emnii's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Activision Blizzard sued by California over ‘frat boy’ culture
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Comment on First it was an Assassin's Creed expansion, now it's Ubisoft's eight year nightmare in ~games
emnii LinkIt's been pretty obvious from the outside that this project isn't in great shape, and I've certainly asked myself why they keep at it. One of the answers is here: This brings back memories of...It's been pretty obvious from the outside that this project isn't in great shape, and I've certainly asked myself why they keep at it. One of the answers is here:
More generously, another former developer said that Electronic Arts or Take-Two for example probably wouldn’t have attempted it in the first place. Eitherway, Ubisoft has bet big on the multiplayer pirate adventure and is determined to ship it one way or another. In part, that’s because live service games have become an increasingly important and lucrative part of the Assassin’s Creed publisher’s portfolio. But three sources also told Kotaku that a deal with the Singapore government requires it. In addition to hiring a certain number of people at its Singapore studio in exchange for generous subsidies, they said, Ubisoft Singapore must also launch original brand new IPs in the next few years.
This brings back memories of another beleaguered game, Kingdoms of Amalur, and how it was made on RI tax payers' dimes. I'm sure there are plenty of video games successfully made with "generous subsidies", but they're big and loud when they fail.
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First it was an Assassin's Creed expansion, now it's Ubisoft's eight year nightmare
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Comment on Take-Two is removing old GTA mods using DMCA notices in ~games
emnii Link ParentI hope I'm wrong and this is just a bored legal clerk creating busywork. But cynically I think they're heading off the "you don't need GTA3R, just use these mods!" articles that would follow a...I hope I'm wrong and this is just a bored legal clerk creating busywork. But cynically I think they're heading off the "you don't need GTA3R, just use these mods!" articles that would follow a remake announcement. I don't think they want to be video games Twitter villain just to take out a couple mods.
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Comment on Take-Two is removing old GTA mods using DMCA notices in ~games
emnii LinkGotta prepare the market for GTA 3 Remake, GTA Vice City Remake, and GTA San Andreas Remake.Gotta prepare the market for GTA 3 Remake, GTA Vice City Remake, and GTA San Andreas Remake.
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Comment on Steam Deck - Valve's Switch-style portable gaming PC, starting at $399 USD and shipping in December 2021 in ~games
emnii Link ParentThis may have been true 10, 15 years ago, but a vast majority of new games play fine with a controller on PC today. MOBAs and RTSs aside, you can play pretty much anything with a controller. Even...This may have been true 10, 15 years ago, but a vast majority of new games play fine with a controller on PC today. MOBAs and RTSs aside, you can play pretty much anything with a controller. Even games that don't have native controller support, or wonky controller support, can be done thanks to all the work Valve and the community already put into controller support middleware via the Steam controller.
You should try filtering your Steam library on games with explicit controller support. You might be surprised.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
emnii Link ParentIt's been a long time since I've played that but I remember it having a wholly unique and enjoyable feeling of motion. It didn't feel like I was a ghost sliding through levels but a human body...It's been a long time since I've played that but I remember it having a wholly unique and enjoyable feeling of motion. It didn't feel like I was a ghost sliding through levels but a human body running, feet on the ground, swinging from chains, kicking the shit out of orcs. Super early Source engine but really cool.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
emnii LinkI goofed around with a lot of games that didn't grab my attention until I got to Cloudpunk. I'm really enjoying it, and at least half of that is due to the way it put me into the game world. A...I goofed around with a lot of games that didn't grab my attention until I got to Cloudpunk. I'm really enjoying it, and at least half of that is due to the way it put me into the game world.
A common problem I have with starting a new game is that it takes way too fucking long for the game to get started. Between tutorials and world building and exposition, too many games won't just let me play it. This is particularly frustrating when I want to play something like a JRPG. They all start with long cutscenes, lots of establishing of the world, walking around and talking, and then maybe it might drop me into one fight where my options are hobbled because I haven't completed the fight tutorial yet. Sometimes the tutorial is so awful that I can't tell what I need to do to get through it. I drop so many games after only 15 minutes of playing them.
Hey video games. Get to the fucking point. Please let me play you within the first 15 minutes so I can figure out if I even want to keep playing.
