Jarred
@jarredtrost.com
Job: Engineering Manager. Interests: Politics, Video Games, Technology.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarred-trost/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarred-trost/
What's it like to play Pokemon Legends Z-A? Imagine Final Fantasy 7, but the game ends when you finish Midgar.
October 18, 2025 at 5:37 PM
What's it like to play Pokemon Legends Z-A? Imagine Final Fantasy 7, but the game ends when you finish Midgar.
What's it like to play Final Fantasy Tactics? Well...
1. AI guests move to the front
2. I move healers behind them
3. Guests & enemies attack each other
4. I cast cure on the guests
5. Guests move back & heal themselves
6. Enemies move forward and my characters heal them
7. The party is wiped out
1. AI guests move to the front
2. I move healers behind them
3. Guests & enemies attack each other
4. I cast cure on the guests
5. Guests move back & heal themselves
6. Enemies move forward and my characters heal them
7. The party is wiped out
October 2, 2025 at 4:56 PM
What's it like to play Final Fantasy Tactics? Well...
1. AI guests move to the front
2. I move healers behind them
3. Guests & enemies attack each other
4. I cast cure on the guests
5. Guests move back & heal themselves
6. Enemies move forward and my characters heal them
7. The party is wiped out
1. AI guests move to the front
2. I move healers behind them
3. Guests & enemies attack each other
4. I cast cure on the guests
5. Guests move back & heal themselves
6. Enemies move forward and my characters heal them
7. The party is wiped out
Final Fantasy Tactics is enjoyable so far, but I find targeting and moving to be frustrating. The camera only rotates at 45 degree angles, has only two (nearly identical) zoom levels, and the trees and other props block the characters. There’s a lot of QoL improvements to be made here.
September 30, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Final Fantasy Tactics is enjoyable so far, but I find targeting and moving to be frustrating. The camera only rotates at 45 degree angles, has only two (nearly identical) zoom levels, and the trees and other props block the characters. There’s a lot of QoL improvements to be made here.
Anyone who is unfamiliar with LBOs and why #EA was taken private should read the book "Barbarians at the Gate". It does a wonderful job of explaining the whole LBO industry, and how obscenely wealthy the people taking companies private become after an LBO.
It’s official: EA is going private.
The leveraged buyout will be financed by a staggering $20 billion of debt, which likely means some *aggressive* cost cutting is ahead for EA in the coming months and years.
www.businesswire.com/news/home/20...
The leveraged buyout will be financed by a staggering $20 billion of debt, which likely means some *aggressive* cost cutting is ahead for EA in the coming months and years.
www.businesswire.com/news/home/20...
www.businesswire.com
September 29, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Anyone who is unfamiliar with LBOs and why #EA was taken private should read the book "Barbarians at the Gate". It does a wonderful job of explaining the whole LBO industry, and how obscenely wealthy the people taking companies private become after an LBO.
This is a great analysis of Silksong's difficulty! I'm good at platforming and terrible at combat, so I found myself spending 90% of my time retrying fights, which made the game feel unbalanced. I would have loved difficulty sliders to make platforming more challenging and combat easier.
What's the point of hard games, anyway? youtu.be/Ip5pYl-MuYs
What's The Point Of Hard Games, Anyway?
YouTube video by Game Maker's Toolkit
youtu.be
September 17, 2025 at 4:55 PM
This is a great analysis of Silksong's difficulty! I'm good at platforming and terrible at combat, so I found myself spending 90% of my time retrying fights, which made the game feel unbalanced. I would have loved difficulty sliders to make platforming more challenging and combat easier.
The Last Judge has beat me so many times that my greatest #Silksong accomplishment is speedrunning the walkback. I’ve done it slightly faster than this with favorable wind.
September 7, 2025 at 4:29 PM
The Last Judge has beat me so many times that my greatest #Silksong accomplishment is speedrunning the walkback. I’ve done it slightly faster than this with favorable wind.
