CultureFrom Itch.io Demo to a Million Copies: How Small Games Actually Get Found
Steam's $100 fee and 30 percent cut shape the indie pipeline, but wishlist math, Next Fest and free itch.io prototypes decide which games break out.
Culture
Fandom, conventions, cosplay, speedruns, community reporting, and gaming in mainstream culture.
CultureFrom One Difficulty Slider to Full Menus: Accessibility's Quiet Revolution
The Last of Us Part II shipped with more than 60 accessibility features in 2020; in 2026 the question is no longer whether games ship them, but whether they are designed in from day one.
CultureHow a Weeklong Speedrun Marathon Raised Over $50 Million for Charity
Games Done Quick turned donation incentives, prize wheels andbid wars into a broadcasting institution — here is how the machine behind AGDQ actually works.
CultureHamburgers in Feudal Japan: Why Localization Is Not Just Translation
When Ace Attorney moved its courtrooms from Tokyo to Los Angeles and Phoenix Wright ate hamburgers instead of ramen, that was localization doing work translation never could.
CultureWhy Live-Service Games Die: The Economics Behind Shutdown Fatigue
Concord reportedly cost hundreds of millions and lasted two weeks on sale; Babylon's Fall lasted under a year — the live-service model only works for a handful of winners per genre.
CultureAny%, 100% and Glitchless: How Speedrun Categories Actually Work
A Super Mario 64 70 Star run and a 16 Star run look like different games because they are — category rules, not raw speed, define what a speedrunner is racing for.