Maddie Agne @maddie-b-a.bsky.social · 29/09/2026this one's for the people who watched the chimneyswift11 aether series when they were in middle school 020
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 28/09/2026TWIV journalist @maddie-b-a.bsky.social has been recognised as the winner of the Journalism Impact category at the 2026 MCV/Develop Women in Games Awards. The award is designed to highlight an individual "using their voice to positively build the industry as well as hold it to account when needed."thisweekinvideogames.comMaddie Agne Wins 'Journalism Impact' Category at 2026 MCV/Develop Women in Games AwardsAgne thanked her team for "betting on me in an industry that affords so few bets to women." 2619
Maddie Agne @maddie-b-a.bsky.social · 28/09/2026incredibly proud, humbled, and grateful to have brought home the journalism impact award last week! updating my linkedin as we speak 3141
Reposted by Maddie AgneRAD - Richardson Area Democrats @richardsonareadems.bsky.social · 02/09/2026We shall overcome. The Tarrant County Democratic Party has already partnered with Rideshare2Vote to drive voters to the polls. NO CHARGE. www.rideshare2vote.comrideshare2vote.com 311252
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 25/08/2026Many public libraries care about providing access to videogames, but some librarians believe there are more effective approaches than individual lending. For them, fostering a place for belonging, connection, community, and access without ownership is more essential than a collection of discs.thisweekinvideogames.comPublic Libraries Can Offer Gaming Communities More Than Just Discs"We shouldn’t be developing collections that require a certain amount of wealth from the user in order for them to be able to use it in the first place." 09220
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 01/08/2026To celebrate our one-year anniversary, we're running a sale! 🎉 From now until the middle of August, you can get 20% off new Annual Supporter subscriptions here: thisweekinvideogames.com/sign-up/ Help support the new wave of games media, get benefits and great reads, and feel cool 😎👍 04915
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 01/08/2026After becoming known for porting Minecraft to consoles, 4J Studios is building its own voxel sandbox, in its own engine, and has recruited longtime Minecraft YouTuber Joseph ‘Stampy’ Garrett to help out. @maddie-b-a.bsky.social talks to the studio about the challenges of setting itself apart.thisweekinvideogames.com4J Studios is "Well Equipped" to Take On The Voxel Genre With Reforj"There’s so many cool things that we’d like to do… it just made sense to make our own engine that would be capable of letting us do it" 0212
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 31/07/2026SpecialEffect is a UK charity bringing videogames and accessible controls to the lives of people with physical disabilities. For free. The rising cost of tech has put increased pressure on their work, but they tell @maddie-b-a.bsky.social "We say yes first, and figure out how we pay for it second"thisweekinvideogames.comDespite The "Massive Impact" Of Rising Tech Costs, SpecialEffect's Accessibility Ethos PerserveresThe accessible gaming charity says the technological improvements accompanying the increased costs are “still a privilege” to work with. 05811
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 30/07/2026Limerence is new thriller about a woman and her manipulative AI partner. @maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to @salixgames.bsky.social director Jessica Saunders about the human story at its center, inspired by numerous real-world experiences, which tries to show that "this could happen to anyone."thisweekinvideogames.comAI Boyfriend Thriller Limerence Is Still a Human StoryThe indie studio's first attempt at building its own AI was "garbage," pushing them to instead make everything by hand 1266
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 13/07/2026Speedrunning charity organisation Games Done Quick (GDQ) has pulled out of a sponsored livestream with Saudi-owned Japanese developer SNK, following community backlash highlighting Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations.thisweekinvideogames.comGames Done Quick Ends SNK Partnership Over Saudi Arabian OwnershipThe charity organisation responded to backlash saying it "failed to conduct the level of review our community should expect from us" 2598
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 10/07/2026The first half of Xbox’s 3,200 layoffs has immediately been dished out, impacting teams and studios right across Microsoft’s gaming division. From 37-year Microsoft veterans, to key figures at celebrated studios, here is a comprehensive look at who has been hit by the cuts, studio by studio:thisweekinvideogames.comThe Scope of Xbox's 1,600 Layoffs – ZeniMax, id, Obsidian, Activision, and MoreA comprehensive look at each Xbox-owned studio impacted by the company's staggering cuts. 16113
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 06/07/2026Xbox has laid off 1,600 staff and divested from four studios. The number of layoffs will rise to around 3,200 over the next 12 months Double Fine and Compulsion Games will go independent, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs have been sold to undisclosed buyers.thisweekinvideogames.comXbox Announces 3,200 Layoffs, Four Studio DivestmentsXbox CEO Asha Sharma wrote that the company was “beginning the most significant restructure in Xbox history.” 46217
