#you think this is bad wait until mods get support on console

[manicpixie-tieflingboyfriend]

gonna be staring at my phone all day at work to get me through

[m-y-fandoms]

Kazuichi Souda x abused reader one-shot

Request: Hi! Can I request a Kazuichi x abused!reader hurt/comfort fic with the reader written gender-neutral? Preferably with them friends at the beginning and then a love confession. I don't have any dealbreakers/things I don't want in there. Thanks!

Thanks for the submission! Kazuichi can be such a sweetheart when he wants to be….and the sharp teeth...purrr. Anyway, the reader’s gender is neutral, so anyone can read this one with themselves in mind! - Mod Kokichi

Triggers and Warnings: thoughts of suicide briefly mentioned, implied sexual and physical abuse, panic attacks, anxiety, sexual assault discussed. Major Spoilers for Danganronpa 2.

     Kazuichi Souda had always been a close friend of yours. You grew up in the same middle-class neighborhood, going to the same old boring elementary school, then middle school, and eventually you moved into public high school together. He was the closest thing you had to a brother, and you cared about him more than anyone you could think of. He sat with you on the bus, and as you both grew, you instead walked to and from school together. He was funny, dramatic, flirty, talented, and a compassionate friend. He was the only one in your life interested in your hobby of writing poetry, and while he didn’t really get all the figurative language and metaphors and whatnot, being a man who worked with his hands and not his mind, he supported you and read them all anyway. Kazuichi’s support, boosting your confidence, is what got you to start publishing your poems online regularly, and submitting them to small blogs and huge literary magazines alike. You started to gain a small income for your writing, and it was all because of his prescence and care. He was always hanging out with you in his garage or basement as you typed away on your laptop, and you loved being around him. Problems began as you grew closer, though. Problems for you, at least. Kazuichi, for all his great traits and talents, was not one to take hints, and the more you fell in love with your best friend, the worse your mental health got, knowing in the back of your mind that he’d never feel the same way. Of course, what was going on at home didn’t help the situation.

     It seemed that your luck was going to change, when one normal Tuesday, toward the end of sophomore year, you’d gotten word that Hope’s Peak Academy, the best high-school in the country, had a scout looking around your area, which was relatively close to the academy anyway. Within days, both you and Kazuichi had received letters stating that it would be an honor to have you next semester as the incoming Ultimate Poet and Ultimate Mechanic. Of course, you both lost your minds, talking on the phone all night until you abruptly hung up on him in the middle of your sentence. He never asked why, simply thinking your phone cut out, and that he’d see you tomorrow anyway. You came to school late the next day, around lunch time, new scratches under your eye and a bruise on your wrist. When he asked about it, you told him the reason the phone call ended so suddenly was because you’d tripped down your stairs, and the tumble messed up your phone pretty bad, but that you’d have it fixed by tonight! He nodded, accepting the answer and quickly switching to the excitement of starting at Hope’s Peak Academy.

     “They have dorms there for students to stay in, pretty sick, huh?” He tapped your lunch tray with his fork, encouraging you to eat before the bell rang and lunch was over. “Now I can sneak over to your room whenever!” He said a little too seductively, seeing your flustered look. “T-to hang out of course and knock out some noobs in PvP! I’ll bring all of my consoles, no doubt, and I can get back into teaching you how to take apart a car!” You smiled weakly before replying, looking at the food in front of you instead of into his eyes.

     “Yeah...about that. The dorms are optional, and my parents are forcing me to commute.” 

     “Wha?!?!?” Souda’s mouth hung open in one of his usual over-dramatic displays. “No fair! That’s ass! Why the hell not? I bet you’ll be the only student not living on campus!” Way to make them feel better, Souda.

     “Kazuichi, they just don’t feel comfortable with me living away from home before I’m completely self-sufficient and of legal age. Just…let it go, please,” your voice faded out toward the end, and seeing how serious you were, he let it go, content to pout about it later to himself or try to convince you to try and change your parents’ minds later in the week.

     “Can I at least pick you up every morning to bring you on your dumb ass commute to school?” Souda grinned widely after presenting his question. You compromised, letting him have this small victory.

     “Sure, Kazu.”

     But, nothing changed, it seemed, and the new semester quickly came, with you attending Hope’s Peak Academy with the love of your life...er best friend, Kazuichi Souda. He was in almost all of your classes, refusing to pay attention and flirting with random people, a new crush to obsess over each week. Same old Kazuichi, chasing after the object of his interests endlessly, but it never bothered you much. You knew they were always quick infatuations, with him coming on too strongly, getting rejected, and ultimately spending his whole day with you regardless, complaining to you about his rejection, or dishing info of his new crush. You visited his dorm room, with all of the same excuses for not wanting to sit on his bed to play video games, not wanting to stay too late, not explaining in detail where these bruises where coming from.

     Kazuichi, again, wasn’t the most observant guy around. You’d known him since you were both six years old, and he still didn’t know why you’d come to school with puffy red bags under your eyes, why you’d cry at lunch in the bathroom, why you wouldn’t let him high five you or touch shoulders with him on the bus, even though the small seat was a tight squeeze. He always took your excuses at face value, and trusted you, his best bud. It usually went something like this:

Elementary School:

     “Y/N...w-why are you crying?”

     “My pet fish died last night. I really loved him, Kazu…” you sniffled, pulling yourself together.

Middle School:

     “Y/N, where did that bruise come from? Man, that’s a really dark one this time!” He would try to grab your arm and take a closer look, and you’d shrink away.

     “P-please don’t touch it! It’s awfully sore! I fell off my bed this morning, it was a pretty rough fall!” You’d chuckle.

Hope’s Peak Academy:

     “Hey, Y/N, let’s hang out at your place after school, yeah? My dorm room is really dirty and I think there’s a random fire drill today. Such a hassle.” He smirked wickedly, thinking himself so clever.

     “Kazuichi, you’ve known me for like ten years…”

     “Yeah…?” he mused.

     “And you know my parents don’t let me have friends over. Why did you think this would work now, today, all of a sudden?” you feigned anger, huffing before smiling at him.

     “Awww come on, just this once?” He crept up behind you to pounce playfully on your shoulders, and you glided to the side quickly, your back hitting the lockers a little too roughly. Your breath quickened, and he looked at you with wide eyes. “Y/N...geez, are you okay? I wasn’t gonna like take you down in a full- on tackle you know? Just shake you a bit!” He chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, his sharp teeth showing in that stupid grin you loved.

     “Y-you just surprised me is all,” you steadied your breathing, hoping to avoid an all out panic attack. Come on, get it together, Y/N, you thought to yourself. Not in front of him, anyone but him. “But, anyway,” you moved back to his side, not close enough to touch, of course, “ you know my parents are really strict and extreme germaphobes. They barely want me living there, making a mess,” you laughed nervously, and Kazuichi remained silent, his mind racing. “Kazu…?”

     “Oh, y-yeah! What? Oh, yeah, I know. Your folks sure are nuts, huh? You’d think they’d be like super psyched that you got into Hope’s Peak and be proud of you or some shit, and let you have more freedom..or at least less-strict rules. Man, they are so unreasonable. It’s crazy...”

     He had no idea…

     He walked you home, telling you he would pick you up around six to hang out with a small group of your friends at the local diner, but since he busted his dad’s car trying to improve it, he’d have to let Nekomaru drive. You nodded, telling him you couldn’t wait, before entering your prison for the afternoon. You immediately ran to your room and locked it, not that it ever helped when your dad had a master key, and when he was drunk, even that didn’t even matter. No need for a key when you can just aggressively bust the door open, breaking the lock. You’d asked Kazuichi if he knew how to fix a lock, him of course offering to come over and fix it, but fearing he’d ask too many questions and get too close to the truth, you quickly shut him up and said you’d Youtube a tutorial. You did, and spent your own money on the tools and materials needed to fix it. Even though it didn’t do much to stop your rampaging father, something about the small comfort of having a locked door gave you the hope that maybe one day...maybe one day, he’d figure it was too much work to bother with, and retreat back into his room.

~

     “Dude, why do they hate me so much?” Kazuichi sighed, leaning on the door of Nekomaru’s car and looking angrily out the window. Even if he wasn’t being overly dramatic on purpose, with Nekomaru’s size, he was left squished and forced to lean on the door anyway.

     “HAHA, man, you’re being ridiculous! You know that’s bullshit. Y/N’s known you longer than any of us, and you know they adore you!” Nekomaru laughed, driving a little faster then he should down the suburban street.

     “Well, they don’t ‘adore’ me they way I do them, ya know? Am I ugly? I’m ugly, aren’t I?”

     “I think you’re objectively attractive!” Nekomaru shouted his support.

     “T-then why the hell don’t they like me like that?! Man, I’ve spent years with Y/N, I compliment them, I love reading their poetry, and I don’t even like poetry! I spend all my free time with them! There’s no one I’d rather be around! They even like watching me work on my dad’s dinky ass car! Who wants to watch that?!”

     “Souda...have you even told Y/N that you like them like that?!” Nekomaru smirked.

     “Well...no.” He sheepishly admitted, then gained his indignant tone back, “Hell no! I can’t do that! I mean, I’ve had crushes before, people I’ve wanted to smash or make out with, o-or take out to dinner, but nothing...nothing like this!”

     “You love ‘em? Y/N, I mean,” Nekomaru asked rather quietly, for once, deadly serious. Kazuichi went silent. The silence hung in the air for a few minutes. “I mean, ten years is a long time to know someone, enough time to fall in love…” he trailed off. Kazuichi puffed out his cheeks, ever stubborn, tracing his finger on the window. A good while passed with the two men in silence on the way to your house.

