A UK Video Games Council-ing session, 22/01/2026
Game developing frustration with government policy 😠
Wesley Patterson
•
8d
Absolutely fascinating to read as someone from across the pond!
Latest Gaming Articles
Six video games industry predictions for 2026, 08/01/2026
Each one more surprising than the last 🪄
very interesting!
"Prediction 4: Steam will drop its ‘Made with AI’ label from its storefront"
This is already on the cusp of coming true. Steam just dropped the requirement that games made using Gen AI need to disclose it. It's still needed for anything player-facing, like artwork, but, I don't suspect that will stick for long.
Thou can steal (gold pieces), 29/01/2026
Why owning in-game gold is a lot like having a paper clip 📎
Brilliant breakdown. The paperclip analogy is unexpectedly perfect for explaining rivalrousness in digital contexts. What's wild is how this ruling creates a logical trap for publishers - acknowledging real-world markets exist validates value, but denying them doesnt make the markets dissapear. I saw something similar happen with CS:GO skins regulation debates.
Welcome to Sex, Drugs, and Video Games!
I am aware this is the title to a David Banner mixtape.
Hello everyone! First of all, I want to say thank you. While I spent so much time looking for an alternative to Substack because it is bad and run by bad people, many of you followed and showed early support to this idea.
Rethinking AI in Video Games
It's 2026 and it's time for more Skyrim
I recorded this video recently, focusing on a Skyrim mod called Mantella. Video games are an interactive and visual medium, so seeing it in action might be worth your while. I’ll distill the gist here anyway.
This is one of the obvious use cases that jumped out back in 2022 what LLMs first made their big public appearance. The problem remains, I think, that the purpose isn't clear. 2,000 NPCs you can actually talk to, or 5,000, or 50,000 sounds exciting on paper - in reality, you're not going to want to talk to any of them.
Dialogue and conversations in fiction tend to be more driven; they're not really a communication between player and character, but between player and game writer. It's the same gap that exists with all AI writing: the writing itself can be technically accomplished, but if as a reader you're not connecting with a human writer it's hard to see the point.
The D&D/TTRPG comparison is interesting. In theory it does sound like it enables the computer to provide that fluid, improvised method of storytelling - but, again, the real pleasure of TTRPGs is the interaction with the DM's brain. The story that comes out of it is a by-product.
LLM-driven NPCs could still be useful for flavour: a crowd scene, for example, such as a busy marketplace, could be quite cool if as you're walking around you hear hundreds of different, contextually-relevant conversations. Although, at the same time...films and games have solutions for 'crowded marketplace' audio, because having all those conversations exist doesn't really add much to the experience.
The player is still going to be seeking out the primary NPCs that are written by humans and which are core to the plot, I think. And if the LLM procedural characters are just background flavour, it doesn't really seem worth the effort.
I might be stuck in old fashioned thinking here, of course. But if I could choose between a game that had 50,000 AI-powered characters or 5 hand-crafted, human-written characters...I'll always go for the latter.
I do wonder whether modern AI has more potential in applications like we saw in the Left 4 Dead games back in the day. They had automated systems to adjust the difficulty and to tweak the 'drama', so to speak. The action would ebb and flow, and it 'felt' like a classic action-horror. It meant that each playthrough would be different, and you could never fully predict what was about to happen. The was in 2008 (which makes me feel old), and there might be potential there to do some exciting new things.
Have you heard of Google's Project Genie? It's an AI service to create and explore infinite 3D interactive worlds. It essentially turns a prompt into a playable world. It was launched very recently. It might be the first step toward fully AI-generated video games.
I actually did a little work on the project without realizing exactly what it was at the time. I'm a freelancer, and a lot of the work I do involves evaluating AI outputs. For the past two years or so, that's the type of freelance work that pays the best, probably because all of the investor money that's being poured into AI projects. Almost all of the work of that type that I've done has been for AI researchers working for Google. One project I worked on was evaluating whether an AI model was properly following character and camera movement instructions from keyboard button presses. I had an inkling of what type of project it was for, but didn't know the name of it until the recent announcement of Project Genie.