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 01/07/2026Home building and decorating games continue to become more and more popular as the housing crisis gets worse and worse. @maddie-b-a.bsky.social thinks the two things are clearly connected – we pull these games closer as the dream of IRL housing slips further away.thisweekinvideogames.comIs a £13 Home Decor Game a Necessary Distraction From the Housing Crisis?As the housing crisis worsens globally, home decorating games seem to be on the rise as young people grasp at simulated ownership 0326
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 26/06/2026The internet was quick to dub the close releases of Barbie Rewind and Grand Theft Auto 6 as the new 'Barbenheimer.' @maddie-b-a.bsky.social posits that Barbie Rewind represents an entirely different cultural moment: upholding the tradition of making space for 'girl games' in the market.thisweekinvideogames.comBarbie Is The Only One That Can Stand Up to GTA VI in NovemberBarbie Rewind stands steadfast before Grand Theft Auto VI, upholding a tradition of making space for 'girl games.' 4494
Maddie Agne @maddie-b-a.bsky.social · 19/06/2026I'm working on an article about videogames in local libraries — if anyone's local carries games, or if any librarians on here work in libraries that have games, can get games, or host games programs, shoot me a dm! @uklibrariesnag.bsky.social 022
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 17/06/2026With constant price hikes and next-gen gaming hardware likely to break the bank during a cost-of-living crisis, @edmondtran.bsky.social proposes developers keep lowering the bar. Meaning? It's time to really embrace low-spec benchmarks so we can keep playing new games on devices we already own.thisweekinvideogames.comThe Future of Games Is Expensive, Time To Embrace Low-Spec and MobileOpinion: It's about time the games industry prioritises lower-spec benchmarks again, and reclaims mobile as a standard platform for games 78716
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 12/06/2026Since the release of Tomodachi Life, there's been a trend of people recreating their deceased loved ones in-game and sharing the results. @maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to these players, a death doula, and a grief counselor to understand what it means to digitally memorialise the dearly departed.thisweekinvideogames.comMeet the People Resurrecting Their Loved Ones in Tomodachi LifeThese characters can be part of how people grieve and keep the relationship alive, but some experts think it adversely affects the process. 06413
Reposted by Maddie AgnePete from Fuzzy Ghost @ MIGW @fuzzyg.host · 07/06/2026Really enjoyed talking to @maddie-b-a.bsky.social about how we just left subtlety by the side of the road and learned how to make puzzle the slow and hard way 😬 0122
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 24/05/2026The 2006 Barnyard game was an ambitious open-world title featuring cows squirting milk, riding bikes, and playing golf. Those who remember it do so fondly. To mark its 20th anniversary @maddie-b-a.bsky.social spoke to its director Nick Hagger about what made the game and its development so unique.thisweekinvideogames.com"GTA for 8-Year-Olds": A 20-Year Retrospective on Barnyard"'You’re f***ing crazy. This is never going to get approval by Nickelodeon or by THQ’.” 28518
Reposted by Maddie AgneEdmond Tran @edmondtran.bsky.social · 08/05/2026Every time I hit publish on a big feature I’m like, “Damn, this is the best thing on our website.” But man — this one is absolutely killer. I love it. Maddie crushed it. So many great insights and quotes and jokes. Please read it and support independent reader-funded games journalism thank you!! 010514
Maddie Agne @maddie-b-a.bsky.social · 08/05/2026my mom loves telling everyone who's ever known me where to read my stuff. hope my pre-school teacher likes this one 1355
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 01/05/2026The Games for Change Summit in London left @maddie-b-a.bsky.social with a lot of questions. Is child safety gaming’s most pertinent social issue now? If so, why has this realisation taken so long? More importantly, what are companies actually doing about it, and why is it probably not enough?thisweekinvideogames.comIs Child Safety in Gaming Just a Hot Topic?The Games for Change London Summit centered on child safety, but the question remains: are games companies actually doing enough about it? 0332
Maddie Agne @maddie-b-a.bsky.social · 05/05/2026thank you paste games and thank you @garrettmartin.bsky.social for giving me my first experience in a professional newsroom. rest easy, old friend 0101
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 24/04/2026London Games Festival’s New Game Plus showcase ran for the second time this year, and while @maddie-b-a.bsky.social thought it wasn't without its flaws, she still came away with some new favourite indie games.thisweekinvideogames.comFrom Tear-Jerking to Nostalgic, These Are My Top Three Titles From New Game Plus 2026The 2026 boutique expo found a new home in its second year running, bringing everything from hardcore I Spy to thrift shop heaven 0262
