A supermajority of quality assurance workers at Microsoft’s ZeniMax Studios have indicated that they wish to join ZeniMax Workers United/CWA either by signing a union authorization card or voting via an online portal. In accordance with its stated labor principles, Microsoft has recognized the union.
ZeniMax is a video game production company with studios in Maryland and Texas known for its popular games such as Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Quake Champions, and Fallout. ZeniMax Workers United/CWA is the first studio at Microsoft to secure union representation, and the largest group of union-represented Quality Assurance testers at any U.S. game studio. [...]
Unlike other video game and tech corporations, Microsoft made a public commitment around its labor principles which included respecting its employees’ right to form a union. When ZeniMax employees announced that they were organizing a union in December, Microsoft agreed to remain neutral and allow workers to make their own decision about whether or not to join the union. The company swiftly recognized ZeniMax Workers United/CWA after a neutral third party confirmed that a majority of workers favored joining the union. [...]
"It's difficult to express in words just how much winning our union matters to us. We've been working so hard to get here that it would be impossible not to be excited. We know this is not the end of our hard work, but reaching this milestone gives us faith that when workers stand together, we can accomplish anything we set our minds to," said Dylan Burton, Senior QA Tester, Dallas.
Zenimax Workers United/CWA joins the wave of game and tech workers at Activision, Alphabet, Apple, and dozens of other companies who have organized with CODE-CWA to build a better workplace.
PSA: Check your kid's Halloween candy for DOOM (1993) this year
Some parents have reported that their kid's candy bars have been laced with DOOM (1993), so please be careful. You never know what could be lurking this Halloween season.
Symptoms of DOOM (1993) include inquisitively glancing from left to right, obsessively hunting for keycards, limited processing of 3D spaces, and making the sound "Unf" whenever interacting with something. This is a real recording of a man suffering from exposure to DOOM (1993):
Number Tournament: NINE vs THE FAST INVERSE SQUARE ROOT "WHAT THE FUCK?" CONSTANT
9 (nine)
seed: 18 (33 nominations)
class: power of three
definition: the number eaten by seven
hex 5F3759DF (// what the fuck?)
seed: 47 (9 nominations)
class: hex constant
definition: a magic number used in the fast inverse square root algorithm, a method of quickly computing 1/(sqrt(x)) very quickly first used in the source code for the game Quake III Arena (1999)
GRIM: A Retro FPS-Styled TTRPG inspired by Quake, is out NOW!
Help me, an economically disadvantaged indie game dev, achieve our next goal of $600 dollars on itch.io!
ITCH.IO
DRIVETHRURPG
In a time far beyond Earth’s exodus, explorers have unearthed relics and ancient architecture that are said to be older than the cosmos itself, shattering all theories of the creation of the universe and its age. You and your allies, assigned by the Martyrs of Free Olympia or the Elysian Coalition, are tasked to investigate ruins on the planet Gamma Rho Iota Mu, simply referred to as GRIM, to find any traces of life that are rumored to lay beneath the only structure on the planet: a towering obelisk.
Countless explorers sent to GRIM have delved into these ruins, but none have returned. Many denizens of Free Olympia and beyond have feared that their planet will be next to succumb to GRIM's grasp, and some have fallen to their knees to worship this fated harbinger of doom. All seemed hopeless and lost...
Inspired by prolific FPS games like the Quake series, GRIM's mechanics are quick, brutal, and easy to understand without sacrificing its immense depth.Using either the flip of a coin or a six-sided die (d6), use Combat Skills to speed around combat maps and frag enemies, or use Roleplaying Skills either in or out of combat to navigate the dark and oppressive world beyond the Whispering Gate.
This game is meant to be played with a Watcher (GM / DM), and 1-6 other players.
If this game reaches certain goals within 30 days, more content will be added to both the handbook and beyond!
$300: This game is fully funded! Thank you so much! GOAL ACHIEVED!
$600: 5 new Pre-Made Battlemaps for combat encounters will be added to the handbook! GOAL ACHIEVED!
$800: GRIM, The Palace of Eyes, a setting expansion for GRIM, will be released! Explore a realm tucked between dimensions, and fight eldritch horrors while navigating expansive castles and dungeons. Will include more unique enemies, weapons, powerups, and settings! GOAL ACHIEVED!
$1,500: A printed run of GRIM will be made and released!
$3,000: Beyond the main theme already released, an entire soundtrack for GRIM will be created! Enjoy intense combat music and horrifying ambient tracks that will immerse you even further into the world of GRIM!
$3,000+: ??? (more goals will be released! I'll immediately jump for joy, however.)
Also, if you wanna listen to some music, GRIM has its own Main Theme as well as two unofficial soundtracks! Check them out below!