   “A-anyway, they won’t even let me fuckin’ touch ‘em. Ten years, and you know what I’ve got? Maybe one high five, an accidental bump when chilling at my place. I’ve got shit! Always a reason we can’t hug or arm wrestle and…..And! They never let me go to their place! Like, what is that? They say it’s their parents’ rule but like c’mon, ten years? I know that’s a lie. They just don’t want me there. Don’t trust me, or think I’m a creep or annoying or…” He trailed off, getting a little too upset by his own words.

     “Maybe there’s a reason for that... You put too little faith in them, but, anyway, I think you’re overthinking it, pal. I mean, you never know what someone’s feeling until you ask, and you’ve never asked. You think my players just go out on the field with a sprained ankle without telling me, or me askin’ if there’s a reason they are limping? NO! Communication is key to any type of relationship! You’ve known them longer then me, would it really hurt to ask them out?! Or confess your feelings?!

     But he never did, for fear of a rejection more brutal than he could ever handle. He couldn’t risk making things so awkward that you disappeared from his life, and so, you and Kazuichi Souda, two idiots madly in love, remained friends. Friends that never touched.

~

     But then, you woke up to sun in your eyes, blistering heat and humid air soaking through your long sleeve sweater. You sat up quickly, feeling sand trickle down your turtleneck and run through your fingers.

     “What the hell?” Upon standing, fear quickly set in when you took in the sight of some white-haired guy you didn’t know talking to some brunette with a white shirt that you also didn’t know. They turned to you, hearing you stir from your sleep.

     “Ah, you’re up and about!” The white-haired boy smiled gently, his eyes crinkling closed. “We decided to let everyone wake at their own pace before exploring. You were the last one, so that’s why no one else but us is here. This is Hajime Hinata, and I’m Nagito Komaeda, a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand, approaching you, but you simply looked at it, pulling your arms into your chest. “Oh, I’m sorry. Not one for introductions, huh?” He put his finger to his lip, looking up slightly with a pensive expression, “ or maybe you’re just a bit shaken up? Hey, that’s fine. I can try to get Usami over here to give you the run-down like she did for the rest of us!” He smiled again, the other boy, Hajime, looking as confused and uncomfortable as you were.

    “Rest of us? How many others? Where are we? I w-was just walking into Hope’s Peak for my first day of class and then I...well I guess I must have passed out. I’m Y/N, by the way.”

     “Ah, Y/N, I think I saw your name on the class roster online! Your poetry was wonderful, by the way. I read a lot of it online. It’s so hope-inspiring. Yep, we’re classmates for sure. And about that whole passing out thing, it’s the same for all of us, we don’t really know what happened,” Nagito continued.

     “All of us? Who? Nagito, who do you keep talking about?” You were growing impatient and scared.

     “The rest of our class,” Hajime spoke up, seeing your frustration, crossing his arms over his chest, “Nagito was about to come with me to meet them all. He apparently did already.”

     Then it clicked.

     “The rest of our class? For the new semester at Hope’s Peak right?” Your heart was going a mile a minute, panic setting in, but a seed of hope planting itself and pushing forth your next words. “Nagito, do you remember all of their names? Was one of them Kazuichi Souda? Pink hair, Ultimate Mechanic?” Nagito nodded plainly. “Take me to him, now...please.”

~

     You sat in your cottage at the hotel resort on Jabberwock Island that night, it’s breezy, calming beach aesthetic making you sick to your stomach. It was all a big fucking lie, a mask to cover the scent of death that lingered around the island and carried itself on the wind. That stupid ass bear decorated the place to look like a tropical paradise, complete with complimentary meals and essentials at an all-you-could-want supermarket, but it all was a ploy, a trick. You’d be a fool to trust anything or anyone but Souda in the coming weeks.

     Speaking of Souda, after Monokuma had thoroughly harassed Usami...or Monomi or whatever, announced the killing game, and sent you all to your cottages with nothing but fear and an electronic tablet, Souda had been in and out of your room, checking on you and venting about his own worries. You two talked for hours, then he’d go and shower, then he’d come back, and you’d get food from the restaurant nearby and bring it back to your cottage to hopefully eat safely together behind your locked door. Souda was usually your rock, but it was no use this time around. He was no knight in shining armor, and could only do so much to cheer you both up. He was nearly pissing his pants in fear of your situation, and you couldn’t blame him.

     Neither of you knew what had happened, or how you’d gotten here, though you tried to recall it all night with him until your brains hurt. There was no memory beyond the first day of school, walking into the entrance hall. There were no classes, no commuting to school, no hang-outs in his dorm, and most importantly, no conversation between him and Nekomaru.

     Days passed and you noticed Souda coming to your room less and less, and being more distant when he did show up. You thought maybe it was just this killing game getting to his head, making him more aloof and prone to spacing out, until you finally exited your cottage alone for the first time one afternoon to join the others at the restaurant at Byakuya’s request. Apparently, there was going to be a meeting. Everyone would be there, so for a killing to occur was highly unlikely, with everyone as a witness.

     You crept into the restaurant, skittish and on edge. Your head was on a swivel all the way there until you saw Kazuichi sitting with everyone else, an entranced look on his face. You knew this look all too well, and followed his gaze to none other than the Ultimate Princess herself, Sonia Nevermind. Oh boy, really Kazu...in the middle of a fucking murder vacation??? Really??? You scoffed, always surprised by this boy you’d known for so long, but you shouldn’t have been at this point. Same old Souda…

     You sat by him, expecting a toothy grin and welcome as always, but he just kept...staring at Sonia as your little meeting was about to start. You were all just waiting on a few more people.

     “Kazu.” You whispered, reaching out to poke him but pulling away at the last second. He didn’t move a muscle. “Kazuichi!” You said a built louder, tapping the table in front of him.

     “Oh! Uh, hey Y/N, what’s up? Sorry I didn’t come over for breakfast. I was uh….distracted,” and just like that his gaze went back to Sonia, practically drooling over her. Fuyuhiko, the little yakuza, and Peko Pekoyama, the master swordswoman were the last to enter, and the meeting commenced.

     Byakuya and Hajime were the main voices of reason and the evident leaders of your pack. Byakuya was planning a party, and he wanted you all there to discuss your plans for escape further and get closer to one another so that hopefully an unkillable bond was formed. You’d all be in the same place, and there would be no weapons or objects that could potentially be dangerous. Teruteru would make the food, Nagito would clean up the place beforehand.

     You could hardly focus on the conversation as your emotions were starting to bubble up. Every single time Sonia suggested an addition to the plan or agreed with someone, Kazuichi spoke up too, supporting her with big sparkling goo goo eyes

     What the hell was this? You seethed, stewing in your seat. He always had new crushes, that was normal, but he usually just watched them intently and staked their social media then confessed way too soon to them and got rejected and told you all about them later on in private when you were inevitably together all day afterw- wait...was this why he wasn’t visiting your cottage as much? Is this why he wasn’t talking to you as much as usual? A stupid crush? What was wrong with him. He never acted this way, not this bad. You were starting to worry...

     You looked at him, your eyes on fire as he continued to faun over Princess Nevermind and her fucking perfect flowing blonde hair and fucking perfect voice and-

     “Alright, you’re all dismissed.” Byakuya wrapped up the meeting, and everyone began to disperse. Kazuichi jumped up, rushing over to ask Miss Sonia if she wanted him to walk her home. You were fuming at that point, finding this whole scene unbelievable, and stomped to your cottage alone.

~

     The next night, Byakuya Togami was murdered at his own party, and Teruteru was fried to a crisp in front of your eyes. You broke down in a full-on panic attack after that first trial, in your locked room alone, having showered and gotten into bed immediately after, deciding to never leave this room again. Kazuichi came knocking the next day, asking if you wanted to explore the new island that Monokuma opened up with him and Sonia, but you coldly refused, almost slamming the door in his face.

     Eventually, you were forced out of your room by Monokuma’s mandatory motive meetings, and Kazuichi always stood by Sonia, saying one or two words to you before you left.

     You curled up in your bed again, alone that night.

     How could this happen? Your own thoughts enshrouded you, swirling around like black smoke of despair. Why is he doing this…? Is he- maybe he’s finally in love for real...no, not Kazuichi. He’s supposed to be mine...my best friend. Does ten years mean nothing to him? How could he do this?! She clearly doesn’t even like him back! Your anger and self-pity was turning into blind rage. It took everything you had to not scream at the top of your lungs and start throwing things. As you began to drift off into sleep, you told yourself that if you didn’t start looking on the bright side, you were going to end up dead, maybe by your own hands.

     Maybe this is just a crush after all, just...this killing game has pushed his emotions into over-drive too! Yeah, that’s it! He’s forcing himself to look on his own bright side, and this little crush is his way of staying sane...but why wouldn’t he just come to you to stay sane? Why couldn’t you be his bright side? You were always his confidant, and him yours….stop! Stop it Y/N, happy thoughts. Your dad can’t get you here. He won’t be sneaking in your room at night. You can sleep soundly...unless a classmate busts in to murder you.

     “Fuck!” You cried out, deciding to stay up the entire night writing poetry on the notepad by your bed. “I’ll get out of this. We will get out of this, me and Kazu. Surely no one is gonna kill again after how rough that first trial was…”

     And then Mahiru died, and then you watched Peko die, and Fuyuhiko was taken away by Monokuma’s little ambulance.

     As you exited the trial grounds this time around, you all walked in a small huddle back to the cottages, your spirits shot, despair taking over. Kazuichi was just close enough to you to get a few words in through the awkward silence.

