Samuel Heine
@sadmediahistorian.bsky.social
Canadian researcher and lecturer in media and game history or spaces.
I tend to write about representations, histories, identities, politics, video games and role-playing games.
There will be typos.
I tend to write about representations, histories, identities, politics, video games and role-playing games.
There will be typos.
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Please read our statement regarding the proposed Electronic Arts buyout. We refuse to let corporate greed decide the future of our industry.
cwa-union.org/news/release...
cwa-union.org/news/release...
October 16, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Please read our statement regarding the proposed Electronic Arts buyout. We refuse to let corporate greed decide the future of our industry.
cwa-union.org/news/release...
cwa-union.org/news/release...
Reposted by Samuel Heine
The ZA/UM Workers' Alliance - a new union set up to represent a subset of UK-based employees at the company - discusses how it wants to help staff feel safe and comfortable in their jobs
www.gamesindustry.biz/after-layoff...
www.gamesindustry.biz/after-layoff...
After layoffs, cancellations, and controversy, ZA/UM UK staff unionise as the Workers' Alliance
"We like being here. We want to continue being here. So let's try and get a seat at the table in the big management meetings."
www.gamesindustry.biz
October 2, 2025 at 10:05 AM
The ZA/UM Workers' Alliance - a new union set up to represent a subset of UK-based employees at the company - discusses how it wants to help staff feel safe and comfortable in their jobs
www.gamesindustry.biz/after-layoff...
www.gamesindustry.biz/after-layoff...
Reposted by Samuel Heine
BREAKING: A catastrophic breach has impacted Discord user data including selfies and identity documents uploaded as part of the app’s verification process, email addresses, phone numbers, approximately where the user lives, and much more.
🔗 www.404media.co/the-discord-...
🔗 www.404media.co/the-discord-...
The Discord Hack is Every Users’ Worst Nightmare
A hack impacting Discord’s age verification process shows in stark terms the risk of tech companies collecting users’ ID documents. Now the hackers are posting peoples’ IDs and other sensitive informa...
www.404media.co
October 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM
BREAKING: A catastrophic breach has impacted Discord user data including selfies and identity documents uploaded as part of the app’s verification process, email addresses, phone numbers, approximately where the user lives, and much more.
🔗 www.404media.co/the-discord-...
🔗 www.404media.co/the-discord-...
For those who thought that Canada was safe, just a reminder that academic freedom is fragile and its limits and definitions are highly dependent on the political, economical, and institutional powers and will in its current iteration. It needs to be defended constantly.
"Why would it bow to antidemocratic pressures by placing a professor on leave without their request, consent, or involvement? That any university would do this is beyond comprehension and is cause for alarm about the future of academic freedom in Canada."
What Happened to the University’s Commitment to Free Expression? Charley Kirk, uAlberta, and Me | Centre for Free Expression
I was shocked when the University of Alberta administration informed me, one of its law professors, that I was being placed on non-disciplinary leave for my social media comments in the wake of Charli...
cfe.torontomu.ca
September 29, 2025 at 8:51 PM
For those who thought that Canada was safe, just a reminder that academic freedom is fragile and its limits and definitions are highly dependent on the political, economical, and institutional powers and will in its current iteration. It needs to be defended constantly.
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Welp, EA is now owned by a group including the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and Trump's son in law Jared Kushner (CEO of Affinity Partners).
Good luck Bioware - I wish your brand of queer centric RPGs good luck...
www.eurogamer.net/ea-privately...
Good luck Bioware - I wish your brand of queer centric RPGs good luck...
www.eurogamer.net/ea-privately...
EA privately acquired in $55bn deal by group of investors, including Saudi Arabia's investment fund and Donald Trump's son-in-law
EA has officially been acquired by a group of investors including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in a private tr…
www.eurogamer.net
September 29, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Welp, EA is now owned by a group including the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and Trump's son in law Jared Kushner (CEO of Affinity Partners).
Good luck Bioware - I wish your brand of queer centric RPGs good luck...
www.eurogamer.net/ea-privately...
Good luck Bioware - I wish your brand of queer centric RPGs good luck...
www.eurogamer.net/ea-privately...
Reposted by Samuel Heine
I am begging Canadians to understand that Canada Post, like public transit, should not be a business - it's a service.
Canada Post is a lifeline for rural, remote and Northern communities and overall, we need to re-evaluate why people think they "need" random shit delivered ASAP.
