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Sam Heaney

@samheaney.bsky.social
126 followers 316 following 270 posts

• 29 • @gamingtrend.com/ @ign.com Guides Writer • Writer/Actor • Podcaster @savethegamemedia.bsky.social • KFBF • A boring Brit

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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My TOEM 2 review: Really liked my time with it, loved snapping pictures once again - but was underwhelmed with the new mechanics and disappointed at how much it mimicked the original without carving out its own identity. A good thing is still good, just loses some of the magic a second time around.
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I had a really good time with TOEM 2, but as I walked away I couldn’t help but feel disappointed in just how closely it aped the original. Still heartily recommend it no doubt, but I was definitely hoping for more on my second photographic adventure. gamingtrend.com/reviews/toem...
gamingtrend.com
TOEM 2 review
A lovely (if unremarkable) photocopy
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Pants have been shat. Sons and daughters of Helghan, the time has come. And it’s long overdue. Praying to all there is that this comes to fruition.
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Todd Oxtra @toddoxtra.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Check out @samheaney.bsky.social review gamingtrend.com/reviews/the-...
gamingtrend.com
The Sinking City 2 review
Yes, you can teach an Old God new tricks
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Fast-tracking Horizon 3’s development is so obviously the correct play. I wasn’t on the hate train for Hunter’s Gathering, but it’s clear player interest isn’t really there and I don’t see that changing. Horizon 3 will sell, as the other two have. Hell, put out a Killzone remaster in the interim.
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Save The Game Media @savethegamemedia.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
gamingtrend.com/reviews/the-... Check out @samheaney.bsky.social’s first written review for @gamingtrend.com
gamingtrend.com
The Sinking City 2 review
Yes, you can teach an Old God new tricks
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Ya boy got to write his first ever review for @gamingtrend.com covering The Sinking City 2. It’s far from perfect, but is a Lovecraft x Resident Evil romp that delivered in all the ways I care about in survival horror. Congrats to @frogwares-games.bsky.social! gamingtrend.com/reviews/the-...
gamingtrend.com
The Sinking City 2 review
Yes, you can teach an Old God new tricks
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Kotaku @kotaku.com · 17/07/2026
This feels gross. kotaku.com/this-feels-gross-2000717…
kotaku.com
Xbox Is Begging Us To Think About Fallout 5 Instead Of Layoffs
'What matters the most is that the games are good'
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Rebekah Valentine @duckvalentine.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
static.klipy.com
Sure, Jan. (Brady Bunch Meme)
Alt: Sure, Jan. (Brady Bunch Meme)
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Jason Schreier @jasonschreier.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
The cruelest part of this Xbox bloodbath? More than 1,200 job cuts are still looming, and nobody knows when they will happen or who will be impacted. This week's column: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
Delayed Xbox Layoffs Leave Employees Scared And Nervous
Xbox cut 1,600 jobs this week and plans to cut another 1,600 over the next 12 months, leaving remaining staff on tenterhooks
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lex luddy needs a nap @lexluddy.xyz · 09/07/2026
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Simon Cardy @cardy.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Xbox Is ‘Not Healthy’, But Losing All of This Talent Isn’t the Cure www.ign.com/articles/xbo...
ign.com
Xbox Is ‘Not Healthy’, But Losing All of This Talent Isn’t the Cure – Arkane, Compulsion, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs Deserve Better.
Xbox is ‘not healthy’, but losing all of this talent isn’t the cure.
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Mitch Dyer @mitchyd.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Astonished by the amount of instant Xbox apologia happening in the wake of the company gutting 20% of its staff — 3000+ people without jobs is not worthy of any silver-lining or celebrating of alleged executive honesty. Literacy in reading the room is essential, I’m begging you.
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Mat Piscatella @matpiscatella.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
"you do not, under any circumstances, "gotta hand it to them""
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Jason Schreier @jasonschreier.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
BREAKING: Xbox will cut 3,200 jobs as part of a major reorganization, and divest from five studios: - Compulsion and Double Fine will go indie - Ninja Theory and Undead Labs will be sold - Arkane to enter consultation process Here's the full story: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Microsoft’s Xbox to Cut 3,200 Jobs, Divest Five Studios in Major Overhaul
Compulsion and Double Fine studios will become independent; Undead Labs and Ninja Theory will be sold. Xbox will also look to sell or spin out Arkane Studios.
