Mediavania
Industry
A business case for a "butt slider" in Final Fantasy XIV
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-July 30, 2026
Jokes aside, financial pressure at Square Enix means its golden goose has to refocus on keeping players rather than winning new ones.
Writer
Harrison Polites
18 indexed pieces
RPG
Bypassing the lottery
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-July 28, 2026
What its like to attend Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest. Two days, thousands of balloted fans, one new tank job and a great deal of queuing.
RPG
Damn it. Everyone is right. Mina the Hollower is outstanding
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-July 23, 2026
REVIEW: A clever difficulty modifier and intuitive map design make this adventure game both engrossing and accessible for all.
PlayStation
From game owner to indefinite renter: Your rights will be challenged as Sony eyes a discless future
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-July 9, 2026
As the era of buying physical games draws to an end, consumer rights advocates have concerns.
AI & Gaming
If gamers weren’t already angry with AI, the Steam Machine’s $1609 price tag sealed the deal
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-June 25, 2026
It was meant to bridge the device between PC and consoles. Instead, it will fan rage.
Nintendo
Five ways my Switch 2 could be a better travel companion
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-June 18, 2026
As the Nintendo Switch 2 passes its first birthday, here's the tweaks that could make the world's most modern portable console just that much better.
RPG
Why I’m dropping my paywall
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-June 14, 2026
TL;DR: You can still pay, I just can’t offer you much more than goodwill for it right now.
RPG
Game release dates make a return, as GTA 6’s November debut haunts the industry
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-June 11, 2026
Twice as many games got release dates at this year's showcases, none of them in November.
RPG
Frosty Games Fest got everything it wanted. The challenge now is keeping it.
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-June 4, 2026
With the element of surprise gone, the ANZ showcase is betting on curation to keep its slot; the difficult job of cutting the 220 games that applied down to the best 50.
RPG
How Australia decides its Game of The Year
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-May 28, 2026
Inside the judging process for the Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs), its push for transparency, and why that matters.
PlayStation
Sony didn't choose Nintendo's game exclusivity model, AI forced its hand
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-May 21, 2026
As the memory shortage continues to push up the price of consoles, devices makers now need to find every reason possible for you to invest in them
RPG
TV deals, card games and conspiracy theories? How Australian devs are rethinking game marketing
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-May 14, 2026
With over 21,000 games launching on Steam last year, thinking outside of the box has become a necessity.
RPG
Explainer: Decoding the gaming industry’s pricing experiments
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-May 7, 2026
Price hikes, price drops and now dynamic pricing. Here's how the various mechanisms affect spending habits.
Reviews
The games that got away: Dispatch, Hell is Us, Arc Raiders
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-April 30, 2026
REVIEW: Hot takes on games I played, but just couldn’t find the time to draft an indepth review.
Nintendo
Pokemon Champions is a brilliant competitive game built on an uneven playing field
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-April 23, 2026
REVIEW: A delight for veterans and a stark and possibly unfair challenge for beginners. With small tweaks, Pokemon Champions has the potential to make its competitive format a mainstream craze.
RPG
Explainer: Australian game dev’s complicated relationship with government support
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-April 16, 2026
The country's grants and tax offsets are the envy of the world. But, has it come at a cost? A culture that occasionally prizes art in games over any form of commercial return.
RPG
Gaming's greatest moments
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-April 8, 2026
Substack's games writing community weigh in on the parts of videogames that are burned into their brains.
RPG
Inside the Australian videogame magazine Kickstarter that raised over $70,000 in a week
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-March 18, 2026
CONTINUE’s funding success defied all expectations. But to get the moonshot magazine into print, industry veterans Mark Serrels and Jackson Ryan know they will need every cent.