iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

LEGO is hiring a UX Director in London, for making digital experiences! I think this is a great opportunity for making your hobby, and your hobby, into a fun job!

I'm very excited to announce another open role at LEGO
Digital Play - UX Director. Come work with me and my amazing team on something playful, creative and fun!
https://Inkd.in/eG3DFSzS

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 6h

Considering Elden Ring players also often missed the tutorial because it is out of the way, and that meme about the steamer missing that they can hop/dodge in The Legend of Zelda due to missing a tutorial, it seems like this is a recurring pattern of some kind. Why? What is causing this design?

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 8h

Whenever I connect two people together, as they have both mentioned interest in something, the favorite feeling is days, weeks, or even months later hearing either of them say: "Thank you, we indeed had a great chat and now I have a contact/job/contract/product/talk!" It is wonderful! But...

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 28/09/2026

This was a very interesting problem in ARC Raiders, so much so that I wrote up an entire explanation of why the incentives are set up wrong, and how they affect each other. rystorm.com/blog/the-sys... (and how this is the case for many things in this world)

rystorm.com

An analysis of the Trial System in ARC Raiders (and other incentives in game development) — Robin-Yann Storm, Tool Design Director

How do the trials work, how does that fit into the rest of the game, and how does that involve the steam algorithm?

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 25/09/2026

For next year's GDCA's there is a category for "Best Gaming Tech" There is still a "best technology" award, which goes to a game, but "Best Gaming Tech" can go to any technology So please submit your tech! Your plugins! Your tools! Your work! Submit before November 1st: gamechoiceawards.com

Best Gaming Tech
Finalists will be recognized for innovations in gaming-related software, hardware, or tools that have advanced the industry – including but not limited to new platforms, engines, devices, or technologies that enhance how games are created, played, or experienced.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 27/09/2026

I often get asked where I buy my shirts, and that's in The Shirt Shop in Amsterdam. But, they're sadly almost all male cuts. Today I walked past a place called Cocon, in Utrecht, which does seem to have some great patterned buttonup shirts in women's cuts.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 26/09/2026

To me, the recording of my section has big bright white flashes due to Google slides being absolutely awful and taking a frame to load in a background image. I hate Google slides But other folks are telling me they can't tell. Is that so? Do you not see the white flashes? I see my whole body lit up

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 25/09/2026

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 24/09/2026

Holy shit: Paris Charles de Gaulle airport is changing their terminal numbering to actually make sense!! I can't believe it! They're literally just make the numbering sequential instead of calling 5 buildings 'terminal 2' presse.groupeadp.fr/groupe-ad... Perhaps there is good in this world

The older numbering which was insane and had 5 building all called terminal 2

The new numbering that is literally just sequential

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 23/09/2026

Real actual pipes I have seen this week. People would have called these unrealistic in any game.

A pipe coming from a ceiling, turning 90 degrees, and immediately going through a wall again

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 23/09/2026

Time for the Blender Conference 2026! #bcon26 It's a conference that isn't just games focused, but does all kinds of talks about film, architecture, automotive, medical, and everything to do with 3D. Also, it's in Amsterdam, so I can roll out of bed to be here!

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 23/09/2026

Real actual pipes I have seen this week. People would have called these unrealistic in any game.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 21/09/2026

Do you prefer reading instead of watching? My video about why your tool UI should be customizable, and how "sensible defaults" and "best practices" do not exist, is now available in text format! rystorm.com/blog/sensible-defaults-best-practices-tool-ui-customisation Let me know what you think!

rystorm.com

Sensible Defaults do not exist, and neither do Best Practices: Tool UI should be easily customizable — Robin-Yann Storm, Tool Design Director

What is wrong with ‘Sensible Defaults’? And why do they make our user experience design worse?

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 22/09/2026

So what does "expand its remit" actually mean? Because the Xbox news says this for a couple of studios, and people are interpreting it as a merging, but the last bullet point explicitly says two studios will merge. So expanding merit can then not mean merge, right? news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/0...

news.xbox.com

Continuing Our Reset

This message was just sent to Team XBOX employees globally. Team, I’m writing to share several updates as part of the XBOX reset outlined earlier this year. First, we are eliminating 268 roles across ...

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 21/09/2026

rystorm.com

Sensible Defaults do not exist, and neither do Best Practices: Tool UI should be easily customizable — Robin-Yann Storm, Tool Design Director

What is wrong with ‘Sensible Defaults’? And why do they make our user experience design worse?

