Skill Up
@skillup.bsky.social
YouTube sellout https://linktr.ee/skillupyt Business only: skillup@night.co
Absolutely essential viewing from @chrisbratt.bsky.social on Rockstar’s sackings, which appear to be the single most flagrant example of union busting in the history of the videogames industry. Rockstar has provided absolutely zero evidence to support any of their claims. youtu.be/c9nOwjeznjI?...
The Rockstar Workers Fired Before They Could Finish GTA 6
YouTube video by People Make Games
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Absolutely essential viewing from @chrisbratt.bsky.social on Rockstar’s sackings, which appear to be the single most flagrant example of union busting in the history of the videogames industry. Rockstar has provided absolutely zero evidence to support any of their claims. youtu.be/c9nOwjeznjI?...
Oof
Sony CFO Lin Tao has elaborated on the company's decision to take an "impairment loss" against Bungie and Destiny 2.
"...due to the changes in the competitive environment, the level of sales and user engagement have not reached the expectations we had at the time of the acquisition of Bungie."
"...due to the changes in the competitive environment, the level of sales and user engagement have not reached the expectations we had at the time of the acquisition of Bungie."
Destiny 2 Hasn't Reached Sony's Expectations For Bungie Acquisition, Says CFO
CFO Lin Tao said that Destiny 2 had "not reached the expectations we had at the time of the acquisition of Bungie."
thisweekinvideogames.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Oof
Callous is a strong word but I do get where he's coming from. Obviously Team Cherry have the right to shadow drop a date, but given their blast radius it might have been better had other games (particularly smaller ones) had more heads up thisweekinvideogames.com/news/hell-is...
Silksong Release Date Surprise Was "A Little Callous", Says Hell Is Us Lead
"As the 'GTA 6 of indie'... to shadow drop something like this is a little callous," said creative director Jonathan Jacques-Belletête.
thisweekinvideogames.com
September 13, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Callous is a strong word but I do get where he's coming from. Obviously Team Cherry have the right to shadow drop a date, but given their blast radius it might have been better had other games (particularly smaller ones) had more heads up thisweekinvideogames.com/news/hell-is...
Oh we eating good this weekend. Review on the 25th of September #ghostofyotei
September 5, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Oh we eating good this weekend. Review on the 25th of September #ghostofyotei
Not long now. In just a short time we'll finally be playing it (Garfield Kart 2 - All You Can Drift).
September 4, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Not long now. In just a short time we'll finally be playing it (Garfield Kart 2 - All You Can Drift).
Such a great write up from @superdonk.bsky.social. He's a long time Skate enjoyer and honestly, his perspective is so illuminating since I only really remember the series for its funny bails. There's was so much more to it, and it seems as though big chunks of that stuff is missing in the reboot.
Our resident cool guy @superdonk.bsky.social has spent a good amount of time in EA's live-service Skate reboot.
Sounds like it's in top shape mechanically, but the weirdly soulless wrapper sits at odds with the traditional vibes of the series (and culture).
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/ea-s...
Sounds like it's in top shape mechanically, but the weirdly soulless wrapper sits at odds with the traditional vibes of the series (and culture).
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/ea-s...
EA's Skate Reboot Is Disappointingly Corporate (but the Skating Is Great)
The Skate reboot feels at odds how the series has historically represented itself, but the actual skateboarding is the best it's ever felt.
thisweekinvideogames.com
September 4, 2025 at 4:43 AM
Such a great write up from @superdonk.bsky.social. He's a long time Skate enjoyer and honestly, his perspective is so illuminating since I only really remember the series for its funny bails. There's was so much more to it, and it seems as though big chunks of that stuff is missing in the reboot.
Idk what dial YouTube turned but they definitely did something. Viewership is inexplicably down around 30% for myself and many channels I watch/follow. I've never blamed the algorithm for anything in my 10 years on YT, but this is too obvious to ignore. Spoken to others who have noticed it, too.
September 3, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Idk what dial YouTube turned but they definitely did something. Viewership is inexplicably down around 30% for myself and many channels I watch/follow. I've never blamed the algorithm for anything in my 10 years on YT, but this is too obvious to ignore. Spoken to others who have noticed it, too.
Extremely excited to have @victoriatran.bsky.social on board as a monthly columnist, providing insight into the world of indie games development and community management. Fantastic first piece too, covering the plague of clone games that plagiarize the work of game makers.
So what's up with all those clone games on the App Stores and eShops and Robloxes of the world? Just how big of a problem are they?
Innersloth's @victoriatran.bsky.social gives us the lowdown in her new regular column, Indie Insight.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/indi... [PAYWALLED]
Innersloth's @victoriatran.bsky.social gives us the lowdown in her new regular column, Indie Insight.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/indi... [PAYWALLED]
The Endless Deluge of Clone Games - Indie Insight
What's up with those ripoffs and clone games littering marketplaces? Just how big of a problem are they? Victoria Tran gives us the rundown.
thisweekinvideogames.com
August 27, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Extremely excited to have @victoriatran.bsky.social on board as a monthly columnist, providing insight into the world of indie games development and community management. Fantastic first piece too, covering the plague of clone games that plagiarize the work of game makers.
