Later on…

But, ya know, with more genocide.

Fuck Netanyahu.

So it’s a bad idea because it’s a bad idea. Got it.

Personally, I think it’s the only way to have any real chance for positive change on Capitol Hill. Nobody’s really voting for Biden; they’re voting against Trump. Give the disenfranchised masses a candidate they don’t hate, one who takes a clear stance against genocide, is under 70, and is mentally able, and the many, many voters who threw up their hands in a chorus of “why bother?” will suddenly have a reason to care again. All Trump’s rhetoric about how old and dementia-ridden his opponent is would suddenly get thrown back in his face.

'Bout time. The combat in the games has been what’s kept me from completing any of them. Great stories and characters, but tedious and boring gameplay.

With this news, it’s official: I am hyped.

I hate to say it, 'cause Bethesda has been very influential throughout my gaming life, but it’s too little too late. Starfield is entirely unsalvageable without a complete overhaul and re-release using an upgraded engine that can actually handle the scope of the game.

So this is why Hogwarts Legacy didn’t have playable quidditch.

My old job doing systems design for a predatory mobile game. I quit that job, moved half a state away, and got a job that pays half as much in a company with integrity. Best decision of my life.

The toys-to-life trend ended, as it wasn’t making enough money. The games remain playable, but they have no support and are old enough they they require hardware that I no longer have.

My little one just past toddlerhood has a few games they love to watch me play on my Steam Deck. These aren’t all Verified, but they all run perfectly out of the box. Use ProtonDB for a more accurate idea of a game’s Deck compatibility (Verified status has failed me in the past).

• Donut County (already mentioned, but a great one worth mentioning twice)

• Everything (one you unlock all the powers, it becomes a sandbox game where you can do things like gather a large group of caterpillars, make them dance, and turn them into streetlights (which can still dance), or turn an entire planet into a planet-sized space caterpillar, or turn a dust mite into a microscopic building, etc. In my save, about 20% of all matter in the universe is caterpillars.)

• LEGO Worlds (basically LEGO Minecraft with less survival, more control, and smaller worlds that can be swapped between at any time. Can be very fun for little ones to use the free DLC vehicles to blast holes all over a world, make tunnels, etc.)

• Tchia (Zelda BotW mechanics with very little combat (and the only combat is with enchanted scraps of cloth) and the ability to jump into and control any creature (dolphins, birds, cats). It’s got some nice family-friendly options, like infinite special meter, no death, and family mode for cutscenes (though there isn’t anything too bad, regardless))

• Webbed (a 2D platformer where you play as a spider with Spider-Man-esque movement. Fun for kids unafraid of spiders to make big, climbable webs, and maybe good to help kids become less afraid of spiders, as it’s pretty cute)

Toys-to-life video games. I went on a Skylanders spending spree less than a year before it officially died. $5-$15 figurines got sold at garage sales for $0.25-$3 each.

I had tons of fun getting into it and I was young enough that I could afford to waste the money, so I regret nothing.

This is the right answer. Hatred just breeds more hatred. If you approach with love and understanding (or at least a desire to understand), you’ll have a much better chance of changing hearts and minds. Try to meet in the middle and you might be able to point them in the right direction.

Are these insanely rich people?

Oh, yes. Emphasis on the insane.

The assumption around the office always was that they were Saudi royals or kids of oil barons.

Very right. As a content/systems designer, it was my job to carefully balance a feeling of progression with a frustrating lack of progression at key points, thereby pushing players to spend.

The first few levels are easy and free, then progression starts to slow, but you’ve already gotten to level 10 easily enough, so you can take a bit of extra time to get to level 15. By level 15, you’ve invested enough time that the sudden valley of progression from 15 to 30 convinces you to make that first purchase; after all, why not spend just $5 to instantly double your level when you’ve already spent a few hours in the game? Progression speeds back up from 30 to 45, letting you feel like you’re in control of your leveling, then another valley hits and you’re now even more invested, and, since you’ve already spent $5 to get from 15 to 30, what’s another $10 to get from 45 to 80?

Rinse and repeat, steadily increasing the cost of each purchase while seemingly improving the in-game value per dollar spent.

Our biggest whales were spending over $10,000 per day on that disgusting “game.”

I had to get out. My next job, one at a prominent console/PC game studio, only paid about half of what I was making at the mobile game company, and I loved it. No more panicked 2 AM meetings because our revenue dipped 10% over the last hour. No more convincing myself that players enjoyed wasting thousands of dollars on an endless treadmill. No more 28-hour shifts.

Rant over.

Bonus: I’ve since become a dad, I’m actually proud of what I’m making now, and I’m excited to share it with my child when they’re old enough.

Oh, console/PC without a doubt. Mobile development, at least in my experience, is a constant struggle for relevance and a nonstop sense of urgency. Creativity is only allowed if it answers the question “how can we better trick players into giving us their money?”

Console/PC development, however, is focused on making a good product that will last. Nobody ever asks “how much money will this feature make us?” At worst, the question is “how much will this feature drive engagement?”

I’ve only worked for major companies, so my experiences don’t reflect what it’s like at indies.

I wasn’t upset to begin with. Was it not obvious that I was making a semantics joke? I mean, sure, the post I was replying to could be perceived as racist, since it was itself a reply to someone calling out racism, but it was clearly directed at wealth holders, not white people.

You noticed the racist undertones in my post?! You must be a racist!

Lemme see if I understand your logic: I’m racist because I called out the racism in your post.

Does that make you extra racist for calling out my apparent racism?

Seriously, though, I shouldn’t have to say this, but apparently I do: the way to fight racism isn’t more racism. And the real villain isn’t systemic racism, anyway - it’s wealth inequality. Is a black billionaire a better person than a white billionaire simply due to their race? No, of course not. Even suggesting such a thing is overtly racist.

Punching up

So what, they’re somehow above you just because they’re white? I thought Lemmy was free of white supremacists, but I guess not.

One extremely important factor that this article neglects to address: Valve is a private company - it’s not publicly traded in Wall Street. That is the reason Steam has remained the best in the business; it’s not beholden to shareholders’ short-sighted meddling. It’s also the reason Steam is effectively immune to enshittification.

Okay, you can stop with the strawmen. It’s not really funny a second time.

I never said anything about both sides “lying in the same ways.” Of course they employ different tactics; they have different target demographics.

Also, alt accounts? Really? That’s the first place your mind goes? I’ve downvoted you twice - when you started being insulting and stopped contributing to the conversation (your last two replies).

Hilarious! That’s some quality irony - falsely accusing me of using a strawman by using a strawman yourself. Comedy gold, my friend. Comedy gold.

Also hilarious is the thought that someone having a different opinion from you must be either arguing disingenuously or an idiot. I’m sure you considered that my differing opinion might’ve been shaped by life experiences that differ from yours, but you smartly deduced that such a thing is impossible. Bravo. Your mother must be so proud of you.

But it was relevant. The comment I was replying to was saying “Republicans are bad,” so I just chimed in with “they’re all bad.”

And I’m not defending anyone. Neocons are just as bad as neolibs. My point is that we shouldn’t be so quick to believe proven liars just because they’re saying things we like to hear.