There's a pattern with these #Silksong bosses. They're challenging primarily because they have absurdly large hit boxes and do 2 HP of contact damage, which is 40% of your health. Ever-so-slightly touching their hairline does the same damage as getting smashed by a claw! 🙄
September 5, 2025 at 8:45 PM
There's a pattern with these #Silksong bosses. They're challenging primarily because they have absurdly large hit boxes and do 2 HP of contact damage, which is 40% of your health. Ever-so-slightly touching their hairline does the same damage as getting smashed by a claw! 🙄
Finally beat Moorwing in Silksong after well over a dozen attempts.
September 5, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Finally beat Moorwing in Silksong after well over a dozen attempts.
This is why they should have allowed everyone to buy and download the game before release.
September 4, 2025 at 2:27 PM
This is why they should have allowed everyone to buy and download the game before release.
This is great reporting on the development of #Silksong! I think @teamcherry.bsky.social downplays how not using PM tools slowed them down. Only so much info can be kept in your head or on a whiteboard. Documenting the who, what and why of tasks allows even the smallest team to move more quickly.
August 21, 2025 at 7:06 PM
This is great reporting on the development of #Silksong! I think @teamcherry.bsky.social downplays how not using PM tools slowed them down. Only so much info can be kept in your head or on a whiteboard. Documenting the who, what and why of tasks allows even the smallest team to move more quickly.
My guess as to why #Silksong took 7 years to make.
1. They kept increasing the scope of the game.
2. They didn't hire enough people to deliver on the ballooning scope.
3. Hollow Knight continues to sell well, so they were not under any financial pressure to release a new game.
1. They kept increasing the scope of the game.
2. They didn't hire enough people to deliver on the ballooning scope.
3. Hollow Knight continues to sell well, so they were not under any financial pressure to release a new game.
Here we go. Silksong will have a "special announcement" on Thursday at 10:30am ET.
AND coming from me on Thursday, the story behind why Silksong took seven years to make...
Stay tuned! www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XGe...
AND coming from me on Thursday, the story behind why Silksong took seven years to make...
Stay tuned! www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XGe...
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Special Announcement
YouTube video by Team Cherry
www.youtube.com
August 19, 2025 at 7:10 PM
My guess as to why #Silksong took 7 years to make.
1. They kept increasing the scope of the game.
2. They didn't hire enough people to deliver on the ballooning scope.
3. Hollow Knight continues to sell well, so they were not under any financial pressure to release a new game.
1. They kept increasing the scope of the game.
2. They didn't hire enough people to deliver on the ballooning scope.
3. Hollow Knight continues to sell well, so they were not under any financial pressure to release a new game.
In other words, Mario Kart fans are much more price elastic than Outer Worlds fans.
Dear Galactic Citizens!
We have received your SOS via skip drone about the pricing. As an organization devoted to making sure that corporations do not go unfettered, we at the Earth Directorate have worked with [REDACTED] to revise the price of The Outer Worlds 2.
We have received your SOS via skip drone about the pricing. As an organization devoted to making sure that corporations do not go unfettered, we at the Earth Directorate have worked with [REDACTED] to revise the price of The Outer Worlds 2.
July 23, 2025 at 3:53 PM
In other words, Mario Kart fans are much more price elastic than Outer Worlds fans.
I was lucky enough play the last #nintendo playtest. It was a strangely fun mixture of #minecraft world building, #zelda exploration, and #fortnite style territory management. It was derivative of so many games, yet unique in its own way.
I hope I’m lucky enough to get to play the next iteration!
I hope I’m lucky enough to get to play the next iteration!
About the Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program
playtest-p.nintendo.com
July 18, 2025 at 3:59 AM
I was lucky enough play the last #nintendo playtest. It was a strangely fun mixture of #minecraft world building, #zelda exploration, and #fortnite style territory management. It was derivative of so many games, yet unique in its own way.
I hope I’m lucky enough to get to play the next iteration!
I hope I’m lucky enough to get to play the next iteration!
Reposted by Jarred
Spotify amps up podcast discovery with new features
Spotify amps up podcast discovery with new features | TechCrunch
Spotify will begin recommending podcasts on its Home page and provide a Following feed for staying up-to-date with the latest episodes.
techcrunch.com
May 28, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Spotify amps up podcast discovery with new features
@jasonschreier.bsky.social If you're working on another book, a chapter about the rise and fall of Moon Studios would be a fascinating story! www.msn.com/en-us/news/t...
