canekicker's recent activity
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
canekicker Link ParentYea, we've seen some hilariously stupid product integration like Death Stranding using Monster which could be a route games choose. I don't expect EA to come up with anything that great but I...Yea, we've seen some hilariously stupid product integration like Death Stranding using Monster which could be a route games choose. I don't expect EA to come up with anything that great but I could see them adopting some sort of product ad in the chyrons of their sports games.
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
canekicker (edited )LinkAt risk of being labeled some anti-consumer, corporate shill (I'm not but GaMerZ (tm) gonna GaME), I'm wondering how much of this is due to the fact that making games seems less and less...At risk of being labeled some anti-consumer, corporate shill (I'm not but GaMerZ (tm) gonna GaME), I'm wondering how much of this is due to the fact that making games seems less and less sustainable given the huge costs (CP2077 was 500 mil??!?!) , increased complexity to create, and the fact that nominally, games have stuck to the $60 price tag for the past 30+ years. Like unrelated to this (but sort of related), it's easy to see why AAA games are less and less "interesting" and so incredibly risk adverse.
It feels like those who love the medium, myself included, are even more disconnected from the reality of game creation. Sure, companies are horribly run, making stupid decisions like betting on fucking NFTs, overworking employees, creating toxic environments, FUCKING CORPORATE GREED , and generally have anti worker policies, but even if there are studios or one person projects that are doing everything right, the numbers seem to not make sense?
I kind of see parallels to the restaurant industry, where I and many others want all staff to have a living wage which drastically increases overhead yet there's a significant portion of the population who simply won't tolerate any increase in prices. But maybe I'm just being naive.
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Comment on Fear the Mad Catz - The worst video game controllers ever in ~games
canekicker Link ParentFunny you mention Hori but I actually used a Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 SA way back then (don't play fighting games anymore) but all my friends were using Mad Katz TE sticks. I preferred the TE stick...Funny you mention Hori but I actually used a Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 SA way back then (don't play fighting games anymore) but all my friends were using Mad Katz TE sticks. I preferred the TE stick but I couldn't afford it on my grad student budget as I believe the TE stick was more expensive.
In addition Mad Katz was far more accessible ( I want to say I got my Hori stick off ebay after a lot of waiting) and as others stated, was a good configuration for modding. It also had some nice QOL things like cable storage. I can't speak for all of Mad Katz sticks but my general impression is that they made some good stuff back then.
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Comment on Fear the Mad Catz - The worst video game controllers ever in ~games
canekicker LinkI didn't watch through the whole thing (1:12 ??? what is this a rant about how the MCU has gone woke?) but despite it's shit reputation with controllers, Mad Katz made some really good fighting...I didn't watch through the whole thing (1:12 ??? what is this a rant about how the MCU has gone woke?) but despite it's shit reputation with controllers, Mad Katz made some really good fighting sticks which I didn't see covered here. For example, when SF4 came out, I knew a ton of people who had their TE stick which I believe was well received in the FGC, hell even Daigo was sponsored by Mad Katz and used their gear.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
canekicker LinkSaw momma open for girl in red and I really dig them, mainly because I'm old and momma is basically a throwback to 90s alt rock. Check out their song speeding 72 and callin me which really hit...Saw momma open for girl in red and I really dig them, mainly because I'm old and momma is basically a throwback to 90s alt rock.
Check out their song speeding 72 and callin me which really hit that 90s itch
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Comment on Cartoons such as Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Avatar? in ~tv
canekicker (edited )Link ParentAs others have said, season 1 and most of season 2 is a bit whacky but they do a good job of showing its potential and where it'll go. From there on its brilliant. The HBO one off specials and the...As others have said, season 1 and most of season 2 is a bit whacky but they do a good job of showing its potential and where it'll go. From there on its brilliant. The HBO one off specials and the Fiona and Cake spin off are really fantastic as well. For me, its the best cartoon I've ever seen.