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 21/09/2026

Everyone knows my hesitantance against ‘more clicks’ and defaults, and I hoped that would keep to the software I use at home, but damn it the new payment terminals in The Netherlands are set up with Americanized defaults that ask for a tip!! 15, 18, and 20% tips?! I have to tap it away every time!

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 15/07/2026

Also, while I’m at it in this thread, this also ties into the problem of copycats: bsky.app/profile/matp... When copycats appear really fast, folks wonder why all games can’t be made that fast. It’s because a copycat has no problem with indecision. All decisions are already made.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 15/07/2026

I keep seeing arguments for games being expensive due to hyper realistic expectations for art, or simply lots of art. What I don’t see is the actual most costly reason: Indecision Iteration is good, but the yearly rebuilding of entire characters, storylines, and levels, is the most expensive thing

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 20/09/2026

I’m at the @untitledgamesevent.bsky.social right now, and apparently the Rijksmuseum has nearly 400 boardgames in its collection?! I had no idea, I would’ve loved to have seen some of these on display (cc @whilhorst.bsky.social)

Céline Zaepffel presenting their research on Dutch board games

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that one video game writer @deathmeetauthor.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

too many people treat the maxim of “game dev is an iterative process” as meaning “we should salt the earth every time we have a new idea” rather than “let’s explore and improve the ideas we already agreed on”

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 20/09/2026

I'll be at Blendercon next week! Who else will be in Amsterdam? #BCON26

My face with a graphic saying 'See you at Blender Conference, Bcon26

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Joe Wintergreen @joewintergreen.com · 20/09/2026

no game dev skill is more important than making up your fuckin mind

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 14/09/2026

Sensible Defaults do not exist, and neither do Best Practices. New video: youtu.be/deKtxzvf92g Whenever next anyone asks me what 'Sensible Default' to use, or what the 'Best Practices' are, I will link this video. It explains my arguments, includes examples, and hopefully finally puts it to rest.

youtu.be

Tool Design: Customizing workflows without 'Sensible Defaults'

YouTube video by Robin-Yann Storm

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 18/09/2026

GDC acceptance and denial emails have been sent out. I've got 3 acceptances, one denial! If all goes well with travel, I'll be doing 3 Tool Design Roundtables, 2 OpenUSD Roundtables, and a talk titled: "What is OpenUSD, and why should I care?"

My email box, showing 3 acceptances and one denial

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Keano Raubun @keano.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Technically a modding team worked on that (Kinggath) Fund modders and your modders will make you money! Forever games through UGC are the real winner of the GAAS wars. Retirement homes WILL be an active target audience in a decade or two.

Warcraft 3 Reforged got a new expansion called Forsaken Kingdom, the first official Warcraft 3 expansion in over 20 years. Modders were hired to make maps for this.

Roblox makes bank on UGC - allowing children and old people to make content for this forever game.

Hytale also hired Minecraft and Hytale modders to work on their block-building game.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 18/09/2026

On one hand I hate corporate jargon, on the other hand my job is literally to synergize workflows between cross-functional teams.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 29/05/2026

When folks say they have 10x'd their productivity with AI, most of the time this is what is actually happening:

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 18/09/2026

When I have to upload an image, but now it's no longer just one click to open up a file explorer and find it. Oh no, no no. It's a context menu of options now, because they had to fit in the option to 'generate an image' as well, instead of just uploading an existing image. I hate it so much.

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Twirlbound @twirlbound.com · 18/09/2026

Thank you @rystorm.com for coming and talking to us for our studio's September Lunch and Learn! We learned so much from the tools design masterclass and appreciate your time to answer our questions and help us improve our workflows. 👍

Robin-Yann Storm is wearing a black and red shirt and standing at the front of the room next to a Knightling banner and a TV wit a green background and text that says "The Basics of Tool Design"

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 13/06/2026

The square eisenhower matrix The round venn diagram The project management triangle The double diamond Boring. We have all seen these so many times. Why can't we invent some new ones, like: The torus of timelines The tesseract of accountability The octagon of alignment The cone of product

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 16/09/2026

Through the grapevine of the very small game industry, I heard that originally people who got interviewed were told Bulkhead was a 4 day workweek studio. So I checked the wayback machine, and yeah. They used to advertise a 4 day workweek: web.archive.org/web/20250408... I wonder what happened.

