And just a final general footnote that relying on unpaid volunteer labour is not always necessarily 'unethical'. What's unethical is *making a profit* from volunteer or unpaid labour. It is okay for a community to invest itself in the work of maintaining itself as a community!

capitalism is at heart a sickness, and we only end up hurting ourselves when we only see the world through its lens

there’s a reason why all the warmest and most moving social spaces, art, and relationships exist beyond its periphery

So remember the other week when I was talking about arts funding..?

Anyway, help us make the tough calls we're all putting off.

Maybe it should end if this is the logical point for it to end

I don’t feel like it is, though.

There’s still fighting to do. There are directors out there hungry for that fight. Someone reading this already knows what they’d put in the crosshairs. Let Freeplay know: www.freeplay.net.au/survey2026

Freeplay rules! Fund art!!!!!

Absolutely massive congratulations to @oddhours.bsky.social for the publication of their MPhil thesis, "Ambivalent Communities: How engagement with Informal Gamemaking Communities Shapes the Labour of Australian Videogame Makers". Really important empirical research on...

eprints.qut.edu.au/255116/

if you're in Brissie next week, you should come along to play//space ~ a showcase of interactive art and experimental games by local creatives.

thurs 23rd Jan @ echo & bounce. doors at 6pm.

Incredibly excited to announce this special issue of Media Industries Journal that I co-edited with Chris Young and @dayofthemutants.bsky.social on the topic of LOCAL DIGITAL GAME PRODUCTION.

journals.publishing.umich.edu/mij/issue/31...

Games might be caught in the crossfire of this frankly poorly thought out and unclear legislative move - and that would be really bad!! Thoughts from @marcuscarter.com & myself on why 💅

I feel like I am "in" the game industry in the same way that a possum is "in" the city

I'm heading done to Melbourne today for MiGW! Excited for Freak On and Parallels. I've got a lot of extra time this week, so feel free to message if you'd like to catch up! :)