James Margaris
@markymarg2.bsky.social
A perfectly harmless box. Game dev, half of Dark Roast Entertainment. Games criticism at http://jmargaris.substack.com
Pinned
Monster Hunter Wilds was a Huge Miss and Other 2025 Thoughts
Rough times for AAA games and games media, a breakout year for indie, Youtube is warping player feedback, and The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy as a map game
open.substack.com
open.substack.com/pub/jmargari...
(I swear I only used this as the lead image because I could only fit a few images in this post and this was the only one at all readable in terms of shape / color etc without context)
(I swear I only used this as the lead image because I could only fit a few images in this post and this was the only one at all readable in terms of shape / color etc without context)
It's interesting.
We know that audiences watch movies with subtitles on largely because they can't understand the dialogue without them, but a Nolan will say that actually it's fine if the audience can't understand the dialogue - people are very stubborn about defending industry practices.
We know that audiences watch movies with subtitles on largely because they can't understand the dialogue without them, but a Nolan will say that actually it's fine if the audience can't understand the dialogue - people are very stubborn about defending industry practices.
“Focus, M” this video is so mean games might legitimately change forever
December 28, 2025 at 2:10 AM
It's interesting.
We know that audiences watch movies with subtitles on largely because they can't understand the dialogue without them, but a Nolan will say that actually it's fine if the audience can't understand the dialogue - people are very stubborn about defending industry practices.
We know that audiences watch movies with subtitles on largely because they can't understand the dialogue without them, but a Nolan will say that actually it's fine if the audience can't understand the dialogue - people are very stubborn about defending industry practices.
After writing my blog about player fantasies I now constantly see it abused by players as a buzzword they can use to sound like authoritative game devs.
"My sniper player fantasy is that I can kill any enemy with one shot before they see me, the developers of this game need to honor my fantasy!"
"My sniper player fantasy is that I can kill any enemy with one shot before they see me, the developers of this game need to honor my fantasy!"
December 23, 2025 at 4:52 AM
After writing my blog about player fantasies I now constantly see it abused by players as a buzzword they can use to sound like authoritative game devs.
"My sniper player fantasy is that I can kill any enemy with one shot before they see me, the developers of this game need to honor my fantasy!"
"My sniper player fantasy is that I can kill any enemy with one shot before they see me, the developers of this game need to honor my fantasy!"
What kills me about "who is the father of indie games?" discourse is that, if you mean only the 2008+ indie boom, the answer is whoever pushed Xbox Live Arcade, or someone like that. Not an indie game creator, a venue creator. Breakout game creators were inevitable thanks to venue availability.
December 22, 2025 at 9:32 AM
What kills me about "who is the father of indie games?" discourse is that, if you mean only the 2008+ indie boom, the answer is whoever pushed Xbox Live Arcade, or someone like that. Not an indie game creator, a venue creator. Breakout game creators were inevitable thanks to venue availability.
Just the other day I saw a video for a Unity "make your own fighting game" package (Universal Fighting Engine) that swaps these terms so I can see why people are confused.
(I tried to google for this image and the first result was my own blog post lol)
Red = hitbox, blue = hurtbox, green = bounds
(I tried to google for this image and the first result was my own blog post lol)
Red = hitbox, blue = hurtbox, green = bounds
December 22, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Just the other day I saw a video for a Unity "make your own fighting game" package (Universal Fighting Engine) that swaps these terms so I can see why people are confused.
(I tried to google for this image and the first result was my own blog post lol)
Red = hitbox, blue = hurtbox, green = bounds
(I tried to google for this image and the first result was my own blog post lol)
Red = hitbox, blue = hurtbox, green = bounds
Come on now that's just a straight up lie.
He also podcasts!
He also podcasts!
Klein, who has done nothing but blog his entire career, has absolutely no idea how revolutionary movements, especially one's like the Trump/MAGAO movement that is VIOLENTLY revanchist, white supremacist, antisemitic, racist, Islamophobic, homo & transphobic, & xenophobically nativist come to an end.
KLEIN: “.. cruelty as the dominant culture repulses most people. .. Closed and cruel are on their way out. What comes next, I suspect, will present itself as open, friendly and assertively moral.”
@ezraklein.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/o...
@ezraklein.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/o...
December 22, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Come on now that's just a straight up lie.