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 21/04/2026Blue Prince creator Tonda Ros says he "will always claim there are still mysteries in the game." He also suggested that his next project will "probably take 10 years," and that it will be about “the letter R.” "It’ll make sense when it comes out."thisweekinvideogames.comBlue Prince Developer Says He Will "Always Claim There Are Still Mysteries in the Game"Tonda Ros addressed the success of his indie title, saying he feels like "I just snuck up barely because I was a new thing" 0391
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 21/04/2026Tom McKay, who portrays Henry in Kingdom Come: Deliverance, says the games "opened up opportunities and conversations," and shared enthusiasm for the film adaptation. He also called his Shakespeare background "like mountaineering for acting... if you can do that, you can probably do most things."thisweekinvideogames.comTom McKay Says It's "Very Unlikely" He Would Turn Down Playing Henry in Movie Adaptation“That is absolutely not my decision to make," said McKay, but "if I were in it, I would love that, and if I wasn’t, I’d support it wholeheartedly.” 1362
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 20/04/2026The success of Dispatch has allowed AdHoc to "assess what the most sane version of doing a future project looks like," according to co-founder Dennis Lenart. On AdHoc's next project with Critical Role, he said, "We feel a sort of kinship with their studio. It’s a creator-led thing just like ours."thisweekinvideogames.comDispatch Studio Co-Founder Wants Future Development To Be "As Sane As Possible"On the future of Dispatch, co-founder Dennis Lenart remarked that "we’d love for Dispatch to be something that’s always around." 1555
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 20/04/2026Charlie Cox has again praised Clair Obscur's motion capture artists. Speaking to TWIV, he spoke highly of Maxence Cazorla's work on Gustave. "It’s no lie that you feel like a little bit of an impostor." "He’s got a huge amount of recognition... and that’s right, that’s the way it should be."thisweekinvideogames.comCharlie Cox Continues to Praise Clair Obscur Motion Capture Artists: "You Feel Like a Little Bit of an Impostor"Paintress actor Tracy Wiles also said Clair Obscur motion capture artists have had more exposure "than I've seen in any other game" 0573
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 20/04/2026Shuhei Yoshida, former head of Sony Worldwide Studios, has remarked that he was "fired" by then-CEO Jim Ryan "because I didn’t listen to him." Yoshida suggested Ryan "asked to do some ridiculous things, and I said 'No,'" before saying he highly enjoyed his subsequent PlayStation Indies role.thisweekinvideogames.comShuhei Yoshida Says Jim Ryan Fired Him From PlayStation Studios "Because I Didn’t Listen to Him"Yoshida, who left Sony in 2025, spoke at Australian games festival ALT: GAMES, sharing perspective on what he believes makes a successful indie game 650799
Maddie Agne @maddie-b-a.bsky.social · 09/04/2026really into this one having gone up on easter sunday because, as we all know, jesus was a socialist 050
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 31/03/2026Dave the Diver has begun using generative AI to aid in translations, which the developer says goes through "substantial internal review." Mintrocket clarified that for languages outside of the team's fluency, the work is assesed “in partnership with a professional translation agency" before use.thisweekinvideogames.comDave the Diver Generative AI Translations "Go Through Substantial Internal Review"A generative AI translation and localisation disclosure was added on Steam on 12 March 2026, coinciding with the In The Jungle DLC announcement 6325
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 27/03/2026With several big investments and a $55 billion acquisition of EA, you may be wondering: Why is Saudi Arabia so determined to be in the videogame industry? We speak to regional experts like @zhugeex.com to try and better understand the motivation behind the country's "elder millennial investments."thisweekinvideogames.comBehind Saudi Arabia’s Big Bets on the Videogame IndustrySome experts believe Saudi Arabia is targeting brands they know and trust. "This is what I would have wanted to own if I had $2 trillion when I was 22." 1547
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 20/03/2026Both Sony and Microsoft are researching in-game AI helpers that can take over when you have trouble with a game. One patent even frames forums and videos as “rudimentary” ways to get help. But to undermine guides would be to undermine game communities, suggests @maddie-b-a.bsky.socialthisweekinvideogames.comWith AI Helpers, Games Companies Are Facilitating the Death of Their Own Communities[PAYWALLED] When Microsoft calls forums and videos "rudimentary" ways to get game help, what does that say about the act of play itself? 37715
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 27/02/2026Who is Asha Sharma, anyway? Xbox's new CEO has business experience in everything from insurance, home improvement, and grocery delivery, to Meta products, AI, and even a previous stint on Xbox. Here's a primer on her career trajectory and experiences to date, which may inform what happens next.thisweekinvideogames.comA Brief History of Asha Sharma, The New Xbox CEOMicrosoft OpenAI president Asha Sharma became Xbox CEO after Phil Spencer retired. So, who exactly is she, and what has she achieved? 1493
