@LikelySatan agree 100%. My kids have all the LEGO games but I can see what's coming. Sure as parents we can say no, but then it ends up being, 'can I spend my birthday money on a skin or battle pass' and then the month after there is more. It's really predatory for a game aimed at children and quite far from what Lego purport their values to be.
@RogueSpyke there are a couple of games I have really wanted to get into and thought I would like but bounced hard off with walls of information to somehow digest before you can do anything meaningful!
Great article but now I am thinking how do I avoid dipping. I have a backlog and plenty of good games I haven't got near in a while and yet there are loads on this list screaming 'buy me, but me'!
May dip into a couple around the fiver mark and get round to them.... eventually
Nintendo portray themselves as a family-friendly company but when you look at their actions it's a greedy, selfish, petty, spiteful family that despises the community they are part of unless it can exploit them as much as they can.
This action feels particularly petty but it's building on years of similar practices to stop people enjoying and sharing being part of that family.
On sale again for less than a fiver and put an hour in tonight. It's stunningly beautiful and quite captivating with wonderful music. So far the game feels secondary and light touch which I am okay with
Big plus for me (mostly because I find building tricky) but I find build fights absolutely stink up games. Will it get me back into this? Maybe not, not enough hours for games I still like but one never knows
Of course he is the AH. The article did raise a smile though as I recall the time Haley gave birth to our child in Stardew Valley and I immediately showered her with gifts. My wife watching me play remarked I wasn't quite so enthusiastic at the birth of my non-digital children, which certainly made me reflect
@QueenKittenWrite Centuries of summary and unfair dismissals, blacklisting, industrial relations and changes to employment law pretty much disagrees with your 'um this is probably the wokes again' argument.
The employees are always taking a risk speaking out and should be congratulated for their bravery rather than your assumption that people just make stuff up to get at their bosses
Have to say that once again we have articles like this and people jump to the defence of the alleged perpetrators with 'I don't know the truth of the matter but everything I will now type will doubt the truth and honesty of victims to the point where what I am really saying is I believe the company and not the victims'.
Combined with, 'until there is a 3rd party investigation years later I too think they are lying'.
It takes CONSIDERABLE bravery and risk to speak out about toxic cultures. People who are victims of racism and sexism in the workplace often think it is 'just them' or see others laughing along. It can cause significant damage to your career, both now and in future to be known as a whistleblower which is a problem when you have family and a mortgage and work in a niche industry.
It also feels quite sad that in 2022 bosses are still trotting out the 'still learning' excuse for things that many workplaces sussed out decades ago.
Also, I think this is a little sharp from a supposedly family friendly company and is cynical in its profiteering. The update to the game shows spaces to the empty tracks in the base game and not as a separate DLC or Legacy track section. That means everytime someone plays this they will be reminded they are missing half the game if they don't have NSO+ or buy the booster. Considering a lot of kids play this that's going to lead to pester power. Legal? Yes. Cynical design targeting their customer base? Definitely
I was really looking forward to this and was quite excited about the new tracks even though I knew they were ported from old games / Tour.
I think if you are a fan of Mario Kart Tour or loved the old tracks back in the day you'll get a good nostalgia kick but stood up against the base game they feel very much like bonus content rather than new content. When all the tracks come this will be a big game but if half the tracks are of the quality of this it will detract from the overall experience. Not to say anything is bad but there is little wow factor and I think this review is accurate in tempering expectations somewhat
I generally find AC quite overrated. Now and then I will have a blast, find myself getting into 'busy work' but at heart I struggle to get any kind of emotional attraction to what I am doing on the islands
I know I sound grumpy but I find my fellow residents incredibly annoying and try to avoid them
I am still having a lot of fun with Ring Fit but this is definitely piquing my interest.
As much as I get a bit annoyed by Ring's 'yeoows' what that game has is a clear sense of progression, I agree with others that this appears to be lacking here
I don't know why I am surprised, because I shouldn't be but I am amazed at what a high percentage of NL comments on any article about game access, availability and utility are effectively stooges for corporate America.
It's either a) there are a lot of game industry sock puppets on here or b) consumers and citizens have drank so much Kool-Aid they inherently support the 'rights' and practices of corporations and their 'property' over what is good for them.
