Sign in

Matt Leone

@mattleone.bsky.social
4.9K followers 753 following 142 posts

I write stories about the games industry. Formerly at 1UP and Polygon. Now working on @designroom.site.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 31/07/2026
Hi, we're a new video game oral histories site. Want to read the story of Shadow of the Colossus, as told by 11 people who worked on it? Or hear what Will Wright has to say about Spore in retrospect? Or see previously unreleased footage of Nintendo's Sound Fantasy? Check us out at designroom.site
2302117
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 15/05/2026
Namco's exercise bike-powered flying contraption is almost 30 years old, so we tracked down the game's director to look back.
designroom.site
How Namco built 1996's best arcade cabinet
We talk with the director of the bike-powered Prop Cycle about how the game came about, its international success, and sidelined sequel plans.
116359
Reposted by Matt Leone
shmuplations.com @shmuplations.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Learn about the making of Samurai Shodown and life at SNK in the "arcade action" era of the late 80s in this massive interview with alumni Yasushi Adachi and Tomoaki Fukui! shmuplations.com/samuraispiri...
shmuplations.com
The Samurai Craftsmen of SNK - shmuplations.com
This massive interview with SNK alumni Yasushi Adachi and Tomoaki Fukui originally appeared in the SNK Anniversary Fan Book.
29958
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 09/09/2026
We're open for freelance pitches! Have any ideas for oral histories, roundtables, Q&As, or other stories that feel in line with what we've published so far? Feel free to DM. Rates typically range from $250-$750.
14831
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 22/07/2026
For our latest big story, @duncanfyfe.net dives deep the bestselling pinball game of all-time, The Addams Family.
designroom.site
The Addams Family pinball: An oral history
We talk to the team behind the 1992 breakout hit to learn about licensing, magnets, and how it designed the most popular pinball game of all-time.
08536
Reposted by Matt Leone
Nicole Carpenter @nicolecarpenter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
i wrote about pokemon cards for teen vogue!!! a big, 5,000 word story about how we got to this point, and how the community has changed (and stuck together!) through it all www.teenvogue.com/story/pokemo...
teenvogue.com
Pokémon Cards Became a Billion-Dollar Industry. Then Came the Armed Robberies
How an innocent hobby became a target of armed robbery, break-ins, and six-figure heists.
919854
Reposted by Matt Leone
Lost In Cult @lostincult.co.uk · 15/09/2026
Over 40 years of cutting edge cinema. Introducing our (Post)[Culture] premiere, Archive: Shinya Tsukamoto 🎞️ 400 pages. Limited extras. Signed by Tsukamoto himself. Only 500 signed copies available! 🔗🔻
315446
Reposted by Matt Leone
bl⚰️ke @metallicaisrad.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I've spent the last 2 years working on this: (Post)[Culture] @lostincult.co.uk's new pop culture imprint. And I couldn't be more excited to announce our first project: ARCHIVE: Shinya Tsukamoto, a collaboration with, well, Shinya Tsukamoto. I've never been more proud of anything I've ever done.
1930775
Reposted by Matt Leone
Read-Only Memory @readonlymemory.com · 15/09/2026
Forty-eight new pages have joined the party. The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Ultimate Works expands the original Collected Works with newly discovered artwork, design documents and material from Sega’s 16-bit era. Available in two editions on readonlymemory.com
052
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 11/09/2026
Since we published our Spore oral history in June, we've been talking to members of the mod community about how they've kept the game going for the past 18 years.
designroom.site
The modding community keeping Spore alive
We talk to three members of the Spore modding community about their efforts to continue Maxis' work and keep the game active for new generations of fans.
1215
Reposted by Matt Leone
Lewis Gordon @lewisgordon.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Capcom is on a generational run. But this is no renaissance: the company has never been greater. I reported on the secret of its success, from "Crapcom" in the early 2010s to its one-banger-after-another present, speaking to many of its most illustrious producers. www.theringer.com/2026/09/03/v...
theringer.com
How Capcom Cracked the Code of Game Development
The video game industry is in turmoil, but 2026 could be Capcom’s career year. How does the company behind ‘Resident Evil Requiem,’ ‘Pragmata,’ and ‘Onimusha: Way of the Sword’ keep pumping out hits?