A wayback machine screenshot from April 2025, saying:
WORKING AT BULKHEAD
We are actively looking for creatives who want to take a shot at making a real impact in the fps genre - whilst working a 4 day work week.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 16/09/2026

*beededededoop* Sam. It’s me, Deep Heat Man. Wanted to let you know there are Pain Relief Patches in your inventory. You can apply them anytime. Press the shoulder buttons to apply them to your back. You can apply a big patch, or a small patch, depending on how much pain you feel.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 16/09/2026

The posts of Kojima's content on bluesky never include any text, which makes it a fun scavenger hunt for context. He looks happy, there are other people around all giving a thumbs up, there is a miniature door of some kind, and it's related to OD? I wonder what the door is for.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 16/09/2026

There is also a less nefarious one: M&E, Media and Entertainment. Many companies organize their games devrel with that name, and it's no good. Game development is such a unique beast that it requires its own way of thinking, although the devrels of games and M&E should be in close contact.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 15/09/2026

Vampirium 1997 is a game that asks: What if Hitman was a vampire? And then proceeds to hit everyone over the head with a fire extinguisher

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 14/09/2026

youtu.be

Tool Design: Customizing workflows without 'Sensible Defaults'

YouTube video by Robin-Yann Storm

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grimmerwood @grimmerwood.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

future is looking.... i can only dream

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 13/09/2026

Some great terrain zoos shown off as well

A terrain zoo with various hill and mountain options

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Keano Raubun @keano.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Loving the BlizzCon Legends talks going on, and how WoW world design is still done through the most 2000s-ass (laudatory) level design. 2D map, get it into the editor. Paint heightmap by hand. Can't beat 2D maps and handwork to get from concept to playable ASAP.

A 2D map, planned and painted in Photoshop. The level drawn on a grid that aligns with the world chunks in WoWEdit.

Images are imported into WoWEdit through a copy and paste tool. The designers then opens the Terrain tool and uses the hill brush, mapping out the world's geometry by hand.

World Designers paint out grass, rocks and paths using vertex colors, giving World Artists an idea of the zone's flow and geography - allowing them to plan out the vertical slice.

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 13/09/2026

(Playing Big Walk with someone who has played it before) “This is the puzzle that caused two of my friends to break up.” “Great, let’s do that one first then.”

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 12/09/2026

Alright, time to visit IBC, the international broadcasting convention! I am just visiting, and seeing what other industries are doing when it comes to tools. Starting off with this enormous camera crane that you can try out!

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 12/09/2026

The World of Warcraft Forever news out of Blizzcon is amazing. "Hey how about we do the thing the userbase has been asking for, for a long time? It went great with vanilla, we can do that again?" Just so, so good. You can listen to a target audience and provide them what they want to have!

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 12/09/2026

In better news: There is a Star Wars Zero Company physical maquette at this conference?? Looks really neat!

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 12/09/2026

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 11/09/2026

Miro just got acquired, I wonder what the new company will do. "often increasing revenue and lowering expenses (including by reducing headcount). The company employs full-stack developers to rewrite acquired codebases using artificial intelligence" Ah ...ah.

Bending Spoons enters into a definitive agreement to acquire Miro for $1.355 billion. Milan, Italy—September 10, 2026 | Bending Spoons S.p.A. (NASDAQ: BSP) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Miro at an enterprise value of $1.355 billion. Together with Miro’s net cash, this implies an equity value of approximately $1.79 billion.

Bending Spoons S.p.A. is an Italian technology conglomerate founded in 2013. Based in Milan, the company acquires products (such as Airtable, AOL, Eventbrite, and Vimeo) with existing product‑market fit[4][5] and manages them for long-term ownership, often increasing revenue and lowering expenses (including by reducing headcount).[6][7] The company employs full-stack developers to rewrite acquired codebases using artificial intelligence, proprietary tools, and open-source software (often Python, FastAPI, and TypeScript).[8][9] On July 1, 2026, the company became a public company via an initial public offering on the Nasdaq in the United States

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 11/09/2026

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Robin-Yann Storm @rystorm.com · 11/09/2026

Sometimes you hear about a person looking for a job, who absolutely should not even have to look. They should be hired on the spot, and they would be an incredible help to your team and project. The moment you get brick walled on their hiring, it's a giant red flag on the company. Impending doom.

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