I suspect many on here would call for the closing of public libraries unless the 'rights' of long dead authors estates were respected (or more likely the swallowing up of said rights by the already rich).
As an aside there are some dead game systems which have brilliant libraries which can now be emulated legally (anything anyone doesn't want there isn't there but it doesn't amount to much) long after the technology is basically inoperable. Back then, preserving this digitally would have been impossible, now it's not which makes me think legally preserving old games as a community resource should be easier, not harder.
Regarding India's number of cricket fans. In Europe, Africa, Central America, South America and much of Asia soccer is the most popular sport by a long, long, long way. For instance in the UK, cricket, rugby league and rugby union would be major sports but they are absolutely dwarfed by soccer.
In India, there is one major sport and it is cricket and it is massive. Everything else is a minority sport. It really can't be underestimated how big it is.
In the US it is different with the team sport space shared by American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey. Not saying they are equally popular because that's nonsense but it's shared space.
So, the massive numbers in India shouldn't surprise people. (And as others have said, the cricket world cup predates baseball world cup and has greater participation).
Cricket though only has about 12 nations that are globally competitive against each other with over 90 other nations members of its governing body. Baseball is a similarly global minority sport with a handful of teams in the Americas plus Japan and South Korea being competitive.
@JasmineDragon has the measure of it though. Most American sports are franchised without promotion and relegation - therefore rights are key here. If there are only a handful of teams people care about then games have to have the player and team rights otherwise everything is fantasy.
I suspect a decent game which used college football teams and names / images would be hugely successful and the Madden games can exist in their current space.
It's a shame so many games are released buggy and unfinished without vigorous playtesting. It's an even bigger shame that it's generally tolerated (more hoped) by consumers that games will be 'fixed' sometime in the future
@Scapetti perhaps you should be more upset that people are so frightened of speaking out internally that they have to speak out externally under a cover of annonomity.
I am not surprised, seeing the culture of NL comments, but saddened all the same that after reading the article their first thought is to go 'poor Team 17, what can we do to defend the name of their millionaire boss'.
I struggle with the concept that whistleblowing on exploitative working practices is in someway bad.
It's quite short sighted to suggest unhappy employees should 'just leave'. In many cases there are not tons of opportunities in a given field where one lives and uprooting families is not that easy.
Furthermore, human beings should have a right to be treated decently and paid well when they work.
'just leaving' basically impoverishes the victim, the awful company will rehire long before industry word of mouth gets out, creating more victims.
It's actually really powerful to collectively raise a massive stink about poor labour conditions because companies like this despise bad publicity and as consumers are becoming more aware can choose which companies they support.
Don't want stories about crappy management to get out? Treat your staff with respect
I had so much fun with this game but part of the appeal is the nostalgia for British culture and gaming back in the 80's - I can see if this is something that one bounces off the grind of the game turns this into 'another platformer'.
@kirgo couldn't agree more. You know those stories where communities and activists take on the massive corporations and governments over polluting rivers or imprisoning innocents? Half of these guys would be going, 'yay lawyers' and 'but the law says...' - laws written by and for the massive corporations to protect their self-assumed notions of rights.
As children we are encouraged to be creative and we are encouraged to share. When Nintendo (and other organisations) act like this they behave like miserly hoarders maintaining a monopoly and control over what is 'theirs'.
I support the 'rights' of creative humans over the 'rights' of greedy companies every day of the week.
The comments on these kind of stories always amaze me.
Person takes something many people love, puts an amazing level of thought, care and passion into sharing that to the world, allowing others to further imagine and explore creativity.
What's the reaction? Not how can we encourage and develop human creativity but the usual shock horror and pearl clutching that a mega corporations intellectual property is being harmed and even worse, someone may be recompensed for their own creativity, as though it's somehow stealing to reuse something that already exists.
I know many will go on about the law and copyright blah blah blah but think what you are defending. The copyright argument is rolled out to defend those little creators being ripped off by others passing their work off as there own, when if one looks at the history of patents, trademarks, copyright and intellectual property they have never been about the protection of the little guy, and always about maintaining and centralising profits off human creativity by the already rich and powerful.
Half of you are like, 'but what about the lawyers' and 'what about Nintendo's profits'.
