iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 10/09/2026

Just leaked: a SNES proof-of-concept alpha for Project Dream, the prototype that would go on to become Banjo-Kazooie. I haven't had a chance to dive into it yet, but I always love to see these scraps of gaming history resurface. archive.org/details/proj...

A screenshot from an unfinished N64 game. It's a little hard to see exactly what is going on, but a very anime-looking due is raising his fist against a reptilian fellow with a sword.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 25/08/2026

The face of a cat who doesn't realise the chaos she has sown.

A gray cat lies on the carpet, staring blankly off into the distance.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 24/08/2026

Once again, I want to emphasize that Cooking YouTube's recent focus on bean recipes is a recession indicator. (also, I can't believe how much cheaper groceries are in Ireland)

A snapshot from a Youtube short. A woman with heart shaped glasses speaks to the camera. Onscreen text reads "Recession recipes: Black bean meatballs" and subtitles read "if this is your first time being poor..."

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 01/07/2026

I actually thought this one might've be real until I noticed the weird scale and t̴̛̞̯͕̗̑̃̄̈́͛̕h̶̗̎͒̚e̴͖͎̗̬̰̫̽͂ ̴̩͎̩̱̈́ͅh̶͇͔̍a̸̙̯͚̣͍͓̓͒͑̋̅̎͝ͅn̴̨̦͔̱̜͍̰̊͋̇d̸̼͓̅̂͗̑͆͛͒s̴̛̟.

And AI generated woman sits on a Line 6 amplifier in a kitchen.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 18/06/2026

I had delightful time at @cgsaacej.bsky.social this year! ✊Labour talk w/ @kenzitronic.bsky.social, @thechristinet.bsky.social, & @evkuzn.bsky.social 🎮Game preservation w/ @jeanketterling.bsky.social & @videogamehistorian.bsky.social Thankful to CGSA for running inclusive events (praise the OWL).

A group of game scholars pose around an OWL (a webcam microphone thingy), praising it as they would an idol.

Michael stands between two monitors that read "Three Central Programs" while talking through a presentation.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 16/06/2026

Thanks to @thechristinet.bsky.social for suggesting this one. And yes, I'm working on grants/CFPs.

A three panel Simpsons meme. IN the first panel, a group of children are looking at Bart in the classroom and are saying: "Say the line, Bart." In the second panel, Bart, who looks depressed, says "Videgaomes are a multi-billion-dollar industry." In the third panel, the entire classroom erupts in cheers.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 09/06/2026

I'll be at the Serious Game Arcade tomorrow to talk about sustainability in the game industry and beyond. You can pop in at Concordia University's 4th space or register online! www.badgamearcade.ca/2026progam

Pink text that reads "serious game arcade 2026" overlaid on top of a photo of a panel discussion.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 05/06/2026

Last session at the Depot for a while! Fixing consoles and making messes, as per usual.

A collection of old console components, a CRT, and other random faff sits on a large wooden table in a makerspace.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 21/05/2026

What is with right wing politicians and milk photo-ops.

Donald Trump at a pressa conference, sitting in front of a gallon of whole milk.

Andrew Scheer, a Canadian politician wearing a blue suit, guzzles 2% milk straight from the carton.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 16/05/2026

One of the more curious items from my gaming collection is this "TSR '88 Book & Games Catalogue." Curious if anyone has insights on the value (historical or monetary) of this. @thevideogamelibrary.org @gamehistoryorg.bsky.social @analoggamestudies.bsky.social

A TSR 1988 Books & Games Catalogue, featuring a red cover with cutaway text

An inside page from the 1988 TSR catalogue, showcasing products called "Knight of the Living Dead", "Prince of Thieves", and "Sniper! Libyan Strike."

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 05/05/2026

Someone took my Pathfinder TTRPG homerules and added them to Nexus Mods for Wrath of the Righteous (cool). They also added a bunch of AI artwork (not cool).

An AI generated image of "elephant in the room: no more feat taxes". In addition to a stylizedlogo, it shows a party of adventures sitting around a table as an elephant walks in behind them.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 08/04/2026

"Yeah, I'm part of the 𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑳 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻."

A scan of a Biker Mice from Mars comic. Three edgy, anthropomorphised mice are riding motorcycles and waving guns in front of a downtown cityscape.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 13/03/2026

"The Strait of Hormuz is open for transit."

The infamous underwater level from the TMNT NES game. Michelangelo swims between pink reeds

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 13/03/2026

I don't love my university's dissertation standards, but they did let me my purple headings and half page image splashes.

A title page from a dissertation with the header "the super nintendo emulation system" and featuring a large screenshot of ZSNES, an emulator

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 11/03/2026

"Yeah, I'm part of the 𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑳 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻."

Art for the game Battletoads, featuring a collection of anthropomorphic toads fighting pig monsters on an alien planet. Radical!

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 09/03/2026

"Yeah, I'm part of the 𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑳 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻."

A screen capture from the kids cartoon, The Mighty Ducks, in which burly anthropomorphic ducks are dressed in hockey uniforms.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 04/03/2026

"Yeah, I'm part of the 𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑳 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻."

A promotional picture of the power Rangers, showing all five with their hands on their waists in front of white and green lightning

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 02/03/2026

"Yeah, I'm part of the 𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑳 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻."

A screen capture from the 1980s ninja turtles cartoon. Leonardo points his sword forward while the other turles stand in the background, ready to fight

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 27/02/2026

"Yeah, I'm part of the 𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑳 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻."

A screenshot from the television show Street Sharks, showing the four main characters (all mutant human/shark hybrids) leaping out of rubble and pink smoke.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 27/02/2026

The problem with this rhetoric is that the "radical left" sounds cool as hell.

Headline: "Doug Ford blasts the ‘radical left’ at Toronto city hall over estimate on cost of replacing speed cameras." It is followed by a picture of Ontario Premier Doug Ford gesturing to the left while standing at a podium.

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Michael Iantorno☔️✊ @michaeliantorno.com · 26/02/2026

I'll also being doing a talk titled "Phony Participants, Porous Platforms" where I'll discuss the challenges of designing qualitative research in the age of AI. This one will be more of a guide on building research, from finding secure tools to understanding participant anxieties regarding AI.

PHONY PARTICIPANTS, POROUS PLATFORMS: Building qualitative research projects in the age of AI. In this talk for the University of
Waterloo’s academic community, I
will provide insights on designing
ethical qualitative research
projects that mitigate the
potentially harmful effects of
artificial intelligence (AI)
technologies. Key topics include
filtering out AI bots and bad actors
in survey design and distribution;
choosing secure online platforms
and tools that do not feed content
into AI training models; and
balancing validation processes
with participant burnout. My
findings are rooted in my
consultant work for Pink Triangle
Press’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Screen Sector
Workplace Initiative and as the
lead researcher for videogame
industry white papers with
Game Arts International Network.

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