iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Will Luton

Wayne Emanuel @wayneemanuel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

A new Coin-Op Conversations episode is out and this time @willluton.bsky.social chats about SEGA Rally Championship, The Addams Family (pinball) & Claw Crane Games. Video: youtu.be/5JUoBbafnUs Audio: open.spotify.com/episode/0JNR... #arcade #retrogames

youtu.be

Will Luton - SEGA Rally Championship, The Addams Family (pinball) & Claw Crane Games

YouTube video by Coin-Op Conversations

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Thank you for the kind words

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Reposted by Will Luton

N5Dave @n5dave.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Boot Up the Nostalgia: Village Studios Unveils 'Hack ’95' at PC Gaming Show—And the Demo is Live! techmash.co.uk/2026/06/08/b... @techmashcouk #Hack95 #PCGamingShow #IndieGames #Deckbuilder #RetroGaming

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

The Chadtop? Big fan of your woodworking

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Hack 95 is actually a real OS (Navigate 95). I use it for web browsing and my taxes.

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Reposted by Will Luton

Keith Stuart @keefstuart.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

The 90s computer nerd adventure I’m writing for, Hack 95, now has a demo on steam and a website. Come and play! (And please wishlist on steam if you like the look of it!) 💾👾 hack95.com

hack95.com

Hack '95 on the World Wide Web

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Wayne Emanuel @wayneemanuel.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Yep, Hack '95 is the new game from Village Studio led by @willluton.bsky.social, have been helping on the bizdev/publishing side of things, do check it the trailer & demo! www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv8n...

youtube.com

Hack '95 reveal trailer - PC Gaming Show 2026

YouTube video by PC Gamer

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Keith Stuart @keefstuart.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

The demo for Village Studio’s nostalgic hacking game Hack 95 is out now! I am on the writing team! Come and enter the world of 56k modems, phreaks and tiny FMV windows! #PCGamingShow store.steampowered.com/app/4685250/...

store.steampowered.com

Hack '95 Demo on Steam

Time travel to 1995 in this card-based computer hacking voyage. Take down an evil tech startup and shadowy government agency to become a god to the freaks and geeks of cyberspace. All while being help...

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

At 8.03pm BST, Village Studio’s next title, a game I’ve been making since I was 8 years old, will be revealed to the world at #PCGamingShow I think you’re going to love this if you always wanted to be a hacker, but on 56kbps dialup. Watch live here: youtu.be/yv8nZY8auPQ

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Laura Cress @cressup.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Thanks to Declan of Into Games & @ukieofficial.bsky.social for speaking to me @developconference.com about issues faced by working class people in the UK video games industry & how they're trying to fix it. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... @willluton.bsky.social @manycatsstudios.bsky.social

bbc.co.uk

Does the UK video games industry have a class problem?

A non-profit organisation is trying to create more pathways into the sector for working-class people.

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Games of Note Podcast @gamesofnote.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night the last great 2D game of its era? We discuss this in the latest episode of Games of Note. Listen & subscribe; Spotify: zurl.co/8XYxH Apple Podcasts: zurl.co/ivaZM RSS Feed: zurl.co/xAQdF Follow us at: BlueSky: zurl.co/4YQSv YouTube Shorts: zurl.co/wQbag

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

🚀Introducing Games of Note, a podcast games that matter. 💬 Less ramble, more research and context. First episode (Shenmue) is out now: Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/3r8K8y2... Amazon - music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ded... Apple - podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/... Please like and share!

open.spotify.com

Games of Note

Podcast · GamesofNote Podcast · Games of Note podcast is where we discuss not if a particular game is good or bad, but the impact it had on game design & and the culture of video games. Hosted by Will...

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Reposted by Will Luton

Games of Note Podcast @gamesofnote.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

We're LIVE! we've just launched our new podcast, hosted by @willluton.bsky.social & @wayneemanuel.bsky.social where we talk about the impact of video games!

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

open.spotify.com

Games of Note

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

Everyone, I have some opinions. It's about mobile games and if they're shit. But more about how mobile game making is making all games shit. But that shit can save us. medium.com/@will_luton/...

medium.com

Why Does Everyone Hate Mobile Games?

“If you were my son, I’d recommend you don’t get into mobile”.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

Everyone, I have some opinions. It's about mobile games and if they're shit. But more about how mobile game making is making all games shit. But that shit can save us. medium.com/@will_luton/...

medium.com

Why Does Everyone Hate Mobile Games?

“If you were my son, I’d recommend you don’t get into mobile”.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Someone is still fronting the domain costs to dunk on the N-Gage sidetalkin.com/original/

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Just make up a number that seems absurd, then double it. What they gonna do? Fact check you? We’re post truth, Caspar.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

I’ve been through this. Once it’s all built you’ll also need three PhDs building and improving seed generation for dynamic difficulty with novel machine learning.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

The watch is also featured in game, so this might be a decent investment. Has an automatic in-house movement, so that’s not a crazy price.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

New blog! Did you know: 📈 AliExpress reaches over 150m users worldwide? 🕹️ The app has four full mobile games and several smaller titles? 💸 The game economy is complexly linked and dollar-backed? 😥 It's not perfect? departmentofplay.net/games-of-ali...

departmentofplay.net

Games of AliExpress: Play-to-Earn, The Future of Shopping - Department of Play

At Department of Play, we love shopping on AliExpress, from retro console mods and arcade hardware to office equipment and clothes. But recently we’ve become fascinated by its complex web of games, wh...

