Work, work, work. But Thanksgiving went well and I’m just catching up. I had purposely written the last weekend update prior to the weekend because I knew I would be up to no good for all four days and needed the break!
Adobe released a patch to fix the Premiere issue with losing audio hardware (even though the settings had everything listed and selected)…and bars and tones is back. Before the fix, that project wouldn’t import correctly to test bars and tones, which is the first step in all of their support docs for audio issues.
Below are the November and December YouTube playlists.
Weekly Finds
I pull a lot of the items about gaming and movie news here from a number of sources: The Atari Age forums, Retro Indie News, Time Extension, IGN, Retro Hour podcast, Itch.io, Facebook, Twitter, etc. What shows up here will change weekly depending on what I happen to find in the wild. I try to include the original sources in the links.
Embracer lays off 50 employees from Fishlabs (GameDeveloper)
As seems to be the status quo, Embracer has another story about massive layoffs. This time from Fishlabs, the creators of Chorus. 50 positions were terminated out of 120 total.
Embracer lays off 50 at Chorus developer Fishlabs (gamedeveloper.com)
Embracer to Close Free Radical Design by Christmas (GameDeveloper)
Free Radical is mostly known for the TimeSplitters franchise, and have been under evaluation by the cutthroat eye of Embracer. And it seems they are now another confirmed kill in Embracer’s portfolio.
Report: Embracer to shut down Free Radical Design by Christmas (gamedeveloper.com)
Reedpop looking to sell off its entire gamer network buisness (GameDeveloper)
Free Radical is mostly known for the TimeSplitters franchise, and have been under evaluation by the cutthroat eye of Embracer. And it seems they are now another confirmed kill in Embracer’s portfolio.
Reedpop looking to sell Eurogamer, GI.biz parent company Gamer Network (gamedeveloper.com)
Andrew Plotkin archives Infocom interpreter codebase
Get ready to look through the source code of some of the most influential virtual machine game engine code from the distant past.
Zarf Updates: All that Infocom interpreter code (zarfhome.com)
Junji Ito-inspired game for the Game Boy released on Itch.io
The Melting Apartment is a Game Boy game inspired by Juni Ito. It’s a creepy blast to play. I like games that let me make the main character stop playing it. There are three different endings to the game.
The Melting Apartment by flower (itch.io)
Unity eliminating 265 jobs and splitting with Weta FX (GameDeveloper)
Unity is parting ways with Weta FX and eliminating 265 jobs in relation to the deal.
Daily Drop Roundup
You can get daily drops in your socials wherever you live. First Facebook link is the the Nostalgia Drop page, and the second is to the group. The group is more fun.
November 26th, 2023
Ini Kamoze – “Here Comes the Hotstepper”
Pixy Stix
Who doesn’t love sucking flavored sugar through a straw? Or daring playground foes to snort it like cocaine, which you only knew about because of the D.A.R.E. and “Just Say No” programs coming to your school to tell you about how drugs work.
Dig Dug (1982)
I played this WAY too much at a pizza place. In fact, I often wanted to go to Me-n-Ed’s even though their pizza wasn’t the best and often their cooks would take it out too soon and the cheese would be a cold nastiy mass underneath. Anyway, Dig Dug is cool.
Screwballs (1983)
Virginal villainess Purity Busch tricks five unlovable losers into detention. They set out to DESTROY her through a number of tired jokes and pranks that felt played out in the 70s. Purity Busch is a kick-ass villainess name, though.
November 27th, 2023
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies – “Zoot Suit Riot”
Pogo Ball
If there was a betting pool on ways I might die, then the Pogo Ball would be near the top.
ChuChu Rocket! (1999)
ChuChu Rocket! (1999) – ChuChu Rocket was a brilliant puzzle game for the Dreamcast. Using placeable arrows, the plyer would guide the ChuChus to their rockets and avoid the KapuKapus. It was the first online game for the Dreamcast.
Caligula (1979)
Take Penthouse’s Bob Guccione, add the golden age of porn in the 70s, and a ton of amazing actors (Helen Mirren, Malcom McDowell, John Guilgud, etc), pack it with boring dialogue, add porn inserts in post-production to up the skeeze value, and you have Caligula.
November 28th, 2023
Luscious Jackson – “Naked Eye”
Shark Bites
Shark-shaped fruit gummies. A lot of people I know loved them, but I remember them being overly chewy, nearly hard, and having a weird artificial flavor. But they were also sharks, which is VERY cool.
