Newsletter with a hint of podcast

Quick one this week! I’m at PAX Aus! If you’re here please say hello!

I’m hosting a panel for young folks and families on how to pursue esports in ways that don’t throw the rest of your life away (Sat, 11.00am), and also appearing on a geek parents panel (Sun, 12.00pm). And I’ll be all around the show having fun with my own family for the first time this year.

This week also marked the launch of the new Byteside podcast, with myself (Seamus) and Nic Healey chatting about news in tech, games and digital culture, but not just what’s new. We detour to talk about not-so-new things too, and about how people really engage with this stuff – not just chasing the latest, but whatever crosses their path when they have the time or need.

You’ll find the show in your favourite podcast app under ‘Byteside’.

New Byteside stuff

Transformers turn 35

In a bit of a tangent, Seamus chats with Jason Murray about the state of Transformers toys these days and how things have evolved over their 35 year history.

BytesideSeamus Byrne

Byteside: The Podcast!

Join Nic Healey and Seamus Byrne (yes, that’s me) for the new Byteside podcast. We chat tech, games and culture, staying out of the weeds of the weekly news

BytesideSeamus Byrne

Gaming

https://www.gameworkers.com.au/pax-aus-enforcers-employees/

Ninja left Twitch because his brand was too big for gaming

Manager says Twitch didn’t respect their wishes

The VergeJulia Alexander

Hong Kong

There’s A Blizzard Boycott Movement After A “Hearthstone” Player Was Suspended For Supporting Hong Kong Protesters

Memers are turning popular characters, like <i>Overwatch</i>’s Mei, into pro-democracy protesters.

BuzzFeed News🎃 Inven Global 🎃

Veteran Hearthstone commentator quits Grandmasters over ban

A veteran Hearthstone player and commentator is pulling away from Blizzard after they banned pro player Chung “Blitzchu…

Rock Paper ShotgunAlice O’Connor

The China Cultural Clash

The NBA controversy in China highlights a culture clash that both tech companies and the U.S. government need to take to heart. Plus, why Tiktok being Chinese is increasingly a problem.

Stratechery by Ben ThompsonBen Thompson

Money

PayPal withdraws from Facebook’s libra cryptocurrency

PayPal was one of several corporate backers of Facebook’s cryptocurrency project.

CNBCLauren Feiner,Kate Rooney