This is how Zack Snyder should have marketed Man of Steel.
August 13, 2025 at 11:13 PM
This is how Zack Snyder should have marketed Man of Steel.
Played about 2 hours of the Battlefield 6 beta. Absolutely floored by how well it runs, how stable the netcode is, how excellent the maps are, how solid the gunplay/sound design is, how well classes/squads work. Could not be more of a contrast from the first impression of 2042 all those years ago.
August 7, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Played about 2 hours of the Battlefield 6 beta. Absolutely floored by how well it runs, how stable the netcode is, how excellent the maps are, how solid the gunplay/sound design is, how well classes/squads work. Could not be more of a contrast from the first impression of 2042 all those years ago.
Pretty big stuff out of Sony: an expected launch window for Marathon (this financial year), an announcement that Bungie will become a PlayStation studio in a more traditional sense, and acknowledgement of Sony's live-service blunders to this point.
Sony has addressed shareholders concerns regarding the delay of Marathon and its overall live-service strategy.
Said CFO Lin Tao: "It’s not entirely going smoothly, but from a longer-term perspective... you see that there has definitely been change."
thisweekinvideogames.com/news/sony-on...
Said CFO Lin Tao: "It’s not entirely going smoothly, but from a longer-term perspective... you see that there has definitely been change."
thisweekinvideogames.com/news/sony-on...
Sony On Marathon, Live-Service Strategy: "It's Not Entirely Going Smoothly"
Sony has addressed concerns regarding Marathon's delay and its broader live-service strategy during a shareholders meeting.
thisweekinvideogames.com
August 7, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Pretty big stuff out of Sony: an expected launch window for Marathon (this financial year), an announcement that Bungie will become a PlayStation studio in a more traditional sense, and acknowledgement of Sony's live-service blunders to this point.
Reposted by Skill Up
Ralph "SkillUp" Panebianco has built a successful YouTube career with more than one million subscribers. So naturally, his next move is... to start a video game website?
I spoke to Panebianco about his new venture ("no ads, no AI") and why he's doing it: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
I spoke to Panebianco about his new venture ("no ads, no AI") and why he's doing it: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
As Video-Game Media Struggles, Star YouTuber Launches New Outlet
Websites like Polygon and Kotaku are facing huge challenges, opening opportunities for newcomers
www.bloomberg.com
July 25, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Ralph "SkillUp" Panebianco has built a successful YouTube career with more than one million subscribers. So naturally, his next move is... to start a video game website?
I spoke to Panebianco about his new venture ("no ads, no AI") and why he's doing it: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
I spoke to Panebianco about his new venture ("no ads, no AI") and why he's doing it: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
This is insane. Payment providers should not have the power to do this.
Games marketplace Itch.io has removed “all adult NSFW” content from search results and browse pages, following scrutiny from payment processors.
The platform says the content will undergo a comprehensive audit, with "some pages being permanently removed."
thisweekinvideogames.com/news/itch-io...
The platform says the content will undergo a comprehensive audit, with "some pages being permanently removed."
thisweekinvideogames.com/news/itch-io...
Itch.io Deindexes Adult NSFW Content For Audit, Following Payment Processor Pressure
Itch.io has removed all adult NSFW content from its search and browse results, to undergo an audit in which some games may be removed.
thisweekinvideogames.com
July 24, 2025 at 7:07 AM
This is insane. Payment providers should not have the power to do this.
We asked the 1047 Games CEO how it could cost so much to maintain Splitgate 1. Here's what he had to say:
1047 Games CEO Ian Proulx has shared additional context around the decision to shut down Splitgate 1 servers, citing high costs, a lack of revenue, and low player numbers.
thisweekinvideogames.com/news/splitga...
thisweekinvideogames.com/news/splitga...
Splitgate 1 Cost 1047 Games ‘$40–50K’ per Month to Maintain
CEO Ian Proulx shared additional context around the decision to shut down Splitgate servers, citing costs, lack of revenue, and low player numbers.
thisweekinvideogames.com
July 24, 2025 at 12:30 AM
We asked the 1047 Games CEO how it could cost so much to maintain Splitgate 1. Here's what he had to say:
Splitgate developer 1047 Games is shutting down the original Splitgate, claiming that maintaining it was costing them 'hundreds of thousands of dollars'.
The game was averaging 130 peak CC players on steam. Can any game devs enlighten me as to how it was costing 1047 that much to keep the game up?
The game was averaging 130 peak CC players on steam. Can any game devs enlighten me as to how it was costing 1047 that much to keep the game up?
July 23, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Splitgate developer 1047 Games is shutting down the original Splitgate, claiming that maintaining it was costing them 'hundreds of thousands of dollars'.
