Bryant Francis
@bryantfrancis.me
Writer: Zephon, Endless Space 2 (rbryantfrancis@gmail.com)
Senior Editor: Game Developer (bryant.francis@gamedeveloper.com)
Otherwise: There’s a better world out there. Still looking for it.
Portfolio: www.bryantfrancis.me
Senior Editor: Game Developer (bryant.francis@gamedeveloper.com)
Otherwise: There’s a better world out there. Still looking for it.
Portfolio: www.bryantfrancis.me
Pinned
Bryant Francis
@bryantfrancis.me
· Oct 17
ZEPHON - Steam News Hub
Updates, events, and news from the developers of ZEPHON.
store.steampowered.com
Hi new followers!!! You might know that I'm senior editor at Game Developer, but did you also know I'm writing for Proxy Studios' 4X strategy game Zephon?
It's out on November 8, and you can wishlist it now to buy on day one!
store.steampowered.com/news/app/148...
It's out on November 8, and you can wishlist it now to buy on day one!
store.steampowered.com/news/app/148...
Reposted by Bryant Francis
His Story 🤷♂️
For folks (and journalists) who want to search the Oversight Committee email texts, I made a database for searching the 20k text files:
splendorous-chaja-f79791.netlify.app
splendorous-chaja-f79791.netlify.app
Epstein Document Search
splendorous-chaja-f79791.netlify.app
November 13, 2025 at 4:13 AM
His Story 🤷♂️
Reposted by Bryant Francis
I've seen enough. The piss tape is real.
The Kremlin disguised a nearly $100 mn payment to Trump in the form of a brokered real estate deal... and both Jeffrey Epstein and William Pulte were involved in the deal. That's very interesting.
November 12, 2025 at 10:21 PM
I've seen enough. The piss tape is real.
Reposted by Bryant Francis
(curious, do we know what the *terms* were for actors who did AI licenses for arc raiders? “They agreed to it” - to what?
Core to our negotiation: some stuff you should not be pressured to agree to, you deserve certain info beforehand, & have union enforcement if violated.
I wish them the same.)
Core to our negotiation: some stuff you should not be pressured to agree to, you deserve certain info beforehand, & have union enforcement if violated.
I wish them the same.)
November 12, 2025 at 8:26 PM
(curious, do we know what the *terms* were for actors who did AI licenses for arc raiders? “They agreed to it” - to what?
Core to our negotiation: some stuff you should not be pressured to agree to, you deserve certain info beforehand, & have union enforcement if violated.
I wish them the same.)
Core to our negotiation: some stuff you should not be pressured to agree to, you deserve certain info beforehand, & have union enforcement if violated.
I wish them the same.)
quoi
“would you like photos of donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen?” -Jeffrey Epstein
November 12, 2025 at 8:16 PM
quoi
Reposted by Bryant Francis
Context is everything.
Steam Machines originally launched into a space with poor support up against the relative strength of Windows.
The new one drops into a space occupied by the Steam Deck's strides in compatibility, Big Picture, and Windows flailing.
store.steampowered.com/sale/hardware
Steam Machines originally launched into a space with poor support up against the relative strength of Windows.
The new one drops into a space occupied by the Steam Deck's strides in compatibility, Big Picture, and Windows flailing.
store.steampowered.com/sale/hardware
Steam Hardware
The Steam Hardware family officially expands in early 2026.
store.steampowered.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Context is everything.
Steam Machines originally launched into a space with poor support up against the relative strength of Windows.
The new one drops into a space occupied by the Steam Deck's strides in compatibility, Big Picture, and Windows flailing.
store.steampowered.com/sale/hardware
Steam Machines originally launched into a space with poor support up against the relative strength of Windows.
The new one drops into a space occupied by the Steam Deck's strides in compatibility, Big Picture, and Windows flailing.
store.steampowered.com/sale/hardware
dammit I want them all
Valve goes all-in on hardware with Steam Machine, Controller, and new VR device
Valve goes all-in on hardware with Steam Machine, Controller, and new VR device
Valve is releasing a new Steam Controller, a console-like Steam PC, and a new VR headset.
www.gamedeveloper.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:23 PM
dammit I want them all
Reposted by Bryant Francis
I get the thought of the original post because yeah! There is a hole where an outlet could spring up. But people really don't understand how expensive it is or how you need to have the clout to get that money in the first place.
People keep saying this and let me tell you, as one of way too many freelancers without a steady job, it is annoying!
November 12, 2025 at 6:55 PM
I get the thought of the original post because yeah! There is a hole where an outlet could spring up. But people really don't understand how expensive it is or how you need to have the clout to get that money in the first place.
Credit to Valve—the Steam Hardware announcement shows off a diverse group of players of different genders, races, etc.
