Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
In 2012, as work on Mass Effect 3 came to a close, a small group of top BioWare employees huddled to talk about the next entry in their epic sci-fi franchise. Their goal, they decided, was to make a game about exploration—one that would dig into the untapped potential of the first three games. Instead…
Key art for Visceral’s Ragtag, which told the story of a band of characters fighting against a mob boss. In the center is the protagonist, Dodger, a Han Solo-type rogue with a charming mustache. It seemed like a surefire hit: a Star Wars take on Uncharted, published by Electronic Arts and developed by the longrunning…
Screenshot: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus/Bethesda Softworks Welcome to our Game In Progress review of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Over the next two weeks, William Hughes will be playing through this over-the-top, overtly political follow-up to 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order, working his way through a Nazi-dominated America full of crazy superscience, foul-mouthed revolutionaries,…
react-text: 144 In /react-text react-text: 146 March, Annabella Sciorra, who received an Emmy nomination for her role in “The Sopranos,” agreed to talk with me for a story I was reporting about Harvey Weinstein. Speaking by phone, I explained that two sources had told me that she had a serious allegation regarding the producer. Sciorra,…
Earlier this month, Twitter temporarily suspended the account of actress Rose McGowan after she denounced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein for sexual harassment and assault. McGowan, who is among Weinstein’s accusers, had posted a private phone number to the service. In response, Twitter restricted McGowan’s access to her account. Thousands of users protested, complaining that after…
Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.05% has struck again. Only this time the internet giant is shaking up an industry it hasn’t yet entered. Amazon’s potential entry into the pharmacy-services industry helped spur CVS HealthCorp.’s CVS -2.94% $66 billion bid for insurance giant Aetna Inc., AET 11.54% according to a person familiar with the matter. An acquisition of a major insurer was among roughly a dozen strategies CVS’s management team…
Yes, land-use restrictions make cities unaffordable. But they also keep inequality between regions from becoming even worse. It’s become perhaps the most widely accepted truism in urban development and economic policy circles: NIMBY zoning and overly restrictive land-use policies and building codes keep housing prices high, making superstar cities like New York and San Francisco…
Credit Rebekka Dunlap Among video game developers, it’s called “crunch”: a sudden spike in work hours, as many as 20 a day, that can last for days or weeks on end. During this time, they sleep at work, limit bathroom breaks and cut out anything that pulls their attention away from their screens, including family…
close story-meta Photo Credit Jason Fujikuni A loose agglomeration of right-wing pundits and personalities on YouTube have, in the last few years, accumulated substantial and devoted audiences. Their politics are severe; they are culture warriors with a new set of weapons. They make their arguments for people who might not be reached by other media…
Last weekend’s NeoGAF implosion was upsetting to anyone who enjoyed reading and posting on the influential gaming message board. Fortunately for them, a new option has already emerged. On Wednesday night a group of former GAF users launched ResetEra, a clean new message board with sections for discussing video games and other topics (“EtcetEra”). As…