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
canekicker (edited )Link ParentAt this point, I'm not sure we're going to come to any agreement on this so I'm going to leave it here with this clarification on foreign ownership of media. Concerning the FCC's primacy, the "FCC...At this point, I'm not sure we're going to come to any agreement on this so I'm going to leave it here with this clarification on foreign ownership of media.
Concerning the FCC's primacy, the "FCC has regulated the ownership of mass media outlets since the 1920s.". Part of the problem is that the speed of regulation and thus the purview/enforcement of the FCC has not kept up with how quickly communications has changed. As previous stated, rules for old media required Murdoch to become an American citizen and revoke his Australian citizenship back in 1985 in order to own US television stations. As the story states
Under federal regulations an alien may not own more than 20% of a broadcast license.
Concerning new media, the issue is the fact the laws haven't kept up with the times. FCC chairwoman discussed this
FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel finds it shocking that U.S. law prevents foreign ownership of old media assets but has nothing to say about new media — including wildly popular TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company.
“We don’t have authority over apps like TikTok,” she told a gathering at the Paley Center in NYC today. “That being said, what strikes me most is that for decades we’ve had policies in the Communications Act that would prevent, for instance, a Chinese national or a Chinese company from owning our nation’s broadcast television stations. We would say that’s unacceptable, right? I’d be kicked out of my job if I decided otherwise. And yet here we have something that’s arguably one the newer forms of media and there there is zero oversight. I think that is stunning.”
So you're right, doesn't regulate internet content (free speech and what not) but it does absolutely regulate media ownership. In addition, it appears that since the 1996 Telecom Act, enforcing whatever regulations exist concerning the internet fall under the FCC. So given the previous precedent with old media, it's clear to me that same rules should apply to new media. The point here is foreign ownership over media. Temu and Shein are foreign, yes, but they aren't media. Youtube/Facebook/Meta/Instagram are new media but they're domestically owned.
Do I feel this is the best approach to address this problem? Not really. Something like internet and data privacy laws would be way better. Hell banning of Tiktok isn't even on my priority of things I'd wish this government would address.
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
canekicker Link ParentI have bad news, that wasn't a fun fact at all and something I buried long ago. Fun facts are like... broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts and even gai lan are cultivars of the same plant species,...I have bad news, that wasn't a fun fact at all and something I buried long ago. Fun facts are like... broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts and even gai lan are cultivars of the same plant species, brassica oleracea!
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
canekicker Link ParentTrue. I guess my expectation is that those who are a single issue voter on Tiktok probably aren't that politically engaged. The straw that breaks the camels back? I could see that but as a...True. I guess my expectation is that those who are a single issue voter on Tiktok probably aren't that politically engaged. The straw that breaks the camels back? I could see that but as a singular issue, I personally can't see it moving the needle. Though given how close things were in 2016 and 2020, I suppose that matters.
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
canekicker (edited )Link ParentForm and function wasn't the point as media has evolved. Web 2.0 is barely 20 years old and user generated content at this scale is only the newest form which will be replaced once we move into...Form and function wasn't the point as media has evolved. Web 2.0 is barely 20 years old and user generated content at this scale is only the newest form which will be replaced once we move into Zucks apocalyptic metaverse hell or some shit. The point is the fact that Tiktok is owned and operated by a foreign company with ties to a government that used it to crack down on domestic dissent and who regularly uses companies to execute political deeds. There's a reason why China is considered by the US government to be an adversary.