Canada Post is a lifeline for rural, remote and Northern communities and overall, we need to re-evaluate why people think they "need" random shit delivered ASAP.
The government is reducing service standards and Canada Post’s biggest advantage: its nationwide network.
This plan is about cutting back the postal service instead of investing to give it new revenue tools through things like postal banking. It’s shameful.
This plan is about cutting back the postal service instead of investing to give it new revenue tools through things like postal banking. It’s shameful.
Liberal government frees Canada Post to end home delivery, close some post offices | CBC News
With Canada Post on track to lose $1.5 billion in 2025 and contract discussions between the union and the corporation stalled, the federal government is embarking on a modernization plan it says will ...
www.cbc.ca
September 25, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I am begging Canadians to understand that Canada Post, like public transit, should not be a business - it's a service.
Canada Post is a lifeline for rural, remote and Northern communities and overall, we need to re-evaluate why people think they "need" random shit delivered ASAP.
Canada Post is a lifeline for rural, remote and Northern communities and overall, we need to re-evaluate why people think they "need" random shit delivered ASAP.
Payment processors shouldn't even have the right to discriminate what game can be bought and, by extension, what games are legitimate.
Here's a good article that summarizes the situation, why it's a problem and its impact.
theconversation.com/censoring-vi...
Here's a good article that summarizes the situation, why it's a problem and its impact.
theconversation.com/censoring-vi...
Censoring video games with sexual content suppresses the diversity of human desire
Targeting adult NSFW video games could have knock-on effects on queer creators and sexual education content.
theconversation.com
August 14, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Payment processors shouldn't even have the right to discriminate what game can be bought and, by extension, what games are legitimate.
Here's a good article that summarizes the situation, why it's a problem and its impact.
theconversation.com/censoring-vi...
Here's a good article that summarizes the situation, why it's a problem and its impact.
theconversation.com/censoring-vi...
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Rise Up Feminist Digital Archive (@riseupfeminist.bsky.social) has received funding support from Young Canada Works in Heritage to employ a Digital Archivist Intern between September 2, 2025, and March 27, 2026.
More info and to apply: riseupfeministarchive.ca/contribute/j...
(no affiliation) 🌈🗃️
More info and to apply: riseupfeministarchive.ca/contribute/j...
(no affiliation) 🌈🗃️
Volunteer and Employment Openings – Rise Up! Feminist Digital Archive
riseupfeministarchive.ca
July 22, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Rise Up Feminist Digital Archive (@riseupfeminist.bsky.social) has received funding support from Young Canada Works in Heritage to employ a Digital Archivist Intern between September 2, 2025, and March 27, 2026.
More info and to apply: riseupfeministarchive.ca/contribute/j...
(no affiliation) 🌈🗃️
More info and to apply: riseupfeministarchive.ca/contribute/j...
(no affiliation) 🌈🗃️
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Normal place to work
![Whenever stories of crunch and untenable work conditions hit the animator community, be they big stories like MAPPA's troubles with Jujutsu Kaisen or small ones that are privately shared, how do they tend to process the news? How does that affect morale? Do they hope that speaking out is going to make a change? Or that it's perhaps another story that people will forget about?
SUGAWARA: [Nervous chuckles] Regarding MAPPA, it's said there's a rule that you're not supposed to talk about it.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:iyibgzmetx3bix2kgmahv7ck/bafkreib5ynedafc5finjqqevokorcfgqoxybgwv7hnz7fizrmknhndta5q@jpeg)
July 21, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Normal place to work
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Today on the HGN blog: Katie Vernon (@katievernon.bsky.social) explores the gendered representation of combat professions in medievalist video games, exploring the “use of arms and armour to construct the bodily identity of those involved in combat roles.”
www.historicalgames.net/queer-ying-g...
www.historicalgames.net/queer-ying-g...
Queer-ying Gendered Representation of Combat Professions in Medievalist Video Games | Historical Games Network
The medieval period offers an opportunity to think about gender through its popular stories and use of arms and armour to construct the bodily identity of those involved in combat roles. This blog pos...
www.historicalgames.net
July 7, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Today on the HGN blog: Katie Vernon (@katievernon.bsky.social) explores the gendered representation of combat professions in medievalist video games, exploring the “use of arms and armour to construct the bodily identity of those involved in combat roles.”
www.historicalgames.net/queer-ying-g...
www.historicalgames.net/queer-ying-g...
