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Nicola Cocchiaro

@wildbat.bsky.social
567 followers 167 following 706 posts

Software engineer/indie game dev. I started @synapticsugar.games and do programming, design, music. Former gameplay and AI programmer on Red Dead Redemption 2, Front Mission Evolved, GI Joe: the Rise of Cobra; backend engineer on Sony PlayStation Now; etc

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Reposted by Nicola Cocchiaro
Maddy Thorson @maddymakesgames.com · 05/10/2026
one thing you learn from making a lot of things is that the nitty gritty details, the millions of tiny invisible decisions, ARE the art. The "higher level ideas" are not nearly as important or interesting
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Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 18h
Anti-Prime Day starts…NOW! 🥳 Today through midnight on 10/7, enjoy free shipping site-wide, all while supporting local, independent bookstores.
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Scare-o-lyn Petit @carolynmichelle.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I'm sorry, "Metacritic bonuses" are still a thing?! They should never be a thing! If I play your game and review it and it didn't work for me and I don't think it's good, that doesn't mean the people who made it should get paid any less!
As well as having the life-changing impact of losing a job, imminent layoffs at The Coalition could also lead to another financial loss for current employees. According to Eurogamer, E-Day developers were working under the assumption of receiving a so-called “Metacritic bonus,” a pay-out should the game achieve a given Metacritic score based on critics’ reviews. However, according to the terms, to be eligible for this you still have to be working at the company at the time of the pay-out, which is expected to be “near the end of October.” Anyone let go before that could possibly no longer receive the reward for their work.
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Maddy Myers 🏳️‍🌈 @midimyers.com · 01/10/2026
if you aren't already supporting @mothership.blog, you should be. support women and queer people in video game criticism and journalism. we deserve to exist in these spaces but, at least in the case of mothership, we can only exist and pay our writers and introduce you to new writers if YOU help us.
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Double Fine @doublefine.com · 30/09/2026
🚨 12 HOURS REMAIN 🚨 Become a backer of Amnesia Fortnight: Indie Reboot to get cool swag, play game jam prototypes, vote on your favorite project, and support our indie studio. Head to Kickstarter to join the campaign, but act fast, it ends TODAY! kck.st/4gu8zAF
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Damn You
Alt: Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes delivering his "damn you all to hell" lines
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Monkeys Paw Grabs
Alt: Simpsons monkey's paw scene
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I support this message
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Reposted by Nicola Cocchiaro
Mat Piscatella @matpiscatella.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Anyways, video games and the people who make them are incredible, and I wish the money people got that the way they should. Ah well.
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
When it's good it's *good*
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The little things like the inconsistent capitalization of the first letter in each list item really sell the whole "getting the hang of writing notes" too
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
They can't keep getting away with this (they can and should)
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Chris Kerr @kerrblimey.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Final two cents on the PMG x Kotick story: It is paramount that you support the journalism you want to see in the world. Outlets like PMG continue to raise the bar, BUT if you want even more of that probing journalism you have to give reporters the runway and financial backing to produce it.
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United Videogame Workers-CWA @videogameworkers.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
That's cool. I'm sure all the BitReactor devs that were furloughed weeks before launch are gonna see some of that $50 million... right? Residuals are standard in other creative industries. If the people who actually made the game got their share of the profits, we wouldn't be in this mess.
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Two households, both alike in dignity, In Olde (sic) Verona, where we lay our scene,
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CWA @cwaunion.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
To those workers left at studios impacted today, and to workers across the industry, our message is simple: join us. Together we have a stronger voice in shaping our industry into what it ought to be. code-cwa.org/organize
code-cwa.org
Contact an Organizer and Let's Organize!
Thousands of tech workers have filled out this form and gotten involved with organizing, and you can too! Use this form to contact a CODE-CWA organizer and get connected with others organizing at your...
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Hayes Madsen @solfleet.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I dunno man, I just vehemently don't agree with you if you say something like Obsidian should have been under Bethesda from the start. Just an integral misunderstanding of how those studios function and what they're about. A surface level reading of them making "similar" games
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Dave Gilbert @wadjeteyegames.com · 22/09/2026
Nighthawks is OUT! When the sun sets, outcasts rise. Gather new friends, face old prejudices, and prepare to seize the night in Nighthawks, the vampire RPG where the secret is out... but the hunt continues. Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/1221950/... GOG: www.gog.com/en/game/nigh...
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Grace @gracekind.net · 19/09/2026
Frog built a wet lab for the AI model. "There," he said. "Now it can do its own experiments." "What the fuck?" said Toad
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nathaniel @pedrothedagger.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
fundamentally, the cost of housing in north america, and the cost of health insurance in the USA, has made game development outside of highly selective experienced/technical/creative roles economically untenable. You're seeing this in North America bearing the heaviest brunt of layoffs &
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Loved it!
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Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
This is wild: scammers are hijacking real artists' official Spotify pages with AI slop to make $$$. We know this because we did it. We made AI music and put it on a real band's page. It was shockingly easy. There is a gaping hole in how music is digitally distributed www.404media.co/spotify-ai-m...
404media.co
I Hijacked a Real Artist's Spotify with AI Music. It Was Disturbingly Easy
A glaring loophole in digital music distribution makes it very easy to piggyback on the talent of real artists with AI generated music.