Steam Hardware Announcement
YouTube video by Valve
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Credit to Valve—the Steam Hardware announcement shows off a diverse group of players of different genders, races, etc.
Reposted by Bryant Francis
this from @adamserwer.bsky.social on Lord of the Rings, Dungeons & Dragons and the right-wing is so good: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
November 12, 2025 at 4:17 PM
this from @adamserwer.bsky.social on Lord of the Rings, Dungeons & Dragons and the right-wing is so good: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
be warned if you look up the definition of "three-cueing" you will scream at a pitch so high only animals will react
how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 12, 2025 at 4:10 PM
be warned if you look up the definition of "three-cueing" you will scream at a pitch so high only animals will react
“In a message obtained by Congress, the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein wrote that Donald J. Trump spent hours at his house with one of Mr. Epstein’s victims.”
guys I think the president might be a pedophile
guys I think the president might be a pedophile
Epstein Alleged in Emails That Trump Knew of His Conduct
www.nytimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:03 PM
“In a message obtained by Congress, the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein wrote that Donald J. Trump spent hours at his house with one of Mr. Epstein’s victims.”
guys I think the president might be a pedophile
guys I think the president might be a pedophile
Reposted by Bryant Francis
Remembering this in light of Alex Karp going off the deep end again.
Palantir used to have affinity groups and DEI as late as 2022, and I had the logos saved on my phone because they pissed me off so much and of course they buried those pages. But I never forgot.
November 11, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Remembering this in light of Alex Karp going off the deep end again.
Reposted by Bryant Francis
It has occurred to me that a lot of things genAI is supposed to magically fix is really all down to bad planning and budgeting
And seeing how often bad project management comes down to directors thinking they should just be able to pivot by snapping their fingers, I don't think I'm entirely wrong >
And seeing how often bad project management comes down to directors thinking they should just be able to pivot by snapping their fingers, I don't think I'm entirely wrong >
November 11, 2025 at 4:18 PM
It has occurred to me that a lot of things genAI is supposed to magically fix is really all down to bad planning and budgeting
And seeing how often bad project management comes down to directors thinking they should just be able to pivot by snapping their fingers, I don't think I'm entirely wrong >
And seeing how often bad project management comes down to directors thinking they should just be able to pivot by snapping their fingers, I don't think I'm entirely wrong >
Reposted by Bryant Francis
The far right is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and Musk keeps posting about "hobbits" because modern scientific racism owes more to fantasy worlds and gaming systems than genetic science, and they see both as effective mediums for right-wing propaganda www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Why Elon Musk Needs Dungeons and Dragons to Be Racist
The fantastical roots of “scientific racism”
www.theatlantic.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:42 PM
The far right is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and Musk keeps posting about "hobbits" because modern scientific racism owes more to fantasy worlds and gaming systems than genetic science, and they see both as effective mediums for right-wing propaganda www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Anyway I wanna resurface something I wrote in 2024: for the price of an ElevenLabs license you really should just hire people who paid too much for UCB classes.
November 11, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Anyway I wanna resurface something I wrote in 2024: for the price of an ElevenLabs license you really should just hire people who paid too much for UCB classes.
Reposted by Bryant Francis
So, I'm playing through Star Ocean 3 again, and one thing I noticed: every cutscene is voice acted. Every one. Even the incidental side characters and dude who shows up in one cutscene, given a unique voice and temperament.
In 2003.
We've solved the problem already.
In 2003.
We've solved the problem already.
November 11, 2025 at 3:13 PM
So, I'm playing through Star Ocean 3 again, and one thing I noticed: every cutscene is voice acted. Every one. Even the incidental side characters and dude who shows up in one cutscene, given a unique voice and temperament.
In 2003.
We've solved the problem already.
In 2003.
We've solved the problem already.
Credit to @kaittremblay.bsky.social and @joelburgess.bsky.social for raising this topic on the podcast—everything in games is made better because you work with other cool people: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/what-...
November 11, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Credit to @kaittremblay.bsky.social and @joelburgess.bsky.social for raising this topic on the podcast—everything in games is made better because you work with other cool people: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/what-...
Reposted by Bryant Francis
It feels sappy, but this is true about every discipline. Let the environment artists influence your writing. Let a cool animation dictate your bark rewrites. The more you and your characters are literally in conversation with the rest of the world, the more authentic it feels.
If your game has voice acting, then working with the voice actors is half of your writing process. It's not complete until you've heard it interpreted and reimagined by a voice actor. And they always reimagine it in ways that elevate the writing, in ways you never would have imagined yourself.
November 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
It feels sappy, but this is true about every discipline. Let the environment artists influence your writing. Let a cool animation dictate your bark rewrites. The more you and your characters are literally in conversation with the rest of the world, the more authentic it feels.