1930994
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 26/08/2026
Almost 20 years after Sam & Max Season One's release, six Telltale team members look back on the time they made a group of Secret Service agents dance the can-can.
designroom.site
Sam & Max's War Song: An oral history, 20 years later
Six former Telltale Games team members look back on the time they made a group of Secret Service agents dance the can-can.
04412
Matt Leone @mattleone.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
All this MGS4 talk is bringing back memories of reviewing it at Konami while being handed an NDA saying we couldn't talk about most of the game...
5665
Reposted by Matt Leone
Duncan Fyfe @duncanfyfe.net · 25/08/2026
I'm in ESSES again, with a piece on the strangest Formula 1 video game ever made - or not made, as the case may be. This is a career highlight; never before have I reported a story by enlisting a F1 driver to ask another F1 driver about Austrian hackers *during the Monaco Grand Prix*
2203
Reposted by Matt Leone
Humanmgn // Felipe @humanmgn.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
New pinned // Hello! I'm Felipe, and I like drawing cool characters 🙌
28919
Reposted by Matt Leone
Syncoplay Retro Gaming @syncoplay.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Beyond the NES is ready to share with the world!!! --Coming August 18th to Kickstarter-- www.kickstarter.com/projects/syn...
kickstarter.com
Coming soon: Beyond the NES: Rediscovering 8-bit on the Japanese Famicom
Discover the 8-bit games you missed. A curated, 300+ page collector's guide to the Japanese Famicom library.
57535
Reposted by Matt Leone
Jack Yarwood @jackgyarwood.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
With Galactic Racer on the way, I gathered the creative leads of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer together for an in-depth roundtable-style chat on the original Star Wars racing game.
183
Reposted by Matt Leone
Samit Sarkar @samitsarkar.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I forgot to share this when it went live last week, but that's okay, because it's a great weekend read! I really enjoyed copy editing this piece. I've definitely played The Addams Family before, but I didn't realize how much of a phenomenon it was. Great quotes in here, as always!
053
Reposted by Matt Leone
Simogo @simogo.com · 24/07/2026
Design Room: very good. Addams Family pinball: very good.
0163
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 23/07/2026
Following yesterday's Addams Family oral history, we have a story on how pinball licensing exploded in the '90s.
designroom.site
How licensing changed the pinball industry
Roger Sharpe, Ken Fedesna, Pat Lawlor, and others discuss how licensed games took over pinball around the time that The Addams Family released.
07420
Matt Leone @mattleone.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
This story gave me the perfect excuse to stop by a few arcades and take a bunch of photos.
A photo of The Addams Family pinball at Pacific Pinball MuseumA photo of The Addams Family pinball at Musee MecaniqueA photo of The Addams Family pinball at Free Gold Watch
3111
Matt Leone @mattleone.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
One of my favorite stories on the site to date!
0186
Reposted by Matt Leone
Jason Schreier @jasonschreier.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Valve's new Steam Machine was 14 years (and one big failure) in the making. Here's the twisty story behind the Steam maker's decade-long quest to bring PCs to the living room: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
Valve’s 14-Year Journey to Make the Steam Machine
The company first began laying the groundwork for this year’s hardware way back in 2012
962467
Reposted by Matt Leone
shmuplations.com @shmuplations.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Very happy to see everyone enjoying the new Eno/Miyamoto interview! If you'd like to support our work at shmuplations, and vote on our upcoming translations (many more Eno pieces await), please consider joining our patreon! www.patreon.com/shmuplations...
patreon.com
July/August/September voting thread! | shmuplations.com
July/August/September voting thread! by shmuplations.com on Patreon. Join shmuplations.com's community for exclusive content and updates.