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 23/02/2026Between e-waste, rare materials, logistics, and now genAI, gaming's impact on the global climate is significant. We speak to the Sustainable Games Alliance, Playing for the Planet, the Videogame History Foundation, and more to understand what's happening and what they're trying to change.thisweekinvideogames.comGrappling with Gaming's Environmental Sustainability Issues"The global emissions of the games industry is 50 to 100 million tonnes of CO2. This equals the footprint of Sweden or Norway," said the SGA. 211427
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 15/02/2026A three-day international strike held by Ubisoft employees last week has been called a success by French unions, though Ubisoft management has not responded. "Things cannot stay this way," one organiser told TWIV. "They cannot hide their head in the sand and pretend nothing happened."thisweekinvideogames.comUbisoft Strike Ends With No Word From ManagementThe three-day strike drew participation from workers across Ubisoft's French, Italian, and Canadian studios 0412
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 11/02/2026The first day of an international Ubisoft workers strike saw 1,200 participants, according to French unions. One union told TWIV it's “proud of [ourselves] because we reached a new record.” "Without respect, without negotiation, without decent working conditions, there is no sustainable industry.”thisweekinvideogames.com1,200 French Ubisoft Workers Join International StrikeThe French staff were joined by workers at Ubisoft Milan, with the strike to last from 10 to 12 February in response to Ubisoft's restructure 0333
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 10/02/2026We asked game developers to share their thoughts on Google's Project Genie, a "world builder" powered by generative AI. "Even the deeply misguided notion that this could somehow replace humans in the game development process is dangerous to the continuation of the artform," said @ramiismail.comthisweekinvideogames.comGame Developers Respond to Google's Project Genie: "A Deeply Unpleasant and Messy Abomination"This Week in Videogames spoke to game developers about Google's generative-AI world builder, about how it might affect the future of game development. 18725
Reposted by Maddie AgneEdmond Tran @edmondtran.bsky.social · 02/02/2026Hey - if you're a game developer who for some reason happens to have access to Google's Project Genie, we would really love to hear your thoughts. If you're a gamedev who doesn't have access but has strong thoughts to share regardless, please also feel free to get in touch. Email or DM me! 33118
Reposted by Maddie AgneThe Verge @theverge.com · 29/01/2026Best gas masksbuff.lyBest gas masks“How did these people go out and get gas masks?” AG Bondi asked. 710835
Reposted by Maddie Agneginevra-m (they/she) @ginevra-m.bsky.social · 16/01/2026Always remember that it's the youngest generations who hate AI *the most*, especially for games/creativity. It's the 45 year old+ folk who don't mind AI so much. quanticfoundry.com/2025/12/18/g... 041
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 16/01/2026Real-life young person @maddie-b-a.bsky.social is tired of commentators using Gen Z as a scapegoat for the rise of AI slop, and tired of those using the demographic as a reason to keep churning it out. "Let's level with each other — no one likes being told what they think less than young people."thisweekinvideogames.comPlease, Stop Using Gen Z To Rationalise AI SlopMaddie Agne refuses to let her generation be implicated in the enshittification of games through AI slop. 05711
Reposted by Maddie AgneMat Piscatella @matpiscatella.bsky.social · 14/01/2026The jobs were lost, huh? That passive voice doing some work here. The jobs aren't a set of car keys, are they. 1221736
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 05/01/2026Patrick Dane, longtime games and entertainment journalist and News Editor at This Week in Videogames, has died in a motor vehicle accident. He was 34 years old.thisweekinvideogames.comPatrick Dane, This Week in Videogames News Editor, DiesPatrick will be remembered for his passion and enthusiasm for his work and the games industry, and as a cherished colleague and friend. 26478103
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 05/01/2026For our Best of 2025 series, we asked staff and columnists to share their personal favourites of the year (and they didn’t necessarily need to be new for 2025). @maddie-b-a.bsky.social juggled an exceptionally busy 2025, so it makes sense that her highlights were all about unwinding.thisweekinvideogames.comMaddie Agne's Top 3 Games of 2025Maddie Agne juggled a lot this year, but still somehow found some time to sink into a couple of good, cozy life simulators. 0292
Reposted by Maddie AgneThis Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 26/12/2025What's actually involved in getting a human voice actor to record lines for a game, and how does that compare to an AI replacement? @maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to actors and audio engineers like @selmaleh.bsky.social and @jeffvandyck.com to try and demystify what goes into giving games a voice.thisweekinvideogames.comHow the Cost and Effort of Human Voice Actors Compares to Generative AI“A well-trained actor will save production in the end because you know the better trained you are, the quicker you can do the job and get what you need” 424680