Thoughts: 6 months of the Switch 2
My Switch 2 wrap up and some commentary on my experience so far.
In articles prefixed with “Thoughts” I share some ideas or commentary on stuff I have seen in the gaming industry / community rather than a review of a game. This time I am looking at the last 6 months of owning the Switch 2.
It’s reassuring to hear someone else calculates cost/play time when making a purchase.
Thanks for making me feel I’m not alone out there on that one.
I do not have a Switch 2, but keep revisiting the idea. I’ll likely get one someday, but the Nintendo specific games library just isn’t there for me yet.
I only have 2 Switch 2 exclusive games, MK and Age of Imprisonment, I'd say it's been a great purchase, I still have DK Bananza to play as well plus because I have NSO+ membership I can play GameCube games. So yess a great purchase for me
It's about to rain video games
For work, school, or home — anyone can now create games, for any purpose, in barely any time. I just made one on a bus ride. You can too
Wanna see something cool? Here’s what you do:
Love this perspective on how gameification is becoming way more democratized. The shift from "PowerPoint presentations" to interactive scenarios really captures someting significant here. I've been tinkering with similar tools for training modules at work and the engagement gap betwen static slides and interactive learning is pretty wild. The idea that anyone can now adjust diffuclty levels in real-time is kinda game-changing for personalized education.
Game Journal: Jan 2026
A list of games I played on my PC, Steam Deck, Switch 2 or PS5 in January with 2-3 line comments
Every month I collate the games I played that are new to me, or I haven’t played in a long time and revisited. For 2026 I am adding a “continued section” at the bottom, as I am hoping to get through some bigger older AAA games too.
I played Chants of Sennaar this month, a beautiful little puzzle game that didn’t take too long to complete. That’s about it, a family situation left me with very little time and headspace to do anything else!
Video games as an experience or video games as a pastime?
I tend to think about games as "long" or "short," but that distinction no longer cuts it.
With this year’s push to bring more structure to my gaming lineup and actually finish games I start, I’m finally beginning to see why I used… not to.
Love this. I feel like books come into similar categories for me. Some I read just to read something, good old trashy romance or crime. Others I pour over and get absorbed into and leave wanting more! However, sometimes the former surprises me by absorbing me more than I thought though! Gaming wise I feel like Toem falls into that surprise category; it was short and sweet and made me cry at the end 🤷♀️🙈
As you say, it’s not necessarily a case of long or short but maybe more about “what do I need from a game today?”
Great read, also muchos impressed with your Stardew stats! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Modern Men Aren’t Handy Because of Video Games
Here we see a typical modern male in his natural habitat: scrolling through his Steam library on a melancholy Sunday afternoon, unable to make a choice on what to play. Half of these games haven’t even been installed, let alone started. He opens one of them with lots of hope, but quits after a few minutes because he realized how much mental effort it wo…
A long time ago, my father could do a lot of work on very old cars, and some on newer cars. But then at some point maybe in the late 80s or early 90s, he couldn’t do much more than very basic stuff. Things had changed to the point where it was no longer easy to disassemble, diagnose, and swap out parts with ordinary tools and where electronic and computers played a progressively larger role which was well above his skill level. I had a similar experience with electronics, and now it's often hardly worth it to even try to do anything but complete replacement of a whole object or some big module. My point is that many things are no longer made to be easy to repair, and like the folks at ifixit report, often deliberately designed to frustrate such efforts.
I don't strictly disagree, but I do wonder if causality is reversed here - if boys turned to videogames because cities aren't exactly conducive to being handy (especially if you live in a place that you don't own). That's how it was for me, at least. (not that I would've been handy otherwise and also I love videogames but ya know)
Your Guide to February's Family Friendly Video Games
Another sleepy month, unless you're into Apple's offerings, some teen-centric horror, or Mario and friends playing tennis.
It’s yet another slower-paced month in terms of kid and family-friendly games, which makes sense as we still exit the holidays. It’s also fine with me, because my nine-year-old has become obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, anyway. Will that passion last? That’s why I haven’t written about it yet; the thing about my kids and video games is how …
Hey Patrick, did your family opt for transferring a prior island for AC:NH to Switch 2?
