The Board Meetings: NPC Inc

Send a textOh, the wonders of smashing one's head against a wall for hours on end and call it fun. For the uninitiated, the souls-like genre is exactly that. You adventure your way through a difficult and dangerous game, practicing your pattern recognition and patience until you've either given up or claimed victory as the king neckbeard. Well, King, with all of the other nerds who pushed their way through, You're not special remember? Let's talk about the punishment and pleasure of the souls-like, soulsborne, souls-soft, souls-friends, souls... Something. 5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textIn a world where casual games have become part of the norm, this genre captivates even the most light-deprived video gamers. Is it a true genre to be enjoyed and celebrated or maligned and ridiculed? That is what we try to figure out in this episode. Oh? Do you like casual games? Pitiful, you're mistaken. The truest essence of gaming is to emotionally assault yourself with games like Dark Souls.5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textlet's talk gaming with significant others. It's no trivial thing game with your somebody. Small differences can go downhill quickly or forge stronger bonds through challenges. Where do you think everyone lines up? Is gaming with a spouse a good idea? Have we grown up enough to maintain a healthy relationship capable of surviving gaming? Yeah... It's not that serious. Chill out.  5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textYou know it seems like the only good AAA games are coming out of Japan for a while now. They aren’t without their problems. We just had more layoffs and closures this month. The industry shitheads are saying things like “Success Can’t Save Your Favorite Studios Anymore” and the like. Which isn’t true. That is not how business works but so few people care or know, they can lie. If your studio made 5 flops and the sixth was great you’re still going to fail. This is what is happening to a lot of companies. The question is why. It isn’t. We know why. You can’t scroll for a minute without seeing the quasi-political and culture war nonsense infecting games. I don’t care about current day or whatever people call it, I want to play rad shit. Spare me the tokenism, ecological message, fake history, pronouns, all of the shit. Just make a good game. Nobody cares about any of it as long as the game is fun. Well if they do care you know who to avoid and make fun of. I’ll give you the perfect example. Character creators have been in games forever there is little rhyme or reason to what people create other than possibly living out a fantasy or making the most horrible abomination to disgrace bipedal evolution. This mess has been bothering me so I wanted to hit some main points that twist my nipples the hardest. 5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textA-D-D games. Games that tick your spectrum-riddled boxes. We have gone around thebend a few times now about what makes ‘games fun’. What Autistic boxes do we have? Dowe even know? What makes us sink hours into some games but not others? CompenseOperation: “Time loss”.5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textOne of the first games that I can remember dominating my social life was Starcraft. In the 90's I begged my parents for a computer capable of playing games. It was basically the birthday and Christmas gifts that year plus it had to be the family machine. Kinda lame but none of that mattered. The whole world of PC gaming just opened up and it was beautiful. Duke Nukem, Doom, Myst, and Star Wars TIE Fighter were top on my list as a growing tween edgelord. It's hard to describe to people how cool you felt as a PC gaming nerd, now 30 years on, but it was incredible. Eventually, I moved to  Warcraft 2, Age of Empires, and Command and Conquer, what a thrill that was. General, Battle Commander, Emperor! THE POWER! The landscape completely changed when Starcraft came out. I'm not saying it was the genesis of Esports but I will say that there are still diehard Starcraft One players competing almost three decades after its release. As popular as they were in the past, they are a genre that seems to have its niche and rarely catches on outside of that core base. That's criminal. The RTS genre has produced some of the best games to ever come out. 5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textYeah, we chat about Remnant 2 again. It's hard to leave it alone now that we've all played it and played together. Games of its caliber are few and far between. As many people as possible should hop on and enjoy them. Gunfire Games did a great job and they deserve every accolade, they've earned it. 10/10 would get crushed by rolling cubes again.  5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textOnce upon a time in a retail space far far away, video games were treated like toys and dismissed by the masses. Fast forward to 2024; summer blockbusters and AAA games launch as if they are competing. In truth, they are. Video games are pushing 100 billion dollars worldwide each year. It's been a long time since you could wave off a game release as a toy. Although, I'm not sure how many people recognize the transition. Video games have matured into a full-fledged entertainment industry just like movies, sports, music and so on. What s time to be a live.   5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textGather your friends, grab the torches, and watch out for traps because it's DUNGEON CRAWLER TIME! It's the best crawl of them all. The genre has developed quite a bit over the years. Gone are the days of bad graphics, and terrible mechanics. I know we all miss gaming on the eternal and superior MS-DOS but who are we kidding? We've evolved and moved on. The mechanical and graphical updates to dungeon crawlers have only improved the experience. In this episode, we go over our favorite dungeon crawlers; the ones we would like to see come back, and the unholy terrible ones that hurt the genre just by existing.5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textAs time goes by popular titles and genres fade from vogue. The new shiny pops up stealing our attention and shifting an industry. Somehow, we still trot out remakes, updates, spiritual successors, or reimaginings of old titles to sell nostalgia. We know what they are doing but the chance to relive "The Moments!" is too good of a chance to pass up. Shame on us. Then we have that which will never die. The yearly sports game that should have been an update to rosters and free, the Q4 shooter so anemic in content it's barely an expansion but sold because of millions in marketing. Or it's just the studio churning out sequel after sequel because who said you can't catch lightning in a bottle... twice? Actually, that's exactly what that quote means. 