This guy isn't 'harming' anyone or anything and is yet another case of a massive corporation doing all they can to crush someone and extract even more cash out of the world for themselves.
Amazing in this review there is no mention at all of how anti-fun and anti-consumer this game is for families / couples sharing a switch. All the alleged amazing gameplay is locked behind player 1's own personal playstyle and commitment to the game. Siblings and other family members sharing the island can do little other than gather resources. For a so called 'family' company Nintendo has released a game that suits single people and only child families. How a game with such a fundamental flaw gets 10 is beyond me and a review that doesn't mention that raises significant questions.
If this wasn't a AAA Nintendo title this design would be slaughtered.
There is significant 'buyer beware' with this title that only becomes apparent once purchased
I just adore Stardew Valley, it has a charm to it that immerses me so much in the game. Came to Animal Crossing late and not getting the same vibe - I am putting time into it but it feels like 'busy work' rather than creating a place for myself in a new community like Stardew did for me.
For me NSO has always been a but paltry, a bit expensive and a half hearted attempt at letting people play older games. It has never been a good service but it had the potential of being better with growth over time.
For a few years Nintendo have done the bare minimum and when they do announce an expansion they are placing a premium on it.
Feels quite cynical really and I can't see the value in this at all, especially as there are better options for retro gaming
It's a nice bit of fun this game and probably worth a few £ if there are no microtransactions. Has a certain charm and 'just one more go' element to it.
'Scummy rich kid gets richer by using existing assets from scummy dad without creating any value whatsoever'.
That's capitalism.
There is a world of difference between using assets and knowledge to create something of value and sell it and this which is just someone using existing wealth to rip people off.
We have had a quarter of a century of digital piracy and the movie, music and gaming industry are still thriving. There is limited actual evidence that mega corporations who have bought up as much intellectual property they can are suffering in any tangible way (and there seems to be some real confusion on here between the rights of the creator and the rights of the corporation who buy / own rights to property).
Evidence has shown that the people pirating movies are the ones with huge dvd / Blu-ray collections, the ones who go to cinemas and the ones who subscribe to streaming services.
Likewise music pirates may steal a lot of music but are also paying for a lot to. I suspect it is the same with gamers - piracy is undertaken by people who own a number of consoles and huge collections of games.
Where it gets interesting is that pirates are often providing lots of free promotion to the good content out there, encouraging a wider reach outside traditional advertising and promotion. They are a boon to the industry in some respects.
Where the big companies are being disingenuous is the suggestion that each download represents a lost sale. It doesn't, those sales were never going to happen - there isn't enough disposable income in the world to pay for them - it's like asking for unlimited money that doesn't exist.
Furthermore, most piracy isn't by a casual user - it's by hoarders, fans who will never even use the content but want for completions sake.
It is notable that piracy decreases when easy accessibility increases. Music torrenting is now niche due to the availability of streaming services. I don't think the genie can be put back in the bottle, there is a demand for nostalgia which if not met by the big gaming companies will be met elsewhere...
@Ogbert yep, feels like a bit of a cash grab at players who have strongly supported the series (I too have both games and all dlc). Think I will pass on this
@Anguspuss Of course as soon as Games Workshop bought Citadel Miniatures they became a miniatures company more than a gaming company.
Their wargames, boardgames and roleplaying games all had miniatures to sell to varying degrees but at least in the mid-late 80's you could play most games easily with provided card inserts - they wanted you to buy their games and actually play them!
Maybe it is an age thing but I noticed increased dependence on miniatures that took the fun out of it (they must be painted, they must be the right model).
I may bore my son later with the heroics of my Halfling team from those days....
@Ladasta I remember the second edition back in the late 80's and poured years into that boardgame and still remember seeing the first edition about with the card figures instead of miniatures.
Played Fumbl on PC for a long while too and will probably pick this up and then regret it because it can never fill the gap of 30 years and those experiences from that time!
My switch has been gathering dust following getting FM21 on the PC last month so the addiction is real! There's always 'one more game, one more season' and it's hard to get out!
The covid 'con' is a little overstated, there has been some discussion in the FM community about it being included but it's not like many fans have clamoured for it, especially as many players may have suffered from covid or lost family or friends.