Back to Cloudpunk, this game starts and I'm immediately in the world, driving my car, and making deliveries. I make a couple deliveries, and I'm getting the narrative as I go. No long cutscenes. Sometimes I talk to someone and get locked into a discussion, but it's relatively short, in-world, and well written. The game starts and I am playing the video game. I love it.
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Comment on Do you use game streaming services? Which ones and why or why not? in ~games
emnii LinkI've toyed with xCloud because I have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. I have no particular need for cloud gaming; my PC is plenty to run new games and I own all of the current generation consoles. I have...I've toyed with xCloud because I have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. I have no particular need for cloud gaming; my PC is plenty to run new games and I own all of the current generation consoles.
I have been quite impressed by xCloud though. I've tried it out on an old Android phone with a paired Xbox controller. I played a lot of Forza Horizon 4 on it, and only experienced some graphical glitching. It was perfectly playable as far as input lag went, even in fast, precise races.
I got to participate in the closed beta for PC/web browser streaming and found it did almost as well. On a 27" 4K monitor, the artifacting in streaming video is a lot more obvious than it is on a 5 inch phone screen. It still played games perfectly well, except for when I got to Fallout 76. In the closed beta days, FO76 had some terrible input lag in the open world. In instanced locations, it was nonexistent but it was damn near unplayable in the shared world. I recently revisited FO76 since web browser streaming opened up to everyone and the input lag is a lot better, but it's still a bit more noticeable than in other games.
My favorite benefits of cloud gaming are being able to play these console games without needing to install. It's perfect for trying something out before I download it to my console. Also, with cloud saves, my progress isn't lost between platforms. I can jump from console to phone to PC and they're all sharing the same saves. Overall, I think it's pretty cool and find use for it, though this is all happening inside my house, where my internet connection is great.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
emnii Link ParentYou made it further than I did. I didn't even finish the first mission. The New Colossus is a lot better.You made it further than I did. I didn't even finish the first mission.
The New Colossus is a lot better.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
emnii LinkI played some Cruelty Squad. Something I learned really quickly was that death is expensive. In my first mission, I busted in the front door, shot a couple guys, and got mowed down by their...I played some Cruelty Squad. Something I learned really quickly was that death is expensive. In my first mission, I busted in the front door, shot a couple guys, and got mowed down by their friends. Barely got started and died immediately. Then I noticed that my respawn fee is $500. I didn't have any money, so my balance is in the negative.
Alright, back into it, round 2. I slink around. I don't go in through the front door. I manage to get a couple kills that drop organs. Yes, organs. Kidneys, livers, intestines, etc. And then I die. My balance is -$1000.
This game has a stock market. One of the tabs in it is "parts". This is where I can sell those organs I found. Neat! After an even slower and even more cautious run, I finish the first level. I'm paid $1000 for my troubles. Considering the cost of implants and upgrades, this is a pittance. For $1000, I can't buy anything worthwhile. All the cool stuff, higher jump, grapple, armor piercing ammo, is way too expensive for this. I'm going to have to sell these organs if I ever want to get cooler stuff.
On the second mission, I am a ghoul. I'm not making money completing missions. I'm making money harvesting and selling parts. I don't know of a more reliable way to get to parts than kicking corpses, so I'm football kicking these dead motherfuckers all over the place. When I kick a corpse over a wall, I curse. Fuck, there goes my parts! Civilians got parts too, so they're not special. I'm going to get their parts. What passes for dogs in this game have parts. Give me those parts!
I've walked into a residential neighborhood, killed a lot of people, and walked out with a sack full of intestines, livers, pancreases, brains, and kidneys. I got paid $2000 for three of those kills, but I made four times as much selling parts. And look at these jump boosters I just put in my legs! I can leap right over fences now! Makes it easier to get to those hard to reach parts.
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User reviews are still the best tool we have
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Judge tears Florida’s social media law to shreds for violating First Amendment
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Comment on Final Fantasy V and VI disappear from Steam next month in ~games
emnii LinkUpdate: Steam listings for the new versions of these games are available. The new versions cost $2 more and there's no indication that they include the same level of features (dungeons, quests,...Update: Steam listings for the new versions of these games are available. The new versions cost $2 more and there's no indication that they include the same level of features (dungeons, quests, QoL updates) as the currently available versions. Current mods will almost certainly not work with the new versions.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1173810/FINAL_FANTASY_V/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1173820/FINAL_FANTASY_VI/
edit: there is a note on the bundle for all of the re-releases regarding features:
＊These games are newly developed remaster editions based on the original titles. Some of the changes and additional elements found in other remakes of these games are not included."