     “H-hey, that one was pretty rough, huh? Worst then the last. I mean, I actually discovered the body this time...it was traumatizing, you know?”

     “I don’t know, why don’t you go tell Sonia about it!” You spat, rather loudly for the timid friend he knew. The rest of the group mostly ignored you, a few uncomfortable glances in your direction.

     “What do you mean? I’m telling you right now, I can talk to her later,” he chuckled apprehensively, hands in the pockets of his jumpsuit.

     “Why not go tell her now? What, did she finally tell you to fuck off, so you’re falling back on your back-up mode of getting attention?!” Arriving at the entrance of the resort, your group stepped through. The all could feel the awkwardness in the air, but none more then Sonia, her name being mentioned more than once.

     “Y/N, w-where is this coming from?” Kazuichi’s eyes widened at your harsh words.

     “I know you’re not fucking serious! It’s Sonia, Sonia, Sonia all day every day but now you wanna talk to me? Oh gee, thanks! After ten fucking years I’m glad you’ve decided I earned this conversation. I’m honored!” The group looked toward you two, keeping their distance, some of them sweating, some chuckling at Souda’s expense

     “Looks like the idiot grease monkey messed up big time,” Hiyoko giggled behind her kimono sleeve with an evil smile before Hajime urged the others to just mind their business and head to their rooms. Surprisingly, they all listened, too sad and tired to argue or grab their popcorn to watch this entertaining display. You two were left alone there, Kazuichi completely frozen with pure terror.

     “Y/N, I-“

     “Fuck you, Kazuichi! We’re being murdered one by one, and you drop me for a fucking infatuation over some Barbie?!” You knew you shouldn’t be blaming Sonia at all or bringing her into this with insults, but you were so infuriated that you’d have to let the guilt sink in later and apologize to her. He tried to approach you, reaching out. “Don’t fucking touch me! Don’t even look at me! From now on, I’m looking out for only myself! You leave me alone, you hear? Sonia can be your one and only! You saw how Fuyuhiko felt about losing Peko, his closest friend? Well...I was hoping that wouldn’t have to be us…” you let him fill in the rest of your sentence in his imagination, as your voice faltered, tears springing up.

     “Y/N, don’t cry...please.”

     “Goodnight Kazuichi,” and you walked swiftly past him, slamming the door to your cottage.

     The next night, Kazuichi and the others visited Fuyuhiko in the hospital on the new island while you stayed in your room, but Souda lingered after everyone left, hoping to get some alone time with the injured yakuza. He told Fuyuhiko of his situation with you from the beginning: the bruises, not letting him come over, shrinking away fron any and all touch, his love for you, his feeling of imminent rejection every time he thought about confessing. To his surprise, Fuyuhiko, having lost the bite in his voice along with Peko, merely listened, then, being more intuitive and aware of obvious signs, told Kazucihi that you were most likely being abused at home, and didn’t want him to know. Kazuichi felt like his soul left his body...what? How could he have missed this?

     Fuyuhiko had seen it a lot growing up, the fellow sons of other yakuza members getting beat on by their aggressive dads, the daughters being touched inappropriately by other members or rival clans, the aftermath, the behaviors. He spoke his piece, his advice, and after a long man-to-man talk...one full of Fuyuhiko’s regrets, of Peko’s dutiful ignorance of her own feelings, and a lifetime of friendship that yearned to be maybe just a bit more, Kazuichi knew what he had to do.

~

     A knock on your door that night startled you from your nap. You ignored it. The knock came again, much louder, more desperate this time.

     “Monokuma didn’t say there was a new motive and I already ate dinner, so leave me alone!” You yelled to whoever it was, assuming it may be Hajime asking for another meeting for yet another faulty escape plan.

     “It’s...it’s me,” his voice cracked. Your face heated up, in anger or sadness, you didn’t know…

     “Go away!”

     “Please. Please, Y/N...just this once. I need to talk to you. I need to.” You stood up, walking to the door and placing your weary head against it to hear him better.

     “I don’t want to talk. You’re making this harder on us both. Let’s just make this a clean break, that way, if one of us dies, it won’t hurt as much.”

     “Are you fucking serious? Won’t hurt as much? Are you crazy?! Losing you would be the worst thing that ever happened to me!” Your eyes widened, tears threatening to fall, “I don’t…” he calmed himself, a bit embarrassed of how much his voice wavered. “I don’t want a clean break and neither do you so open up, or I’ll sit here all night.”

     “You idiot! You can’t! You’re a sitting duck outside alone at night.” Why did you care? You’d chosen to end your friendship.

     “Then...then I guess I’ll just wait to be murdered. I’m not moving. I mean, I’m scared. I don’t wanna die, but-“ the door swung open, Kazuichi suddenly face to face with your sleep deprived eyes. He nodded, walking in and sitting on your bed. You closed the door and locked it, standing against the door in a very defensive stance. “Please, come sit.”

     “No.”

     “Please!” You saw fresh tears sting his eyes now, and you gave in, sitting a few feet apart on your bed and refusing to make eye contact.

     “What do you want?”

“I think you know what I want.” He spoke rather confidently for his current emotional state. Your heart skipped a beat and you sat there silently. He continued. “Why did you never let me come to your house?” What? Why was he bringing this up now?

     “What do you mean? This is what you wanted to talk abo-“

     “Just answer me!”

     “I told you many times, my parents were strict and-“

     “That’s a lie. What were all the bruises from? The random scratches and bandaids popping up randomly?”

     “Kazuichi, don’t-“ you were starting to breath heavy, fearing your blissfully oblivious friend was finally catching on to your dark secrets.

     “Why won’t you let me touch you? Ten years, and I couldn’t hug the person I...my best friend...I couldn’t even touch you! Why is that?!” He was so furious, more at your father for hurting you than you for hiding this from him when he could’ve stepped in and helped. The usual up-and-down tonation, the random cracks and stutters when he was nervous, were nowhere to be found.

     “Kazu, PLEASE-”

     “It’s because your dad was touching you, right?! And you didn’t want anyone to know!” He spat, and you collapsed forward into his arms, sobbing freely into his chest. He froze at the contact at first, completely in shock. You sniveled and drooled into his chest, barely breathing, you were shaking so hard. Slowly, his arms closed in on you, wrapped around tightly, and you let him, as he leaned back until you were laying on his chest face-down, soaking his jumpsuit and undershirt.

     “Y/N…just breathe.” After a few moments he spoke, letting your sobs die down into little whimpers. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

     “I was humiliated. I was scared. I didn’t want you to look at me differently, like I was pitiful or tainted.”

     “That’s insane and you know it. I would never judge you for something your fucked up dad forced on you. Was he hit hitting you too or just…”

     “Yes...all the time.”

     “I could’ve gotten you out of there, into a shelter or living with me. My parents aren’t the best but they’d understand-“

     “I didn’t want you to deal with that. I didn’t want you to know any of it.”

     “Deal with that? What, you? Deal with you? Y/N…” he trailed off, scared when that old friend, rejection sat in back of his mind.

     “What, Kazu?” you needed to hear it. Your life depended on it at this point.

     “I...I love you. It’s not ‘dealing’. I want to help you, I want to love you. I’ve wanted to touch you, like this…” Your heart rate, finally having calmed down from your tantrum, started up again.

     “Kazu…”

     “I’m sorry I didn’t know. I should’ve known, but I chose to be oblivious and mess around with our friendship like an idiot.”

     “Stop, Kazuichi. None of what happened to me was your fault. I won’t allow you to think otherwise. Don’t you dare.”

     “I could’ve stopped it, though.”

     “That’s in the past now...and to be honest, it feels...good.”

     “Good?” He was immensely confused by how any of this could be considered good.

     “A relief, I mean...Kazu, no one knew. Nobody knew about it. I wanted to tell you. For so long I’ve wanted to, and to tell you that, I love you too.” He pulled you both into a sitting position, wanting to see your eyes and make sure you were for real. “It feels less painful, now that you know the truth. It still hurts, what my dad did will always leave scars on my heart and body but-” Kazuichi let all of his fears blow away in the wind, leaning down and gently pressing his lips into yours. Tears ran down your face as you closed your eyes and let yourself be absorbed by his love. He pulled away, allowing you to finish your thought:

“- I’m not afraid anymore.”

[withteeths]

Maybe Steamrolling Games is Bad Actually

Videogames are unique in that they are inextricably tied to corporatism and have been since birth (this is an oversimplification but roll with it). This means that to an extent most companies even since the ’80s have never really cared about proper preservation or easy access to their titles. Nintendo carts were originally manufactured to have their battery die in 3 years so you would have to buy a new one (this failed, but it’s why you still see a lot of dead carts floating around). I think there's a nostalgia issue within the gaming fandom regarding "oh x was great back then" but a lot of the time, games manufacturers have been historically shitty and anti-consumer and it’s just that they now have the tools to execute it much more effectively. Regarding obtrusive DRM, that’s an issue PC games have had since their zenith, where if you lost your original copy of a manual or a small plastic key you could never play a game again because the codes were individualized for each copy and support would refuse to give you a new one. Even back in the arcades, there were particularly batshit examples like the CPS board, which I shit you not was built to explode a battery pack filled with corrosive acid if it detected you were attempting to repair or modify it. There’s a lot to say about the current state of games but what I would likely illustrate is that 2/3 major consoles are racing to decide who will be obsolete first. Games consoles are reaching a point where they are trying to emulate PCs with more restrictions and DRM. We're already seeing interest in steam spike again and it’s likely that eventually, we will see almost a crash for consoles where no one can justify the price for games they can play on a PC rig. The only solution I see there would be a merger between the two consoles which feels inevitable. 