He also podcasts!
He also podcasts!
Reposted by James Margaris
I still have most of these prints if anyone wants them?
There's also Bandcamp:
satellitesound.net
and Ampwall:
ampwall.com/a/andrewelmore
There's also Bandcamp:
satellitesound.net
and Ampwall:
ampwall.com/a/andrewelmore
December 20, 2025 at 12:09 AM
I still have most of these prints if anyone wants them?
There's also Bandcamp:
satellitesound.net
and Ampwall:
ampwall.com/a/andrewelmore
There's also Bandcamp:
satellitesound.net
and Ampwall:
ampwall.com/a/andrewelmore
Reposted by James Margaris
This is incredibly painful for me. I have never asked for help like this before. But I have had people reach out to me asking if they can help, so I am sharing my story and finally asking for help.
I've been lucky to have a lovely group of followers here, please share if you can, anything helps <3
I've been lucky to have a lovely group of followers here, please share if you can, anything helps <3
Donate to Help Natalie Recover From Medical Costs After Layoff, organized by Natalie Spitzel
Hi everyone,
For those who don't know me, my name is Nat… Natalie Spitzel needs your support for Help Natalie Recover From Medical Costs After Layoff
gofund.me
December 20, 2025 at 2:43 AM
This is incredibly painful for me. I have never asked for help like this before. But I have had people reach out to me asking if they can help, so I am sharing my story and finally asking for help.
I've been lucky to have a lovely group of followers here, please share if you can, anything helps <3
I've been lucky to have a lovely group of followers here, please share if you can, anything helps <3
CPI is a metric designed to lowball inflation.
Like most people I assumed CPI was a sensible metric. Then I did some research on how it works.
Anyone pointing to a chart of CPI either doesn't know how it works or *likes* that it's misleading.
Like most people I assumed CPI was a sensible metric. Then I did some research on how it works.
Anyone pointing to a chart of CPI either doesn't know how it works or *likes* that it's misleading.
I think this strengthens the case for Stancilism.
Immediate post pandemic economy was *weird* in a way that made it hard to compare it to similar years.
But we've got low unemployment and low inflation now. Very hard to make the case that now is worse than the Volcker shock.
Immediate post pandemic economy was *weird* in a way that made it hard to compare it to similar years.
But we've got low unemployment and low inflation now. Very hard to make the case that now is worse than the Volcker shock.
UMich consumer sentiment (current conditions) at 50.4 is a new all-time low -- going back to data from the 1970s.
December 20, 2025 at 1:12 AM
CPI is a metric designed to lowball inflation.
Like most people I assumed CPI was a sensible metric. Then I did some research on how it works.
Anyone pointing to a chart of CPI either doesn't know how it works or *likes* that it's misleading.
Like most people I assumed CPI was a sensible metric. Then I did some research on how it works.
Anyone pointing to a chart of CPI either doesn't know how it works or *likes* that it's misleading.
Reposted by James Margaris
As part of my 2025 wrap-up I managed to cram in some stuff about Last Defense Academy and Virtue's Last Reward as "map games", a topic I find very interesting that I rarely (if ever) see discussed.
December 19, 2025 at 1:04 AM
As part of my 2025 wrap-up I managed to cram in some stuff about Last Defense Academy and Virtue's Last Reward as "map games", a topic I find very interesting that I rarely (if ever) see discussed.
As part of my 2025 wrap-up I managed to cram in some stuff about Last Defense Academy and Virtue's Last Reward as "map games", a topic I find very interesting that I rarely (if ever) see discussed.
December 19, 2025 at 1:04 AM
As part of my 2025 wrap-up I managed to cram in some stuff about Last Defense Academy and Virtue's Last Reward as "map games", a topic I find very interesting that I rarely (if ever) see discussed.
I didn't mention political punditry when I wrote this but it was an angle I'd thought about.
Yglesias is doing "imagine a mom who loves Warhammer 40k."
"Imagine a guy who agrees with me or makes my point" is not a great way to start an argument! You can imagine anything!
Yglesias is doing "imagine a mom who loves Warhammer 40k."
"Imagine a guy who agrees with me or makes my point" is not a great way to start an argument! You can imagine anything!
December 18, 2025 at 11:31 PM
I didn't mention political punditry when I wrote this but it was an angle I'd thought about.
