Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 17hIn case you missed it; my new documentary project is now going to be a book instead. 062
Reposted by Richard MossDesign Room @designroom.site · 05/10/2026Big new story! The best 8,000 words you'll read on Vib-Ribbon today.designroom.siteVib-Ribbon: An oral historyAlmost 27 years later, we round up the team behind NanaOn-Sha's procedurally generated playground to look at the legacy of PlayStation's wireframe rabbit. 8411174
Reposted by Richard MossDexter Thomas @dexdigi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026read through this a bit ago. TONS of stuff i didn't know. and more info on the stuff i thought i knew. worth the read! 122
Reposted by Richard MossPassport to Adventure: The SCUMM Story @scummdoc.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Let's make it official: The SCUMM documentary is on pause (indefinitely), but I'm working on a book version of our concept. It'll be based on dozens of new interviews with the people behind the LucasArts and Humongous adventures you loved, plus in-depth research. New site: scummbook.com 0156
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 27/09/2026"The prisoner rebellion is already underway. A refusenik indie culture is returning, although it may look different from the bohemian micro-cultures of the past... And once this process starts, there’s no telling where it might end." www.honest-broker.com/p/the-most-d...honest-broker.comThe Most Dangerous Thing in Culture Right Now is BeautyA provocative article from the archive (updated and expanded) 000
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026(My own inner standard on good enough remains as high as – if not rising even higher than – it ever was.) 020
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026One of the biggest, most-depressing things I've learnt from the rise of genAI has been that the bar for "good enough" is apparently a lot lower than I thought. 130
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 22/09/2026"We're not even the product anymore, which is why all these companies no longer give a solitary shit about whether their stuff is good or fun to use. We're the raw material that they mine." matduggan.com/you-know-gdpr-is-good…matduggan.comYou Know GDPR Is Good Based on Who Hates ItFDR has always been one of my favorite presidents, second maybe to Lincoln. Both were men the establishment assumed were one of them until, to their horror, they governed like they weren't. Both could trash the opposition in one breath and take the moral high ground in the next. 071
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 20/09/2026We had a mailing list specifically for the project, on scummdoc.com, which I can't take with me for legal reasons, so I've built a new site and we'll send an email out to said list in a few days to direct people to the new site to follow my progress on the book. 120
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Nope. It was a new documentary in development at CREATORVC that I was leading, but we didn't get enough traction to be greenlit for production/crowdfunding, so I asked for (and got) the IP rights to do it as a book instead (or possibly first). 111
Reposted by Richard MossMark Boszko @swizzlevixen.bsky.social · 19/09/2026scummbook.com Exciting! A book about the LucasArts SCUMM based games, forthcoming from @scummdoc.bsky.social and @mossrc.bsky.socialscummbook.comPassport to Adventure: The SCUMM StoryA book about LucasArts and Humongous Entertainment adventure games, by Richard Moss 052
Reposted by Richard MossPassport to Adventure: The SCUMM Story @scummdoc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026I built a new website for the book project: scummbook.com Official announcement about the documentary going on hiatus will come next week, now that the paperwork's been signed. For GDPR reasons, I need a new mailing list (the new site), but we'll send a final update out on the SCUMMdoc list.scummbook.comPassport to Adventure: The SCUMM StoryA book about LucasArts and Humongous Entertainment adventure games, by Richard Moss 186
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Fascinating essay about Brazilian footballing culture and how the nation found, then lost, its footballing identity — both times under the spectre of European influence. medium.com/the-polis/wh...medium.comWhat Killed Brazilian Football Is Killing UsAn autopsy that will affect us all 011
Reposted by Richard MossGlenda Adams @gmatom.bsky.social · 12/09/2026OMG. 29 years ago I put an Easter egg in Duke Nukem 3D Mac, that replaced two of the in-game posters with pictures of a couple plush animals I had. I never told anyone other than my wife about the code (DNGLENDA) and completely forgot I did this. 1/2 121009378
Reposted by Richard MossBoss Fight Books @bossfightbooks.com · 14/09/2026The deluxe hardcover edition of AGE OF EMPIRES by @mossrc.bsky.social is now up for preorders from our own site. And the ebook edition is available RIGHT NOW. bossfightbooks.com/products/age...bossfightbooks.comAge of Empires (Deluxe Hardcover Edition) by Richard Moss (Preorder NoBased on interviews with 29 former Ensemble and Microsoft executives and staff, documentarian Richard Moss tells the story of how a scrappy team of first-time developers partnered with the biggest tech company in the world on a game that would test the brothers’ relationship like nothing before. 4138