MSN
www.msn.com
May 15, 2025 at 3:38 PM
@jasonschreier.bsky.social If you're working on another book, a chapter about the rise and fall of Moon Studios would be a fascinating story! www.msn.com/en-us/news/t...
Reposted by Jarred
Backstage access: Spotify’s dev tools side-hustle is growing legs
Backstage access: Spotify’s dev tools side-hustle is growing legs | TechCrunch
Backstage helps companies build customized developer portals, bringing order to their infrastructure by combining all their tooling.
techcrunch.com
May 4, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Backstage access: Spotify’s dev tools side-hustle is growing legs
Because that’s not what decentralized means #TechCrunch!
Wait, how did a decentralized service like Bluesky go down? | TechCrunch
It turns out that decentralized social networks can go down, too. On Thursday evening, the decentralized social network Bluesky experienced a significant
techcrunch.com
April 25, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Because that’s not what decentralized means #TechCrunch!
Reposted by Jarred
LinkedIn will let your verified identity show up on other platforms
LinkedIn will let your verified identity show up on other platforms
LinkedIn does what Twitter probably should have.
buff.ly
April 24, 2025 at 9:30 AM
LinkedIn will let your verified identity show up on other platforms
Reposted by Jarred
Nintendo canceled U.S. preorders for the Switch 2 after President Trump announced sweeping global tariffs. We discuss the challenges facing the console release with Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser.
Trump's tariffs complicate the Switch 2 launch, says Nintendo of America president
Nintendo canceled U.S. preorders for the Switch 2 after President Trump announced sweeping global tariffs. We discuss the challenges facing the console release with Nintendo of America President Doug ...
www.npr.org
April 7, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Nintendo canceled U.S. preorders for the Switch 2 after President Trump announced sweeping global tariffs. We discuss the challenges facing the console release with Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser.
Reposted by Jarred
We asked camera companies why their RAW formats are all different and confusing
The real reason RAW camera formats are all different and confusing
Locked, proprietary formats are the norm.
buff.ly
April 4, 2025 at 11:10 AM
We asked camera companies why their RAW formats are all different and confusing
2 Bravely Defaults = 1 Mario Kart
New influx of bravely default fans simply because this will be the only affordable game on the console
April 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
2 Bravely Defaults = 1 Mario Kart
Reposted by Jarred
I played the Switch 2 at a press event in NYC yesterday. Some thoughts:
- It's slightly bigger but otherwise feels just like the Switch
- The mouse controls take some getting used to
- Mario Kart World is spectacular and going to sell a kajillion copies
More: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- It's slightly bigger but otherwise feels just like the Switch
- The mouse controls take some getting used to
- Mario Kart World is spectacular and going to sell a kajillion copies
More: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Hands On With Nintendo’s Switch 2, Which Will Be a ‘Mario Kart’ Machine
We checked out several demos on the $450 console, including Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong
www.bloomberg.com
April 3, 2025 at 1:01 PM
I played the Switch 2 at a press event in NYC yesterday. Some thoughts:
- It's slightly bigger but otherwise feels just like the Switch
- The mouse controls take some getting used to
- Mario Kart World is spectacular and going to sell a kajillion copies
More: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- It's slightly bigger but otherwise feels just like the Switch
- The mouse controls take some getting used to
- Mario Kart World is spectacular and going to sell a kajillion copies
More: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
The real reason why video games are about to get a lot more expensive.
Nintendo unveils high-priced Switch 2 console as Trump’s tariffs bite
New device will cost $449.99 in June release that games industry hopes will turbocharge sales
www.ft.com
April 2, 2025 at 8:51 PM
The real reason why video games are about to get a lot more expensive.
It's nice to see that we can buy the Switch 2 directly from #Nintendo. No more buying a bundle from #GameStop that includes a bunch of unwanted games and accessories.
Nintendo Switch 2 – How to Buy – Official Site
Learn where you can buy Nintendo Switch 2 systems and accessories from retailers, or see how to register your interest to shop from the official My Nintendo Store.
www.nintendo.com
April 2, 2025 at 2:59 PM