That being said as interest in the PC space increases again so does attempts at entering the bubble. We have Epic, Origin, Microsoft, Indiegala, Itchio, and Steam all vying for attention, requiring accounts, and offering exclusives to justify the use of their storefront over others. Some people think this is a good thing because it's breaking up Steam's monopoly but it literally is not, if you ever really wanna hear me rant ask me about Leftist obsession with itch being some sort of ethical steam, which it is provably not. In the end, the real sort of saviour figures that work to preserve games are random ass people on the internet. I know people who automatically assume that at the end of the day, companies care about games preservation too, and they usually have a three-pronged argument that cites a) Steam’s ability to allow the redownloading of delisted games, b) retro companies periodically rereleasing titles for modern consoles in compilations, and c) companies doing limited reruns of a game that fans request. All three of these examples are basically an incredibly effective use of diversionary tactics, but most of the time when someone cites these I just assume it’s a misunderstanding and not outright malicious intent because a lot of the time companies will attempt to actively implant these ideas to build brand loyalty.

My main dissertation is usually that Steam is incredibly selective with what titles you can redownload, and most importantly, corporate benevolence is more-so a band-aid on a gaping wound! There’s no contingency for when Steam might migrate to a new service, go belly up, or become obsolete when a new OS is created. That means thousands, tens of thousands of dollars worth of games are just gone, permanently, along with fan mods, DLC, and content. It’s a terrifying thought that not many people bring up when discussing the problems with game storefronts that focus so much on providing a cloud and have DRM attached to every purchase. In a way, Steam preceded the trend of not allowing consumers to actually own the things they purchased, and they’ve avoided criticism by strategic use of silence and creating the illusion of a company being made by the consumers they’re attempting to serve. At the end of the day, Steam is a business, and if you ever lose access to your Steam account, or they decide to up and leave one day, you will not be able to play almost all of those games, even if you have them installed on a hard drive, because if you’re online, they connect with a server to ensure your steam account has the ability to play them. When it comes to other arguments like the limited rereleases or use of compilations to preserve arcade titles, I usually just beg people to look at community-driven options that have existed for years. The Scott Pilgrim game is a big source of contention, but I would point out that for years now, it was playable, for free, with all the DLC, on PCs. Preservationists didn’t wait for the gods of Universal and O’Malley to rerelease it for 30 bucks or save up to snatch the fucking ridiculous 200$ limited edition with shitty paper cut-outs, they straight up just did the work to make the game free and available. RCPS3 has (with a contemporary build) been able to run the game pretty flawlessly for years now, in fact, it was how I played through a majority of the game in high school on my shitty brick of a laptop. If you look further out than this one example then it gets even better, MAME and other emulation backends have been able to play obscure, unfinished, and homebrew titles with 100% accuracy, on almost any setup, for free, for decades! I found out about many of these options back in 2015 or so, certainly late to the curve, but I never really questioned as to why emulation, games preservation, and some key titles being available on PC remained some sort of arcane, unknown knowledge to most people interested in games. In the end, the answer was a highly effective propaganda campaign that combined with strategic use of DMCA takedowns has resulted in the concept of communal games-preservation and emulation becoming some sort of debate, where people will wholeheartedly side with corporations in some sort of quest for preserving things the “ethical and correct way,” which is code for preservation on the condition that it remains profitable for the IP owners.

 I think the best way to illustrate this would be with the community built around the preservation of an infamous PS4 title, PT. The story of its inevitable delisting from the storefront and the messy breakup between Kojima and Konami is well known, so I won’t regurgitate it, look it up at your own leisure. What is significant here is corporate reactions to attempts at preserving the game, which can basically be boiled down to Konami acting with borderline rabid fervour to prevent redownload, redistribution, or recreation of a seven-year-old demo, released for free download. Mentions of solutions to redownload the game have been taken down, fan-made recreations for PC, and archival servers that store a copy of the game for future preservation or emulation. Usually when this is brought up a debate occurs citing that technically speaking, Konami has a right to do this whenever they want, for whatever piece of media they believe infringes on their copyright. On one hand, yes this argument is factually correct considering the current state of copyright and ownership of media, but on the other hand, what compels someone to step into the ring for a multi-million dollar company with the primary argument being “well actually, people SHOULDN’T be able to play this specific video game until it benefits the shareholders”? In my opinion, it’s some sort of corporatized symbiosis where players believe that, if you cull the bad actors and play by the rules of the company, you may be able to eventually play the game a couple of years down the line. Sure, this has happened in the past with a few isolated cases, but it can’t be stressed enough that this is a genuinely dangerous and reductive position for people to take regarding games preservation.

 I have two colleagues, Mariken and Fotocopiadora, who released a short interactive title called Videopulp (playable here: https://fotocopiadora.itch.io/videopulp). It’s a dramatic reimagining of a real historical event, wherein a promotional event was held in 1994 at Lelystad to destroy bootleg carts by a figure in a Mario costume. This perhaps best encapsulates something I am pleading with younger generations to understand, as an archivist, art historian, and creator: corporations are not your friends, and they never will be. With the rise of online circles of leftism, this concept is starting to gain traction but is starting to be polluted with concepts of fandom and tribalism. This has lead to arguments that while *most* corporations are bad how could you say that about Nintendo? Or Valve? Mario is so innocent and characters like Wheatley are beloved by all! I feel some people don’t realize that they can enjoy a select title or character without enlisting in a corporate faction in the battle for “best company” or “best videogame”. It leads to a parasocial kinship with a nonexistent figure that was hand-crafted to ensure consumer loyalty to a certain brand. It’s depressing, terrifying, and should stand as a disquieting example of how the grip of capitalism on works of art has permanently distorted how we think and engage with media today. So, what’s the solution? As always I can never really provide something concrete that’ll act as a cure-all, only things that people in games need to work towards. Bring up conversations about games preservation, create archives for your own work, support archivists and boost their work whenever a new discovery is created, and try to promote optimism and solidarity in your hobbyist communities. I’ve noticed a lot of futility being intertwined with the future of AAA gaming, use of online storefronts, and the inability to own pieces of media anymore, and I feel this should be pushed back against, even in a minute way. Open-source programmes still exist that allow you to hold on to what you have purchased, offline and ad-free options exist for games launchers, e-readers, and media players. The future isn’t bright, but it is not a place without hope, and as long as people continue to enter communities with passion and ingenuity, I think we have a chance at stopping the events at Lelystad, 1994 from happening again. 

[kerbaldevteam]

KSP Weekly: A Brief History about Stephen

Welcome to KSP Weekly everyone. One of the greatest minds of our time has passed away this week. A man that inspired us through his hardships, endurance and brilliance. We are talking about Stephen Hawking of course. Born on January 8th 1942 in Oxford, England, curiously enough, on the 300th anniversary of Galileo's death. He was a scientist, professor and author who performed groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology, and whose books helped to make science accessible to everyone. At age 21, while studying cosmology at the University of Cambridge, he was diagnosed with a rare early-onset slow-progressing form of motor neurone disease (also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or "ALS" and Lou Gehrig's disease), that gradually paralyzed him over the decades. Even after the loss of his speech, he was still able to communicate through a speech-generating device, initially through use of a hand-held switch, and eventually by using a single cheek muscle. His will to live surpassed all medical expectations, he did not only reach old age, but he managed to have a rich life filled with accomplishments.

His scientific works included a collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularity theorems in the framework of general relativity and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation. Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He was a vigorous supporter of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Hawking also became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. In 2002, Hawking was ranked number 25 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. He was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge between 1979 and 2009 and achieved commercial success with works of popular science in which he discusses his own theories and cosmology in general. His book, A Brief History of Time, appeared on the British Sunday Times best-seller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks.

He was never bound to his physical limitations either and in late 2006, Hawking revealed in a BBC interview that one of his greatest unfulfilled desires was to travel to space; on hearing this, Richard Branson offered a free flight into space with Virgin Galactic, which Hawking immediately accepted. Besides personal ambition, he was motivated by the desire to increase public interest in spaceflight and to show the potential of people with disabilities. On 26 April 2007, Hawking flew aboard a specially-modified Boeing 727-200 jet operated by Zero-G Corp. off the coast of Florida to experience weightlessness. Fears the maneuvers would cause him undue discomfort proved groundless, and the flight was extended to eight parabolic arcs. It was described as a successful test to see if he could withstand the g-forces involved in space flight. "It was amazing" Hawking told the press afterward, adding that he considered it a first step. "Space, here I come." At the time, the date of Hawking's trip to space was projected to be as early as 2009, but unfortunately commercial flights to space did not commence before his death.

In 2006 Hawking posed an open question on the Internet: "In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?", later clarifying: "I don't know the answer. That is why I asked the question, to get people to think about it, and to be aware of the dangers we now face." We can’t make him justice, this man was amazing, with an impeccable moral compass, as well as a passion for life and science like no other. Even in death you inspire all human and Kerbalkind, Stephen. Godspeed Professor.

[Development news start here]

Despite the sad news about the passing of Prof. Hawking, here at the KSP HQ, we are incredibly happy and proud of what we have accomplished with Kerbal Space Program: Making History Expansion, which was successfully launched this past Tuesday. After so much work, it is just amazing to see such a project come into fruition, especially seeing the fantastic response of our fans. We’ve been through hard times these past two years, but we never stopped believing in KSP and in our capabilities as a team.

We want to thank everyone who has supported us and who have been providing us with feedback, suggestions and inspiration on this journey. We are committed to continue doing our best alongside our partners at Private Division to make Kerbal Space Program the best game it can be.