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Well, I guess it’s never too early to post this again —
‘What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?’: Descendants Read Frederick Douglass' Speech | NPR
YouTube video by NPR
youtu.be
July 4, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Well, I guess it’s never too early to post this again —
Reposted by Samuel Heine
No in all the ways. No yesterday. No today. No tomorrow. No by looking at these outcomes. No by looking at these costs. No by calculating these rates. No by studying these and also these other jurisdictions.
Exasperating that people keep bringing it up.
Exasperating that people keep bringing it up.
The zombie policy question that just won't die, but won't go away.
Asked over and over again. Answered over and over again.
The answer? NO
www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
Asked over and over again. Answered over and over again.
The answer? NO
www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
July 3, 2025 at 10:04 PM
No in all the ways. No yesterday. No today. No tomorrow. No by looking at these outcomes. No by looking at these costs. No by calculating these rates. No by studying these and also these other jurisdictions.
Exasperating that people keep bringing it up.
Exasperating that people keep bringing it up.
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Published now open access ✨️
Scholars have invented men to explain away women's labor in the British print trades. In this ex, a misgendering travels from a catalog to WorldCat and Amazon. It shows how linked data's fragmentation perpetuates old assumptions.
oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bs...
Scholars have invented men to explain away women's labor in the British print trades. In this ex, a misgendering travels from a catalog to WorldCat and Amazon. It shows how linked data's fragmentation perpetuates old assumptions.
oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bs...
July 2, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Published now open access ✨️
Scholars have invented men to explain away women's labor in the British print trades. In this ex, a misgendering travels from a catalog to WorldCat and Amazon. It shows how linked data's fragmentation perpetuates old assumptions.
oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bs...
Scholars have invented men to explain away women's labor in the British print trades. In this ex, a misgendering travels from a catalog to WorldCat and Amazon. It shows how linked data's fragmentation perpetuates old assumptions.
oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bs...
Reposted by Samuel Heine
As the game industry cuts back, accessibility is feeling the impact - The Verge
After years of growth, industry turmoil has left the accessibility community at a standstill.
Thank you @geoffreybunting.bsky.social for inviting me to speak on this topic.
www.theverge.com/games/669419...
After years of growth, industry turmoil has left the accessibility community at a standstill.
Thank you @geoffreybunting.bsky.social for inviting me to speak on this topic.
www.theverge.com/games/669419...
As the game industry cuts back, accessibility is feeling the impact
After years of growth, industry turmoil has left the accessibility community at a standstill.
www.theverge.com
May 22, 2025 at 1:53 PM
As the game industry cuts back, accessibility is feeling the impact - The Verge
After years of growth, industry turmoil has left the accessibility community at a standstill.
Thank you @geoffreybunting.bsky.social for inviting me to speak on this topic.
www.theverge.com/games/669419...
After years of growth, industry turmoil has left the accessibility community at a standstill.
Thank you @geoffreybunting.bsky.social for inviting me to speak on this topic.
www.theverge.com/games/669419...
Seeing attacks against students association and unions in Quebec (Canada), is weird. Especially since they try to present them as a dictatorial minority. This only shows how little they know about how they work (decisions are voted) and the heavy limitations that are in place.
May 19, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Seeing attacks against students association and unions in Quebec (Canada), is weird. Especially since they try to present them as a dictatorial minority. This only shows how little they know about how they work (decisions are voted) and the heavy limitations that are in place.
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Gigi Murakami demonstrates how horror manga can channel Black girl nightmares
Murakami's work blends horror manga, grindhouse, and pulp to create chilling horror stories that center Black women protagonists.
www.animefeminist.com/gigi-murakam...
Murakami's work blends horror manga, grindhouse, and pulp to create chilling horror stories that center Black women protagonists.
www.animefeminist.com/gigi-murakam...
May 14, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Gigi Murakami demonstrates how horror manga can channel Black girl nightmares
Murakami's work blends horror manga, grindhouse, and pulp to create chilling horror stories that center Black women protagonists.
www.animefeminist.com/gigi-murakam...
Murakami's work blends horror manga, grindhouse, and pulp to create chilling horror stories that center Black women protagonists.
www.animefeminist.com/gigi-murakam...
Reposted by Samuel Heine
The disregard -if not outright hostility- toward video game preservation isn't just infuriating; it's genuinely baffling.
Here's an article on Tim Cain being "ordered to destroy" his personal archive of Fallout's development 🔽
www.gamesradar.com/games/fallou...
Here's an article on Tim Cain being "ordered to destroy" his personal archive of Fallout's development 🔽
www.gamesradar.com/games/fallou...