5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textStellar Blade is out and the activists hate it. Why? Good bloody question. We live in a modern age of sex positivity,  female empowerment, and apparently demonizations of all things that fail to bend to the tyrannical will of fringe crazies. Nothing says tolerance like openly calling for the murder of those who boldly disagree with you. What should have been a normal game release with jokes and fanservice is now the new epicenter of a political battle in the gaming universe. If you prefer your games to be fantasy as far away from real life as possible, too bad. The game journalists are out to make sure you don't forget, it's their opinion or none. Come along. Let's wander down the path of fake outrage and imaginary controversy for a while. https://www.thegamer.com/hades-2-proves-that-characters-can-be-both-diverse-and-hot-stellar-blade-eve/https://kotaku.com/hades-2-aphrodite-gods-characters-hot-sexy-1851423220https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2024/04/25/explaining-the-deeply-unlucky-stellar-blade-hard-r-situation/?sh=ea173f23e24bhttps://boundingintocomics.com/2024/04/26/stellar-blade-director-responds-after-patch-censors-holiday-rabbit-outfit-claims-updated-design-was-always-intended-as-final-version/https://www.change.org/p/free-stellar-bladehttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-46370-y#Sec205/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textIn a world where gamers are fapping away immeasurable amounts of energy, one company seeks to harness the power of the gamer protein juice and use that power for EVIL! Sort of. Games elicit so many emotions. Anxiety, fear, happiness, hope. What is it that gives you the feels?  What gets your juices going? “… something something the fee fees…” -Tom.5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textHey patriot! Enlist in the Helldivers and spread managed democracy. After all, you don’t want to be a communist traitor, do you?How is it that small studios have been slapping around the AAA companies with lower budgets and lower costs? It’s a good and reasonable question to be asking when companies are pushing the envelope on value. Nothing says modern gaming like $70 and an incomplete poorly optimized mess on launch day. That shouldn’t be acceptable and it shouldn’t be the norm. Yet, somehow the soulless shills in gaming journalism have the audacity to write articles and reviews detailing how good games are bad for the industry. Oh yes, I hate having fun and my time, money, and dignity respected.  We like Helldivers 2 and want to see a lot more from it. Hopefully, the rest of the gaming industry has been taking notes on not sucking but so far they blow.5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textThis episode is dedicated to a man who shaped the interests and imaginations of nerds around the world. My childhood would look very different without his work. He was an incredible artist and deserved every bit of his fame and more. He will be missed. Join us as we share our love for this legend.5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textGaming burnout or gaming fatigue. What kind of sick perverse nonsense is that? Getting tired or bored with fun? It’s more like too much of a good thing is still a bad thing. In this episode we talk about our experiences with it and some casual ways to mitigate, so we don’t hit the wall and miss out on fun more than we have to. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere-exposure_effecthttps://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/pomodoro-technique#:~:text=The%20Pomodoro%20Technique%20is%20a,after%20four%20consecutive%20work%20intervals.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27668460/#:~:text=Attention%20Restoration%20Theory%20(ART)%20suggests,empirical%20evidence%20that%20supports%20this.5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textHow many idiots does it take to complain about the gaming industry? Well, the more the merrier but turns out two can get the job done. Video game companies have been shipping half-finished games for a long time now, we expect it at this point. That said they don’t need to be competing with each other to see who can launch the most incomplete game with the most expensive, worst DLC. Some gems have come out through the years, what makes them great and the others absolute garbage? Why do people buy skins and color packs like it’s actual content? When does DLC just become the sequel to the game? We try to answer these questions and more in this Man Down Episode.https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-removes-official-after-video-games-rules-spark-turmoil-sources-2024-01-02/#:~:text=Beijing%20cracked%20down%20heavily%20on,months%2C%20citing%20gaming%20addiction%20concerns.5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textThis is a brainstorming episode. It's meant to field ideas openly and see what clicks. This time we covered gaming fatigue and burnout, good and bad downloadable content, gamers being terrible people, and more.5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textPalworld has had an incredible journey over the past three weeks, amassing a staggering 7 million players in its first week and shattering records along the way. However, even in the realm of gaming, where excitement should reign supreme, the activism economy has taken its toll. Critics argue that Palworld bears too close a resemblance to Pokemon, igniting controversy and stirring discontent, especially among those who find more joy in it than the iconic Pokemon franchise.The outrage extends beyond the gaming community, reaching animal rights activists who express anger over perceived imaginary animal abuse within the game. These critics, including PETA, have gone to great lengths to vilify Palworld, even attempting to instigate legal action from Nintendo against the indie creator. The question looms: Why do some individuals target an independent creator, aiding giant corporations in crushing a small innovative endeavor?In this episode, we delve into the justifiability of these attacks, explore whether Palworld could emerge as a superior alternative to Pokemon, and contemplate the darker side of online communities. Join us as we dissect the intricacies of this gaming saga. Oh, and for those wondering, the online trolls are too toxic for compost.For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a textWelcome to Non-Player Character Incorporated, where we dive deep into the exhilarating world of gaming nostalgia and intensity. Join us as we reminisce about our favorite crazy moments in gaming history, sharing memorable anecdotes that brought laughter, astonishment, and sheer excitement. We’ll recount the trials and tribulations faced in the most challenging and action-packed games that demanded multiple attempts to conquer. Moreover, discover the games that truly absorbed us, immersing us into their worlds through heart-pounding action, captivating storytelling, and immersive gameplay experiences. Tune in to Non-Player Character Incorporated for a thrilling exploration of gaming’s unforgettable moments and immersive adventures!5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj

Send a text5/23/24 For more insights and discussions, check out our content through the following links:https://www.youtube.com/@makermovementsnj8084https://linktr.ee/Makermovementsnj