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 14/09/2026I keep forgetting to mention that the remaining Shareware Heroes paperback copies are now being sold by Wilton Square Books, via all the usual sales channels, in a profit-share deal. There will be no reprint, although I may do an expanded edition in a couple years. The ebook is still on Payhip. 010
Reposted by Richard MossDamiano Gerli @damiano.bsky.social · 11/09/2026It is often forgotten, but the origins of Bethesda Softworks were rooted in the European homecomputer demoscene, as Julian LeFay, director of Terminator and Daggerfall, grew up with the Amiga in Denmark trying to copy what his demoscene "rival" Sodan was doing. 15315
Reposted by Richard MossSensible Soccer @sensibleswos.bsky.social · 11/09/202630 years ago, I created my own football club on Sensible Soccer Luke United FC, with players such as my mum, dad, childhood teddy & David Beckham. I created match day programmes, mock interviews & organised transfers with friends. Childhood imagination is fascinating medium.com/@lukasroar/s...medium.comSensible Soccer : For the Love of a GameGrowing up I always loved editing characters in video games, whether it be adding the cast of Friends to the warzone that was Worms 2, or… 2274
Reposted by Richard MossDesign Room @designroom.site · 09/09/2026We'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. 15633
Reposted by Richard MossBoss Fight Books @bossfightbooks.com · 03/09/2026The printers sent us our sample copy of the deluxe edition of AGE OF EMPIRES by @mossrc.bsky.social. I’m so happy with it. 6327
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 01/09/2026I once heard a great argument about how AI is made of people. This gets at a similar idea, but with a firm anti-AI stance. "I've come to believe that quality software is not about [the number of] features or how quickly it is built but rather how cared for it is by [the people] who work on it." 062
Reposted by Richard MossIain Mew @superchartisland.com · 31/08/2026World Class Leader Board expanded on Access's impressive golf sim. I looked at it and their early examples of post-release expansion rollouts www.superchartisland.com/world-class-leader-board 152
Reposted by Richard MossBitmap Books @bitmapbooks.com · 30/08/2026A Tale of Two Halves: The History Of Football Video Games ⚽️ Explores the evolution of football games across four decades, featuring 400 titles spanning 2D classics and cutting-edge 3D simulations. Score a copy: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/... #bitmapbooks #booksky #football #soccer #gaming 095
Reposted by Richard MossDavid L. Craddock - Author/Filmmaker @davidlcraddock.bsky.social · 28/08/2026I’m thrilled to announce Knee-Deep in the’90s: The First Person Shooters 🔫 That Defined a Decade! 🎙️Based on new & archival interviews 💾Deep dives into 20+ games 📚Available in all formats 📆 Releases 12.10 (Doom’s anniversary!) 🧵1/4 410940
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 29/08/2026This is such a bad faith and fallacious argument from Sony. It's perfectly intuitive to think that you are buying a (digital) copy of the binary data and that that copy should work for as long as you have the compatible hardware. (Text clipped from @stephentotilo.bsky.social's Game File newsletter.) 37024
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 28/08/2026My contribution to the design brief for the artist was that it needs to feature the priest in some way. They nailed it. 010
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 26/08/2026My new book, almost here! I can't wait to see that cover in person. 1244
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 05/08/2026A couple of chaps in Sydney (one of whom worked on Good Game and Spawn Point) are trying to get a documentary series off the ground about Aussie games history, told by the people who were there, and they need your support. You can back the project on Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.com/projects/reg...kickstarter.comRegion Locked: A Documentary Series on Aussie Video GamesFar from Silicon Valley, the Australian video game industry was forged by risk-takers, innovators and visionaries. This is their story. 134
Reposted by Richard MossDesign Room @designroom.site · 31/07/2026Hi, 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 2321129
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026Brilliant game. We dedicated a thousand words and a two-page spread just to talking about its excellent Scenario mode, which dropped you into in-progress matches and had you trying to recreate (or change the outcome of) some of the greatest moments in international football history. 150
Reposted by Richard MossBoss Fight Books @bossfightbooks.com · 25/06/2026The goodreads page for AGE OF EMPIRES by @mossrc.bsky.social is up. To read?? www.goodreads.com/book/show/25...goodreads.comAge of Empires (Boss Fight Books, #41)"Tony came in one day, out of the blue, and said to eve… 184
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 24/06/2026Final cover (front and back) for the paperback version of my latest book, coming out as soon as it's printed. The hardcover edition will have photos and dev materials. Both can be preordered via Kickstarter at www.kickstarter.com/projects/gab...kickstarter.comAge of Empires: How Ensemble Studios Made HistoryThe creation & legacy of the 1997 real-time strategy game, based on interviews w/ 29 former Ensemble & Microsoft staff. 0156