We've got a funny case in our family where everyone (minus Dad) decided the original island stays on the Switch 1, but that's been left disconnected from the TV for the Switch 2, so the SW1 is now handheld only here. There's excitement in the house for the new update, but it's rough looking at the launch Switch's screen at this point compared to SW2. Leaving it on the original console means we don't get the full update to the game, and I'm not doing the grind again for a new island (since every Switch gets its own island/save, which is still a Nintendo decision that drives me at least a little crazy). Any other Crossplay readers out there running into odd game save stuff between multiple switches, including Switch 2?
Video War Games
What Happens When You Realise You’re the Baddies?
I once asked a German friend how younger Germans felt about video games set in the Second World War.
So true, so far in Palestine, the fascist nazi zionsits with, his bloody buddy, whe Inommable mass killer, the Butcher of GAZA : more than 700 000 of wich more than 400 000 Children. Amd this without listing the undred thouzand Palestinians People under tje rubbles.
And it’s the fascist nazi zionist colonialism want to cover their crimes with the insane propaganda of the broad of "‘peace’ t to build fastl on Gaza ruins so that no expert of crimw can get anydence. It’s the utmost crime human being can do.
trump ans his bloodily mass killer, benjamin natanyahu is to depopulate Palestine by erazing Palestinian citizens of Palestine State.
i feel there's also a third option companies are taking in their war games, which is take the same franchise and make it either supernatural or futuristic in an attempt to be unrecognizable from the real world. but a lot of times this creates even further disconnect. the novelty of just *playing* the game itself has worn off, and players are itching for more emotional depth.
The Language of Rust
What Video Games Taught Me About Environmental Storytelling
Why does Vintage Story bother to name ‘Limonite’? Why does Sea of Thieves distinguish verdigris from rust? Why does Red Dead 2 track environmental details when most players will never notice?
Love how you're framing rust minerals as environmental storytelling devices rather than just decay mechanics. The malachite vs brochantite distinction for tracking trade routes is genius, basically turning copper patina into a geochemical breadcrumb trail. When I played RDR2 I noticed swamp humidity effects but never connected it to actual lepidocrocite formation kinetics, that hidden enviromental multiplier is doing serious work.
Why Tim Sweeney is wrong about X, 15/01/2026
Tackling Grok’s demonstrable harm does not equate to censorship
We pull apart Tim Sweeney’s censorship argument about Grok
I feel I was seeing people talking about this for days before Musk/X did anything about it. When it comes to CSAM, the response needs to be immediate, and because Grok is so public-facing and integrated into a social platform known for its reach, it should have been drastic. The paywall somehow felt sleezier than if they just let it be.
Hell, the first time it generated an image with the N word, it should have been taken offline and assessed.
The confusion about “free speech” is actively dividing societies, fostering hatred, and destroying lives.
You are entitled to your opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts. A fact is a fact.
Free speech is about expressing opinions publicly and engaging in debate. What it is not is a right to spread lies and baseless claims that harm people, companies, or entire societies. It is not a right to share illegal content either.
In this post‑truth era, combined with how social media algorithms operate, lies wrapped in fake outrage gain visibility and eventually turn into “truth” for many, even when there is nothing factual behind them. I respect Tim Sweeney’s positions on many issues, but on this one, he is wrong.
The Long March Of Video Games And The Short Breath Of History
Every age is summoned by its own catastrophes. Meanwhile, the world does not wait politely for artists to finish their work. Audiences are in constant hype, screaming and shouting for new products and creators must answer the call. They cannot hide behind the slow machinery of their craft as history breaks into their workshop like a storm.
And when they do this, it will be exposed and no one will buy their garbage, but they'll blame fans and still not learn. I guarantee that better than 95% of this country supports ICE and wants illegal garbage removed.
A weapon we always had and never thought we'll use, is called a "backlog", and boy oh boy am I using it, another saving grace is Indy games, since 2020 I have not bought one AAA game, first of I'm all about saving money, secondly Indy games is cheap, and fills that gaming itch most times very well. My backlog actually grew bigger as i progress through it.
