iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 02/10/2026

300 Game Developers Walk In To A Church. Some lovely talks and activities and general good-vibes at #Communion with #AucklandMakesGames #NZGDC

The interior of St Matthew-in-the-city full of kiwi games folk

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 01/10/2026

Politicians, Policymakers, and Trade Representatives around the world: pay attention to the work being done in New Zealand's game sector. These are some incredible metrics: the rebate has done amazing things.

NZGDA Key Metrics slide, showing a >$9:1 return per dollar invested through the GDSR, and >100% industry growth on revenue from $434m to $1.002b since the rebate’s initial rollout

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 30/09/2026

Spending time with over 200 kiwi game makers as we talk about our stances on AI usage in game production, support, and creation. Strengths, risks, weaknesses, and opportunities. #NZGDC

Many round tables filled with games people
watching a research presentation from the Media Design School

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 29/09/2026

ANZ Flat White Counter: 1 From Up Cafe, Auckland

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 28/09/2026

Up at the Auckland Wintergardens. Here’s the temperate house.

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 28/09/2026

Walking around Auckland, looking at plants

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 07/09/2026

If you’re over at #PAX today, make sure to swing by the Seattle Indies Expo at Hotel Motif! Many, many great games from indies on display!

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 06/09/2026

Another day of PAX down. Looking forward to wrapping up the week at the Seattle Indies Expo tomorrow! #SIX six.seattleindies.org

Rebuilding a delightfully Escher-esque town in Stepwell

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 04/09/2026

I haven’t lived in Philly for 20 years but it doesn’t seem to matter

Mydialect map showing an overwhelming overlap with the north east

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 04/09/2026

Saw some video games and video game people #PAXWest #SIMLab

Sign for PAX kickoff showcase at the SIM

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 02/09/2026

Which specific industry topics do you find most concerning? #SLICE26

Word cloud for the topic: Which specific industry topics do you find most concerning, and how do you anticipate that attending SLICE will deepen your understanding of these issues?

Layoffs, AI, and Funding as the biggest items

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 16/06/2026

I swear to god if Xbox kills three great Indie Studios instead of literally *any other plan*, they’re demonstrating some severely bad business sense. The market is hungry for new categories right now. You should be empowering your small internal studios, not shuttering them

Wikipedia page for New product development

In business and engineering, new product development (NPD) or simply product development is the complete process of bringing a new product to market. Product development also includes the renewal of an existing product and the introduction of an existing product into a new market. New product development is the realization of a market opportunity by making a product available for purchase.!!! The products developed by a commercial organization provide the means to generate income. A central aspect of NPD is product design.

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 13/06/2026

Finally documenting the “business therapy” process I’ve used a few times to help companies balance their mission statements, activities, and culture. Derived from the work of a lot of smart people, thrown together with the power of ADHD, and validated by different smart people.

WHY

Mission, Values, and Execution Fidelity

Whether the stated identity of the company is durable, communicable, and credible in the decisions the organization actually makes.

WHAT

Portfolio Discipline and Opportunity Development
Whether current work, new opportunities, vertical health, and strategic adaptation remain subordinate to the company's stated purpose.

HOW

Cultural Operating Health

Whether employees receive enough context, recognition, feedback, accountability, and safety to execute and surface risk honestly.

Cross-Axis Interpretation

The method looks for contradictions across purpose, portfolio, and culture because instability often appears in the relationships between them.

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 06/06/2026

Met some great poutines this week.

A very tasty lunch poutine with beef and sauce

A lovely fast food poutine with steak and peas

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 04/06/2026

About to enjoy an excellent panel with some lovely speakers. Having expert voices from the games field speaking directly to people building AI tools and infrastructure is one of the strongest ways to minimize damage and maximize benefit from these technologies.#GameDev #AI

SUMMIT
PANEL
The Opportunity Al Brings to Building a New Games Industry
Time
June 4, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Moderator
Josh Waite - Knowledge Park
Speakers
Matt Toner - Shred Capital
Amir Satvat - Tencent Games
Kate Edwards - Geogrify
Manny Hachey - Xsolla
MUNB
EST. 1785
UNIVERSITYOF NEW BRUNSWICK
DAIR
Data Science and A
Research Institute

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 02/06/2026

Enjoying my brief layover in Montréal before my next leg of travel. 😋

Just about the best airport poutine you’re going to get

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 30/05/2026

Just a bunch of sharks and rays and fish doing their thing.

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 30/05/2026

Looking forward to spending time with Canada's Atlantic game devs next week in Fredericton and Halifax! Keep an eye out for me, and swing by my talk on Friday to learn about all the ways Xsolla can help with the business side of your games!