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 23/06/2026I got more than halfway through reading that before I realised/remembered that the article's publication date and the Switch 2 launch were both a year ago. 010
Reposted by Richard MossRetroDan @retrodan75.bsky.social · 13/06/2026With the #WorldCup just started, what better time to dive back into this beauty from @bitmapbooks.com 😀⚽️ 182
Reposted by Richard MossBitmap Books @bitmapbooks.com · 12/06/2026World Cup fever has gripped Bitmap HQ 🏆⚽️ Check out our book - Tale of Two Halves: The History Of Football Video Games Featuring over 400 games! Who do you think will win the tournament? Score a copy: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/... #bitmapbooks #worldcup #football #soccer #gaming #booksky 092
Reposted by Richard MossAlexander Had @alexanderhad1.bsky.social · 10/06/2026Sold-out for nearly a year, From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror is back in stock on June 17, along with several other excellent titles, including The Games that Weren't, I'm Too Young To Die & 50 Indie Games that Changed the World. 153
Reposted by Richard MossPixelCrib @pixelcrib.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Written by the award winning @mossrc.bsky.social & published by @bitmapbooks.com we are delighted to have several more copies of the Secret History of Mac Gaming available now! Check it out: buff.ly/zr4PWqi 0116
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 09/06/2026It would have made capturing footage a lot easier, for sure, but I'm happy I got to play the original version for that extra bit of authenticity. 011
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 31/05/2026Yeah, I'm not sure who/how they've handled the port this time, but off the top of my head I'd have to go back to Close Combat for an in-house Mac port of a Microsoft game. 010
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 31/05/2026Your memory on Halo is half right. MS acquired Bungie well before they could ship to Mac, and it was Xbox exclusive on release in 2001, but Mac and PC ports followed two years later. The Mac version was decent but the PC release got derided for poor optimisation/performance. 000
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 31/05/2026Yes it did. Age of Empires II came out for Mac in 2001. The expansion was bundled in with the main game, too. (And Halo 1 finally landed on Mac in 2003.) 110
Reposted by Richard MossRetro Tech Dreams @retrotechdreams.bsky.social · 29/05/2026Mac OS 9 had themes too 924529
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 30/05/2026Likewise. I can't stand how bland and poorly thought-out modern OSs are. I miss the personality and intentionality of the 90s and early 2000s. I'm pretty happy with the KDE IRIX-style theme Irixium, but it's not a complete solution for me. 220
Reposted by Richard MossKimimi🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ @kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com · 28/05/2026~The writing is the point.~ It's a *process*, not a *product*. These are my words and they are precious and I will not have any machine speak for me. 57620
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 29/05/2026Someone was inspired by my Shareware Heroes book to archive their collection of mail-order 5.25" shareware floppies, circa 1990-94, most of which came from a catalogue called Reasonable Solutions. There's a great mix of stuff in here. archive.org/details/525d...archive.org1990-1994 Mail Order 5.25" shareware disk collection : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveHello, welcome to my collection of 5.25” mail order floppy disks circa 1990-1994. When we were using 386/486 PCs in the first half of the 90s, prior to the... 04810
Reposted by Richard MossG. Willow Wilson @gwillow.me · 26/05/2026People don't long for "inconvenience." They long for permanence. And though streaming services may be convenient, people are waking up to the fact that we are paying rent-seeking middle men month after month for things we will never actually own. 19087592664
Reposted by Richard MossBrian Crecente @crecente.bsky.social · 24/05/2026Cuba is out of oil. One of many ongoing, humanitarian crises. I’ve been keeping in touch with a Cuban game developer and it’s very grim. www.nbcnews.com/world/cuba/c...nbcnews.comFrom solar to charcoal, Cubans look for alternatives amid outages and fuel shortagesSome Cubans who’ve been able to buy solar panels say it’s a game changer, but most rely on other alternatives including charcoal, despite health concerns and the steep cost. 26632
Richard Moss @mossrc.bsky.social · 23/05/2026The best feeling is when they bring it up again years later and say they shared it with their kids, who were touched to read about mum or dad in their element. 110
Reposted by Richard MossFelipe Pepe @felipepepe.bsky.social · 22/05/2026I've recently read Zen & the Art of the Macintosh, a 1986 book that mixes new age stuff with the sheer sense of wonder the author felt doing graphical design on a Macintosh... It's weird, but gorgeous! And also nostalgic... a tribute to computers, from a time before we yearned for a Butlerian Jihad 07610