The making of Mewgenics: How Edmund McMillen kept his pet project alive for 13 years

gamesradar.com Nov 8, 2026

The making of Mewgenics: How Edmund McMillen kept his pet project alive for 13 years

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Nov 8, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

In August 2012, Edmund McMillen entered Ludum Dare 24 with the unpopular “1,000 kittens” theme, using a Flash‑based layering technique from The Binding of Isaac to prototype a game that could generate trillions of cat variants. Partnering with Tommy Refenes, the duo built an early version featuring a house, animated cats, and a Pokémon‑style combat minigame, slated for a PAX Seattle demo in 2013. The demo was withdrawn at the last minute, and Refenes abandoned the project to focus on Super Meat Boy Forever, effectively putting the cat game on hold. McMillen continued iterating solo, exploring different genres and collaborators, until he left Team Meat in 2016, after which he and Tyler Glaiel resumed development, eventually releasing Mewgenics to sell a million copies in its first week.

💡 Why It Matters

· The game’s evolution shows how a dismissed game‑jam prompt can become a blockbuster through relentless iteration, highlighting the creative resilience behind indie success.

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Report: John Ternus pushing Craig Federighi to speed up Apple software engineering

Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, is reportedly pressing software chief Craig Federighi to speed up the company’s AI‑focused software roadmap, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In a recent closed‑door meeting, Ternus expressed frustration that Apple’s software development, including Siri, lags behind rivals and urged a shift from Federighi’s traditionally hands‑on, short‑term (12‑18 month) planning to a faster, more aggressive cadence. Federighi’s management style—characterized by dominant debate and limited input from engineers—has left some staff feeling constrained. At the same time, Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of Siri engineering and Vision Pro creator, is contemplating a departure, which could further destabilize the software group. Apple is also testing a new pipeline that gives engineers 50 % more coding time and less integration work, hinting at broader process changes.

💡 Accelerating Apple’s software timeline could close the AI gap with rivals and reshape internal power dynamics, potentially unlocking faster product innovation.

eurogamer.net · Nov 8

Saving Mass Effect would take $200m+, says BioWare co-founder

BioWare co‑founder Trent Oster said on X that reviving the Mass Effect franchise would likely require a development budget of at least $200 million, based on comparable AAA projects. He warned that such a sum is “a big number to commit up front” and would need a broader financial plan to make the IP viable, though he added a disciplined, simpler approach could reduce costs. Oster’s comments come amid the #SaveMassEffect campaign, which has gathered over 317,000 signatures demanding continued development of the series after EA announced the closure of BioWare and the cancellation of Mass Effect 5. Fans are also urging the Canadian government to intervene, while EA has not confirmed any intention to sell the IP.

💡 The $200 million price tag sets a concrete hurdle that any prospective buyer or investor must clear, turning fan enthusiasm into a high‑stakes financial negotiation.

quantumcomputingreport.com · Nov 8

Who’s News: Strategic Appointments at Quantum eMotion, Qtonic Quantum, Chicago Quantum Exchange,…

Quantum eMotion Corp. named board member Wayne Teeple as chief technology officer, tasking him with steering the firm’s QRNG, SecureKey, Sentry‑Q and eShield‑Q product lines and overseeing the planned acquisition of Plurilock Security. Qtonic Quantum Corp. hired retired Lt. Gen. Roger L. Cloutier Jr. to run operations, where he will manage execution of federal migration mandates under Executive Order 14412 and guide deployment of its QScout and QSolve cryptographic platforms. Chicago Quantum Exchange appointed Dr. Aaron Fluitt as its second CEO, charged with expanding the Midwest quantum workforce and scaling the domestic manufacturing supply chain via the Bloch Quantum Tech Hub. Equal1 brought semiconductor veteran Andrew Flynn aboard as chief operating officer to direct global operations, quality systems and supply‑chain scaling for its rack‑mounted quantum computer, RacQ.

💡 These appointments place seasoned defense, semiconductor and research leaders at the helm of firms poised to shape U.S. quantum security standards, workforce development and hardware commercialization.

techcrunch.com · Nov 7

After the midterms, things are looking rocky for Elon Musk and data…

Democrats’ sweeping victory in the recent midterm elections is poised to reshape the tech landscape, as voters rejected dozens of local ballot measures that would have eased data‑center approvals and elected officials, such as Texas governor‑elect Gina Hinojosa, who campaigned on restricting such facilities. On TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts discussed how the political shift undermines Elon Musk’s $500 million Republican donations, leaving his businesses in a newly “blue” Texas with heightened regulatory risk. They noted that while data‑center opposition was not the primary driver of the “blue wave,” it has become a potent grassroots issue due to opaque approval processes, environmental concerns, and secretive NDAs. Companies like OpenAI are already revising policies in response to the emerging constraints.

💡 The new Democratic dominance translates into concrete policy hurdles for hyperscalers, forcing them to redesign expansion strategies and confront heightened scrutiny over environmental and community impacts.

eurogamer.net · Nov 7

“Is there any accountability left in this world?” Warren Spector pops off…

Warren Spector publicly criticized EA for shutting down BioWare, citing the studio’s closure as a “gut‑punch” and questioning the company’s decision‑making. He highlighted the stark contrast between the massive annual salaries of EA executives—Andrew Wilson ($38.65 M), Laura Miele ($13.7 M), Stuart Canfield ($11.3 M), Jake Schatz ($8.4 M), and Mala Singh ($8.3 M)—and the thousands of developers laid off. Spector’s LinkedIn post frames the shutdown as a failure to value creative talent over financial interests, reigniting his earlier retirement announcement.

💡 The clash exposes a growing disconnect between executive compensation and employee welfare in the gaming industry, challenging the narrative that corporate profits justify talent loss. It underscores the urgency for transparent governance that aligns leadership incentives with sustainable creative output.

space.com · Nov 7

How to watch ‘Musk’ online — stream the SpaceX billionaire biography from…

Alex Gibney’s four‑hour documentary “Musk” chronicles Elon Musk’s ascent from tech entrepreneur to polarizing global figure. The film premiered in theaters on Oct. 9, 2026, and became available for digital purchase in North America on Nov. 6 at 12 a.m. ET via Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home for $19.99. Featuring archive footage and interviews with Musk’s ex‑wife Justine, journalist Kara Swisher, AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton and others, the runtime totals 3 hours 55 minutes. Viewers outside the United States can access the purchase through a VPN service such as NordVPN, which the article promotes with a discount. The piece also notes that the documentary’s release follows Musk’s recent statements about SpaceX’s financial outlook. It also examines his influence on electric vehicles, satellite internet, and artificial intelligence development today.

💡 The documentary’s insider access provides a rare lens on Musk’s decision‑making, potentially reshaping how audiences evaluate his expanding technological empire.