The game was averaging 130 peak CC players on steam. Can any game devs enlighten me as to how it was costing 1047 that much to keep the game up?
The game was averaging 130 peak CC players on steam. Can any game devs enlighten me as to how it was costing 1047 that much to keep the game up?
Just rolled credits on Donkey Kong Bananza. Utterly insane how back-loaded this game is. It simply never stops getting better from about the halfway point on.
Another generational W for Nintendo. Man, if this thing was day one on Switch 2 launch, it would have been a totally different conversation
Another generational W for Nintendo. Man, if this thing was day one on Switch 2 launch, it would have been a totally different conversation
July 22, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Just rolled credits on Donkey Kong Bananza. Utterly insane how back-loaded this game is. It simply never stops getting better from about the halfway point on.
Another generational W for Nintendo. Man, if this thing was day one on Switch 2 launch, it would have been a totally different conversation
Another generational W for Nintendo. Man, if this thing was day one on Switch 2 launch, it would have been a totally different conversation
Reposted by Skill Up
How did @skillup.bsky.social get his start on YouTube?
What advice does he have for folks looking to build a successful YouTube channel?
Don't miss the latest MinnMax Interview! youtu.be/SJeB-MB0gVg
What advice does he have for folks looking to build a successful YouTube channel?
Don't miss the latest MinnMax Interview! youtu.be/SJeB-MB0gVg
July 21, 2025 at 7:35 PM
How did @skillup.bsky.social get his start on YouTube?
What advice does he have for folks looking to build a successful YouTube channel?
Don't miss the latest MinnMax Interview! youtu.be/SJeB-MB0gVg
What advice does he have for folks looking to build a successful YouTube channel?
Don't miss the latest MinnMax Interview! youtu.be/SJeB-MB0gVg
Reposted by Skill Up
Delighted to be doing a monthly column for this. Ralph's a thoroughly good egg, the site's great, and the idea of a video guy pivoting to text is just proper world-gone-mad stuff, love it. Have a look!
The big day is finally here: www.ThisWeekinVideogames.com is officially live! It's 100% ad-free and you can sign up for free to get access to our news, reviews and previews, or become a supporter to get more exclusive content.
www.ThisWeekinVideogames.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Delighted to be doing a monthly column for this. Ralph's a thoroughly good egg, the site's great, and the idea of a video guy pivoting to text is just proper world-gone-mad stuff, love it. Have a look!
The big day is finally here: www.ThisWeekinVideogames.com is officially live! It's 100% ad-free and you can sign up for free to get access to our news, reviews and previews, or become a supporter to get more exclusive content.
www.ThisWeekinVideogames.com
July 17, 2025 at 9:32 PM
The big day is finally here: www.ThisWeekinVideogames.com is officially live! It's 100% ad-free and you can sign up for free to get access to our news, reviews and previews, or become a supporter to get more exclusive content.
Holy fuck aftermath.site/xbox-microso...
Xbox Producer Recommends Laid Off Workers Should Use AI To 'Help Reduce The Emotional And Cognitive Load That Comes With Job Loss' - Aftermath
'I'm struggling with imposter syndrome after being laid off'
aftermath.site
July 4, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Holy fuck aftermath.site/xbox-microso...
After 2 months of work, the Clair Obscur Expedition 33 video is here. I interviewed most of the game's senior leadership team asking one simple question: how did you do this? Their answers were inspiring and moving, and it's no surprise that COE33 is as remarkable as it is: youtu.be/mXLOLgC2V2Q?...
The impossible (true) stories behind the making of Clair Obscur Expedition 33
YouTube video by Skill Up
youtu.be
June 21, 2025 at 9:31 AM
After 2 months of work, the Clair Obscur Expedition 33 video is here. I interviewed most of the game's senior leadership team asking one simple question: how did you do this? Their answers were inspiring and moving, and it's no surprise that COE33 is as remarkable as it is: youtu.be/mXLOLgC2V2Q?...
Love getting home after a long day to play my Switch 2 like this
June 15, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Love getting home after a long day to play my Switch 2 like this
Severance Season 2 started super cool but ended up being super bad.
I'm ready for what comes as a result of this post.
I'm ready for what comes as a result of this post.
May 15, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Severance Season 2 started super cool but ended up being super bad.
I'm ready for what comes as a result of this post.
I'm ready for what comes as a result of this post.
Reposted by Skill Up
Got to have a chat with @skillup.bsky.social and @danryckert.com about our time playing Death Stranding 2 at Kojima Productions for an entire week.
First half are just my impressions. 2nd half is the group convo.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W61d...
First half are just my impressions. 2nd half is the group convo.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W61d...
May 8, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Got to have a chat with @skillup.bsky.social and @danryckert.com about our time playing Death Stranding 2 at Kojima Productions for an entire week.
First half are just my impressions. 2nd half is the group convo.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W61d...
First half are just my impressions. 2nd half is the group convo.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W61d...