In any case, covid mods are available for the pc version for people who really want it so I am surprised at the number of words given to this 'issue' in the review
Several months to put something back that never should have been removed. There is no way Psyonix / Epic didn't know of this fault before their 'update'. The fact they released it showed a shocking disregard for the customers of the original game.
My son will be pleased multiplayer is back and we can take each other on but I am pretty clear Epic / Psyonix don't get a penny of my money again
You show a stunning lack of knowledge about the history of culture getting censored, erased and banned and by whom and why.
Cancel culture isn't a 'new' invention by woke millenials. It's funny that you refer to my thinking as outdated when it's clear you have no understanding of the history of artists and culture and the issues they face presenting their work
@Silly_G you can't have 'politically and ideological impartiality' it simply doesn't exist. Everyone is a product of their environment and brings their own standards and cultural bias to the table
What is considered dominant culture changes over time and what is acceptable is fluid.
For example 'bad' language is more prevalent in media aimed at teens now than in the past whereas smoking, alcohol and drug use is far more frowned upon.
@RR529 I'd agree with many of your observations, I like how you point out it's not one thing or another but I would add it's not 'the designers are influenced by the modern left' that is responsible for censorship more that executives have lines they won't cross.
The Christian conservative right has never been happy with anything that implies sexualisation, seeing as they see it as sinful and degenerate.
I suspect much of those who see things from a feminist point of view would say it's not sexualisation that is the problem more the treatment of it and female figures in culture (so sex is fine, but female characters need to be defined by their sexual perspective rather than the male gaze of horny boys).
In the corporate world these forces come together to be reluctant bed fellows (actually they are in different beds!).
Also there will always be a market for adult or sexual or even offensive games but a developer always wants the widest audience and to avoid scandal, and also wants to reach a wide audience (games are not for teenage boys anymore)
@FNL Agree... it's funny how right wing people think game censorship is due to some kind of liberal wokeness when the rich tradition of censorship and destroying culture is almost always the preserve of the Christian, conservative right.
'Morality' of what is appropriate has often been the soapbox of the right, not left.
I do agree in some ways that calls for sensitivity or treatment of women / minorities in culture often leads to similar puritanical demands (no matter how well intentioned).
Short version - if Americans don't like panties in games it's not because of the 'wokes'
(See PMRC and record burning and the Satanic panic of Dungeons and Dragons for older examples)
@ChaosBadger777 I am sure the victims of sexual violence are comforted you are joking and hopefully they'll lighten up and stop taking things so seriously.
Making rape jokes is grossly inappropriate in an open forum addressing sexual violence in the gaming community
@Merry_Blind your takeaway was 'point the finger at Nintendo'.
Organisers can't be responsible ultimately for the behaviour of all individuals BUT fan / community / convention events do have a duty of care to make their events as safe as possible.
Blaming a sponsor for pulling financial clout does not absolve the organiser or abuser and your defence to look elsewhere snacks of the 'it's not us / don't talk about it' attitude the article highlights
And then...'if you want to find someone to blame for sexual violence perpetrated by gamers look to Nintendo, not the predators or organisers of these events....'
It's pretty sickening that in these comments someone chose to make a rape joke and then qualified it by saying, 'I don't condone rape, it's a joke' as if that makes it okay?
The article calls for some introspection and reflection amongst this gaming community but as predicted it only takes a few posts for the jokes and deflection of the issue to occur.
Basically I am at the point where I see the devs and Epic as scammers. This game was bought in good faith and they have completely dumped on those who already owned the game.
They MUST have known about the issue before they went free to play and the fact they did so knowing it would upset the existing user base is disgusting - but hey, here's a battle pass to win wheels with llamas on them.
Comments 54
Re: LEGO 2K Drive Open To Crossovers With Other IP
@LikelySatan agree 100%. My kids have all the LEGO games but I can see what's coming. Sure as parents we can say no, but then it ends up being, 'can I spend my birthday money on a skin or battle pass' and then the month after there is more. It's really predatory for a game aimed at children and quite far from what Lego purport their values to be.
Re: LEGO 2K Drive Will Include Real Money Transactions
Giving this a wide berth. My kids have every Lego game released on the Switch but I can see the headaches at home buying this. Big pass from me.