Yglesias is doing "imagine a mom who loves Warhammer 40k."
"Imagine a guy who agrees with me or makes my point" is not a great way to start an argument! You can imagine anything!
Yglesias is doing "imagine a mom who loves Warhammer 40k."
"Imagine a guy who agrees with me or makes my point" is not a great way to start an argument! You can imagine anything!
open.substack.com/pub/jmargari...
(I swear I only used this as the lead image because I could only fit a few images in this post and this was the only one at all readable in terms of shape / color etc without context)
(I swear I only used this as the lead image because I could only fit a few images in this post and this was the only one at all readable in terms of shape / color etc without context)
Monster Hunter Wilds was a Huge Miss and Other 2025 Thoughts
Rough times for AAA games and games media, a breakout year for indie, Youtube is warping player feedback, and The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy as a map game
open.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:09 PM
open.substack.com/pub/jmargari...
(I swear I only used this as the lead image because I could only fit a few images in this post and this was the only one at all readable in terms of shape / color etc without context)
(I swear I only used this as the lead image because I could only fit a few images in this post and this was the only one at all readable in terms of shape / color etc without context)
When we were making Lucadian Chronicles we wanted to use some public domain art which meant visiting various websites but also going to museums, something I previously saw as a vacation-only activity. The end result was I learned a lot about art history.
Been thinking on the use of GenAi for mood boards. Ethics and legal risks aside, I truly believe using GenAi as references deprives one of many pivotal things.
Here’s a blurb on what I mean:
Here’s a blurb on what I mean:
December 18, 2025 at 1:48 AM
When we were making Lucadian Chronicles we wanted to use some public domain art which meant visiting various websites but also going to museums, something I previously saw as a vacation-only activity. The end result was I learned a lot about art history.
I'm shocked I don't see this image or some variant more often.
December 17, 2025 at 5:07 AM
I'm shocked I don't see this image or some variant more often.
The key graphic of their trailer being "inspired" by Gustave Dore looks a little more suspicious in this light.
GET 'EM BOYS!!!
Ok in all seriousness, it does raise the question: "was this inspired by Gustave Dore or was Dore just hoovered in by an AI-driven process?"
GET 'EM BOYS!!!
Ok in all seriousness, it does raise the question: "was this inspired by Gustave Dore or was Dore just hoovered in by an AI-driven process?"
December 16, 2025 at 11:15 PM
The key graphic of their trailer being "inspired" by Gustave Dore looks a little more suspicious in this light.
GET 'EM BOYS!!!
Ok in all seriousness, it does raise the question: "was this inspired by Gustave Dore or was Dore just hoovered in by an AI-driven process?"
GET 'EM BOYS!!!
Ok in all seriousness, it does raise the question: "was this inspired by Gustave Dore or was Dore just hoovered in by an AI-driven process?"
1. Start reading this
2. Pretty much agree
3. Thing about RT'ing it
4. Realize that 1/167 means there are 167 images
5. Start clicking through them
6. See that #4 is me!
Ha.
I've always preferred "engrossing" to "immersive"
2. Pretty much agree
3. Thing about RT'ing it
4. Realize that 1/167 means there are 167 images
5. Start clicking through them
6. See that #4 is me!
Ha.
I've always preferred "engrossing" to "immersive"
December 16, 2025 at 3:29 AM
1. Start reading this
2. Pretty much agree
3. Thing about RT'ing it
4. Realize that 1/167 means there are 167 images
5. Start clicking through them
6. See that #4 is me!
Ha.
I've always preferred "engrossing" to "immersive"
2. Pretty much agree
3. Thing about RT'ing it
4. Realize that 1/167 means there are 167 images
5. Start clicking through them
6. See that #4 is me!
Ha.
I've always preferred "engrossing" to "immersive"
Relatable.
December 15, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Relatable.