I'm not saying Meta/Reddit/Google are "better" than Tiktok, they're all kinda shit and have made the world a worse place. But Meta/Facebook/IG is US owned as are Reddit and Google/Youtube. Tildes, while Canadian owned, is a speck in the landscape internet landscape and barely scrapes above the top 8,000 sites visited per day. If Tildes reached a similar sized audience and influence as Tiktok, I'd absolutely want it the US to force it to transition to US ownership.
edited for clarity
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
canekicker Link ParentI don't believe so but I think the term they used was broadcast outlet vs media outlet. Regardless, the nature of Tildes vs Tiktok is quite different so there's likely some legal daylight between...I don't believe so but I think the term they used was broadcast outlet vs media outlet. Regardless, the nature of Tildes vs Tiktok is quite different so there's likely some legal daylight between the two, though I am not a lawyer. I'm also trying to think of any other foreign owned company that has a similar kind of ginormous market share in the US like Tiktok but I'm drawing blanks.
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Comment on Cartoons such as Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Avatar? in ~tv
canekicker Link"Adventure Time" and "Legend of Korra" are ones that come to mind. "Over the Garden Wall" as well but it's not what I'd called comedic. If movies are on the table here's what checks your boxes..."Adventure Time" and "Legend of Korra" are ones that come to mind. "Over the Garden Wall" as well but it's not what I'd called comedic.
If movies are on the table here's what checks your boxes that immediately came to mind
"Nimoa"
"TMNT Mutant Mayhem"Other recent things I'd probably recommend that perhaps aren't as readily recommended
"Scavengers Reign" - serious, surreal sci-fi. Beautifully done but no comedy
"Less popular" Miyazaki films - less comedy but lots of character development without being overly dour. "Kiki's Delivery Service", "Ponyo", "My Neighbor Totoro" are some of my favorite but they're all really good -
Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
canekicker LinkNYT's Hardfork podcast did a discussion on the reasons for the banning of Tiktok (episode here but obv use whatever podcast platform you enjoy). It occurs about 19 min in and to me the most...NYT's Hardfork podcast did a discussion on the reasons for the banning of Tiktok (episode here but obv use whatever podcast platform you enjoy). It occurs about 19 min in and to me the most compelling argument in this discuss was
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the idea of a foreign entity having such a huge influence over US media is troubling. The last time this came up was with well known Aussie asshole and piece of shit Rupert Murdoch and he had to comply by becoming an American citizen. We have laws in the US banning foreign ownership of media outlets which 100% applies to Tiktok
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the fact that similar US companies don't have the same kind of access to China that we allow Chinese firms. Facebook, for all it's shit, is banned in China.
Throw on the fact Tiktok has documented cases of spying on individuals like journalists, and I'm ready for this.
Side note, I've heard people stating that their concern is that this will further dampen youth vote turnout, which was already struggling before Gaza/Israel, but to be honest, I doubt there will be that many single issue voters on Tiktok and if they are, like... really? Tiktok is the most important thing in your life?
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Comment on New Music Fridays: Lizzy McAlpine, Lo Moon, and more in ~music
canekicker (edited )Linkgirl in red - "I'm Doing It Again" - really enjoyed her older albums and her debut was a little uneven for me but I'm definitely looking forward to this Ritchie - "Triple Digits [112]" -...girl in red - "I'm Doing It Again" - really enjoyed her older albums and her debut was a little uneven for me but I'm definitely looking forward to this
Ritchie - "Triple Digits [112]" - technically came out last week but I didn't get around to really listening to it until this week. really enjoy injury reserve and the surviving member's by storm debut single is just fantastic. The musicians out of phoenix that I've grown to love (Holy Fawn, Injury Reserve, Sydney Sprauge) is steadily increasing. Throw in Zola Jesus and Jimmy Eat World (Clarity was a formative album for me) and you got a pretty interesting music scene down there.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
canekicker LinkMilitarie Gun - " Life Under the Gun : They had the very excellent Pool Kids as openers so I finally gave them a shot. At times it's a bit pop-punkish but overall a really great album and probably...Militarie Gun - " Life Under the Gun : They had the very excellent Pool Kids as openers so I finally gave them a shot. At times it's a bit pop-punkish but overall a really great album and probably another one of those albums for people to dip their toes into the hardcore scene the way Turnstile's "Glow On" did a few years ago
Waxahatchee - "Tigers Blood" : Great follow up to "Saint Cloud" for those who like me, don't really enjoy modern/popular country, but enjoy some of the adjacent genres.