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Comment on Final Fantasy V and VI disappear from Steam next month in ~games
emnii Link ParentWhen you buy a game on Steam, do you buy the first game you see or do you purchase any random game? It would be better for the consumer if they could just buy one game. No more confusion over...When you buy a game on Steam, do you buy the first game you see or do you purchase any random game? It would be better for the consumer if they could just buy one game. No more confusion over which game is better.
You're still making excuses for a problem Square Enix created for themselves. They want to sell something that they already sell. The new product is so similar to the previous product that they feel like they need to remove the previous version from shelves to ensure people aren't confused over which one is better. But we don't know which one is better. We can't compare the two because the new one isn't out. We just have to believe Square Enix is doing the best for us. By the time the new version is out, it'll be too late to choose between the two.
If you're presented with two versions of the same thing, it's on Square Enix to convince you that the one they want you to buy is better. The consumer's going to do their own research to find out which one they want. If it's the newer version, I'm sure Square Enix would appreciate that, but the consumer got what they wanted. If it's the older version, the consumer got the better of the two and Square Enix should quit trying to sell worse versions of things they already sell.
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Comment on Final Fantasy V and VI disappear from Steam next month in ~games
emnii Link ParentNobody knows if the upcoming version is better than the existing versions. It's not out yet. If you don't want to wait for reviews of the upcoming version, this article on US Gamer says that the...Nobody knows if the upcoming version is better than the existing versions. It's not out yet.
If you don't want to wait for reviews of the upcoming version, this article on US Gamer says that the original SNES version is the best.
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Comment on Who else here is trying to beat the heat? in ~life
emnii Link ParentThank you! Today was much better than yesterday. No longer feel like I'm melting inside my own house.Thank you! Today was much better than yesterday. No longer feel like I'm melting inside my own house.
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Comment on Final Fantasy V and VI disappear from Steam next month in ~games
emnii Link ParentRemoving consumer choice is anti-consumer. They are solving a problem that they created. They sold a game. They're going to sell it again in slightly different packaging. Consumers given a choice...Removing consumer choice is anti-consumer. They are solving a problem that they created. They sold a game. They're going to sell it again in slightly different packaging. Consumers given a choice would naturally flock to the better version of the game. What they're communicating by removing the prior version is that they cannot articulate the difference in value between the two. They don't know how to tell you that the newer one is better, so they're going to remove your ability to purchase the older one, whether the new one is an improvement or not.
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Comment on Final Fantasy V and VI disappear from Steam next month in ~games
emnii Link ParentBeing allowed to continue playing the games you've purchased is not a generous bonus. It's the absolute bare minimum.Being allowed to continue playing the games you've purchased is not a generous bonus. It's the absolute bare minimum.
I saw the end credits on Marvel's Avengers. This is such a weird game, not the least of which because it takes so much from Marvel Heroes. Marvel Heroes was a better game.
A lot of people have said a lot about Avengers that I really don't need to rehash, but this is a bog-standard third person brawler with a bizarre monetization scheme on top of its retail price tag. All of your favorite characters have had what you love about them sanded down and flattened so that they play like every other character. The minor differences in characters swing between annoying and frustrating.
I wasn't surprised or bothered by the fact that this isn't MCU characters with MCU actors behind them. What I was surprised by was how little it pulls from the comic book sources. None of the paid costumes are recognizable. I'm a mark for Iron Man; none of Iron Man's comic book suits are in this. I can't make Captain America look like classic 80's sky blue fish scale Captain America. Sure, some costumes in the game are cooler than others, but I don't feel compelled to buy a costume I don't recognize. I'm not showing off my favorite Iron Man.
I'm also frankly shocked at how few Marvel villains are in this. I counted three and two of them are MCU retreads. It doesn't even really namedrop characters outside of the game. This is a huge contrast to Marvel's Spider-Man, which threw villains in-game and in-narrative at me at a wild pace.
I didn't hate Avengers, and I continue to play the post-game stuff. They've added some stories and characters post-release, and I'm interested in seeing how that stuff goes. But this is just a once-and-done kind of game for me. I don't see any reason to replay or grind on it, which is a pretty bad sign for a live services game.