James O’Connor

New pinned post! I am an: -Author (second book in the works) -Narrative designer and game writer -Award-winning critic and journalist -Mock reviewer, narrative consultant and script editor seeking new clients (jamesoconnorau at gmail dot com to discuss rates!) -Copywriter, if the pay's not bad

I am sure these guys would be good but I have been flying the flag for Aaron Pierre as the new Bond since Rebel Ridge and I will not stop now

Fortnite skins should just follow the “Dragon Ball game DLC” path of just adding more and more Gokus. None of this other shit. Just Goku after Goku.

Today in “further thoughts on games funding applications”: I am increasingly wary of how many marketing plans I’ve seen that are largely focused on Steam Next Fest driving huge wishlist numbers. The value on these things just continues to depreciate.

Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, the sweet narrative adventure I had the privilege of working on as an editor, is in this Humble Bundle with all-time great Paradise Killer and several other cool games: www.humblebundle.com/games/cozy-a...

Few things more humbling in life that a first draft! It is good for the soul to take something shit you made and make it less shit.

I’ve been in a bunch of games funding panels and discussions and rule number 1 of asking for money to make art is that you need to present some sort of evidence that you are actually able to make the art

I have thought about this and I feel like I can say confidently that Harold Halibut is one of my favourite games of the last five years. I think it’ll be right at home on the Switch 2. (Unfortunately my Kotaku Australia review of it was swallowed by an internet monster)

Great stuff from a great team

@continuemag.bsky.social Issue 1 is now available: www.pixelcrib.com.au/products/con... A stunning design; well written content and a lovely gaming journal all in one. The best way to ease over the post-convention blues #gaming #bookstagram #gamingculture #pixelcrib

A free repository of (successful) pitch decks is a *very* cool feature for a new games site to have

All over the map!

Went to a cinema and saw Ponyo last night, so I will be in a good mood all day

I have not shared a piece of writing on here in a little while but I am making sure I stay sharp. I chatted to Nadia Thorne, CEO at Black Salt Games, about setting up “spin-off” studio Disc 2 Games and their approach to self-publishing. infinitelives.substack.com/p/dredges-na...

This little fucker

I am a *little* sad to not be in Melbourne but also quite excited that I actually get Labour Day off tomorrow for the first time in years?? (I'll be using it to work on my book)

I have not shared a piece of writing on here in a little while but I am making sure I stay sharp. I chatted to Nadia Thorne, CEO at Black Salt Games, about setting up “spin-off” studio Disc 2 Games and their approach to self-publishing. infinitelives.substack.com/p/dredges-na...

Have fun next week, folks who are going to Games Week stuff. I am most sad to be missing the @continuemag.bsky.social launch (and also several people)

Counter offer to the RBA: eat shit

Legitimately incredible speaker line-up here

Best of luck to whoever is put in charge of cancelling this one

From a pure “sports narrative” perspective the hot favourite pulling a huge comeback in the last four minutes to win for a third time in a row over the team that has never won before is total horse shit

Hoping that I will indeed be able to See Everything in a cinema in Australia not too long after that US release date

Well, my redundancy has been finalised today. Not really sure what to do with myself now, but posting about it again feels vaguely productive.

You truly do not need to write an article about the thoughts and feelings of the folks who are still posting on X, the everything app

This popped up in my feed, and reminded me that this was the issue that broke my 90-odd issue streak as a contributor (but I was back the issue after… and then about 7 issues later the whole mag died)

Parallels tickets went up and sold out earlier this week while I was in the middle of hosting a stand-up meeting and I have felt bad for people on my team who missed out ever since

Periodic reminder that I wrote a book about the making of a good game, and that the book is also good, and can be purchased from several online retailers. Marketing! bossfightbooks.com/products/unt...

These Fire Emblem reviews are good news for me, the Fire Emblem psycho

Very cool that Stephen Root, maybe the all-time great “oh cool, they’re in this!” actor, has an Emmy now

Really excited for Continue. But for me the most exciting part is that the pages I wrote are paired with illustrations from my wife @lisavertudaches.bsky.social ❤️❤️

This is how I spent my Saturday night. Poring over black & white printouts. We send the first issue of CONTINUE to print TODAY. I've worked on hundreds of magazines, this feels different. This is what we dreamed into reality. I think we've created something special. Can't wait for you to see.

I know we have litigated this once every three weeks for the last 30 years but it’s a *little* concerning that this critical reception is being widely read and understood as disastrous

Welcome back, early 2000s-era console wars, we didn’t miss you but maybe it’ll be a bit more fun to really favour Nintendo this time around

Free joke concept for whatever satire website wants it: GOG introduces age verification system

Radiohead and the Zelda concerts hitting Melbourne in the same week is very dangerous to people in my age bracket