A little while ago I connected with one of the team members of ZOOM-platform. From their own site's 'about me':

ZOOM's mission is to design, create, and publish traditional and interactive entertainment with a multi-generational trans-media appeal. ZOOM's products are distributed digitally via, ZOOM Platform, along with non-exclusive third party content from both major publishers and indies with a catalog spanning the classics to new releases.

You might know them best as 'the' one space to get Duke Nukem games for your PC, or maybe because they're also dedicated to providing each and every title there completely DRM-free. Which, as we all know is rare these days.

Anyway, from chatting to a team member, I was introduced to the CEO, Jordan Freeman, who was kind enough to let me interview him about everything from working with his friend and mentor Bernie Stolar (responsible for the PlayStation and Dreamcast in the U.S.A.) to running a company like ZOOM in a world where DRM-free can be seen as a liability or risk.

We cover all manner of things, and I had such a fun time connecting with Jordan over the span of a week or so putting all of this together.

I have a full interview with some of the ZOOM team coming soon as well, but for now I really hope you all enjoy this one. I feel lucky to have been able to put all of this together, and even luckier that I'm able to share it with you.

Link as always:

https://gardinerbryant.com/the-untold-story-of-classic-games-inside-zoom-with-ceo-jordan-freeman/

Feel like a C&D on their name is imminent with the video conferencing app Zoom.

Probably wouldn't work since they're different industries.

That'd be the argument if one was a computer application and the other was a brand of household cleaning products or something. But both of these Zooms are computer applications with a chance to be listed side-by-side in app stores and search results.

The Discord alternative formerly known as Revolt, now known as Stoat, had to change their name following a C&D from (purportedly) an online news outlet that was also called Revolt.

the guy's face looks so airbrushed on that photo

I thought it was the other Zoom company and got confused for a second 😭

EDIT: btw I love your content, been following since the "steam deck news" era :)

I'm not one to criticize fashion often but the jeans on the bottom business at the top look is throwing me off

Well the word "zoom" is such a common word, you probably can't copyright the name itself and a trademark could be made so vastly different while using the same word that it wouldn't violate that either.

A C&D doesn't carry any legal weight. It's just a threat, but most people don't want a drawn out legal battle so they just comply.

But both being computer applications doesn't mean they're in the same industry.

Also, and I'm no fashionista, but, a suit jacket and jeans is a very strange choice

Thanks for following along with what I write, that means a lot to me!

I think you've got it. No one's bothering with that! ZOOM-platform (gaming) was about 2014. Zoom (video) released their first product in around 2013, so if anything was to happen it'd be long ago!

No problem! I think what you do is very important for the fediverse, keep going!

Isn't a suit jacket plus jeans just business casual?

It really is.

And the irony of someone saying this from their couch about a CEO who deals with running a game company each day is...strong.

Its such a weird thing for people to focus on.