Re: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Galactic Edition Announced, Out November 1st
What a grift this is....
Re: Soapbox: Free Game Updates Are Fantastic For Everyone, Except New Players
@RogueSpyke there are a couple of games I have really wanted to get into and thought I would like but bounced hard off with walls of information to somehow digest before you can do anything meaningful!
More is not better in many cases.
Re: 85 Must-Have Games You Should Pick Up In The Switch eShop Sale (Europe)
Great article but now I am thinking how do I avoid dipping. I have a backlog and plenty of good games I haven't got near in a while and yet there are loads on this list screaming 'buy me, but me'!
May dip into a couple around the fiver mark and get round to them.... eventually
Re: Nintendo Issues Copyright Strike Against Scanned Super Mario 64 Guide From 1996
Nintendo portray themselves as a family-friendly company but when you look at their actions it's a greedy, selfish, petty, spiteful family that despises the community they are part of unless it can exploit them as much as they can.
This action feels particularly petty but it's building on years of similar practices to stop people enjoying and sharing being part of that family.
Re: Review: Gris - A Deeply Affecting Piece Of Interactive Art That Is Utterly Essential, Despite Its Brevity
On sale again for less than a fiver and put an hour in tonight. It's stunningly beautiful and quite captivating with wonderful music. So far the game feels secondary and light touch which I am okay with
Re: Rumour: Fortnite Might Be Getting A Permanent 'No-Build' Mode
Big plus for me (mostly because I find building tricky) but I find build fights absolutely stink up games. Will it get me back into this? Maybe not, not enough hours for games I still like but one never knows
Re: Random: Jealous Husband Sells Wife's Harvest Moon Collection To Stop Her "Marrying Virtual Men"
Of course he is the AH. The article did raise a smile though as I recall the time Haley gave birth to our child in Stardew Valley and I immediately showered her with gifts. My wife watching me play remarked I wasn't quite so enthusiastic at the birth of my non-digital children, which certainly made me reflect
Re: Ori Developer Moon Studios Labelled "Oppressive" Workplace In New Report
@QueenKittenWrite Centuries of summary and unfair dismissals, blacklisting, industrial relations and changes to employment law pretty much disagrees with your 'um this is probably the wokes again' argument.
The employees are always taking a risk speaking out and should be congratulated for their bravery rather than your assumption that people just make stuff up to get at their bosses
Re: Ori Developer Moon Studios Labelled "Oppressive" Workplace In New Report
Have to say that once again we have articles like this and people jump to the defence of the alleged perpetrators with 'I don't know the truth of the matter but everything I will now type will doubt the truth and honesty of victims to the point where what I am really saying is I believe the company and not the victims'.
Combined with, 'until there is a 3rd party investigation years later I too think they are lying'.
It takes CONSIDERABLE bravery and risk to speak out about toxic cultures. People who are victims of racism and sexism in the workplace often think it is 'just them' or see others laughing along. It can cause significant damage to your career, both now and in future to be known as a whistleblower which is a problem when you have family and a mortgage and work in a niche industry.
It also feels quite sad that in 2022 bosses are still trotting out the 'still learning' excuse for things that many workplaces sussed out decades ago.
Re: Review: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 1 - A 'Safe' Start To The 48-Track DLC Pack
Also, I think this is a little sharp from a supposedly family friendly company and is cynical in its profiteering. The update to the game shows spaces to the empty tracks in the base game and not as a separate DLC or Legacy track section. That means everytime someone plays this they will be reminded they are missing half the game if they don't have NSO+ or buy the booster. Considering a lot of kids play this that's going to lead to pester power. Legal? Yes. Cynical design targeting their customer base? Definitely
Re: Review: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 1 - A 'Safe' Start To The 48-Track DLC Pack
I was really looking forward to this and was quite excited about the new tracks even though I knew they were ported from old games / Tour.
I think if you are a fan of Mario Kart Tour or loved the old tracks back in the day you'll get a good nostalgia kick but stood up against the base game they feel very much like bonus content rather than new content. When all the tracks come this will be a big game but if half the tracks are of the quality of this it will detract from the overall experience. Not to say anything is bad but there is little wow factor and I think this review is accurate in tempering expectations somewhat
Re: Mini Review: A Musical Story - A Trippy, Funk-Dipped, Oh-So-Groovy Rhythm Game
This sounds like something I would enjoy although you had me at 70's funk and prog...
