Gianni Di Giovanni

Gianni Di Giovanni

@gdig.bsky.social

Games journalist and Radio Broadcaster. Views are my own and not representative of my employer

302 followers90 following201 posts

Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

🎮Play Now is a fascinating event, with nervous moments, lost words, excitement, rapid bug fixing. It’s quieter in a way than much of the rest of the MIGW fare but the stakes are higher. I stepped inside the room where deals are made on the next big Aussie video game www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10...

abc.net.auGame developers pitch for funding at speed dating-style event in MelbourneDevelopers from across Australia have gathered in Melbourne with a copy of their next game hoping to secure a publisher at the annual Play Now marketplace.

Gianni Di Giovanni reposted

kat
@kgt.bsky.social

Happy NAIDOC 🖤 we're out here making games. I had a really lovely chat about making a rhythm game that honours Country, and working with Wali Studios on Wyrmspace Tactics.

ABC News Australia@news.abc.net.au

First Nations creators tell Indigenous stories through video games

abc.net.auFrom Call of Duty to Dreamtime: These designers are lighting up video gamesAs part of NAIDOC Week, we meet the Indigenous creatives who are re-shaping Australia's video game industry.

Gianni Di Giovanni reposted

James O’Connor
@jickle.net

Replying to @rhunwords.com

Apparently getting the rights to this shirt was more difficult than any of the song rights were (source: me) www.theguardian.com/games/2026/m...

theguardian.comFrom Smashing Pumpkins to Ferris Bueller: new Australian indie video game Mixtape is a blast of nostalgiaIn the game by Melbourne-based Beethoven and Dinosaur, you play as a teenage girl the night before moving to New York – drinking, skateboarding and getting into trouble, all soundtracked by 80s and 90...
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

It’s hard to adapt a branching dynamic video game to the silver screen, each player has their own story when they play. Director of Exit 8 Genki Nakamura wanted to tell one story in that same world and get us to think again about the modern loops we’re stuck in www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05...

abc.net.auHow the Tokyo Metro became the terrifying setting for film Exit 8The creator of the minimalist horror film hopes it inspires viewers to stop doomscrolling and take a look at the world around them.
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

I’ve interviewed @gregorylouden.bsky.social a few times over the years and it was always interesting to hear how he thinks about interactive narratives. SAROS is out this week and it was cool to learn about why a lot of his games have characters retracing their steps www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

abc.net.auMeet the Australian behind PlayStation's next big game SarosDeveloper Gregory Louden always wanted to work in games, but it was a sidestep into filmmaking that helped him secure his dream job at Finnish studio Housemarque.

Gianni Di Giovanni reposted

Julian Fell
@jtfell.com

In the early days of the Middle East war, petrol stations hiked prices faster than the rise of global oil prices, in what several leading experts say was an attempt to maintain their profit margins. But since then, there has been a complete turnaround. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

abc.net.auPetrol stations tried to 'shape' the market – now it's shaping themPetrol stations in our biggest cities hiked prices ahead of global oil prices, but experts say their profit margins are now much slimmer.

Gianni Di Giovanni reposted

Chris “Mutton” Button
@bibbybhoy.bsky.social

DLSS 5 has sent shockwaves through the games industry, so I asked several artists and developers what concerns them most about the technology. Unsurprisingly, their ire is about far more than ‘AI slop’. www.gadgetguy.com.au/nvidia-dlss-...

gadgetguy.com.au"Disgust" over Nvidia's DLSS 5 has the games industry on edgeNvidia's controversial DLSS 5 technology drew the ire of the games industry, but the reasons run deeper than 'AI slop' imagery.
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

The Game Boy came out in 1989, The Game Boy Color in 1998 and in 2026 meet the Australian developers Tom Lockwood and Orlando Mee making new games for the decades old console, wrapping nostalgia and their culture into the work. New story from me www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

abc.net.auNew games for an old console: Meet the new generation of Game Boy developersA small community of game developers is releasing new games for Nintendo's decades-old video game console, harnessing the nostalgia of these classic devices.
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

During the late 1970s a Newcastle based company built a set uniquely Australian Pinball machines, Dennis Lillee 🏏 FJ Holden 🚘 and Shark 🦈 and the world’s first Star Wars pinball machine ever. These machines have been collected by the NFSA, new story by me www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

abc.net.auIconic Australian-made pinball machines preserved for generations to comeFive pinball machines, including the first licensed Star Wars unit, have been saved from the scrap heap and will eventually be made available for the public to play at a special exhibition.
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

This one has a lot of twists and turns! There are bargain licensing deals where finished machines were the only price, a pinball moral panic and a lasting impact despite some regrets! I started about this time last year and it’s fun to see it here.

Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

The music of Hollow Knight Silksong is already iconic. Christopher Larkin was able to increase the number of real instrumentalists from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra on the sequel. Another insight into the making of this blockbuster game www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

abc.net.auBehind the music of hit Australian indie game Hollow Knight: SilksongThe video game soundtrack will be performed live for the first time by Orchestra Victoria at ACMI in February.
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

Across seven hours in the Sydney Opera House this Sydney Festival, a herd of audience members will take turns leading a virtual group of donkeys in an experience that merges theatre and video games. New story from me www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

abc.net.auHow a video game about donkeys tests social cohesionTheatre makers Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim have built a game to be played socially in an auditorium, with a single player leading a group of donkeys on a journey of discovery.

Gianni Di Giovanni reposted

Meena Shamaly 🎮🎻🎙
@musophrenic.bsky.social

An hour with the music of Silksong (@teamcherry.bsky.social), plus another hour (almost) chatting to its bard, @christopherlarkin.bsky.social 🪡🎵🎮 🎙️ Big thanks to @gdig.bsky.social for joining me on this interview 🎙️ 🎧 The Game Show on ABC Classic 🎧

abc.net.auGrand and tender: the music of Silksong by Christopher Larkin - ABC listenThe music of one of the most anticipated games of 2025, and an extended conversation with its Australian composer, Christopher Larkin.
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

😎 Have a cool game? 👀 Want people to know about it? Submissions open for ALT:GAMES 2026 at Powerhouse right now do it now, don’t put it off, I know you reckon you’ll get round to it but be honest with yourself and just do it the second you see this because let’s be real

Chloe Appleby@chloeappleby.bsky.social

We’re so freaking back. Videogames. Board games. Role playing games. I wanna show case you at ALT: GAMES 2026! Submit in the cheeky link. Successful applications will be paid an honorarium. If you love me, please read the webpage. All the info is there. Link: powerhouse.com.au/alt-games-ca...

Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

Hey what are you doing at 8:00PM AEDT tonight? How about listen to Download This Show with the excellent @raejohnston.bsky.social , Alice Clarke and myself! We talk AI bubbles, age-verification and more! Here is the link or find it on your podcast players after that www.abc.net.au/listen/live/...

abc.net.auRadio National live player - ABC listenRadio National goes beyond the news headlines to examine a diverse range of topics, including arts and culture, business and current affairs, health, science and technology, Indigenous culture and iss...
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

Think of the Wii Shop Channel music. Iconic. The Nintendo Wii was a massive success and got heaps of new players into join in. Even my mum played a lot of Wii Sports with us and she mostly thinks games are a waste of time. I look back at the legacy on its anniversary www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

abc.net.auNintendo gave away millions of games for free. The risk paid offInnovative motion controls and accessible design made the Nintendo Wii one of the most popular consoles of all time.
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

Well worth reading through @juiceboxcat.bsky.social ‘s story on Delphinium a game that really caught my attention at #MIGW this year. Good read!

SIFTER@sifterhq.bsky.social

“How do we establish our future in a world that doesn’t feel like it’s progressing? The answer is with community.” Will a cottage in the woods really will fix you? @cinnadev.bsky.social 's Delphinium is all about building connections FEATURE @juiceboxcat.bsky.social www.sifter.com.au/post/delphin...

Gianni Di Giovanni reposted

Chris “Mutton” Button
@bibbybhoy.bsky.social

Replying to @bibbybhoy.bsky.social

This was a fun interview to do, mainly because I got to do it with my bud @gdig.bsky.social who put together a sensational video cut for Sifter: www.sifter.com.au/post/ghost-o...

sifter.com.auInside Ghost of Yōtei: Quest design, Cinematic samurai influences & Designing around different play styles | SIFTERThe Australian developer Rob Davis on his role as Campaign Director of the new sequel to Ghost of Tsushima recorded live at PAX Australia.
Gianni Di Giovanni
@gdig.bsky.social

This is an incredible way to learn about these stories, it’s visualised in such an interesting and interactive way. The artwork was done by my friend Abby Richards here in Boorloo. Scroll through and take a look or click off in other directions. www.abc.net.au/news/deeptim...

abc.net.auAustralia is seen as a young country — but do you really know its ancient story?Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' story goes way, way back… take an awe-inspiring journey into Deep Time.