…do I have to do a “what really slows down voice acting implementation” story now?
i don't even get it. The time consuming bit of VO is cutting the lines, balancing the volume, and tagging them. the actual acting into a microphone bit is -- really quick? Make an AI tool that matches dialogue lines up to a raw audio recording and snips it, and you've saved 90% of the time?!
November 11, 2025 at 2:57 PM
…do I have to do a “what really slows down voice acting implementation” story now?
Reposted by Bryant Francis
i don't even get it. The time consuming bit of VO is cutting the lines, balancing the volume, and tagging them. the actual acting into a microphone bit is -- really quick? Make an AI tool that matches dialogue lines up to a raw audio recording and snips it, and you've saved 90% of the time?!
November 11, 2025 at 2:52 PM
i don't even get it. The time consuming bit of VO is cutting the lines, balancing the volume, and tagging them. the actual acting into a microphone bit is -- really quick? Make an AI tool that matches dialogue lines up to a raw audio recording and snips it, and you've saved 90% of the time?!
Cackling at the mental image of a whiteboard with crossed-out ideas about how Bond survived an explosion.
An executive banging his palm on the table. Sweaty writers smoking cigarettes and tugging at their collars. An assistant in the corner penning a script that'll tear up the Blacklist next year.
An executive banging his palm on the table. Sweaty writers smoking cigarettes and tugging at their collars. An assistant in the corner penning a script that'll tear up the Blacklist next year.
James Bond’s death in No Time to Die is causing a nightmare for the next film. Writers are stuck because Bond “was blown to pieces.”
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
November 11, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Cackling at the mental image of a whiteboard with crossed-out ideas about how Bond survived an explosion.
An executive banging his palm on the table. Sweaty writers smoking cigarettes and tugging at their collars. An assistant in the corner penning a script that'll tear up the Blacklist next year.
An executive banging his palm on the table. Sweaty writers smoking cigarettes and tugging at their collars. An assistant in the corner penning a script that'll tear up the Blacklist next year.
Reposted by Bryant Francis
Last week, I sat down with @enhance-experience.com to discuss the development of Lumines Arise and the 'Kondo' philosophy that informs every meticulous design decision at the Japanese studio.
P.S. I've played a huge amount of Arise and it is, as you might expect, an absolute banger.
P.S. I've played a huge amount of Arise and it is, as you might expect, an absolute banger.
Lumines Arise developer Enhance is forever chasing God
Lumines Arise developer Enhance is forever chasing God
The Japanese studio breaks down its unerringly human creative process.
www.gamedeveloper.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Last week, I sat down with @enhance-experience.com to discuss the development of Lumines Arise and the 'Kondo' philosophy that informs every meticulous design decision at the Japanese studio.
P.S. I've played a huge amount of Arise and it is, as you might expect, an absolute banger.
P.S. I've played a huge amount of Arise and it is, as you might expect, an absolute banger.
man executives really hate how much time voice acting takes* huh
*time that can be reduced with proper planning/talent
*time that can be reduced with proper planning/talent
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has defended AI following Eurogamer's 2/5 Arc Raiders review, which criticised the game's use use of AI voice generation. "AI dialog generation + human personality and tuning could totally transform gaming," Sweeney said.
www.gamesindustry.biz/epics-tim-sw...
www.gamesindustry.biz/epics-tim-sw...
Epic's Tim Sweeney wades into the Arc Raiders AI row
"This technology increases human productivity in some areas by integer multiples"
www.gamesindustry.biz
November 11, 2025 at 2:20 PM
man executives really hate how much time voice acting takes* huh
*time that can be reduced with proper planning/talent
*time that can be reduced with proper planning/talent
Reposted by Bryant Francis
Chatting with Future Class inductees for my latest at @theguardian.com. They paint a pretty clear picture of the perils of performative allyship.
Thanks to all who spoke with me, and always, to Keza for the chance to do important work!
Thanks to all who spoke with me, and always, to Keza for the chance to do important work!
“Don’t gather some of the most brilliant activists in the industry, treat us like crap, and then expect us to do nothing about it.” After the Game Awards cancelled its Future Class programme, @alyssamerc.bsky.social talked to its former honorees
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/n...
“We were effectively props”: young stars of game development feel let down by the ‘gaming Oscars’
Announced in 2020 by the Game Awards as an inclusive programme for the industry’s next generation, the Future Class initiative has now been discontinued. Inductees describe clashes with organisers and...
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Chatting with Future Class inductees for my latest at @theguardian.com. They paint a pretty clear picture of the perils of performative allyship.
Thanks to all who spoke with me, and always, to Keza for the chance to do important work!
Thanks to all who spoke with me, and always, to Keza for the chance to do important work!