Now that the expansion and 1.4 update are out, we are focusing on compiling all the feedback we can get, as well as working hard on finding solutions to fix the pesky bugs that have popped up. And we continue to work on fixes for the Enhanced Edition on consoles as well.

Our entire team is very proud of the expansion, and wanted to share some words with the community:

Nestor Gomez, Producer

I am very proud of the team. Since conception to release they’ve all made a great job putting our first expansion in the (virtual) shelves. We are not done with Making History as we still continue working on the support but it’s a great milestone for us. Expansions are a key part of the plan to continue growing KSP for more time and we are very glad a lot of users are enjoying it so far. I am also very excited to see what kind of creative missions the players put together with the Mission Builder and how the modders will extend it for the years to come.

Robert Shaer aka. Robbonaut, Game Designer

Well there we are - the dust has more or less settled on a brilliant and successful launch. I think I can speak for the others when I say we as a team are extremely grateful at how the expansion has been received by you, our community. But rest assured the work continues - we will try our best to squash as many bugs as we can and we are constantly looking and listening to your comments and feedback. I personally have loved working on such a globally popular title and seeing the love you guys have for it adds extra fuel to my fire to make sure we can produce the best game possible for us all to enjoy.

We set out to create something that meant you, our players, could create your own missions, share them with each other, and delight in what other creators have managed to build. I think we've managed that - but it in no way means we can (or will) sit back and crack open a beer. The work doesn't and won't stop... we carry on and improve what we've put in your hands, and we keep going until the Universe can't handle how much awesomeness we are putting into the game.

Thanks all for purchasing, playing, or just taking an interest. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what amazing missions you guys manage to build.

Cheers!

Rob

Bruce Ewing aka. Bewing, QA Staff

The Democratization of Forum Challenges. Now you don’t need to take screenshots of each step to prove what you did … or leave a trail of flags. The creation of these challenges also gets standardized, and there will probably be a large number of them posted online for the taking. But keep in mind that they are supposed to be challenges, so they are supposed to be hard and tricky and to make you think.

Fernanda Díaz, Assistant Producer

Being part of the KSP team has been an amazing experience, full of challenges, fun and great ideas. I still remember when this expansion was just in our minds in a really long, LONG meeting, so to be able to see it completed fills me with pride and happiness. Can´t wait for what the KSP community will craft and I´m really excited for the mods to come.

David Tregoning aka TriggerAu, Game Developer

Just wanted to say how much of an honor and pleasure it is to be involved in bringing you some new (and I hope exciting) content and features in KSP. It’s been good to see people getting in to the new stuff in 1.4 and in the Making History Expansion. But, it's been great to read all the feedback - both good and bad - that helps me understand how you all play KSP and what you like (or would like to see).  Thank you, sooooo much, for being an involved and communicative community. I feel really blessed to be part of this family and I hope you enjoy KSP and Making History as much as I know we all do.

Steve Diver aka Squelch, QA Manager

We have always loved the way the community sets challenges for each other, and Making History is now the perfect vehicle to not only re-enact real and sci-fi situations for personal use, but also to share and challenge your friends. We know just how creative the community is with building vessels and using - or abusing - parts in ways they were never intended, so the Mission Builder has been created in the same vein. The same open ended sandbox has now been given limits, and those limits are bounded only by your imagination. This time with the ability to play through the same scenario again, and with the option to share. I hope you enjoy what for us has been an incredibly arduous, but fun, journey during development and testing, and I look forward to seeing - and playing - those missions and craft that I know will amaze.

Rodrigo Fernandez aka. Roy, Game Developer

Very excited to open up so many creation possibilities for the KSP community with the Mission Builder.

We are eager to hearing your feedback and see your missions to keep improving this new chapter in the game.

Julio Zabre, Game Developer

(intense typing..)

Being part in the development of KSP first DLC has been an awesome experience, seen how all our efforts and ideas slowly became reality I cannot wait to see what the community will do with the new tools they have to play.

Marco Salcedo aka Samssonart, Game Developer / Tech Support

When I thought about what the first DLC for KSP would be…...I don’t think a Mission Builder would have even been on my list. But it just makes sense when you see it finished. KSP has always been a lot about sharing creativity. Maybe you are very knowledgeable about space and can come up with really cool missions, and it would be wasteful not share them. Maybe you’re not much of a creator, but appreciate content generated by your fellow players (hey, if you like it better than what we do, it’s okay, no hard feelings :p). Making History is a celebration of that, KSP players sharing their passion and creativity in ways that weren’t possible before.

I’m really excited to see all the cool missions that will come from you guys, there are endless possibilities, and when you throw mods into the mix, it broadens even more. Now, stop reading my prattle and have fun!

Andrea Cataño aka Badie, Community Manager

I’m very proud of the team, the effort and love everyone put into this project. Now, we are excited to see what the community will create with Making History! Thanks for your support and for being such an amazing community.

Jamie Leighton aka JPLrepo, Game Developer

I am proud to be part of the team to bring you the first expansion for KSP - Making History. I hope the community gets as much enjoyment out of playing it as it’s been bringing it to you. Now that it’s in your hands and we can see how much people are enjoying it as well as all your great constructive feedback. We can improve and take on board all of it.  I look forward to bringing you more updates and content into the future so we can all continue to build and play this great game.

Pablo Ollervides, Artist

I’m very proud and thankful for being part of this amazing team, learned a lot during this milestone and hope everybody enjoys this expansion as much as I did working on it.

Leticia Mercado, Art Director

This has been such an interesting ride. From its conception trough development, Making History was about opening the hood so that everyone interested could build all the wild things I know we'll start seeing. This community's creativity never ceases to amaze us,  the attention to detail, the joy you bring to each other through your shared love for space exploration (and explosions). And hey, I'm sure extra parts are always welcome as well!

Marc Gale aka Technicalfool, QA Staff

It’s great to see the hard work of everyone involved finally coming together in the first expansion pack released for KSP. I’m proud to have been a small part of it, and I hope the KSP community can grab what we’ve done and take it to the next level of awesome.

John DelValle, Game Developer

When I first started working on the mission nodes I didn’t realize the HUGE impact it might really have for KSP as it enables players not only to create their own space missions, but also get to experience missions from new people or amazing experts in the game and space as Scott Manley.

Learning and experiencing stuff done by someone else is very enriching in so many ways.

I love working with this team so much, and I am reading many comments specially from KSP youtube videos in order to bring more to the table by knowing their emotions and thoughts.

Bjorn Askew aka. BJ, Game Developer

It’s been pretty crazy getting the expansion out. We spent a lot of time bickering about how to make the mission system something that we’d enjoy playing and something that KSP fans would enjoy as well. We spent a lot more time making (and breaking) and remaking (and breaking) and remaking the mission builder. We kept on putting in game features until we ran out of time, then we stuffed in a few more. Now our craft has to roll out of the hangar doors and, although we’re watching anxiously like overprotective engineers, we can’t wait to see what the players and modders do with it. High fives to all the brilliant people on the team who put in so much work to get this out and a tip of the hat to the community for making all the hard graft worth it all!

In case you missed out, we prepared these tutorial videos for Making History. We invite you to check them out if you haven’t already:

How to Create with the Mission Builder

How to Share and Play with the Mission Builder

We also invite you to check out Cinematic Trailer for Making History Expansion, one of favorite shorts about the Kerbal adventures.

Finally we want to let you know that you can share your creations on Curse, KerbalX, and/or the KSP Forum.

Start sharing, playing and making history!

That’s it for this week. Be sure to join us on our official forums, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned for more exciting and upcoming news and development updates!  

Happy launchings!  

*Information Source:  

Stephen Hawking. (2018, March 14). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/stephen-hawking-9331710

Ott, T. (2018, March 14). 7 Fascinating Facts About Stephen Hawking. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/news/stephen-hawking-biography-facts

McGrath, J. (2018, March 14). 10 Cool Things You Didn't Know About Stephen Hawking. Retrieved from https://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/famous-scientists/physicists/10-cool-things-stephen-hawking2.htm

Tom Leonard in New York and Alistair Osborne. (2007, April 27). Branson to help Hawking live space dream. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1549898/Branson-to-help-Hawking-live-space-dream.html

Science/Nature | Hawking takes zero-gravity flight. (2007, April 27). Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6594821.stm 

[countessofsnark]

Snarky Recap - Thunderbirds Are Go: ‘Long Haul’

The One Where IR Show Off A Makeshift Space Shuttle That Would Make NASA TB2 Green With Envy.

The first scene sets up the stage for the victim du jour: space controller and console jockey, Conrad. (Who, might I add, looks like John’s blue eyed goth alter ego. Maybe it’s the hairdo. Sure looks suspiciously familiar *squints*)

Speaking of familiar, either Captain Taylor already got tired of terraforming Mars, or he has a secret twin brother who happens to have a boring space station shop. *more squinting*

The peaceful situation is interrupted by a cargo ship with engine issues requesting immediate docking. So far so good, until some space jockey comes barging in like your drunk uncle at a wedding. Due to the radio signal being severely interrupted, the other ship fails to divert to a different bay before clumsily slamming into the hull.

‘How bad is it?’ Well. Big fat red exclamation marks and sirens going sure don’t indicate that everything is hunky-dory. 

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE, WE HAVE A SITUATION. Don’t worry, John has been monitoring your transmissions. He is always listening. Always. (So, that saucy chat you had with your earth-side girlfriend? Not enough mind bleach on TB5 to make that go away)

Rocket Boy is go.

Try and spot TB3 agains the backdrop of the moon. Where’s Waldo - IR Edition.

