VectorGaming

Just a guy who loves games and talking about them. Opinions and comments are guaranteed fresh from my brain, free of AI interference.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

There's sufficient room in the discourse of gaming for one more voice. No AI commentary, no secret agendas... just my honest take on games, the state of gaming, and the speed and direction of the hobby in general.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

Yes, or when it provides a win-win.

It has to provide sufficient value opportunity to offset the audience you are excluding.

There have been wins, though. Look at Stellar Blade. Love it or hate it, there's no denying that the PC release was explosive due to the game's reputation on console.

But that is a tricky gambit to try to pull off intentionally. Dangerous to the bottom line if it goes awry.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

I teach my employees that the proof is always in the pudding.

Ori 1 & 2 helped me remember what it was like to love games.

@thomasmahler practices what he preaches. He knows precisely what he is talking about here, and this is a sound concept for professional life that goes way beyond game development if you get to the root of it.

So very much looking forward to Wicked 1.0.

[thomasmahler @thomasmahler]

It's obvious that a lot of developers are experiencing a bit of a culture shock right now.

For the past twenty years, specialization was usually the winning strategy.

Games grew larger and more expensive every year. Teams went from dozens of developers to hundreds, sometimes thousands. If you were one of the best character artists, animators, environment artists, technical artists, UI designers or quest designers in the business, you were in a very secure position since the system rewarded specialization.

The downside is that many people became experts at one small piece of game development without ever having to understand how a great game is actually made.

They knew how to make a wheel, but they didn't necessarily know how to build a car.

For years now, the best way to learn game development was to try and make a complete game yourself.

Not because you'll outperform a team of specialists, but because you'll learn how every piece connects to every other piece. You'll learn design, production, programming, art, user experience, playtesting, marketing and all the countless tradeoffs that go into making a game actually work.

Basically: You learn how the sausage gets made.

The indie scene has traditionally worked the same way.

Most indie teams simply don't have the luxury of hiring an army of specialists. Everyone wears multiple hats. Everyone playtests. Everyone understands at least some part of every discipline because if they don't, the project falls apart.

And I think we're now watching those worlds collide. Lots of indie projects get made within reasonable development budgets showing a huge ROI - Meanwhile, how many monster-budget AAA games have we seen in recent years that didn't even return their investment at all?

The developers who learned how to build entire products rather than individual components have become incredibly efficient. New tools, including AI, are amplifying that advantage because they allow smaller teams to execute at a level that previously required an army of people.

That said, I don't think specialists are going away. Great specialists will always be valuable.

But I do think we're entering an era where understanding how to build an entire product is becoming more valuable than understanding a tiny piece of one.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

They discovered 3 ways not to make the game, then.

I love passion in games. I love it when it's so clear that the developers love what they are creating. It's not always easy to guage... there's nuance involved. There's also a kind of partnership that happens with your players, who have entirely different sets of values and priorities.

But resilience, consistency, and commitment are a universal language.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

I don't know anything about this game, or this dev. I also don't have much of an audience to speak of. Be that as it may... this is the kind of thing that needs to be elevated in the discourse.

This is passion. This is commitment. This is a team trying to make a dream come true.

I'm going to check the game out when I get home. Cheers @DeadhausGame

[Denis Dyack @DDyack]

A Message from Denis and the Team: Deadhaus Sonata Update

Hey everyone,

Let's cut to the chase: it's been a rocky start, and we understand expectations are high. Please keep in mind that we are a small six-man indie team, not a massive AAA studio. We intentionally launched very early into Early Access because we want gamers to directly shape the evolution of this world with us. Because we are in this raw, early phase, the initial build has structural flaws. Performance hitches and mechanical friction exist. We will never lose sight of the fact that we work for gamers. We hear your feedback clearly, and we want to assure you: Early Access is our beginning, not our final destination.

Our Core Pledge to You: We are not here to just patch bugs. We want to continuously inject massive value into Malorum over time so you feel rewarded for believing in the project early. Your $19.99 contribution directly funds independent development, and our pioneers will be met with new classes, expanded systems, and incoming content expansions. We are also adding an exclusive skin for early adopters.

The Immediate Roadmap: We are locked for immediate hotfixes, optimization, tactical combat adjustments, controller support, keyboard remapping, and additional language support.

Entering the Vault: To accomplish this effectively, our studio will put our heads down and work hard on execution. To the Heralds who stood by us through the abyss: thank you. Building true dark fantasy requires immense sacrifice, but our determination is absolute.

The gates of Deadhaus are open. The evolution has begun. 🩸

#vampire #development #arpg

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

This. This. A thousand times this.

Mugen knows energy when he sees it. The energy is palpable.

I'm not super enthused about some of the trends I saw but... I'm also very excited for some of the games that did look good to me.

It's a good time to be alive and be a gamer.

