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Nicholas Karpuk

@thekarpuk.bsky.social
97 followers 358 following 1.1K posts

Father, Database Developer, Frustrated Novelist

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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The trouble with most platforms that encourage user-generated content is that anyone who discovers that they like making game levels is probably just going to go off and make their own somewhere they have more actual control of.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
That's literally what every Batman villain thinks.
gamesradar.com
Clayface star says his DCU villain is "so overpowered comparative to Batman" and could definitely take him out
Tom Rhys Harries has high hopes for his DCU villain
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
A cynical part of me is shocked that NFTs actually failed, because wildly speculating on collectibles that don't actually exist seemed very much where we're at right now.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I also think it's an argument for keeping development of old consoles going. If they'd kept making PS3 games, there's still plenty of people who would buy them.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I bought a pre-built PC for about this much on sale that in many ways has more power. At what point are they invalidating the purpose of a console? Especially with PC gaming getting friendlier all the time.
gamespot.com
GameStop Is Preparing Us For Next-Gen Pricing With $1,400 Used PS5 Pros
That's a $500 surcharge over a brand-new system.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I don't think people came out to see those crappy Disney remakes because they were excited. I think families are just starved for movies their kids are willing to see in theaters. There aren't actually that many options.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
There's plenty of bad writers that brag about not consuming anything in their genre. All it means is they don't realize when they using devices and ideas that are played out. Dan Houser is a bad writer.
ign.com
We Found the One Person Who Won't Be Playing GTA 6: Ex-Rockstar Boss Dan Houser. But He's Got a Good Reason
Dan Houser, the former co-boss of Rockstar Games and former creative director on the Grand Theft Auto series, doesn't play a lot of open-world games. And he doesn't plan on playing GTA 6 either. But i...
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I've noticed over the course of my life as a man who's not really a joiner and doesn't hang out with that many men is that guys who do often seem to encourage transgressive behavior to see if you'll be complicit with their bullshit. A lot of edgy male behavior is confirming what's tolerated.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Bruce Wayne being a billionaire who can't or won't solve any actual systemic problem but pours millions into his stupid hobby seems way more true to life.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is one of those times with powerful people where I just think, "Either they're stupid, or they're lying, possibly both."
arstechnica.com
Anthropic’s IPO pitch includes a warning about human extinction
The Claude maker warns its own models could resist shutdowns and cause catastrophic harm.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
@kylethompsondev.bsky.social has spent the 2020's just absolutely mastering the Metroid-style game experience.
backloggd.com
TheKarpuk's review of Well Dweller | Backloggd
Anytime an indie developer has this kind of devastating track record with their games it reminds me that I'm glad I'm playing games in this day and age. In the span of less than 5 years Kyle Thompson ...
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
OMG, you mean they went with the most basic-bitch take on how to handle an existing property? I am shocked.
avclub.com
A darker Mary Poppins TV series is in the works
A darker Mary Poppins TV series is in the works
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I don't know why people care so much about what Chris Hansen thinks about this movie, compared to other biopic subjects. He's a hack who spent years entrapping pedophiles for entertainment.
avclub.com
Chris Hansen has finally watched Primetime, gives Robert Pattinson's performance a "D"
Chris Hansen has finally watched Primetime, gives Robert Pattinson's performance a "D"
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It feels like it would take restraint not to say, "Wow, you're like a giant baby. A normal person would be embarrassed to admit these things."
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I'm not sure how well society would function if most people knew just how stupid the average CEO was.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
That actually makes a lot more sense. I honestly just didn't want to listen to the man talk today, so that's on me.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I'm not sure how often in history this grift has ever worked in this direction.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Has anyone really famously pulled off a heel-turn to the left? There are plenty of Dennis Millers out there, but it rarely seems to work in reverse.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The last update for this series was in 2019. How on earth is this still being worked on?
store.steampowered.com
HIVESWAP: ACT 1 - HIVESWAP: ACT 3 Demo Available Now - Steam News
This is a free demo for HIVESWAP: ACT 3, a point-and-click adventure set in the HOMESTUCK universe. Jeevik Week is finally here!
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I felt a little suckered in by the presentation on Twisted Tower.
backloggd.com
TheKarpuk's review of Twisted Tower | Backloggd
I don't think this game is particularly doing anything wrong, but I also don't think it's doing anything all that compelling. If it was going to for a narrative angle, it would have required better ac...
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A thing I hadn't considered about corporations absorbing other companies: When things start to go badly they basically collapse a chunk of the whole industry.
eurogamer.net
Hellblade developer Ninja Theory to be shut down in new wave of Xbox cuts, as two separate agreements collapse
Ninja Theory - developer of the Hellblade series - is shutting down as part of today's Xbox cuts. Its proposed buyers pulled out, resulting in the closure.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I appreciate getting a reminder that gen AI video is almost entirely for hacks.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I'm starting to think that repeatedly raising the prices on bread and circuses isn't working out.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
There are a lot of Americans who aren't moved unless you come for their comfort and convenience.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I will note that Dawn of the Bloodwalker has almost the same vibe as the title they went with.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
There's a possibility this game might actually underperform, with all these weird limitations, high sticker price, non-physical release, and billion-dollar budget. And oddly, it might actually impact the entire industry if it did.
eurogamer.net