Full picture to fast lane:
Xsolla ecosystem overview & live SDK 3 integration
June 5,3:00 PM
Halifax, Canada
XP GAME CONNECT ATLANTIC
Ted DiNola
Developer Evangelist - Community

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 27/05/2026

I have no idea how this was only ¥3800.

A 12” tall figurine of Eva Mk. 6, complete with halo

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 26/05/2026

Back in the states, and reorganizing my bags before my final flight home, so here’s all the gifts I grabbed in Tokyo:

Left to right:
A pair of ditto pokeball toys
Some teeny figurines and paper theaters
A bunch of candy, mochi, and other snacks
Figurines of Frieren and Eva Mk. 6

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 26/05/2026

Akihabara: ❌ Go to Super Potato and find a copy of Chrono Trigger ❌ Don’t lose two hours exploring every floor of Yodibashi Camera ✅ Get some gachapon

One of approximately 3.5 million arcades in Akihabara

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 25/05/2026

Ueno: ✅ Wander around Ameyoko market ✅ Have a snack and a beet at a market stall ✅ Buy a ton of candy

Ameyoko market, under the bridge at night

A Scottish da and his daughter, beers, and white liver skewers

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 25/05/2026

Asakusa: ✅ Get some tasty baked goods ✅ Wander around the market ✅ Chill by Sensō-ji ✅ Eat some tasty dinner

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 25/05/2026

On my way back to Haneda airport after pulling off my first visit to Tokyo, as a ridiculous exercise during my layover. First up, here was the plan:

MON
25
Arrive at Haneda Airport
2-3 PM at Haneda Airport (HND)
Taxi to Asakusa
3-3:45 PM at Haneda Airport to Asakusa
Explore Senso-ji & Nakamise
3:45-5:30 PM at Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa
Dinner in Asakusa
5:30-6:30PM
Asakusa
Taxi to Ueno
6:30-6:45 PM at Asakusa to Ueno
Explore Ueno & Ameyoko
6:45-7:30 PM at Ameyoko Market, Ueno
Taxi to Akihabara
7:30-7:45 PM at Ueno to Akihabara
Akihabara Nerd Shopping
7:45-9:15 PM
Akihabara
Taxi back to Haneda
9:15-10 PM at Akihabara to Haneda Airport
Haneda Shopping & Relax
10-10:45 PM
Haneda Airport (HND)

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 25/05/2026

I love that, after my 8 hour layover in Tokyo, my flight to New York takes 10m. Time zones are great.

10:45 PM
O---- 13h 10m - -
---
Scheduled
10:55 PM

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 25/05/2026

A special thanks to all of my friends who could have sworn they had seen me at BitSummits past. I think you collectively manifested something because despite this being my first time here, halfway around the world, I felt surprisingly at home. 🙏

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 24/05/2026

Here's what I look like for #BitSummkt Day 3! Find me on the floor, near Starbucks, at Pop Pizza @ 7pm, or by river until late if you wanna chat about • Help you need • Building games and studios with intention • All the things Xsolla does • Your favorite Persona 4 character and why it's Chie

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 24/05/2026

#BitSummit day 2 was another good one. Reconnected with lots of old friends, and made many new ones! Still a lot of folks I've yet to meet, so on we go to day 3!

Dinner with some lovely games (and not games) folks!

Tokyo Game Bridge / XR Tokyo meetup at C2 Kyoto

A herd of game makers gathered by flowing water

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 23/05/2026

Kyoto is an incredibly photogenic city.

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 23/05/2026

I love the idea that there is just one Hornet and he is very, very touchy.

A sign warning not to provoke the hornet

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 23/05/2026

Happy #Bitsummit Day 2! If anyone has questions about Xsolla, wants a free game dev consultation or mentorship chat, or just wants to shoot the breeze, I'll be across the street at Starbucks most of the day!

Hi, My Name is
Ted DiNola.
game programmer, designer, consultant, oversharer

STELLA
MARIS
Ted DiNola
Thing-Doer
Stella Maris Games Corporation
Consulting, Speaking, and Helping make your
games well

Ted DiNola
Developer Evangelist - Community
Xsolla

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 22/05/2026

Ran into a few folks by a river last night #BitSummit

A large crowd of game developers by the river in Kyoto

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 21/05/2026

Took a visit to Nijo-jo castle and Honmaru-goten.

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Ted DiNola📍NZGDC🔜MIGW @esdin.net · 20/05/2026

おはようございます。Enjoying my first breakfast in Japan, and as always, food outside of the US is just Better. Had a real Tamago Gohan and a small omelet with a lovely view of this rainy garden.