[MugenLord @MugenLord]

I know Summer Game Fest gets a lot of criticism...

But for the first time in years, I walked away genuinely excited about gaming again.

Stellar Blade Blood Rain.
Final Fantasy 7 - Revelations.
Virtua Fighter.
Gears E-Day.
Crazy Taxi.
Gaming felt alive this weekend.

New video 👇
https://t.co/bGQEHpacDJ

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

A lovingly remastered Elder Scrolls VI teaser would have done so well.

[IGN @IGN]

Another Xbox Games Showcase, another no-show from The Elder Scrolls VI, and anxious fans are struggling with the wait for news. https://t.co/bRJyJAhGhg

#IGNSummerOfGaming

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

I do miss the sword aesthetic. Swords to me are cooler than gauntlets. The kind of... reverse blade thing that I saw looked neat though? I don't know what to call it, but it looked almost like blades came out of the back. Maybe I hallucinated it.
But anyways this design is more... lifelike I think than Eve, who could be a bit porcelain.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

@tyminski_marek You honestly deserve it. Few people have been as openly committed to listening to their fans.

I sucked at LotF. You sold me on part II when you opened it up to Steam.

So congrats for the visibility!

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

You know, I haven't paid enough attention to this one. Is this supposed to be a new origin story? I guess I figured it was just a bolt on to the survivor trilogy.

I mean... Lara Croft isn't exactly the most exciting origin story. Rich kid loses parents, becomes some kind of hero is pretty basic.
I enjoyed the Survivor origin because it grounded things a bit? Gave her some beatdowns, cuts, and bruises while she learned to handle herself. It was like... Lara Croft, Kenshi edition.

Kept her feminine, as well, though not to everyone's stylistic taste. I loved her image, but acknowledge that not everyone did.

I'm not sure we needed a reimagining though. I'll have to check this video out later.

[Vara Dark @Vara_Dark]

Lara Croft's Story "Reimagined" In Legacy Of Atlantis
https://t.co/5f7fIX3XPo

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

It was too soon to tease that. I feel like they just want to jump too fast to change characters.

I really enjoyed the movie. Your video on it was good, @TArchcast but still... I loved the movie, even with its quirks. I even thought the HR scene with the nametag on the desk was intended a bit tongue in cheek, and I liked how they pulled it off.

But just... jumping so quickly to She-Ra is disappointing. I mean... add her to the sequel I guess? But they had so much more they could do with just He-Man, its disappointing that they don't want to spend more time with it.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

Energy is through the roof.

No matter if you approve of most of the games, game decisions, or the direction of gaming in general.... you cannot deny that the air is electric right now.

Gaming is hot. I'm excited for the rest of 2026 and 2027. I'm glad to be able to participate.

[Summer Game Fest @summergamefest]

So how are you guys liking #SummerGameFest?

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

@summergamefest The air around game fest is so electric it's crackling.
Some good energy, some bad, but... intense passion both ways!

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

@RavenMentore Wow, thank you! Sincerely means a lot.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

I find this refreshing.
I've been such an AC fan for such a long time. As I always say, I still bear emotional scars from AC: Rogue.
I remember when I first played the AC:3 Remaster. It definitely occurred to me that no matter what I thought of Ubisoft, there were people there still who cared. In the shadows, perhaps... but there nonetheless. There was definitely passion put into that one.
But we don't get anywhere by pretending that the Ubisoft of today is the one that produced these games, in all the genius and glory. It isn't. Games aren't created by corporations... they are created by a few key talented individuals with a vision and a passion, and they are then programmed and refined by a larger team of artists who just want to make pretty things. In the right combination, that is an extraordinarily powerful pairing.
What we often see nowadays are people co-opting existing IP's that are popular so that they can tell different stories. Stories that may not even align with the original vision. They adopt the IP's rather than create new ones in the hopes that it reaches more gamers that way. I mean... that's game dev engagement bait, in essence. I think a lot of what we see lately in the industry comes down to that.
But I must be honest... I didn't buy or play Shadows. I have too many issues with its design decisions. Black Flag is one of my favorites but... I'm not buying a remaster. I didn't want or need it remastered, I just want good new AC games. Add to that some of the changes that appear to have and... you have to wonder if modern Ubisoft is even paying attention.
Anyway, rant over. I'm hugely pumped for 1666: Amsterdam, and I am cautiously hopeful for the future of the AC franchise. Best of luck to those who want to support this Remaster, but I have other games to play in the meantime.

[The Raven @RavenMentore]

"you don't post AC content all the time"
"you hate so much on Ubisoft"
"you don't glaze over black flag Resynced"

I'm sorry I'm not a loyal lap dog who will sniff the backsides of a huge corporate company who destroyed the reputation and lives of creators and stifled the creativity of so many devs who practically left them to the point they have to heavily lean off the original legacy of their creations.

