The Thing About Microsoft Shutting Down Tango Gameworks And Arkane Austin Is That It Isn't Really A Case

The thing about Microsoft shutting down Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin is that it isn't really a case of finance bros not understanding how game development works. Sure, saying "we need smaller games that will win us awards" while shuttering studios which have a record of producing smaller, award-winning games looks dumb on paper, but you need to know how to parse corporate doublespeak.

In brief, they want the prestige of producing smaller, award-winning games, but not the risk. The way you get the former without the latter is by constantly buying up independent studios which already have successful titles in their portfolios, keeping them around long enough to provide post-launch support, crank out paid DLC for their already-proven properties, and finish development of whatever is currently in the pipeline, then dismantle them and shut them down before they get any funny ideas about risking your money on new, unproven projects.

If you're thinking "hey, that sounds a lot like a predatory business model", well, exactly.

#DannyMay prompt #17: Childhood.

A not-so-imaginary friend (click the image).

The toadstools grew in a perfect ring the width of a child’s hula hoop.

They were upside down and clinging to the ceiling like stalactites.

“I have concerns,” she said.

“So do I,” they said. “If I step under it, does it count as stepping into a fairy circle? I mean, if a plane flies over a fairy circle it doesn’t count as stepping into it, but do the same rules apply if you’re walking under a fairy circle?”

“Right.”

“Actually, what is the area of effect for a fairy circle? Is it like a sphere that has the same circumference of the circle, so if I just duck underneath it I’ll be fine? Or is it a cylinder? How far up does the cylinder go? Or down, in this case.”

“Right.”

“Some of the many mysteries of the fey we may wonder about forever.”

They continued to stare up at the ring of toadstools. Thoughtful seconds ticked by.

“See, my concerns are mostly about how much moisture you have in your room.”

“Sorry?”

“You have mushrooms growing out of your ceiling.”

“Oh.”

She patted their back with sympathetic pity. “I appreciate that you live in a world of whimsy and delight, and I don’t want to squash that because I love you, but I also really don’t want you to die of black mold.”

“She’s right, you know,” said the goblin sitting upside down in the circle.

POV : you're about to get served the most bomb food to ever exist possibly

closeups 🫡

The Grindset

When Mike entered the gym he saw this absolute hunk of a man, a giant piece of muscle, standing next to the bench, looking straigth at the weights.

The hunk looked a bit weird, but Mike ignored it and started his workout.

After he finished the session he looked towards the bench, and the muscle bro was now crouching, still looking at the weights on the bar.

He watched for a minute and got actually concerned. This didn't seem right.

When he got closer he realized the man was murmuring something to himself.

get into the grindset

you're here to lift

only lifting matters

gotta lift weights

gotta lift more

gotta smash PBs

Mike became really confused. And concerned for the man.

"Hey dude, you're okay?" he put his hand on the hunk's shoulder.

And his brain stopped.

He slowly turned his head towards the weights and got into the same position as the other man.

Then he started talking. To get himself into The Grindset.

get into the grindset

His feet and shoes grew larger.

you're here to lift

His legs got thicker and longer, now the size of tree trunks.

only lifting matters

His stomach muscles got bigger and hardened, his core now able to sustain immense force.

gotta lift weights

His chest expanded massively, his pecs now giant slabs of muscle.

gotta lift more

His biceps and shoulders grew, now the size of footballs, his arms able to smash absolutely everything.

gotta smash PBs

you're a gym bro

you're a lifter

you're a muscle machine

go and lift, bruh

And with that Meathead and his best bro Brute stood up and started their daily lifting sesh, their minds filled only with thoughts of lifting weights and their meaty, muscular bodies expanding even more.

by Bakgae

art republished with artist’s permission