RiTchie - "Triple Digits [112]" : Big fan of Injury Reserve so I was curious about all their upcoming projects. If you haven't heard the debut single by By Storm (remaining two members of Injury Reserve), I highly recommend it (starts ~3:45).
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
canekicker LinkSuper Mario Wonder - Really enjoying it as it's everything I love about Nintendo. It's challenging without being punishing, full of charm, and a really great experience that we haven't had in 2D...Super Mario Wonder - Really enjoying it as it's everything I love about Nintendo. It's challenging without being punishing, full of charm, and a really great experience that we haven't had in 2D Mario games of the past. One thing that I absolutely love is how they've animated the characters for this game. It's something that had it not been pointed out in this New Frames Plus video, might have taken me a few hours to notice. Now I know, it's so easy to see how much style and personality it has. Just a brilliant game.
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Comment on Have you ever "homebrewed" fermented beverages? in ~food
canekicker Link ParentApologies for not reading more carefully and thinking this was about beer and not fermented beverages, though the process of extracting sugar to allow yeast to fart out alcohol remains the same....Apologies for not reading more carefully and thinking this was about beer and not fermented beverages, though the process of extracting sugar to allow yeast to fart out alcohol remains the same. From my basic understanding of making something like mead, I think my comments are still helpful.
What temperatures were you fermenting at?
The kit I had was for an ale and I made it in the sweltering summer of Texas. I set my thermometer to 77 F in the summers which in the coolest, darkest part of my old place, may have meant I hit the target temp of low 70s? I honestly had no clue and the bottle to bottle difference was massive, though that could have been for a whole bunch of reasons. I can't imagine mead or kombucha would ever ferment at temps as low as what's required for something like a lager (mid 40s in some cases) but if so, it may be useful to use the seasons to your advantage if you don't have great temperature control.
I was worried bottling would be miserable
If you have a large fermenting chamber, I could see it being an absolute chore but I got a 1 gallon carboy which gave me about 8.5 bottles so it found it quite enjoyable.
One thing I didn't mention was how much I enjoyed tasting each step of the process and each ingredient to really understand what it was contributing to the final product. This may not be as interesting for something like mead but tasting the mash, wort, even the hops was really fun. Even though I haven't homebrewed in years, it was really a great learning experience.
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Comment on Have you ever "homebrewed" fermented beverages? in ~food
canekicker LinkI've home brewed on multiple occasions but ultimately, I gave up because what was out there was far superior to what I could do when it comes to beer. To answer a few of your questions What were...I've home brewed on multiple occasions but ultimately, I gave up because what was out there was far superior to what I could do when it comes to beer. To answer a few of your questions
What were lessons learned? Temperature control was pretty important. I lived in a pretty hot humid area when I did this so fermentation temps were basically what I kept my place at during the day when I was at work and I'm not one to blast the AC even when I'm at home. As you expect the fermentation temp, even in the "coolest" parts of my home was fairly warm which likely affected the outcome. Another lesson was the importance of sanitation before doing anything. I come from a lab/microbiology background so I'm quite familiar with microbial contamination but without access to the same type of sterilization equipment, you'll have to be a bit more careful and work a bit harder. This isn't BSL 4 type shit but good aseptic technique helps.
Did you regret the up-front investment? Absolutely not. There are all in one kits online or if you have a home brewing shop near you, they can set you up. Is it more than buying a 4-pack or bomber of craft beer ? Sure but bombers or mini growlers get pricey so the difference isn't as much as you think.
Do you bottle or keg? Bottled. It's fairly simple and quite fun if I'm honest. Your local homebrew shop probably sells caps by the bag full for a few bucks so it's definitely worth doing. I even made my own beer label with a nonsensical description.