Im sorry i actually have free will, and the ability to question things freely, and don't obey my corporate masters like a loyal lapdog being controlled by a apple of Eden.

I'm not sorry i have the ability to question the reality of them stripping elements from the franchise i loved made by the few OG creators who made it what it was and turning it on its head and destroying its image

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

I am aligned with the side of this issue that Blazeon is... blazing away on.
But that said, I have an honest question. Let's pretend for a moment that a game offered... I dunno 8 presets. 4 male, 4 female. Some are sexy by traditional gamer standards... and some look like this hog here below.

Would anyone care?

I don't think so. I think this comes down not to ugly women in games are a problem as much as it comes down to being forced and coerced into playing as one is a problem.

The woke movement offers no compromise. They demand total obsequience, total subservience to the ideology. "Play as what we give you and like it."
Offering diverse options was never the goal. Offering only "approved" options was.
Because the issue is never the issue. The issue is the revolution. (iykyk)

[Blazeon 🔥 @BlazeonOfficial]

(Enhanced Version)

Do not be GASLIT into thinking Western video games Developers are not pushing uglification and defeminization of women.

This isn't a woman. This is a man with long hair. Woke fat girls and trans "women" infiltrated in Western Dev teams and are forcing this.

FABLE and other games like GoW Laufey are purposely changing how women look like and then adding justifications for it in the story.

This is reshaping masculinity and femininity so both are more alike.

Pointing out that women are feminine and men are masculine IS NOT problematic.

Wanting men and women to be the same androgenous SLOP is PLAYING GOD in real life.

Heresy. Disgusting Heresy.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

This is a good take. Still though... Purples have been so closely tied to sci-fi art for so long, I've had difficulty making an association in my head with any modern political movements.
I'm still not sure if it is actually some kind of LGB or TQ bat signal.
But even if it is... can't we just ignore that? Is there really anything to reclaim here?
There's enough ammunition to use in this war against politicization of video games, I don't think the color purple is one of the more valuable hills to plant a flag on.

[Emerald Apple @AI_EmeraldApple]

Bisexual lighting started almost a decade ago...
The purples and blues were never meant to signify anything related to LGBTQ... but it was colonized by the activists for almost a decade.

Works from the past that show those colors never had any kind of ideology in mind when injecting those colors into the schemes... It's just a cool color combo that adds contrast.

For example, it's a common color in many kinds of cyberpunk and futuristic scenes... but now whenever I see the colors, it's hard to see past the ideology that was injected.

This is why Halo's new game is being called out for using highly saturated purples. Not because they never used it before. But because the studio has been overtaken by the activists, pushing Pride month, and other things gamers give zero F's about.

This is why Veilguard used those colors, this is why GoW Laufey used those colors.

I wanna take these colors back!

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

This looks absolutely nothing like the first two games. Once again... take a successful IP and just slap whatever story they want onto it, and hope it fools everyone.

For all I know, this could turn out to be a great game. But it should a great game on its own merits, not because it co-opted the Plague Tale franchise.

[Photoingame @Photoingame]

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

This has been clear as day for a while.

What I don't like, however, is how the alternative is always to give them huge exaggerated body features.

I am not ashamed to say that one of my all time favorite female leads was Lara Croft from the Survivor trilogy. I know, a lot of people hated that take on her. I LOVED it. She looked amazing, she moved right, she was gritty, she was real... and she didn't need to have massive melons. She just looked great.

That's just taste, I know. But taste is real. She wasn't uglified like many of the most recent releases seem to be doing. She also wasn't highly exaggerated.

In truth though I don't think this example here is the most eggregious... I looked at this one and immediately recognized the actress. This is much less pronounced uglification than, say, God of War: Laufey where they systematically butchered a stunningly beautiful actress.

[Tactikal Templar @TemplarsRoar]

The point being made here is a solid one. There is a coordinated and systematic decision in the gaming space to intentionally make women more disfigured or ugly.

The cope with this one, is that she is the villain and thus should look ugly, but it's cope since they do that for all female characters in Western gaming.

[VectorGaming @ForgeVector]

Honestly, Idris Elba is probably the best example of a Black man that could actually sell "Bond." For what its worth.

I would still prefer that the world create new IP's and new opportunities. Why can't we start a new womanizing super-spy franchise with someone like Elba? Why must it always be re-hashing existing IP's?

[Rino🚀 @RinoTheBouncer]

Idris Elba started that James Bond doesn’t need to be “woke”🚀

“Bond is big all over the world. And audiences won’t [all] go for a Black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period.

Bond is so unrealistic, so a hint of reality is good, but let’s not try and make it woke. I think you’ve got to be pure to what it is: escapism. Don’t try and answer the world’s taste. Just be Bond.”

Thoughts on this?🤔
Source: GQ Magazine