12312
Reposted by Matt Leone
shmuplations.com @shmuplations.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Today we have something special: a newly translated interview from July 1996 between Shigeru Miyamoto and Kenji Eno! Conducted just weeks after the launch of Mario 64, Eno takes Miyamoto to task (in a friendly way) with several fascinating critiques of its design. shmuplations.com/miyamotoxeno/
shmuplations.com
Shigeru Miyamoto x Kenji Eno (1996) - shmuplations.com
In July 1996, Kenji Eno visited Nintendo HQ to speak with Shigeru Miyamoto as the first of his "cross-talk" series.
17925406
Reposted by Matt Leone
Chris Plante @plante.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Post Games is an NPR-style weekly podcast about video game culture. This episode is a tasting menu for newcomers. Hear about... The future of Nintendo! Growing old as a gaming YouTuber! How Silicon Valley metrics infected our games! A Dragon Quest monologue from Tim Rogers!
postgame.substack.com
A Gaming Podcast Your Friends Will Love
A video game podcast for listeners who want something different
215230
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 10/07/2026
Inscryption is almost 5, so let's talk about its music.
designroom.site
Breaking down the influences behind Inscryption's music
Almost five years after the game's release, we talk to creator Daniel Mullins and composer and sound designer Jonah Senzel about Inscryption's standout audio.
06011
Reposted by Matt Leone
A Profound Waste of Time @apwot.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
📣 Happy to say that Pre-Orders for Issue 6 are NOW LIVE! 📣 Go reserve your copy now! 👇👇👇 shop.apwot.com
610936
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 11/06/2026
We've got a big one today. Almost 20 years after Maxis released Spore, we talked to eight people -- including Will Wright -- about the studio's big experiment.
designroom.site
Spore: An oral history
A wild bet in development for the better part of a decade, Spore reached for the stars — and, at times, got there. We recently spoke to eight team members, including chief designer Will Wright, to loo...
734496
Matt Leone @mattleone.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Perfect weekend reading.
0143
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 11/06/2026
We also have a couple of Spore bonus stories today for paid subscribers, like this one on the game's Wind Waker connection.
designroom.site
The Wind Waker 'obsession' that influenced Spore
One of Spore's early influences came from an unexpected place: Nintendo's "toon-shaded" GameCube game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
1287
Matt Leone @mattleone.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Perhaps the most justified pun in publishing history.
0120
Reposted by Matt Leone
James Mielke @milkman.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
I can finally reveal the cover for Nobuo Uematsu: On The Record, coming from @viz.com this September, which is not far away. Cover portrait of Uematsu by Yoshitaka Amano, foreword written by Hironobu Sakaguchi, testimonials from awesome guest stars, and tons of surprises! Preorder: amzn.to/4g6Y9ai
18509175
Reposted by Matt Leone
Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Trial of the Space Invaders: The Case that Changed Video Games The true story of Nintendo’s years-long legal battle to establish who invented video games, and the secret, never-before-revealed settlement that profoundly shaped today’s industry. I cannot wait to share it with you. Coming: Jan 2027
2027758
Reposted by Matt Leone
Nick Suttner @nsuttner.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
A reminder that our 'role-puzzling' game Arranger is 60% off on Steam/Switch, and also out/cheap on PS5, EGS, Itch, iOS, Android. It's everywhere, dammit! We're also not worlds away from an Overwhelmingly Positive rating, which would make me deeply happy. What if YOU left a review? arranger.quest
arranger.quest
Arranger: A Role Puzzling Adventure
Find your way in a world of breezy, thoughtful puzzles, along a charming journey of self-discovery. The debut game from all-star indie team Furniture & Mattress.
56018
Matt Leone @mattleone.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Thing I learned working on this story: Prop Cycle's soundtrack came with instructions for a dice-based card game.
A photo shows the CD jewel case for the Prop Cycle soundtrack.A photo shows the instructions for the Prop Cycle card game.
19926
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 14/05/2026
Friday
2152
Reposted by Matt Leone
Brian Clark (bclarkomp) @onemillionpower.com · 12/05/2026
Now up on Patreon early, the labor of love that is a new long form and in depth video on the classic beat em up that is Final Fight! Mechanics, history, interviews...it's all here! www.patreon.com/posts/final-...
patreon.com
Final Fight: The Brawler No One Has Ever Truly Beaten | Brian Clark | One Million Power
Final Fight: The Brawler No One Has Ever Truly Beaten by Brian Clark | One Million Power on Patreon. Join Brian Clark | One Million Power's community for exclusive content and updates.