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Imran Khan @imrankhan.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Wild that Obsidian was told over and over that they didn't need to make money, they just needed to make good games, and now they're being punished for it.
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Rebekah Valentine @duckvalentine.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
i would probably dispute the notion that there's any "good" way to upend the lives of hundreds if not thousands of workers, but i think we can all agree *this* is probably not the way to do it
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Bruno Dias @brunodias.dev · 15/06/2026
The key thing to understand about this is that it is completely unnecessary. This is a corporation with basically infinite money. They don't have to destroy 30+ year studios to save their bottom line. They're doing this because they are evil.
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Hayes Madsen @solfleet.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Remembering today the incredibly awkward clips where Matt Booty tries to convince everyone at Double Fine that things will stay the same (this article that feels like it could be written today is from 2024) www.vg247.com/xbox-shutter...
vg247.com
As Xbox shutters studios, old documentary clips that highlight problems with how Microsoft handles its developers are resurfacing
Following a week of foot-in-mouth c-suite moments at Xbox, some older ones are returning to the fore.
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Jason Schreier @jasonschreier.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
BREAKING: Several Xbox studios, including Compulsion, Ninja Theory and Double Fine, are negotiating with Xbox as they try to avoid closure. Some or all could spin off. Lots still in flux as many studios remain unsure about what's happening. Here's the latest: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Studios in Microsoft’s Xbox Division Brace for Closures
The studios, which include Compulsion Games and Double Fine, are in active negotiations with Xbox and may be given the chance to go independent.
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Jesus. Fucking. Christ.
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Matt Sowinski @mattsilversoul.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
BuT ThEy cHaNGed tHe LoGo
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Jeff Gerstmann @jeffgerstmann.com · 15/06/2026
Shutting down Compulsion Games just says to me they don't care about managing a portfolio, they just want hits as fast as possible. I'm no studio head, but that sure seems like a bad way to actually make "hits." Especially as a platform holder with a content-devouring subscription service.
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Jordan Middler @jordanmiddler.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
I think anyone that expects Xbox to hold on to anything but the absolute blockbuster studios is in for a major shock. I hope these folk can stay together and make more interesting stuff. I fear that's a sentiment I'll be copying and pasting a few times in the near future.
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
static.klipy.com
Joe Exotic: Never Going to Financially Recover
ALT: Joe Exotic: Never Going to Financially Recover
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Jason Schreier @jasonschreier.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
SCOOP: PlayStation studio business CEO Hermen Hulst told staff in a town hall Monday morning that the company's narrative single-player games will now be PlayStation exclusive, confirming Bloomberg's reporting from earlier this year. Original story from March: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Sony Pulls Back From PlayStation Games on PC
The video-game publisher no longer plans to put out PC ports of PlayStation games such as ‘Ghost of Yotei’
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Josh Scherr @joshscherr.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
"so what I'm thinking is, I think the game is an industry plant, it couldn't possibly be because the game appeals to some people and not to others, especially me, there must be a conspiracy behind all these good scores"
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Save The Game Media @savethegamemedia.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
@samheaney.bsky.social has been playing Wax Heads! Tune in to Shared Save on Thursday for all his thoughts! 👀
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
#Saros Platinum trophy obtained right before early access launch 🔥 And I won’t be stopping playing any time soon. Been an absolute blast covering it. WHAT. A. GODDAMN. VIDEO. GAME. ☀️🔄
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Save The Game Media @savethegamemedia.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Shoutout to @playstack.com for sending over a code for @raccoingame.bsky.social! @samheaney.bsky.social bringing you coverage soon! (If he can pull himself away from it)
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Mike Bithell @mikebithell.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
If you were someone pinging critics with ‘it’s just lighting cleanup’ a few days ago, I need you to use this as a jumping off point to thinking about your susceptibility to talking points and marketing rhetoric more generally. It was right there in front of all of our faces.