GTA 6 and Red Dead Redemption 2 maker Rockstar Games updates modding guidelines, restricts mods that alter the dev's missions and storylines
Rockstar Games has updated its modding guidelines, restricting mods that alter the developer's missions or storylines in games like GTA and Red Dead Redemption.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Realizing you wanted to call someone a slur seems like a moment to stop typing and do some self-reflection.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I've been thinking a lot lately about how bad American adults are at socializing, and it feels like there's no sense that you have to treat it like it matters. I don't have a good answer for how to do things differently.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Hey, just because people want the benefits of community doesn’t mean they want to contribute.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The James Bond Jr was actually James Bond's nephew in the cartoon, which is funny, because if ever there was a fictional character who would have had kids he didn't know about, it's James Bond.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I liked it for similar reasons to 3, there's something fun about Kiryu in a small town setting.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
IMDB users have some of the worst takes about media on the entirety of the Internet.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Nerds complaining about Wolverine are so close to getting the point. So much of what they're mad about is systemic. Insomniac made Sony a billion dollars and still got hit with layoffs while trying to make this game. Who does their best like this?
forbes.com
An Upset Insomniac Says PlayStation Layoffs Are ‘Unprecedented’
Insomniac Games has issued a public statement about the layoffs on their main Twitter account, something other big developers affected like Naughty Dog have not done.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Runaway to the Stars continues to be one of the best comics currently running and it's almost offensive that I get to read it for free. I really need to buy some merch off them.
runawaytothestars.com
Runaway to the Stars
Runaway to the Stars is a hard scifi story focused on communication, accommodation, and everyday life in co-species spaces.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I don't know if I've ever seen any convincing evidence that layoffs aren't purely destructive, damaging to entire industries, and ultimately useless in terms of actually helping with anything meaningful. It's like amputating your leg if you want to lose weight.
gamesradar.com
Japanese companies like Nintendo, Capcom, and Konami are healthier because they have smaller teams, don't have frequent layoffs, and don't pay executives $30 million, says expert
"They didn't get swept up in the live-service trend, or into these mega-blockbusters with 500-person teams"
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I feel like the asymmetrical nature of American politics is that right-wing pundits say things more extreme than this on a daily basis and no one even notices anymore.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Most American game studios seem like they're only one failure away from closure. There's not a lot of wiggle room to try things.
gamesradar.com
Hyper Light Drifter dev lays off "nearly everyone at the studio" after publisher backs out of new game: "I'm not sure yet how or if Heart Machine survives"
"Navigating an increasingly challenging industry has been extremely difficult"
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Finally, adding the "Kiss the Homies Goodnight" DLC.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
It's wild how much CEOs brag about how bad they suck at their jobs now.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I was enjoying the story, why am I now reading a 3 part essay about the nobility of the seafaring man? That’s the whole Moby Dick experience to me.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I read that book as a teenager, and I still think about how much it felt like Adams hated me for reading it and wanted to hurt me.
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Reposted by Nicholas Karpuk
michael lutz @ztul.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Barber CEO: You Risk Falling Behind If You Don't Get A Haircut "Right Now" Industry Experts Foresee Future In Which Everyone Receives Multiple Haircuts Every Day Today Your Hair, Tomorrow The World: Barbers Say They Are On Track To Build A Pair Of Scissors So Big, It Could End Life As We Know It
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Every reviewer I've seen seems to hate the Wolverine game, but it manages to have a Metacritic rating of 77. Why is that? Because there's a dozen websites you've probably never heard of who gave it a rating of 90 or higher. There is no rating system worth a damn online.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
It's true. People never took walks because they were bored before the steam engine.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
No, it wasn't worth it to take years off peoples' lives to make a dork-ass space RPG. Crunch is a failure of management and planning.
gamesradar.com
BioWare crunched "21 days on, one day off" making Mass Effect, says former dev: "That was really, really hard, but really worth it"
Cinematic designer Armando Troisi says the RPG was developed with "a level of ambition that I think was just unheard of at the time"
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I don't think most people play enough games to actually make these services worth it.
eurogamer.net
More than 40% of people cancelling Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus and Nintendo Switch Online US subscriptions blamed rising costs, "but liked the service"
People who cancel subscriptions to Xbox Game Pass, PS Plus and NSO are more likely to blame rising costs, even if they enjoy what the video game services offer.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Art is always exists as an experience, and the method through which it's acquired interfaced with is a part of that experience, so it doesn't shock me that people would want something that provides a token of that relationship.
gamesradar.com
Tired of digital everything, more people are buying physical media: CD sales are up 58% and vinyl records jumped 17%, according to new report
Younger generations have shown increasing interest in discs
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
People will do so much stuff to avoid having an uncomfortable conversation. Young people need sex education that's actually worth a damn.
wired.com
A Teen Girl’s Death Is Prompting Calls to Ban Choking in Porn
Despite the many health risks, sexual strangulation has become popular among young people—with some experts blaming adult content for normalizing it.
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Sometimes bad guys require Bad Dudes, you know what I mean?
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Nicholas Karpuk @thekarpuk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Bloodborne was when I realized that the disc you buy is no longer the game you play. Without the first patch, the load times between deaths were torturous. I don't know if there's a way for anyone to preserve the actual functional versions of games.
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