I’m very worried about the captured market being developed. AI chatbots are a surface level, consumer product to get some revenue. AI integrated into an IDE & coding pipeline is a different beast, and it’s creating a faster development pace beholden to token/credit payments. Do you want to develop a feature now or in 6 months?

Things are not that simple. AI code inherits the same issues of LLMs (regression to mean). Certain things, such as single player video games, can be an absolute slopfest with code / security. Other industries with more restrictions (health data), more real world outcomes (finance, legal) will run into major issues. Those stories have been bubbling up & they are getting more prominent.

The taste of “code but faster” speaks to the capitalist class to be maximalist. We get this engine where C level is investing in AI, having their mind blown, while people close to code see the gaps that exist still. C level spurs on “use this more!” which in turn benefits their portfolios making bets on “more people will use this.” Meanwhile, codebases degrade, and a new generation, who was told “a CS degree is super safe”, have had the rug pulled from them.

I know many engineers/professional developers now who feel “ungrounded”, “lost at sea”, “unclear” of what happens next. We see great potential, RIGHT NOW, because this is likely the lowest cost for these services. All of this will ramp up, either in monthly cost, token cost, rate limiting. In a year, I wouldn’t be surprised if Claude code’s monthly cost has tripled, or there’s more tiers with less availability.

OpenSeek, OpenClaw, etc., have promise for us not terminating in some (further) capitalistic hellscape.

I felt really good at knowing what will happen in 2-3 years within tech, after 14 years of doing this. I’m really, really concerned right now, but I’m also trying to use the tools while they are cheap. Maybe I can make some of my dream games before we all explode. I dunno. 🤷

Those are litigation & therefore in an indeterminate state. They have lost recently within Japanese law just this week on their touchscreens.

Also, IANAL. Nothing I say should be considered formal legal advice.

Settled privately, no ruling on patent

Generally speaking, most game mechanics are not copyright-able, not patentable. Game mechanics themselves tend to be treated as base components, as in, like a drum beat or a bass line. It’s rare cases where those are distinct, usually in context (see Vanilla Ice & Under Pressure). Because a beat or bass line can be so basic as a component, it’s considered part of the arrangement and not the composition itself. Video game mechanics can likewise be in this configuration.

For instance, summoning heroes (Nintendo loss) is a mechanic / part of the composition of that game, but the larger video game is a particular arrangement. Specific characters (pikachu) can very much be copyrighted individually, but games themselves are typically less liable for patents / copyright, and so on.

Also, for good measure, since it’s a massive benefit to the freedom of expression. Video games would be a depressing medium if people could capitalize on mechanics like patent trolls.

To be clear, some technologies used in association with video games can be patented, but that’s when a patentable technology is combined with a game, which is much less common in the medium.

Ugh. I did this at night once with mixed up pills. I was up until 6AM.

Thank you for writing and making content.

In this era, I feel like I’m in the Good Place: it’s impossible to make “good” ethical choices while engaging with modern world. Every day, some platform or artist is found supporting blood money, genocide, unfair labor, treats other artist/collaborators like shit, exploitation… Then we all have to pivot to some obscure alternative with its own issues, lest we be immoral internet users.

I’m so tired of all this shit… /rant