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
While anything can happen long term & I’m open to this backfiring on Sony, I currently believe this is 1000% the correct move. Without the hardware & latent revenue, PlayStation is basically dead. I’m willingly to support pivots like this that keep the hardware platform as healthy as possible.
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Alex Van Aken @itsvanaken.games · 23/02/2026
Re: Xbox — all I can think about is the Double Fine PsychOdyssey documentary scene where Matt Booty essentially tells all creatives on the team that their ideas are property of Microsoft even if their game idea isn’t green-lit You can see the creativity stifled in real time
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Arthur Gies (he/him) @aegies.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
there's obviously very useful reporting here from @tomwarren.co.uk, but it's hard for me to read this and not feel like bond is being thrown under the bus for the failure of a strategy that was dictated more or less from the top of MS to Xbox. www.theverge.com/tech/883015/...
theverge.com
Inside Microsoft’s big Xbox leadership shake-up
Microsoft has a new gaming CEO
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Anyone who believes that Xbox will either: 1. Stand a meaningful chance of regaining mindshare in the console space at this point. 2. Return to exclusivity without it blowing up in their studios faces. 3. Commit to their "plans" for longer than 12 months. Hit me up, I need some of that good stuff
media.tenor.com
a man laying on a bed with a t-shirt that says zombieunderdog on it
ALT: a man laying on a bed with a t-shirt that says zombieunderdog on it
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
So crazy that Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond have been removed from GamePass without any forewarning. What the hell Xbox - they were top of the backlog smh
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Jordan Middler @jordanmiddler.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
I simply don’t understand how you can’t find something for Bluepoint to do, especially when you’re swimming in IP. Unbelievably talented studio. Horrible news.
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Frank Cifaldi @frankcifaldi.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
I don't normally comment on stuff like this because I've given up on understanding this business, but I'd have to think the remasters Bluepoint was known for are maybe the closest thing we had left to a predictable business model?? I get that everything is volatile but that part feels pretty safe???
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
What in the actual fuck. Seriously just losing the will at this point
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sunset visitor 斜陽過客 | Prove You're Human - Wishlist Now! @sunsetvisitor.studio · 29/01/2026
✊
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Locked in for every category. Six to one.
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sunset visitor 斜陽過客 | Prove You're Human - Wishlist Now! @sunsetvisitor.studio · 03/12/2025
SISTERS, ATTENTION TO THE SKY PLEASE 🗣️ We have been nominated at the 2025 PS Blog Game of the Year Awards for: ✨ Best Story ✨ Best Art Direction ✨ Best Independent Game If you loved 1000xRESIST, please do vote for us as it'd mean a lot to our small studio! 💙 blog.playstation.com/2025/12/01/p...
blog.playstation.com
PS Blog Game of the Year Awards 2025: polls are now live
Vote for your favorite games from the past year across 19 categories.
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
I can see this winding up a more borked and confusing hardware launch than Xbox One. Supposedly an insight to the “future of Xbox” where “everything is an Xbox” & you can “Play Anywhere”. Yet this is the furthest thing from an Xbox they’ve ever made, & Xbox aren’t correcting errors.
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Sam Heaney @samheaney.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
So does this mean it can be my 2025 GOTY as well? Long overdue and couldn't be happier I get an excuse to experience it all over again
media.tenor.com
a cartoon toad with his mouth wide open
ALT: a cartoon toad with his mouth wide open
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sunset visitor 斜陽過客 | Prove You're Human - Wishlist Now! @sunsetvisitor.studio · 08/10/2025
We have some upcoming news that we are VERY excited to share next week. Thank you for making the future of 1000xRESIST so bright. Hekki grace. 💙 In the meantime, here's a little sneak preview of what's to come...
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Ryan McCaffrey @dmc-ryan.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
The difference between THIS bad-news cycle for Xbox compared to others is that it's more about the brand itself now, which seems not as fixable as their previous lack-of-great-games problems. The damage now – exacerbated by retailers cutting bait on Xbox – feels unrecoverable. (1/2)
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