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

The guide, still locked on the screen, replied: “Yeah, it normally takes longer than that”. Anyway, we took it. Good house.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

I was viewing a student house, and there was a little B&W TV in the corner of the room. Harold was strangling a man. The current tenant showing us around stopped. He said, low, to himself: “Go on Harold”. The stranglee drops to the floor. To break the tension I said: “That was quick.”

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

We’re not trying to survive the games industry, we’re all just pass through.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

I have wondered, as I’m sure many have, is the end of the journey? Will I go follow one of my other passions? For me, that seems unlikely. But if it does happen, I’m okay with it. If it feels like the end of your journey too, that is good. Another path is ahead.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Right now we’re in a collective bad time. But it will change for us individually and collectively. These hard years, as painful as they are, will make the good times good.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

The philosopher Boethius said: “Good times pass way, but then so do the bad. Mutability is our tragedy, but also our hope.”

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Accept chance. What happens to you is mostly lucky. You might shake the dice, but you don’t control them. Layoffs, promotions, hits, failures, boom, bust. When starting my consulting biz, my buddy Jas once told me: Don’t get too cocky in the good times, don’t feel too down in the bad times.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Look after yourself. Eat well, sleep and exercise. Life feels better when you do these things. Also, practice kindness towards yourself. It’s hard but worthwhile.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Gain independence. You can’t be fired by you! Knowing what money is in the bank and where you stand brings massive stability and peace of mind. Plus you get to work how you want to work.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Don’t be a snob. There are lots of different niches in games and there’s lots of opinions. Don’t get caught up in what is being bashed. Try all types of games and be open to them. You don’t know where they will lead.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Don’t work too hard. It’s not worth it. You’ll get tired and sick, suck at your job, ruin relationships and want to do something else. Simply say no to long hours.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Be a good manager. At some point you will be above others. Assume everyone is doing their best (they are) and be open. But when it’s a bad time, be kind, clear and strong in your decisions. People will respect it.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Don’t burn bridges. I’ve not always got this right. It’s a very small industry and over the years you will cross paths with people multiple times. The better the relationship you have the more options you have and the more doors open.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Be out there. Meet people and have some profile. Talk about what you’ve done and network. Having friends and being part of the community makes the journey feel worthwhile.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Live below your means. You can earn good money making games. I’ve seen some people inflate their lifestyles, buy big houses or fancy cars. Then lose their job and be in lots of trouble. Avoid hedonic adaptation. Learn to manage your money and have lots of solid investments. You will face hardship.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE GAMES INDUSTRY! I’ve been working in game development for 18 years. I’ve worked at SEGA, Rovio and founded my own studios. I’ve had ups and downs. Big hits and crushing failures. Here’s my a thread of tips that might help.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Had friends of friends visit from Australia. They told me Harold from Neighbours dies. Nobody believed me. Guess they were wrong, then right. This is one of two Harold Bishop anecdotes I have.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Very excited to announce that Department of Play, my consulting agency, is returning from next month. We've helped improve games as diverse as big PS5 blockbusters to tiny indie games. Find out more: departmentofplay.net/reopening-st...

departmentofplay.net

Reopening Starting March 2025 - Department of Play

Department of Play reopens it's product review process, trusted by Sony, Meta and Tencent, with limited availability from March. New clients can express interest now by...

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

I’ve certainly adopted “serial hobbyist” as a moniker before! Please don’t tell me what you’re into because then I’ll be in to it too.

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

departmentofplay.net

Reopening Starting March 2025 - Department of Play

Department of Play reopens it's product review process, trusted by Sony, Meta and Tencent, with limited availability from March. New clients can express interest now by...

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Reposted by Will Luton

Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

I have ADHD. I wrote about it. And it was hard. But I tried to make it fun. I hope it helps someone with ADHD or someone close to someone with ADHD. medium.com/@will_luton/...

medium.com

ADHD — Why Everyone In Games Has It Now

ADHD has been a defining trend of the games industry in 2024, alongside ill-informed AI opinion and crushing pessimism. If you work in…

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Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

I have ADHD. I wrote about it. And it was hard. But I tried to make it fun. I hope it helps someone with ADHD or someone close to someone with ADHD. medium.com/@will_luton/...

medium.com

ADHD — Why Everyone In Games Has It Now

ADHD has been a defining trend of the games industry in 2024, alongside ill-informed AI opinion and crushing pessimism. If you work in…

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Reposted by Will Luton

Will Luton @willluton.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

⚠️NEW BLOG⚠️ I wrote about the wild ride that was crypto games, from turning down a free $200k to the fear of getting hit with a pipe wrench. medium.com/@will_luton/...

medium.com

Rise and Fall of Cyrpto Games — An Insider’s View

In 2014 a fan of my smartwatch game Pixel Miner, who happened to also mine bitcoin, offered to “send me a few”. While I’d heard of this…

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