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Mirto is *great*
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Brendel @brendelbored.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Lots of rude comments but each of these items gives her a different stat boost and some of us care about gameplay
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Kenney @kenney.nl · 14/09/2026
I feel it's important to share this again. The internet is so hostile toward creators nowadays. I've seen people have their work stolen, and no longer feel comfortable sharing their creations. We can do better. Let's be supportive to the people that make this a better place! 💞
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Dave Gilbert @wadjeteyegames.com · 14/09/2026
The "Adults Only" ranking has been removed from Nighthawks! Everything is set for launch on the 22nd! Phew. What a roller coaster. Thank you everyone for your amazing support while we got this sorted. If you weren't able to wishlist before, now you can! store.steampowered.com/app/1221950/...
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Dr. SkySkull @drskyskull.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This is just a spectacular unintentional self-own
Dude on Threads: If you hate on ai, you better be pretty damn good at whatever you're doing
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Happy birthday!!!
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Rory Blank @roryblank.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
All AI generated content can do is waste your time. It is, in this sense, stealing your life, the precious finite time you have on this earth from you, every second you are forced to interact with it, forcing you to look at its meaninglessness. It is a mindless vampire.
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Dave Gilbert @wadjeteyegames.com · 13/09/2026
If anyone has contacts at Valve who can help expedite this, we certainly wouldn't say no to the help. In the meantime, I'll be here swimming in cortisol.
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Heck yeah Anaheim
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Synaptic Sugar @synapticsugar.games · 11/09/2026
Thanks @itch.io for boosting #playdate games, and in this case specifically Agents of Groove! 🪩🕺
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Truly outstanding! And thank *you*, it wouldn't have been the same without your Fiadh and Saoirse.
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itch.io @itch.io · 11/09/2026
Agents of Groove: A story-driven rhythm action game for Playdate with a dynamic soundtrack. Help undercover dancers stop a sinister plot! synapticsugar.itch.io/agents-of-gr...
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Sally Beaumont | BAFTA Breakthrough | Voice Actor & Writer @sallybeaumont.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
If you feel like it's too late to start something new, change your mind, or be more yourself: I mean this with utter love, but your brain is a lying liar that is telling you lies. Do what you need to make your brain a safe place to hope- you deserve to be fully alive, while you're alive.
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Mat Piscatella @matpiscatella.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Need more rakes. The console mfgs have already stepped on all existing ones.
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Tijn 🍉 @tkers.dev · 07/09/2026
I’ve just released One Bit Bandit! 🎰 My new #Playdate game about playing a slot machine, and an exploration of gambling, chance and self-deception. Feeling lucky? Give it a spin: tkers.itch.io/one-bit-bandit
tkers.itch.io
One Bit Bandit by tkers
Sin to win!
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Scenic Route Software @scenicroutesoftware.com · 09/09/2026
Hey guess what?! Bedbeard's Revenge is coming out on September 24th, and you can wishlist it right now! #playdate play.date/games/post-h...
play.date
Bedbeard's Revenge for Playdate
A parody of AI and the arrogance of big tech.
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Chris Kerr @kerrblimey.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
BREAKING: Blizzard union workers have ratified a historic contract that has secured guardrails around AI usage, layoff protections, remote/hybrid work benefits, and much more.
gamedeveloper.com
Blizzard union workers ratify contract covering 1,900 employees
Union members have secured guardrails around generative AI usage, layoff protections, remote and hybrid work benefits, and more.
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rae @rae.wtf · 09/09/2026
🌿 ROWBOT RALLY 2 🌿 the all-new, space-age sequel to the award-winning playdate game coming soon to your playdate, and your PC wishlist: 🟨 play.date/g/pesto 💻 raewtf.itch.io/rowbot-rally-2
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Mike Crassweller @zoomba.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Now... what could we do to reverse course and make the US a more viable place to found a new game studio? - Universal Health Care - Grants for the Arts at the Federal, State, and local level - Generous tax benefits in states that don't already have a huge tech sector
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
It's so unhelpful every time now
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Melissa (Memo) Moorehead @n7memo.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
For game devs in the United States, consider taking advantage of Labor Day this year by resting and decompressing - you deserve it! - and by joining a union like this one: uvw-cwa.org
uvw-cwa.org
UVW-CWA
United Videogame Workers, a game industry-wide union for North America!
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Aerial_Knight @aerialknight.com · 07/09/2026
By the time you get to that cool-looking indie game that you're waiting to go on sale, the studio will have closed
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
We don't!
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Inspirational Skeletor @skeletorinspires.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Whimsy is actually a form of resistance against a world that wants us to be miserable. Says Skeletor trying to keep the whimsy even when the world is truly miserable.
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Synaptic Sugar @synapticsugar.games · 04/09/2026
And here's a sample that shows them in action in game: #gamedev #Indiedev #VideoGameMusic
vimeo.com
Agents of Groove Gameplay Music Preview
Agents of Groove is a story-driven rhythm game for Playdate. Join the undercover dancers of G.R.O.O.V.E. as they stumble upon a sinister plot and attempt to stop it! Update 2.0 of Agents of Groove br...
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Synaptic Sugar @synapticsugar.games · 04/09/2026
It's #BandcampFriday! Looking for a great no-AI videogame soundtrack that spans genres like funk, synth-pop, rock and more? Try the 22 tracks from Agents of Groove, 15% off with code "groovy"! #gamedev #indiedev #playdate #VideoGameMusic
synapticsugar.bandcamp.com
Agents of Groove Original Soundtrack, by Synaptic Sugar
22 track album
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
That's very well put
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Nicola Cocchiaro @wildbat.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
No unsealed tampons
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