Meanwhile, inside the shute…

‘Dear diary, today I failed at everything. Also, I’m probably going to die soon.’ *sad music intensifies*

HARK. A laser-proof hull. Looks like the slice-and-dice approach isn’t gonna cut it today. (NO PUN INTENDED)

So the only plan B they have left is to replace the failing cooling unit with an identical one. Which happens to be the exact twin of Tracy Island’s core cooling unit. HOW CONVENIENT.

Scott: ‘GREAT. Problem solved!’ *starts to shuffle off to whatever it is he wanted to do next, like maybe revisit the stash of Playboys under his bed*

Brains: WAIT. We got 99 problems and replacing that unit is one of em.

Because not only is it a complex piece of engineering, it is also pretty damn big. And that requires a fast but powerful ship. Like Thunderbird 3, which is currently occupied.

‘You said we had one option.’

 Brains: ‘I’ve been running some numbers and Thunderbird 2 could carry it.’

Scott: ‘Uh I think you’re forgetting the whole ‘in space’ part of the mission.’

THANK YOU, CAPTAIN OBVIOUS, FOR THAT ENLIGHTENING STATEMENT.

Brains: ‘Only because it doesn’t have the right rockets.’ Fortunately, Brains has some experimental mods that are ready to be tested. Yes, how very convenient.

Scott: ‘Virgil, you ok with this?’

Virgil: FUCKYEAH I’M GOING TO TAKE MY BIRD INTO SPACE BOIIIIII.

I guess he doesn’t mind the ‘experimental’ part of the modifications then.

Eat your heart out, NASA. Does TB2 have big bass boosters? He doooooo.

Gordon: ‘Hey Brains, when you’re done here can you make Thunderbird 4 into a space ship too?’

Scott: Now kids, let’s not get carried away. Besides, we need TB4 on standby as a submarine.

Gordon: ‘FAB. But could you blame a guy for asking?’

Virgil, popping up from behind a support beam while sporting the most hilariously geeky look on his face: ‘RIGHT???’

Scott: *groaning internally* 

(THEIR FACES THOUGH. I AM DEAD)

Look at this precious nerd being all heroic and nerdy. Be still my poor heart.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Liftoff of the Space Shuttle Lumberjack Geek. THUNDERBIRD TWO IS GO.. ING INTO SPAAAAAAACE.

Please, Virgil. I can’t even.

These are the voyages of the starship Lumberjack Nerd. Its mission? To boldly go where no green cargo ship has gone before.

Back outside the space hub’s escape shute, Alan is unsuccessfully trying to make small talk with Conrad.

Conrad: ‘You’re trying making conversation to try and take my mind of the meltdown, aren’t you?’

Alan: (unconvincingly) NOOOO.

After we learn that poor Conrad was just trying to live up to his family’s heroic heritage, Virgil interrupts with a trademark witty introduction.

‘Who ordered the pepperoni?’

Now there’s an idea in case IR runs out of people to save: interplanetary pizza delivery. I’d sign up for that.

Alan: SERIOUSLY? YOU BROUGHT PIZZA?

Oh Alan. You gullible pup you.

Virgil: LOL NOPE. But here’s that cooling unit you asked for.

Alan: *shrugs* Meh, almost as good.

After which Virgil flawlessly replaces the unit. Like a boss.

Check out these nerds high fiving. NERDS.

Conrad and Alan finally meet face-to-face. Ugh precious. Alan chooses to stay behind until the repair crew reaches the hub, which means Virgil gets to give Conrad a ride back down to Earth.

Conrad: ‘This way I get to ride in Thunderbird 2. I mean, it is the coolest Thunderbird.’

‘RIIIGHT?’ Virgil. VIRGIL STAHP.

Alan: WHY YOU LITTLE…

But that ride is gonna prove to be a whole let less smooth than replacing a cooling unit. Thunderbird 2′s launch put a lot of strain on its heat shield. Too much strain, as it happens. Thunderbird 2 is about to be roasted in Earth’s atmosphere.

Scott: Abandon ship, Virgil!

‘Negative, Scott. Can’t do it.’ 

Remember that time the Mechanic severely damaged Thunderbird 2 and Virgil refused to let her crash, divebombing the Tracy Island runway instead? You should know better than to separate Virgil and his Bird.

Scott: ‘We can build another Thunderbird 2. We can’t rebuild you!’

Ah going for the emotional approach. Still, no luck. Because remember the cooling unit? Yeah, too bad they’re carrying a toxic disaster on board. Which also happens to be their saviour.

Conrad running off to use the unit as an anti-heat shield: turning Thunderbird 2 into an icicle. Tell me again you don’t have those heroic genes, son. *applauds*

That time Thunderbird 2 imitated both Thunderbird 3 and 4 in a single episode. Yeah, epic stuff.

Conrad still continues to blame himself. Dude, take a chill pill. Also, wise choice to take a ride that’s actually designed to go into space.

Alan: ‘Aaaand which Thunderbird is the coolest?’

You little git you.

Ahhh. Just when I thought they couldn’t push the show any further they went and turned the Green Machine into a fucking Space Shuttle. This show is bae. I just… I can’t. *bounces*

[timeclonemike]

Time to reinstall it again.

So. There’s this thing about Deus Ex that’s been rattling around in my head for a while.

The original game was iconic because despite its flaws and the limitations of the engine, it existed in a sweet spot of storytelling narrative, world exploration, stealth, combat, and strategy. It wasn’t the first First Person Shooter / Role Playing Game hybrid, but it was one of the best for a long time and still holds up today.

But I think some games that tried to follow in its footsteps, including the later installments in the same franchise, missed the mark when aiming for that sweet spot. I don’t necessarily mean choices to port to consoles or not, or engine limitations, or anything that exists on the technological side of the game design process. I mean the stories that these games are trying to tell.

In the original Deus Ex, there was some optional dialog when talking to one of the members of the old guard Illuminati where he explains the whole psychological aspect of secrecy and inducting recruits into a multi-tiered conspiracy; the prospect of learning increasingly valued and restricted information is the biggest incentive for the new guys to do well by whatever standards the group uses to evaluate people. (I think it was Stanton Dowd but don’t hold me to that.)

Whether or not the writers intended to or not, they were also describing the progression of a player through the game itself. Every new objective met and mission accomplished and note found and computer hacked filled in another blank, completed more of the jigsaw puzzle, until by the time the endgame starts if the player has been playing attention, they know what’s going on and how high the stakes are.

The focal point of the original Deus Ex was secrecy and trust. You start out working for a top secret task force that holds its cards very close to its vest by design. When you find out that they’re the fox guarding the chicken coop and switch sides, you end up working with... more groups that hold their cards close. Do you trust these organized crime guys to help you and not stab you in the back? Do you believe this lady whose apartment is filled with the telltale sound of security lasers? Do you take your pilots advice? Do you listen to the voice in your head? If you’re working with organized crime now, maybe you’re the bad guy after all. Maybe your old bosses were hardcore hard-asses because the sociopolitical situation is that fucked up. Maybe society really does need an invisible hand on the steering wheel, if ordinary people are just going to panic and turn on each other. Or maybe there are no good guys in this war, just competing assholes with different outfits.

These are the questions that a first time player had to ask themselves, and it isn’t until you start screwing around in the VersaLife facility that you start to find evidence supporting what your allies are actually telling you in dialog, emails, and infolink transmissions. You find the Dragon’s Tooth blueprints and spread that around. Doing that, you find out about the Universal Constructor and its role in the creation of Grey Death and Ambrosia. You blow that up (and according to newspapers most of the VersaLife building) and you find out about the supertanker. Scuttle that and both before and after you learn more about the Illuminati and Majestic Twelve, so you head to Paris and so on and so on and so on... every step fills in more of the blanks. Honestly a conspiracy thriller is the perfect story to tell using a video game because the pacing is so compatible.

Now let’s look at what was not the focus of Deus Ex: Questions about the human condition and the socioeconomic implications of technological assistance. Mechanical augmentation is old school by the time JC Denton gets dumped out of the incubator tank with his cutting edge nanotechnology based augments. There’s two other mechs working at UNATCO, the bartender at Underworld, and maybe Jojo Fine, even if his are cosmetic. The MJ12 Commandos are, according to one email, outfitted with “off-the-shelf” hardware that turns them into walking weapons platforms with enhanced vision and hearing, and running off of standard power supplies. The questions of how this technology would change the human condition and society didn’t get directly addressed during the main plot because for the most part, they didn’t matter; the world was literally falling apart and everyone had much more important stuff to think about. Like not catching an incurable disease. Or finding enough food to live another day.

The implications of what the technology could do to or for people did get addressed in the endgame, but in service to the game’s central theme of trust and secrecy. Technology is a force multiplier and by exploiting the developments in nano augments, artificial intelligence, and the Universal Constructor, Bob Page was turning himself into God. Omniscient, able to manipulate information on a global scale through Helios and the Aquinus Protocol, immortal, and theoretically invincible through his armies of mass produced robots, engineered life forms, and loyal followers. And Bob Page would certainly not be a just and loving god, because he’s an asshole with a massive ego. So he can’t be allowed to become One With All Things. Aside from that, the game is open ended in what happens next, and it comes down to trust in the end; you can trust humanity to steer its own course with nobody in the shadows trying to pull strings, you can trust your fellow conspirators to steer humanity in the right direction behind the scenes... or. You can say “fuck this” and do it yourself by merging with the Helios AI before Page does and becoming a much more benevolent higher power than he would ever be, no matter how much of a dick you were in game.