Final Fantasy V (1992)
It took until the PlayStation to get it to the US, but FFV seriously revamped the job system that began in FF3. As usual, plucky characters try to restore crystals and save the world. But this time with different jobs available.
The FFV Four Job Fiesta is a ton of fun.
The Tall Guy (1989)
I’ve dug Jeff Goldblum for a long time, and I adore Emma Thompson, so a film where he plays the comic foil to an abusive comedian while falling in love with her as a nurse was pretty much perfect. Plus the sex scene was fun chaos!
November 29th, 2023
Violent Femmes – “Gone Daddy Gone”
Saturn Robot
As a kid, I always wanted a robot, but they were usually WAY out of my mom’s price-range. Now I wish I could collect them all, but as collector’s items, they are now WAY outside of MY price-range.
Revelations: The Demon Slayer (1999)
The first of the Last Bible games came to the US as Revelations: The Demon Slayer, and was a fantasy RPG to get kids involved in the world of chatting up monsters to kill god. Hey, it’s a SMT game. It’s made for kids, but it’s still SMT.
Max Dugan Returns (1983)
November 30th, 2023
David Lee Roth – “California Girls”
Sesame Street Dollhouse
Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998)
One of the last games released for the Sega Saturn and only in limited quantities, Panzer Dragoon Saga would become one of the most sought-after collector’s games for the system. It had a cohesive world, interesting characters, and great systems.
My Tutor (1982)
What if an entire movie was a combinations of guys trying to lose their virginity (Lemon Popsicle) and a 29 year old tutor having sex with a teenage student (Private Lessons)? You would have My Tutor, which is much more fun that I’m making it sound.
December 1st, 2023
Shakira – “Hips Don’t Lie”
Garbage Pail Kids
As a kid, I loved the Garbage Pail Kids! I tried to collect all of the cards. I watched the movie and the cartoon. At some point I need to get all the Funkos, too. So I still love their weird and grotesque world.
Alley Cat (1983)
I think I played this on a neighbor’s Commodore 64, but I had a *cough* copy *cough* for PC as well. It’s a fun, simple little game that is not as nightmarish as Bouncing Babies.
Oh God (1977)
George Burns wisecracks his way through a movie with him as God and John Denver as his new messenger for the world. Which is a big career change for a mild-mannered grocery manager.
December 2nd, 2023
The Bangles – “Hazy Shade of Winter”
Compute!
Compute! was one of my go-to magazines with programming listings, game reviews, and articles about programming concepts I couldn’t understand (and probably still don’t).
Bonk’s Adventure (1989)
Bonk’s Adventure (1989) was an action platformer for the TurboGrafix 16. The caveman Bonk would use his massive head to knock enemies off the screen and kill dino bosses alike.
The World According to Garp (1981)
Based on John Irving’s wonderful novel and starring Robin Williams, Glen Close, and Mary Beth Hurt, this was the film I remember seeing and realizing Williams was a real actor, not just a comedian who can be in comedies written for him.
Weekly Tears
Marty Krofft (1937-2023)
Marty Krofft was an imaginitive television producer who co-created shows such as H. R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Land of the Lost, and Donny & Marie.
He passed away on November 25th, 2023.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-2023)
Sandra Day O’Connor was an Arizona senator and the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court. She was appointed by Ronald Reagan.
She passed away on December 1st, 2023.
Shane MacGowan (1957-2023)
Shane MacGowan was the singer and songwriter who fronted the Celtic band The Pogues. They are best known for their Christmas ballad, “Fairytale of New York.”
He passed away on November 30th, 2023.
Frances Sternhagen (1930-2023)
Frances Sternhagen was a Tony-award winning actress with 26 Broadway shows, 26 films, and numerous television roles.
He passed away on November 27th, 2023.
Henry Kissinger (1923-2023)
Henry Kissinger was the US Secretary of State under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He was a controvertial figure, with decisions that made him a villain to many and a hero to others.
He passed away on November 29th, 2023.
Tim Dorsey (1961-2023)
Tim Dorsey was an American author who wrote over 25 detective novels in the Florida Roadkill series.
He passed away on November 26th, 2023.
Victor J. Kemper (1927-2023)
Victor J. Kemper was a cinematographer known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Jerk, and Slap Shot.
He passed away on November 27th, 2023.
Elliot Silverstein (1927-2023)
Elliot Silverstein was a filmmaker known for the movies such as Cat Ballou and episodes of The Twilight Zone.
He passed away on November 24th, 2023.