What is your setup like? Very simple set up of a glass carboy, an airlock, siphoning equipment, etc. I mentioned I did this a few times so I reused the equipment I had in an all in one kit.
As person who cares deeply about food and is quite curious about this all, I highly recommend home brewing at least once. Understanding the process of how stuff things are made really helped me develop a greater appreciation of when people do it right. Honestly, when it comes to food, I feel everyone should take this approach.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
canekicker (edited )LinkAlan Wake 2 - I tried playing the Alan Wake Remaster before playing this game and couldn't get past the tedious and joyless combat and visual bugs that the developers never worked out. I had high...Alan Wake 2 - I tried playing the Alan Wake Remaster before playing this game and couldn't get past the tedious and joyless combat and visual bugs that the developers never worked out. I had high expectations for Alan Wake 2 given how much I enjoyed Control and Max Payne 1&2 and at two thirds complete, it's not a universal recommendation the way Control was.
If you can get past the basic concept, the plot is wonderfully weird in a David Lynchian kind of way and how they tell the story should inspire future games. Visually it's staggering and the overall polish (with a few visual glitches here and there) and atmosphere of the game is great. They nail the spooky surreal vibe and I get chills on a regular basis.
However, the combat, while vastly improved from the first game, still feels incredibly tedious. The "challenge" comes from enemy movement speed, bullet sponginess, resource limitations, and the 'shield' mechanic which while not uncommon in survival horror games, is just not fun and annoying. I didn't find that I had a problem killing enemies or bosses, but about a third of the way through found the combat to be a chore and actually turned down the difficulty so I could focus on the plot.
What I find most annoying is probably how you advance the plot. Whether it's using the 'memory place' or 'changing the plot' to advance the story, making sure you found every little item, or searching around for codes to open boxes or locks, I find myself completing 90% of what's required only having to resort to a guide to find the tiniest detail I've missed. Case in point, I found a fuse which I believe would work to turn the power back on but because I didn't talk to the right people in the right order, I was unable to turn the power back on and instead had to double back, talk to the right NPC, then go back to the generator and start the process over again. It was very annoying.
I think there's a group of people this game appeals to. If you're a "read every piece of in-game media" kind of person and don't need your combat to be stimulating, this game is probably for you. For me, I'm glad they made it but at this point, I just want to see how the story ends.
edit : finished the game and it feels like a 6.5/10. Tons of great ideas for the mechanics but feels clumsy to the point of annoyance. For the final mission, I had to search around for items in a shoe box... that's just unnecessary tedium
Intentional or not, I take offense in the characterization that I'm some sort of corporate shill trying to justify "mega-rich people trying to make even more money". I specifically pointed out the shitiness of corporate practices and corporate greed. At the same time, if the big publishers are suffering, then the smaller ones are likely having a hard time. 2023 saw massive layoffs from a bunch of people in the industry and the recent closure of Arkane Austin really sucked.
My point was that you can have multiple things be be true at once : shitty corporate practices and greed, unsustainable practices in the industry as a whole, and an audience completely anchored to a decades old mindset concerning expectations and price points. Like inflation alone would make Mario 64's 1996 would cost nearly $120 today. Am I worried about EA, not really. But I am worried about studios like Supergiant and Playdead and publishers like Devolver Digital and Annapurna.
Should giant publishers take a profit cut to keep good studios around after a bomb like Redfall or to better pace out game development? Absolutely and EA corporate heads can go fuck themselves. At the same time, should "gamers" examine their entitlements , be more discerning about how they spend their money, and generally as a whole be less shitty? Absolutely and it's not happening at a scale that's meaningful. If 'gamers' spent as much time not supporting games with anti-consumer practices (e.g. just not buying them) as they did sending death threats for trivial fucking things like bad endings or other stupid shit publisher heads may realize that these practices aren't viable. However, that just doesn't seem to be the case as too many are willing to just fork over money for dumb shit like pay to win mechanics and high priced in-game cosmetics.