This is the problem I have with Invisible War, Human Revolution, and to a lesser extent Mankind Divided because I haven’t played it (waiting for a Steam Sale) and I don’t know how much it takes its cues from the other two games. Basically, the dichotomy between augmented and non augmented humans is given center stage, driving the conflict between different factions even when engineered by a third faction behind the scenes. Even within the context of it being another attempt by conspirators to guide human society in a direction that they want it to go, it dominates the philosophical landscape of the plot as well. This is especially true when both sides are presented as having good points, and both sides are shown being supported by assholes who will do anything to further their ideals, and other assholes who use the ideals of their action as an excuse to be assholes. The entire narrative tension becomes a never ending circle jerk until the player picks a side and kills key members of the other one.

Not that anyone’s asked me, but I think the Deus Ex franchise needs to return to its roots of secrecy, trust, and open ended philosophical meandering. And to a limited extent, I have some ideas on how to do this.

First, focus on a plot that really emphasizes the idea of a conspiracy seizing power purely for the sake of power itself. This disconnects the main antagonist, whoever they are, from whatever philosophical arguments get made in the rest of the game.

Second, the question of “what it means to be human” needs to go back into the setting background again. Have it crop up in newspaper articles, blog posts, books and ebooks, have it be something that academics can make tenure arguing about, and (this is important) only have NPCs bring it up when it directly affects them. And have most of the NPC banter and dialog be entirely based around stuff that people today can relate to; incompetent politicians playing fast and loose with the rules, the rising costs of health care, climate change and deniers of the same, economic uncertainty in all of its many many flavors, natural disasters, and mixed in with all of that is a little bit of concern about augments and how it affects their lives specifically. Hell, include a parody news article where augment producing companies complain that post-millennial generations are “ruining” the augmentation market.

Third, bring back skills all the way. Deus Ex started you out with a flashlight in your eyes and a radio in your skull, with options for upgrades later, so you had to get by with your wits, planning, and whatever you put your skill points into during character creation. In Invisible War Alex starts with just the flashlight, but their entire genetic structure has been developed from the ground up to prototype universal genetic alteration and biomod integration. Adam Jensen kicks a reasonable amount of ass with just his tricked out gun during the opening interactive cutscene / tutorial of Human Revolution, and does real well right up until he gets bushwacked by Team Asshole, after which his boss has them put literally everything in the Serif Industries catalog into the guy’s body. No Deus Ex protagonist can ever realistically be expected to align themselves with the anti-modification side in any conflict without invoking emotional manipulation, delusion, a suicide mission, or a vendetta against whoever wired them up without their consent. So either the mods have to be completely optional, or the social dichotomy has to be completely optional. (Or a completely unimportant background detail compared to the rest of the plot.)

Fourth, if you have to keep some sort of dichotomy, make it more complicated than just two sides, for and against. Make it like real life. Make it complicated as different people go “well I agree with this part but that other thing is a deal breaker” and mix and match until the whole human augmentation position exists on a grid system just like political ideologies do, measured using two different X and Y axes. Or (I cannot believe I’m saying this) take a page out of Civilization Beyond Earth’s book with the Affinities, especially the Hybrid Affinities from Rising Tide:

Purity: No augments at all. Skills only

Harmony: Biotech and genetic engineering.

Supremacy: Mechanical augments.

Purity / Harmony: Genetic engineering, but only to wipe out disease and increase humanity’s natural abilities.

Purity / Supremacy: Cybernetics as a matter of utility and tool use, no AI research or enhancing the brain beyond what’s needed to interface with the augments.

Harmony / Supremacy: Transhumanism or bust!

This also lends itself to different abilities and how they get developed. So instead of just mech stuff added by surgery, there’s also retroviral gene therapy, and with skills that makes a trinity of abilities that all need to be balanced. Or at least, if a player goes all in with one group, it requires a certain play style to do (probably with an achievement for beating the game that way). If skills are about what you can do in the world and how well you can interact with objects in that world (five different weapons skills to choose from, hacking, picking locks, etc) then it would make sense for genetic engineering to add passive upgrades and abilities like health regen, improved strength and reflexes, resistance to toxins and knockout darts, and so on. Meanwhile mechanical augments go straight for adding functionality and integrating technology, as with the infolink and seeing through walls. Having all three of these categories be open ended, without any artificial mutual exclusion and railroading along a specific path, means that a player is limited entirely by the circumstances they find or expect to find, and the opportunity cost of making one choice at the exclusion of others. Presumably the requirements for skill progression involved going out and doing things, while mech augments need at least outpatient surgery, and gene therapy requires some convalescence and has a nasty debuff effect while the virus is playing with the PC’s DNA, so there’s that tension going on. Also, augments probably require money while skills can be improved for free, but upgrades for the equipment that skills use, ammunition, and supplies also cost money, so there’s that resource management aspect.

This also means that the players allies and enemies can be more varied as well, because no group is defined purely by adherence to one type of ability or another. The groups are defined by where they stand in relation to the conspiracy driving the main plot (part of it or not, supporting it or not, aware of it or not) and possibly a completely tangential goal or mission like money for a mercenary team. This means that allied groups have more room to have memorable characters, and so do enemy groups as well. It also means that fighting against a specific group requires a lot more planning and tactical thinking, if they have a team made of different people whose abilities compliment each other.

And that’s about all I have on this subject, at least for the moment. It’s getting late and I have to peel potatoes in the morning.

[gamegeekzeu-blog]

There are some major factors to take in account and conclude GTA 6 is still far away, even as far as 2022. And it may even only release on next gen consoles PS5 and Xbox Scarlett if not just as a streaming service. What do we know and expect for Rockstars next production?

With Red Dead Redemption 2 now released into the wild, we’re hoping a GTA 6 announcement isn’t far away – but we will probably be waiting a while to play it. According to some reports, we could be waiting until 2020 for the next Grand Theft Auto, which would make sense. Rockstar has supported GTA Online, the multiplayer component of GTA 5, since the game launched back in September 2013 with regular content updates. Now, Rockstar is busy focusing on getting Red Dead Online running smoothly – with the online mode currently in beta.

According to reputable industry analyst Michael Pachter, the game could be as far away as 2022. In an interview with Gaming Bolt, Pachter said that he thinks a 2020 announcement with a 2021 release would be the best case scenario, while a 2021 announcement with a 2022 release or later would be more likely.

Basically, expecting any news of GTA 6 any time soon is optimistic. We think it would make sense if the game followed the release pattern of its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 5, whereby it’d release at the very tail end of the current generation, comfortably release on the new generation and straddle both for the widest install base possible. And with the Xbox Project Scarlett and the PS5 right around the corner, it looks likely this could be Rocktar’s plan.

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Project Americas

The most significant Grand Theft Auto 6 rumor came from YouTube channel The Know. It stated that an inside source told it that GTA 6 is coming 2021-2022 and is being developed under the code name Project Americas. The reason for this code name is apparently because players will be able to fly between the US and South America in the game, though the majority of the action will take place in the former. This in combination with the source’s assertion that the game will largely be set in Vice City (the Rockstar version of Miami) suggests there could be a focus on drug running which would draw on the popularity of shows and movies like Narcos and Tom Cruise’s Made in America. Particularly if Rockstar holds on to that 80’s setting. With no comment from Rockstar, these rumors remain nothing more than, well, rumors.

Visually, you can benchmark the leap from GTA: San Andreas (PS2) to GTA4 (PS3), or look to the work of the PC GTA 5 modding community, and the incredible GTA Redux ‘real life’ mod. GTA 6’s real advances might be in behavioural AI, dynamic time and weather cycles, permanently deformable environments and player stat tracking.

Cash Heavy

GTA 5 is still selling well six years after it launched on consoles and four years after it finally appeared on PC. On a recent earnings call, publisher Take-Two noted that sales of GTA 5 have outperformed so far this year, while GTA Online continues to grow, with earnings exceeding expectations. Not bad for a game that came out in the last console generation. The open-world caper has nearly hit 110 million sales, which is an absurdly high number, but perhaps not all that surprising given how it never seems to leave the Steam top sellers list. Especially now with the release of GTA Online: Diamond Casino & Resort dlc.

Steadily bringing in the cash for Rockstar/ Take Two Interactive, I don’t see the need for them to rush GTA 6 into release. With new players entering the franchise, players engaging in Online and Shark cards selling for millions. So just relax and wait for the announcement to be made and then we will finally know when we can play GTA 6. But keep making up those rumors, that never gets boring 🙂 And maybe we will be show GTA 6 at GamesCom just as they did with GTA V… We will keep you posted next month!

  Will we see @rockstargames GTA 6 only on PS5 and Scarlett in 2022? We may know more after @gamescom :) There are some major factors to take in account and conclude GTA 6 is still far away, even as far as 2022.

[fueled-byramen-blog]

Step Up Your Golf Clash Hack With These Proven Methods

Like most people, you probably find playing video games to be a fun hobby. It is a great way to unwind and forget the stresses of daily lives. However, there are certain things you should know about Golf Clash Hack that will help improve your experience, some of which are discussed in this article.

If you are having trouble seeing important details in your video game, adjust the brightness. Video game designers often want to set a mood in their games, but that mood comes with the price that important puzzle pieces may be missed in the dimness. Take back the control a bit by boosting that brightness in the setting's area.

While playing a shooting game and your gun needs reloading, always hide first. Many times, you will die in your game from this action, so always be aware. Don't do this! Always seek cover, then reload.

Always look at the platform before buying a game for your computer. If you own a computer made by Apple, for example, you cannot run a PC game on your system. Particularly, if you aren't paying attention, it is easy to make this mistake. Invest an extra minute in the buying process to determine that you have the right version of the Golf Clash Hacks.

