Penny Arcade
penny-arcade.com · Group blog · on HN since 2007
Penny Arcade is a long-running gaming webcomic by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, with news posts and commentary.
What HN saysHN mainly links it for the 2004 Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory comic, cited when discussing anonymity and bad behavior online.
471HN people shared it
392linked it in comments
141stories submitted
5.2Kstory points
3 months agolast shared
2007people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory79 people · 8 points · first shared 2007 · discussion on HN
- 2Green blackboards and other anomalies23 people · first shared 2022
- 33 1911 people · first shared 2010
- 4Some Clarification8 people · 10 points · first shared 2013 · 3 comments on HN
- 5The Surface Studio7 people · 64 points · first shared 2016 · 3 comments on HN
- 6Le Twittre - Comic7 people · 1 points · first shared 2008 · discussion on HN
- 707 227 people · first shared 2013
- 8Glasshole (the comic)6 people · 2 points · first shared 2013 · discussion on HN
- 9The ms surface pro6 people · first shared 2014
- 10The reality of the Ouya console doesn’t match the hype5 people · 65 points · first shared 2012 · 86 comments on HN
- 11The adventures of twisp and catsby5 people · first shared 2022
- 12Penny Arcade – Surface Pro 3 update4 people · 521 points · first shared 2014 · 244 comments on HN
- 13Extra Credits. Looking Into Games4 people · 2 points · first shared 2011 · discussion on HN
- 14Homepage4 people · first shared 2010
- 1506 304 people · first shared 2014
What HN people wrote when they linked it
ChuckFrank · 2011-06-18
Having thought of the best multiple channel content creator, I've come up with Disney. Disney makes everything.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_Disney
Anyone have a better example, or of the elusive single online content creator? (Like AOL tired / is trying to be). We have penny arcade as the leading example. http://www.penny-arcade.com/ and since I had never heard of them before this, I am skeptical, but I'm checking them out.
mmh0000 · 2026-08-06
There is a well-reviewed study on this from 2004 -
Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory[1]
[1] https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
bombcar · 2026-04-07
It's harder and harder to get that combination, so you'd have to install an aftermarket device, which is potentially expensive and "not worth it" depending on your travels.
I use my phone's GPS quite a bit but the reality is that I have maybe one trip a year where I need it, and that can be handled by MapQuest beforehand - remember printing those?
The PARROT is SMART. https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2002/08/19/can-you-tell-me-how-to-g…
dclowd9901 · 2025-07-10
> If the internet has taught us anything, it’s that humans + anonymity = unpleasantness.
Aka one of my favorite axioms: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
kelnos · 2025-02-26
> I also have a suspicion that some of these people are literally mentally ill, and online is basically where they live.
It's certainly reasonable to expect that there are at least some mentally ill people in any decent-sized community, but the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory[0] suggests -- and I agree -- that there are many people who just turn into complete assholes when they are anonymous or semi-anonymous, and can hide behind their computer, tens or hundreds or thousands of miles away from the people they interact with.
I don't know the demographics of your game, but this is especially true of teenagers. (But not exclusively true.)
[0] https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
throw0101d · 2024-11-29
> It warps social norms, social habits, human interactions, perspectives on the world and a lot more, all for the worse than the better.
See Penny Arcade's "John Gabriel Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory":
* https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
benreesman · 2024-07-26
“More advances will soon follow and will usher in a decisive period in the story of human society.”
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/1998/11/25/john-romero-artiste
Nice try @sama, no GPT-5, no hot dog.
Kye · 2024-01-16
They're into their second half century doing this. Would they have made it this far without being a little weird? Maybe, but it's hard to A/B something like that. I understand it well enough after following the comic that long.
It's not for you.
(this is a reference to an ancient Penny Arcade bit: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/24/the-adventures-of-twisp-…
iandanforth · 2023-11-12
I am reminded of this Penny Arcade comic: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/04/25/an-artifact-of-great-pow…
"It's so pure I think I'm going to cry."
earhart · 2023-08-11
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2023/01/06/i-have-no-mouth-and-i-mu…
I honestly worry about this - I've been tinkering with ideas to try to build towards AGI, and I'd love to share them publicly to get feedback ("This is dumb and here's why" would be enormously valuable to me), but it's hard to work openly, because while I do think capitalism has been an overall good, the capitalist imperative always seeks slaves, and I'm really not excited about helping the people who'd be trying to build a new slave class.
Thoughts? Is there a ethical way to work openly on AGI?
verve_rat · 2023-08-07
Ah, the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
ChrisMarshallNY · 2023-08-03
Apple's settings and preferences are a blue-ribbon clusterf**k.
The other day, someone was complaining that they couldn't read their screen, and I (foolishly) indicated that I could fix it easily, because "I'm an expert."
I ended up searching through multiple pages of settings, in order to find the one they needed.
At least they got a good laugh out of it.
Zoom's settings are right up there, with Apple's.
Information architecture often tends to follow political and organizational structure, as opposed to good common sense usability structure.
