Jonathan Cooper
@jonathan.gameanim.com
Award-winning game developer. Animated Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Uncharted, The Last of Us series and more. Wrote GAME ANIM: Video Game Animation Explained. Shipped Apple Vision Pro.
gameanim.com
gameanim.com
Pinned
Major milestone this week with over 100,000 downloads of the AZRI Rig! Thanks so much to @wuffles.bsky.social for creating the rig and @mafubash.bsky.social for the amazing character work.
Download here for free: www.gameanim.com/product/azri...
Download here for free: www.gameanim.com/product/azri...
Learned last night that Rockstar Edinburgh, Lincoln and Dundee were all caught in the union-busting layoffs, but thankfully the more senior staff are speaking out against it internally with others checking out work early. Now the issue is being raised in parliament.
Video game giant Rockstar has sacked more than 30 workers across the UK, including my constituents working at their Edinburgh office. I urged Ministers to support workers who have lost their jobs, and stop this from happening again.
November 14, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Learned last night that Rockstar Edinburgh, Lincoln and Dundee were all caught in the union-busting layoffs, but thankfully the more senior staff are speaking out against it internally with others checking out work early. Now the issue is being raised in parliament.
The Edinburgh Game Dev Drinkup is tonight at the Hollyrood 9A from 6pm onwards.
"This is a blatant, unapologetic act of vicious union busting" - Hundreds of Rockstar employees sign letter to management, demanding fired colleagues get reinstated www.eurogamer.net/this-is-a-bl...
November 13, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The Edinburgh Game Dev Drinkup is tonight at the Hollyrood 9A from 6pm onwards.
Took a 1hr drive to New Asgard from Avengers/Thor - AKA St. Abbs.
November 11, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Took a 1hr drive to New Asgard from Avengers/Thor - AKA St. Abbs.
My wife brought back gifts from Richmond
November 10, 2025 at 8:25 PM
My wife brought back gifts from Richmond
Reposted by Jonathan Cooper
If you thought Frankenstein's Tower in the Guillermo del Toro movie looked cool, check out the real-world inspiration behind it...
November 10, 2025 at 12:27 PM
If you thought Frankenstein's Tower in the Guillermo del Toro movie looked cool, check out the real-world inspiration behind it...
“A lot of animation people play games but don’t think they can make one,” he says. “But it’s totally possible now. The tools are there, the communities are there, it’s never been more accessible.”
‘Animaniacs’ Director Gabe Swarr Turns To Indie Games
Swarr says more animators should try game creation—“the tools and communities are here; it’s never been more accessible.”
www.cartoonbrew.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:12 AM
“A lot of animation people play games but don’t think they can make one,” he says. “But it’s totally possible now. The tools are there, the communities are there, it’s never been more accessible.”
Showing my kid Daddy’s “Pokémon” cards.
November 5, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Showing my kid Daddy’s “Pokémon” cards.
Fall walk in The Pentlands
November 4, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Fall walk in The Pentlands
The 17th Edinburgh Game Dev Drinkup is Thursday November 13th at the Hollyrood 9A from 6pm, in the alcove to the right on entering. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/game-dev-d...
November 3, 2025 at 3:32 PM
The 17th Edinburgh Game Dev Drinkup is Thursday November 13th at the Hollyrood 9A from 6pm, in the alcove to the right on entering. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/game-dev-d...
Watched Bram Stoker’s Dracula for Halloween and this shot is so memorable - I think it’s the only hand-held of the movie, and Oldman’s off-kilter stomp is perfect.
November 3, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Watched Bram Stoker’s Dracula for Halloween and this shot is so memorable - I think it’s the only hand-held of the movie, and Oldman’s off-kilter stomp is perfect.
Pumped to have gameanim.com credited as a source in Jeroen Bekker’s latest video. It’s come full circle as his channel inspired me to go hunting for video game behind-the-scenes in the first place
The Making of Metal Gear Solid - Design & Art Direction
YouTube video by strafefox
youtu.be
October 29, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Pumped to have gameanim.com credited as a source in Jeroen Bekker’s latest video. It’s come full circle as his channel inspired me to go hunting for video game behind-the-scenes in the first place
I joined BioWare a few months before Halo 2 and a whole bunch of us lived (survived) our first Edmonton winter in the same high rise apartments near the studio.
We had this setup after lugging several CRTs all to the same apartment for 16-player deathmatch. Some of my favourite times ever gaming.
We had this setup after lugging several CRTs all to the same apartment for 16-player deathmatch. Some of my favourite times ever gaming.
Before Xbox Live was ready everyone was taking their TVs and consoles for "lan parties" connecting systems to eachother
It was a moment In gaming history
It was a moment In gaming history
October 25, 2025 at 8:43 AM
I joined BioWare a few months before Halo 2 and a whole bunch of us lived (survived) our first Edmonton winter in the same high rise apartments near the studio.
We had this setup after lugging several CRTs all to the same apartment for 16-player deathmatch. Some of my favourite times ever gaming.
We had this setup after lugging several CRTs all to the same apartment for 16-player deathmatch. Some of my favourite times ever gaming.