If you are purchasing a game for your child, look for one that allows several people to play together. Gaming can be a solitary activity. However, it is important to encourage your child to be social, and multiplayer games can do that. They allow siblings and friends to all sit down and laugh and compete with one another.

Save your game as much as you can. While auto-saving is a great feature, don't rely on it. Particularly, when you first start playing a game, you may have no idea when the game saves, which could lead to a loss of important data later on. Until you understand the game better, always save yourself.

Go online for help. Nearly every game has its own legion of dedicated fans, many of which spend countless hours crafting detailed maps and guides. There are also forums where you can speak one on one with other gamers. Take advantage of this gold mine and you can finally get past that level you have been stuck on for ages.

Look for cheat codes by doing a simple search on the Internet. Sometimes this is the best place to find cheats and other perks for Golf Clash Cheats without paying for a cheat book. You can find out which codes work and which ones don't by doing a little research.

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are immensely popular. It's not hard to see why if you try a few out! Don't concentrate on heavily advertised brand-new titles, though. After a few years, popular MMORPGs often shift to a free-to-play (F2P) model. This allows you to enjoy most or even all of the game's content without paying a cent!

Before playing a new video game, read the cheat book. Most games have a book you can purchase separately. You may want to consider doing this and reading it before you play, or even while you are playing. This way, you can get the most out of your game play.

Once your child enters middle school, you may give them a little more freedom when it comes to Golf Clash Hack Gems . However, it is important to still be aware, particularly when it comes to multiplayer games. Listen to make sure the language is appropriate. If not, take off the option for online play.

Make sure to take breaks between quests, races and fights. Beware of getting overly addicted to games because there can be adverse health effects. Game playing should be fun. If you feel that video games are taking over your life, and you sense that you are becoming addicting, talk to a doctor.

Avoid buying big name games near their launch dates. Waiting means that you are more likely to buy a game after a patch or two has come out to fix glaring holes and bugs that could impact your enjoyment and game play. Also keep an eye out for titles from studios that are known for good patching and support.

If you engage in regular gaming marathons, hydration is important! Having a drink can keep you healthy, especially if you are playing for an extended period of time. More players than you think suffer from dehydration, but you can prevent this by drinking plenty of water while playing.

Make sure that you know what video games your children are playing. Some video games are packed full of violent scenes that are designed to be viewed by mature adults only. You need to ensure that your children are not being exposed to excessive graphic violence while they are playing video games.

When playing some of the longer Golf Clash Gem Hack on your console system, make sure to take a break and get away from the screen. Go outside for a few minutes and let your eyes adjust. Stretch your legs. You will start to notice how much better you play the games when you take these short breaks.

You should always give different games a chance. Many gamers tend to stick to a single game type, such as first person shooters or RPGs. Trying out different games is a smart way to make gaming even more fun.

Although the natural urge you feel when you get your hands on a new game might be to play it obsessively, this is a bad idea for a number of reasons. Not only are you minimizing the overall amount of enjoyment you get out of the game, you may also rush right past some of the most interesting and exciting parts of the experience.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, playing Golf Clash Mod Apk is typically something many people enjoy doing. Now that you have read the above article, you are aware of what you can do to enhance your gaming experience. Use the tips from this article and remember to have fun.

[creatorkeystudio-blog]

Learn from your elders!

As you’e reading this, you are probably working on your first indie game. Or maybe you’ve released a couple, but you're still waiting on your big breakthrough. No doubt you are hoping for success. We all are. But did you know that even the most successful game companies have had massive setbacks throughout their history? I know you're thinking, “what does that have to do with me?? My game is going to be a hit, and besides, I'm not in the AAA space!” I know, but there are a lot of lessons to be learned from watching the big dogs occasionally getting roughed up a bit and turning tail to go home. Except they don't! They don't give up, they fight back. And they BOUNCE back, stronger than ever. And as you're starting your long journey into the world of a game developer, you can gather a lot from their lessons along the way. Let's take a look!

World of Warcraft is one of the most popular and well known games in history. At its peak, it has seen over 12 million concurrent players exploring its mystical world, but with creeping competition in the MMO space as well as a fan base that quite possibly grew tired of the same old same old, WoW’s player base shrank down to around 5.5 million players in November 2015. But in August 2016, the release of Wow’s newest expansion, Legion, created a surge in returning players and most likely some new players as well, leading Blizzard to claim that the game was experiencing its most healthy numbers in years. 

While most fans were probably not ready to bury their favorite MMO just yet, it's undeniable that in the ever-changing market, players come and go every day. The lesson we can learn here is true in any creative field. When times are looking bleak, you need to put your nose down and get to work, and don't lose hope. Every business will experience downturns, and that's okay. As long as you are playing for the long game, and planning for the upswing, you'll endure any setbacks thrown your way. 

Ahhh, GTA San Andreas. Very few gamers or developers would argue its success or popularity in the game industry. It has sold over 27.5 million copies, it is still widely considered the series’ highlight to many fans, and its impact on the world of video games can still be felt today. But then came Hot Coffee. I won't go into great detail here because most readers will be well aware of the history behind the Hot Coffee mod and its impact on the launch of the popular entry in the GTA series. But after having to reissue copies of the game for the PS2 and XBOX, and the ensuing legal battle and controversy, the developer was wounded. 

Rockstar president and founder Sam Houser described the period as the worst time of his life, and alluded to the impact it had on him personally. We all have to be aware that our games are an extension of ourselves, and that when we put our creations out in the world, we are putting ourselves out there as well, for all the scrutiny, praise, and everything in between. We hear all the time about the personal impact the development process has on us all, but we don't often see what it can do to us even after our games hit the market. But when Sam hit the ropes, he came back swinging. After the releases of GTA IV and V have cemented the developer’s place in history, Rockstar Games is standing taller than ever before. Hot Coffee could have burned the company to the ground, but it didn't. (Bad pun, don't care. Deal with it!)

Nintendo has been around a long LONG time, and has a storied history dating back all the way to 1889, when the company was created as a seller of playing cards in Kyoto, Japan. Despite a vocal crowd that seemingly would be happy to see the developer fall, Nintendo has earned its place in the history books as one of the biggest software and hardware manufacturers of all time, with over 670 million consoles sold and 4.2 billion games sold. Not shipped, SOLD. But even Nintendo has had its moments of failure. 

After the release of the Wii console in November 2006, Nintendo wanted to follow up their success with the Wii U, in 2012. Many still argue whether it was a  “failure” or not, but the console undoubtedly sold far less than its predecessor (13.5 million compared to the Wii’s 101 million). 

So we almost all know this, it is one of the most talked about issues in the world of gaming. Almost everyone has an opinion of the Wii U’s success (or lack thereof), so what can be learned from it? Well, I could mention again the prevailing advice to “always come back stronger, never give up, stay in the game”, blah blah blah, but there's more to take away from the legacy of the Wii and the Wii U. The biggest reason for the success of the Wii was its unique approach to opening up the gaming market to all ages, and even to bring new players into the fold that had never played a video game in their life. This led to a lot of first time gamers becoming Nintendo fans thanks to intuitive, simple controls, and games that were easy to learn, but that offered hours of replayability. 

The Wii U suffered a major identity crisis however. Many didn't understand what it even was, believing it was simply an addon to the original Wii console. The new gamepad, while a decent attempt at integrating touch screen mechanics into the games, was misunderstood and rarely used as effectively as it could have been. Then of course there is the lack of third party support, but that's a whole argument in and of itself. 

Where we can learn from Nintendo however, is not just in their ability to bounce back, but in the importance of always designing with the customer/player in mind. They have historically been very good at this, and the Wii U serves as a low point in the company’s success by forgetting HOW the player approaches the game. When you make your game, never forget to look at everything you do through the eyes of the consumer. 

Finally, I wanted to take a look at The Witness, the newest release from the mind of Jonathan Blow. After the release of the unique side scrolling platformer Braid in 2009, Blow could have done any number of things. He could have taken time off to explore the world. He could have cranked out a quick sequel reusing a lot of the original game’s assets for a quick cash grab. And he could have figured out ways to keep re-releasing the game with new mechanics and levels, until the world got absolutely sick of looking at the game. Instead, he took a huge gamble. He went to work on a new game, one totally unlike Braid in almost every way. 

The Witness released in 2016, nearly 7 years after Blow’s original hit. He invested every dime he had into the game’s development, and at times, it almost looked as if the game might slip into development hell. But he and his small team brought it to market after years of slaving away, unsure of what people would think ounce it was out in the wild. While sales figures for the game are a bit muddy and not confirmed, Blow himself has recently acknowledged that the game has been successful enough that he can continue to develop, and he has plans to move on to yet another unique project. 

I think the valuable lesson here is that sometimes, there is a lot to be said for taking the riskier path. Where Blow could have capitalized on the success of his first game, he chose instead to take a different route and create something entirely different. This could be seen as a setback, as he risked everything he had by taking a rather large gamble, putting his career on the line in hopes of another success. Sometimes balancing creativity and profitability is a juggling act, but it can pay off, not only monetarily. After all, we are developing first and foremost because we love to create, right? So don't be afraid to try something different. Don't feel the need to copy former successes, and be willing to go down un-traversed paths. 

At the end of the day, there are a lot of lessons we can take from the devs that have already found their success. And it's okay to realize that there will be highs and lows. What really matters most is that you stay in the game and never forget your passion. Find your inspiration everywhere, in the world around you as well as in the histories of developers that have paved the way for us. 

Do you have any favorite stories of devs that have had a major comeback after being dealt a blow that could have knocked them off track? If so, share them with me on Twitter, at CreatorKey Studio, @creatorkey. Thanks for reading everyone, and dev on!