Fallout creator Tim Cain says he was "ordered to destroy" his personal archive of the RPG's development: "Individuals and organizations actively work against preservation"
"There's a lot of organizations out there that demand to be the archive keeper, and then they do a terrible job at it"
www.gamesradar.com
April 30, 2025 at 9:45 AM
The disregard -if not outright hostility- toward video game preservation isn't just infuriating; it's genuinely baffling.
Here's an article on Tim Cain being "ordered to destroy" his personal archive of Fallout's development 🔽
www.gamesradar.com/games/fallou...
Here's an article on Tim Cain being "ordered to destroy" his personal archive of Fallout's development 🔽
www.gamesradar.com/games/fallou...
Reposted by Samuel Heine
conservative estimates of ROI for NIH in local economies are 4X, broader estimates are 10X over a decade
higher ed is the largest employer in 10 states and 60 of the 100 cities
attacking higher education is economic sabotage
higher ed is the largest employer in 10 states and 60 of the 100 cities
attacking higher education is economic sabotage
"If you look at a long period of time, a lot of our increase in living standards seems to be coming from public investment in scientific research."
The devastating cuts to science funding aren't just academic, they threaten our livelihoods and wellbeing. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/b...
The devastating cuts to science funding aren't just academic, they threaten our livelihoods and wellbeing. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/b...
Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Could Hurt U.S. Economy, Study Shows (Gift Article)
Reducing federal support for research and development could cause long-run economic damage and reduce government revenue.
www.nytimes.com
April 30, 2025 at 1:36 PM
conservative estimates of ROI for NIH in local economies are 4X, broader estimates are 10X over a decade
higher ed is the largest employer in 10 states and 60 of the 100 cities
attacking higher education is economic sabotage
higher ed is the largest employer in 10 states and 60 of the 100 cities
attacking higher education is economic sabotage
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Info on its energy gobbling should be in every news story about AI. It is newsworthy. It is inseparable from the tech itself.
It's all fun and games until …
"Professor Gina Neff of Queen Mary University London told the BBC #ChatGPT is "burning through energy", and the data centres used to power it consume more electricity in a year than 117 countries."
www.bbc.com/news/article...
"Professor Gina Neff of Queen Mary University London told the BBC #ChatGPT is "burning through energy", and the data centres used to power it consume more electricity in a year than 117 countries."
www.bbc.com/news/article...
ChatGPT action dolls: What are the concerns?
As online users create Barbie-like dolls of themselves, experts urge caution over AI's energy and data use.
www.bbc.com
April 12, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Info on its energy gobbling should be in every news story about AI. It is newsworthy. It is inseparable from the tech itself.
Reposted by Samuel Heine
April 4, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Zines "preserve stories that are often left out of the historical record... It’s especially impt now, when the word “transgender” is being removed from the written history... 'We’re seeing our history erased in real time,'... but [with resurgent zine culture], new history is being written all the ⏰"
Zine Archives Preserve Trans Survival and Storytelling
In private collections and public libraries, the pages of these handmade publications hold a wealth of queer history and community.
www.atlasobscura.com
April 2, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Zines "preserve stories that are often left out of the historical record... It’s especially impt now, when the word “transgender” is being removed from the written history... 'We’re seeing our history erased in real time,'... but [with resurgent zine culture], new history is being written all the ⏰"
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Today, we are announcing the formation of United Videogame Workers-CWA, an industry-wide union formed by @codecwa.bsky.social and @cwaunion.bsky.social 💪🎮
We're launching at #GDC2025 this morning to build a video game industry that works for us. We're done playing.
We're launching at #GDC2025 this morning to build a video game industry that works for us. We're done playing.
March 19, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Today, we are announcing the formation of United Videogame Workers-CWA, an industry-wide union formed by @codecwa.bsky.social and @cwaunion.bsky.social 💪🎮
We're launching at #GDC2025 this morning to build a video game industry that works for us. We're done playing.
We're launching at #GDC2025 this morning to build a video game industry that works for us. We're done playing.
Reposted by Samuel Heine
Sorry, can’t hear you, we’re busy cutting higher education funding. 🇨🇦
Canada is home to world-class scientists and researchers. We have a unique opportunity to recruit top US talent amid their recent major research cuts.
What's our plan?
🇨🇦 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
What's our plan?
🇨🇦 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
March 18, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Sorry, can’t hear you, we’re busy cutting higher education funding. 🇨🇦