I've always contended that one of the subtle strengths of Dark Souls is that it has basically no dedicated traversal mechanics and combat takes place in the same weirdly-shaped spaces you explore - it's not combat in an arena and then explore a more exotic layout. (Same for Mario TBH)
there's never any reset to zero. everything you do in a level effects everything else. exploration, resources and combat are all one. opposed to in a modern doom game where the dynamic ammo system means you reset to zero and do a full execution of the gameplay loop several times per encounter
December 15, 2025 at 9:27 AM
I've always contended that one of the subtle strengths of Dark Souls is that it has basically no dedicated traversal mechanics and combat takes place in the same weirdly-shaped spaces you explore - it's not combat in an arena and then explore a more exotic layout. (Same for Mario TBH)
This is exactly why I start so many sentences with "but" and "and." I know full well you're not supposed to, which only adds to the appeal and helps cement my reputation as "the bad boy of sentence starting."
Probably the single most important rule of writing is that you need to know the rules well enough to know when and why you're breaking them. Doing it by accident is almost never going to work out; doing it on purpose and with reason is the key to all great writing, imo
Essentially none of the actual best legal writing follows the cookie-cutter formula that they try to teach you to write in 🤷♂️
December 15, 2025 at 4:21 AM
This is exactly why I start so many sentences with "but" and "and." I know full well you're not supposed to, which only adds to the appeal and helps cement my reputation as "the bad boy of sentence starting."
I decided to write an end of year roundup, AKA a bunch of topics that I want to write about but that wouldn't fill up a full post, with the plausible deniability that they're all 2025 related
December 14, 2025 at 1:24 PM
I decided to write an end of year roundup, AKA a bunch of topics that I want to write about but that wouldn't fill up a full post, with the plausible deniability that they're all 2025 related
You guys are never going to crack "what counts as an indie game?"
It worked for movies because there were 5 movie studios that had backlots etc. There are hundreds of video game publishers from all over the world with no clear dividing line between them
It worked for movies because there were 5 movie studios that had backlots etc. There are hundreds of video game publishers from all over the world with no clear dividing line between them
December 14, 2025 at 6:24 AM
You guys are never going to crack "what counts as an indie game?"
It worked for movies because there were 5 movie studios that had backlots etc. There are hundreds of video game publishers from all over the world with no clear dividing line between them
It worked for movies because there were 5 movie studios that had backlots etc. There are hundreds of video game publishers from all over the world with no clear dividing line between them
Reposted by James Margaris
One of my personal highlights surrounding The Game Awards was the official Okami account clapping back and eviscerating this loser ☠️
December 12, 2025 at 2:32 PM
One of my personal highlights surrounding The Game Awards was the official Okami account clapping back and eviscerating this loser ☠️
I occasionally wonder if you could make a game like this today.
You would *have* to do some "quality of life" stuff (at least vs the early days of FFXI) but what is the right amount that preserves the spirit without being too off-putting?
You would *have* to do some "quality of life" stuff (at least vs the early days of FFXI) but what is the right amount that preserves the spirit without being too off-putting?
Watching this video this morning, it's a good reminder that FFXI is, in fact, one of the best video games ever. youtu.be/_O_pE-85-qA?...
My First 100 HOURS in [FFXI]
YouTube video by Lofi Leveling
youtu.be
December 14, 2025 at 12:41 AM
I occasionally wonder if you could make a game like this today.
You would *have* to do some "quality of life" stuff (at least vs the early days of FFXI) but what is the right amount that preserves the spirit without being too off-putting?
You would *have* to do some "quality of life" stuff (at least vs the early days of FFXI) but what is the right amount that preserves the spirit without being too off-putting?
I've transcended to the next plane of human existence (basically a living beam of light, use your imagination) and now see TGA discourse as the concern of lesser beings, sorry everyone!
(I will briefly de-evolve to say that City of the Wolves deserved the fighting game award)
(I will briefly de-evolve to say that City of the Wolves deserved the fighting game award)
December 13, 2025 at 6:30 AM
I've transcended to the next plane of human existence (basically a living beam of light, use your imagination) and now see TGA discourse as the concern of lesser beings, sorry everyone!
(I will briefly de-evolve to say that City of the Wolves deserved the fighting game award)
(I will briefly de-evolve to say that City of the Wolves deserved the fighting game award)
Karen Allen at the end of Starman
(Also a half dozen different Sergio Leone faces but that feels like cheating)
(Also a half dozen different Sergio Leone faces but that feels like cheating)
December 13, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Karen Allen at the end of Starman
(Also a half dozen different Sergio Leone faces but that feels like cheating)
(Also a half dozen different Sergio Leone faces but that feels like cheating)