We don’t care
Skipping GDC sends message to developers that you don’t care, organiser warns
Plus, Borderlands 4, Ghost of Yotei and Switch 2 provide crucial boost for the US game market
www.thegamebusiness.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:15 PM
We don’t care
Got the set (again)
October 22, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Got the set (again)
Reposted by Jonathan Cooper
Look, it’s really straightforward to get a publisher as a new name indie in 2025. Simply do 95% of the work making and marketing your game, and if your metrics are trending towards almost certain success, a publisher will swoop in to promise the remaining 5%, deliver 3%, and collect 75%
October 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Look, it’s really straightforward to get a publisher as a new name indie in 2025. Simply do 95% of the work making and marketing your game, and if your metrics are trending towards almost certain success, a publisher will swoop in to promise the remaining 5%, deliver 3%, and collect 75%
Ninja Gaiden 2 (2008) face rigs in Softimage
October 16, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Ninja Gaiden 2 (2008) face rigs in Softimage
Reposted by Jonathan Cooper
I’ve been occasionally breaking down into a mess throughout the day, but I am finding solace in the 4+ hours of conversation I recorded with Itagaki-san last year for a book we were working on together. They were his development memoirs, and I will do everything in my power to bring this to life.
October 16, 2025 at 8:11 AM
I’ve been occasionally breaking down into a mess throughout the day, but I am finding solace in the 4+ hours of conversation I recorded with Itagaki-san last year for a book we were working on together. They were his development memoirs, and I will do everything in my power to bring this to life.
Reposted by Jonathan Cooper
I’ve been working for 15 years as an animator and I can tell you without a doubt, the best fix I ever found for imposter syndrome is living a full life where your days and worth don’t hinge on whether or not you were a good animator today.
October 15, 2025 at 6:04 AM
I’ve been working for 15 years as an animator and I can tell you without a doubt, the best fix I ever found for imposter syndrome is living a full life where your days and worth don’t hinge on whether or not you were a good animator today.
Reposted by Jonathan Cooper
We stand in solidarity with employees and ex-employees at Build a Rocket Boy as they file legal claims through our union and publish an open letter, condemning the way in which they’ve been mistreated and discarded by the studio’s millionaire executives.
www.gameworkers.co.uk/barb-open-le...
www.gameworkers.co.uk/barb-open-le...
October 10, 2025 at 12:15 PM
We stand in solidarity with employees and ex-employees at Build a Rocket Boy as they file legal claims through our union and publish an open letter, condemning the way in which they’ve been mistreated and discarded by the studio’s millionaire executives.
www.gameworkers.co.uk/barb-open-le...
www.gameworkers.co.uk/barb-open-le...
Tonight! I won't be there but just ask for the group - should be sat at the rear of the pub to the left.
Thursday October 9th is the 16th Edinburgh GameDev Drinkup - in the Hollyrood 9A from 6pm www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/game-dev-d...
October 9, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Tonight! I won't be there but just ask for the group - should be sat at the rear of the pub to the left.
Thursday October 9th is the 16th Edinburgh GameDev Drinkup - in the Hollyrood 9A from 6pm www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/game-dev-d...
October 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Thursday October 9th is the 16th Edinburgh GameDev Drinkup - in the Hollyrood 9A from 6pm www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/game-dev-d...
Unreal Animation Framework in The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo
Unreal Animation Framework in The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo | Unreal Fest Orlando 2025
YouTube video by Unreal Engine
www.youtube.com
October 4, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Unreal Animation Framework in The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo
How Ghost of Yotei & Tsushima are Animated with Autodesk Maya
How Ghost of Yotei & Tsushima are Animated with Autodesk Maya
YouTube video by Class Creatives
youtu.be
October 3, 2025 at 7:02 AM
How Ghost of Yotei & Tsushima are Animated with Autodesk Maya
How Where Winds Meet’s Wuxia-inspired combat turns the umbrella into a weapon
blog.playstation.com/2025/09/25/h...
blog.playstation.com/2025/09/25/h...
October 1, 2025 at 9:56 AM
How Where Winds Meet’s Wuxia-inspired combat turns the umbrella into a weapon
blog.playstation.com/2025/09/25/h...
blog.playstation.com/2025/09/25/h...
Reposted by Jonathan Cooper
The buyout and strip for parts happening to EA right now is how AAA dying looks / will look, BTW. A bunch of them are functionally lumbering corpses.
You can argue whether or not that's fair or if they are salvagable, but in our bullshit capitalism, that sorta doesn't matter, so they're toast.
You can argue whether or not that's fair or if they are salvagable, but in our bullshit capitalism, that sorta doesn't matter, so they're toast.
September 29, 2025 at 3:03 PM
The buyout and strip for parts happening to EA right now is how AAA dying looks / will look, BTW. A bunch of them are functionally lumbering corpses.
You can argue whether or not that's fair or if they are salvagable, but in our bullshit capitalism, that sorta doesn't matter, so they're toast.
You can argue whether or not that's fair or if they are salvagable, but in our bullshit capitalism, that sorta doesn't matter, so they're toast.