The Best Urban Planners Are Video Game Developers
Video games design cities for walkable exploration instead of parking
Over the last decade, 3D open-world games have exploded in popularity, and breathtaking new graphics are revolutionizing what customers expect from video game maps. Designers have had to be intentional and detailed in their creations to keep up with demand.
in my restless dreams, I see that town.
video games | thoughts as I traverse Silent Hill (part I)
Coming from someone who does not tend to play many Horror games, as she’s a scaredycat, I still adore horror media in all its glory. Silent Hill 2 (Remake), so far, has been a horrifying experience for me and I have devoured the atmosphere.
Fantastic breakdown of how Silent Hill 2's environmental design generates tension. The observation about those blackened windows replacing fog is chilling, it's like the game strips away even the illusion of escape. I played through Resident Evil 2 remake but could never quite handle Silent Hill's psychological aspect, way more unsetteling for me. The Dante's Inferno parallel with the descent framing tho? Chef's kiss.
I thought this was a very well written walkthrough of your experience. I am just like you when it comes to horror games. The last horror game I got into was Resident Evil Village. I absolutely love the Silent Hill games, but I have never actually played any of them. I've just watched many playthroughs, and I think your words perfectly described what it's like traversing Silent Hill.
CORE 506: CORE Veronica
Let’s talk about the Xbox showcase today, as well as the dust up over CDProjekt Red and VR mods. Plus RE getting yet another remake, Highguard getting a freebie, Marathon maybe doing ok afterall, and Nintendo getting you guy another weird toy.
The CDPR conversation around mods was really interesting and I still don't know where I land on it. Love the spirited debate!
Haven’t made it thru this week’s podcast yet, but are y’all still playing Diablo 4? You can’t just compare it to the LEGENDARY Diablo 3 (at its peak), and then never speak of it again.
Learning to Play Video Games with My Vagina
When Bluetooth, biofeedback, and pleasure collide
I’ve never been into video games.
The Zeolite Paradox
Why Video Games Ignore One of Industry's Most Important Minerals
I analyzed 161 games and revealed a 53-year cultural lag between industrial importance and digital representation.
This is such a brilliant observation about how games reflect cultural biases toward shiny over functional! I've been playing factory sims for years and never really thought about why we always mine the same old gems. Your point about the 53-year lag is defintely making me rethink what I teach my kids about valuable materials when we play Minecraft togther. Would love to see zeolites in the next survival crafting game!
The Real Dangers of Innocent Video Games
What’s Hiding on Your Child’s Screen
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The 48 video games I played with my kids last year (And the 86 I played without them)
We tried a lot of games together, but not many stuck.
In the old days of 2024, video game time with my kids involved the three of us sitting on the couch, playing through an adventure together. Maybe a Kirby game, perhaps a Zelda.
Wow! Thanks for giving Shujinkou a chance ❤️. Director here, just honored that you gave it a chance even if it ended up not being for you!
If you enjoyed DOOM 2016 and Eternal wasn’t your speed I would recommend sticking with The Dark Ages especially beyond the first chapter.
When Video Games Stop Being Games
Ukraine’s Experiment in Incentives, Drones, and Survival
For decades, video games have been accused of encouraging detachment from reality. Too much screen time. Too little seriousness. At best, a distraction; at worst, a liability. War, we were told, was the domain of discipline, hierarchy, and experience forged far away from keyboards and controllers.
Is GTA 6 Killing Video Games Culture?
And why hype for Highguard did more bad than good. Also, Nioh 3 impressions!
In this episode of Day Zero, we discuss GTA 6, yet again. This time to parse through and make sense of a particularly spicy rumour doing the rounds about the lack of a physical copy on disc at launch. We go into the origin of this GTA 6 rumour, why it has traction, what it means for you as a consumer, and why if Take Two decides on such an approach, it …
Video Games That Boost Brain Function
New research shows which games improve cognitive skills
In this episode, we explore a rigorous meta-analysis examining how action video games, particularly first and third-person shooters, affect cognitive function in young adults. The research reveals promising evidence that these games can enhance processing speed and selective attention, with the strongest benefits coming from games requiring rapid enviro…
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