying to convince government that it's suffering from market failure, so it receives funding. 1/9
On one hand, it is trying to convince investors that it's a high-growth, low-risk sector so that it raises financing.
On the other hand, it is trying to convince government that it's suffering from market failure, so it receives funding. 1/9
January 26, 2026 at 1:32 PM
Unvarnished truth. This is the one area where I give a crap about games being taken seriously โas an artformโ.. because as it stands, funds are limited, and frankly select for charlatans.
If youโre unwilling to lie about a 10x return, youโre fucked. So liars get funded
If youโre unwilling to lie about a 10x return, youโre fucked. So liars get funded
Reposted by James
Weโre airing a new campaign ad, starting tomorrow.
Here it is:
Here it is:
January 25, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Weโre airing a new campaign ad, starting tomorrow.
Here it is:
Here it is:
I'm -fairly- sure we've been using the Steamworks asset/package
January 25, 2026 at 11:17 PM
I'm -fairly- sure we've been using the Steamworks asset/package
Reposted by James
Today in 1986, Voyager 2 made humanity's first and only encounter with Uranus, revealing its clouds, rings, and fascinating zoo of moons.
January 24, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Today in 1986, Voyager 2 made humanity's first and only encounter with Uranus, revealing its clouds, rings, and fascinating zoo of moons.
Reposted by James
Been making an effort to doodle more on paper lately. Fun to crank out some little guys free of any Big Artโข pressure
January 25, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Been making an effort to doodle more on paper lately. Fun to crank out some little guys free of any Big Artโข pressure
Reposted by James