173
Reposted by Matt Leone
Chris Plante @plante.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Why you should try Post Games: - An NPR-quality weekly podcast on video games - Hosted by a 19-year games media veteran - Rare interviews with the most interesting people in gaming, from philosophers to CEOs, sex game designers to Dunkey - And scripts, editing, and music that respect your time!
postgame.substack.com
5 Must-Listen Episodes: The Post Games Starter Pack
Where to start with your new favorite podcast
521159
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 27/04/2026
"It's like trying to make three games within the budget for one. Realistically, it's not possible."
designroom.site
Yoko Taro looks back on his first directing job
We have a new book excerpt from Archipel's "The Worlds of Yoko Taro" looking back on the development of Square Enix's action-RPG Drakengard.
05710
Reposted by Matt Leone
Nicole Carpenter @nicolecarpenter.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
it felt trivial at times to be writing about video games at rikers, which is so notoriously dangerous for incarcerated people. still, play and, specifically, video games are a meaningful piece of the lives of the ~12 young men i met and played with at rikers. read: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/27/a...
nytimes.com
A Virtual Escape for Rikers Inmates
16526133
Reposted by Matt Leone
Matt Leone @mattleone.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Remember all those Street Fighter history stories I did awhile back? Here's a new one.
515080
Matt Leone @mattleone.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Remember all those Street Fighter history stories I did awhile back? Here's a new one.
515080
Reposted by Matt Leone
Lewis Gordon @lewisgordon.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
A reported feature I've long wanted to write: For @eurogamer.bsky.social, I draw a direct line from Black & White's creature AI to the world-transforming ambitions of Google DeepMind, with the inside scoop on Lionhead's starry-eyed, stoner culture of the time. www.eurogamer.net/black-and-wh... 🐵⛪
eurogamer.net
"Tamagotchi on steroids" - how one "groundbreaking" video game from the 90s paved the way for the AI of Google DeepMind, Gemini and beyond
Peter Molyneux, Google DeepMind's Richard Evans, and more on the making and legacy of Black & White as it turns 25.
57420
Reposted by Matt Leone
Design Room @designroom.site · 10/04/2026
Monday
Artwork shows Guy, Cody, and Haggar from Final Fight Revenge
1252
Reposted by Matt Leone
Chris Plante @plante.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Ahead of LA Noire's 15th anniversary, I spoke with Tim Rogers @108.bsky.social! Tim opens the hood of the game and explains how everything works. Plus, we get into the behind-the-scenes history of its dev. And Tim shares how he adapted the game into a TV-length experimental video essay/playthrough
patreon.com
The History of L.A. Noire (2011) | Post Games
Get more from Post Games on Patreon
1665
Reposted by Matt Leone
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
My latest book is about more than the making of Age of Empires. It's a story of brothers, camaraderie, innovation, and dreams—the cost of chasing them, the passion that drives them, and the joy when they come true. Available for preorder from @bossfightbooks.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/gab...
kickstarter.com
Age of Empires: How Ensemble Studios Made History
The creation & legacy of the 1997 real-time strategy game, based on interviews w/ 29 former Ensemble & Microsoft staff.
0239
Reposted by Matt Leone
Kimimi🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com · 28/03/2026
Just prod the button below and you'll get whisked away to a random article on my site! SNES puzzle games, modern indies, NGPC RPGs, arcade classics... with hundreds of articles spanning 40+ formats, I'm sure you'll find something you'll love: kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com?random
A photo showing a wide variety of games, pushed together in all sorts of directions so their differently-sized and shaped boxes fit without gaps. Titles include original arcade carts (Knights of Valour 2 Nine Dragons), untranslated handheld treasures (Wild Card), modern PC titles (Baldur's Gate 3) and everything in between.
24316