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2016/03/16/magnets
leephillips · 2023-02-10
Everyone should know, and yet I often see people, in HN comments for example, citing Wikipedia as if it means something. As the great Tycho has said,
“The fact of the matter is that all sources of information are not of equal value, and I don't know how or when it became impolitic to suggest it. In opposition to the spirit of Wikipedia, I believe there is such a thing as expertise.”
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/12/16/i-have-the-power
yaomtc · 2022-12-21
Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory. https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
anotherevan · 2022-12-06
AKA The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
anigbrowl · 2022-12-02
It'd be good for John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad theory to make a comeback
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
throw0101c · 2022-11-06
See also Penny Arcade's take from 2004:
* https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
Previous observations on the CB radio band:
> Similar behavioral patterns have been observed in the anonymous usage of Citizens’ Band radio, a short-distance radio communications device widely used by truck drivers to find well-stocked fuel stations and share traffic information. On February 20th, 1978, a New Yorker[5] magazine profile piece on talk show host Johnny Carson mentioned that CB radio conversations can include disturbing amounts of racism and masturbation fantasies resulting from the lack of accountability.
* https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/greater-internet-fuckwad-theory
sph · 2022-09-03
It's like the problem isn't the platform or the technology, but people aren't meant to voice their ideas for the whole world to see, anonymously. It's such a naive view that it's a good idea to attach a megaphone to anyone's mouth.
The focus on decentralisation and not on solving the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory [1] means they focused on the wrong problem. They've just created an island for jerkwads that think they are better from the other jerkwads at the bird site.
Now, I wouldn't be against a Twitter-like for direct friends. Like Google+ for a moment tried to do before it imploded.
1: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
paulcole · 2022-08-26
> but for what it's worth, they basically sell these at cost with very little mark up.
That's worth nothing.
> it's not meant to be a consumer shop. I think they even warn you to not buy if you expect returns or customer service.
Reminds me of: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/24/the-adventures-of-twisp-…
"Wow! I didn't know you could even do that."
dane-pgp · 2022-08-01
This issue was brilliantly parodied by Penny Arcade back in the day:
> ESRB employee: "What about games with infinite replayability, or ones that include procedurally generated content?"
> Bureaucrat: "I don't understand anything you just said."
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/10/02/censorship-made-easy
generalk · 2022-07-01
> The question here is: "Is this a really innovative graphical design that
> will get praised by future generations but is misunderstood now" or "Is this
> just a bad decision that the creator is unwilling to own". I tend to think
> it's the latter. Ultimately the sales will tell.
The question here is not "should people like a thing," it's "why are people such assholes?" To quote Ron Gilbert's linked post:
> Play it or don't play it but don't ruin it for everyone else.
It sure seems like this is a fantastic example of the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory [0]: nobody would speak so awfully to Ron Gilbert if they were leaning over his shoulder watching the trailer.
[0]: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
psyc · 2022-06-25
AKA Gabriel’s Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory.
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-ot…
cnasc · 2022-04-08
Every now and then this old Penny Arcade comic comes to mind: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/05/15/argumentum-ad-verecundia…
Every company on earth is trying to get their $infinity from me, and I can’t help but feel that almost none of them provide anything worth that much.
CrazyPyroLinux · 2022-03-22
> you'll have absolutely no use for this knowledge
I've heard that "bitches love Sanskrit"
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/02/06/we-are-only-trying-to-he…
AceJohnny2 · 2022-02-05
Their hardware quality is definitely sub-par. I got the Pro Controller because the joycons are The Worst [1], and it's definitely the worst quality controller compared to Xbox and PS4. For example, its D-Pad will occasionally mis-press up or down when pressing right or left, which is failing the basic purpose of a D-Pad.
That said, the concept of the Switch remains fantastic, and I take it with me whenever I travel. I'm definitely in line for getting the Steam Deck.
[1] especially as someone with big hands https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2001/08/29/you-know-what-they-say
marcus_holmes · 2021-09-02
It'll be interesting to see what effect this has on the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory [0].
Though "normal person" for Straya tends to be someone who considers the c-bomb to be punctuation, so it may be tricky to tell if it's having any effect.
[0] https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19
tsumnia · 2021-07-27
> a switch gets flipped and people start being weird, overtly sexual, or just flat out insanely critical of every little thing the female players do
I have no doubt that this occurs and I've even intervened in that type of behavior before; I think I hold more toward the "Greater Internet F---wad Theory" [1]. People will act like jerks and attack you for whatever traits you have. Adults trash talk 12 year olds; 12 year olds trash talk adults.
I'm not saying people should grow thicker skin, but rather that we haven't really figured out a way to NOT have trash talking. Maybe collaborative style games over competitive, but even then, those require interactions and communication, which leads us back to Penny-Arcade.
[1] https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19
theshrike79 · 2021-07-17
I present to you the John Gabriel Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory (2004): https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19
Normal person + anonymity + audience = Total Fuckwad.
This has always been true and always will be.
gameswithgo · 2021-06-16
I am reminded of my favorite web comic, The Land of Upp:
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/08/02
ergot_vacation · 2021-06-10
IE the Greater Internet Fuckwad theory (https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19). The bitter irony is that originally, mods and admins on forums did what they could to contain this kind of behavior. Now it's actively encouraged because rage means engagement, and engagement means more ad revenue.