Re: Video: Why Is Animal Crossing So Much Fun?
I generally find AC quite overrated. Now and then I will have a blast, find myself getting into 'busy work' but at heart I struggle to get any kind of emotional attraction to what I am doing on the islands
I know I sound grumpy but I find my fellow residents incredibly annoying and try to avoid them
Re: Take A Look Inside The Tiny Apartment Of The Man Who Owes Nintendo $14 Million
The compassion of NL's comments section is out in force again....
Re: Finished Ring Fit Yet? Blast Your Quads With Switch-Exclusive 'Let's Get Fit' This Spring
I am still having a lot of fun with Ring Fit but this is definitely piquing my interest.
As much as I get a bit annoyed by Ring's 'yeoows' what that game has is a clear sense of progression, I agree with others that this appears to be lacking here
Re: Video Game History Foundation Calls Out Nintendo's "Destructive" 3DS & Wii U eShop Closure
I don't know why I am surprised, because I shouldn't be but I am amazed at what a high percentage of NL comments on any article about game access, availability and utility are effectively stooges for corporate America.
It's either a) there are a lot of game industry sock puppets on here or b) consumers and citizens have drank so much Kool-Aid they inherently support the 'rights' and practices of corporations and their 'property' over what is good for them.
I suspect many on here would call for the closing of public libraries unless the 'rights' of long dead authors estates were respected (or more likely the swallowing up of said rights by the already rich).
As an aside there are some dead game systems which have brilliant libraries which can now be emulated legally (anything anyone doesn't want there isn't there but it doesn't amount to much) long after the technology is basically inoperable. Back then, preserving this digitally would have been impossible, now it's not which makes me think legally preserving old games as a community resource should be easier, not harder.
Re: Review: XCOM 2 Collection - Firaxis' Stone-Cold Classic Makes The Leap To Switch Intact
This is currently £3.99 on eshop so feels like a steal.
Re: Feature: All Six American Football Games On Switch (Yes, You Read That Right)
Regarding India's number of cricket fans. In Europe, Africa, Central America, South America and much of Asia soccer is the most popular sport by a long, long, long way. For instance in the UK, cricket, rugby league and rugby union would be major sports but they are absolutely dwarfed by soccer.
In India, there is one major sport and it is cricket and it is massive. Everything else is a minority sport. It really can't be underestimated how big it is.
In the US it is different with the team sport space shared by American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey. Not saying they are equally popular because that's nonsense but it's shared space.
So, the massive numbers in India shouldn't surprise people. (And as others have said, the cricket world cup predates baseball world cup and has greater participation).
Cricket though only has about 12 nations that are globally competitive against each other with over 90 other nations members of its governing body. Baseball is a similarly global minority sport with a handful of teams in the Americas plus Japan and South Korea being competitive.
@JasmineDragon has the measure of it though. Most American sports are franchised without promotion and relegation - therefore rights are key here. If there are only a handful of teams people care about then games have to have the player and team rights otherwise everything is fantasy.
I suspect a decent game which used college football teams and names / images would be hugely successful and the Madden games can exist in their current space.
Re: Review: GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon - A Dead Ringer From Konami That Struggles To Succeed
It's a shame so many games are released buggy and unfinished without vigorous playtesting. It's an even bigger shame that it's generally tolerated (more hoped) by consumers that games will be 'fixed' sometime in the future
Re: Scathing Report Suggests All Is Not Well At Team17 Following NFT Backtrack
@Scapetti perhaps you should be more upset that people are so frightened of speaking out internally that they have to speak out externally under a cover of annonomity.
I am not surprised, seeing the culture of NL comments, but saddened all the same that after reading the article their first thought is to go 'poor Team 17, what can we do to defend the name of their millionaire boss'.
I struggle with the concept that whistleblowing on exploitative working practices is in someway bad.
Re: Scathing Report Suggests All Is Not Well At Team17 Following NFT Backtrack
It's quite short sighted to suggest unhappy employees should 'just leave'. In many cases there are not tons of opportunities in a given field where one lives and uprooting families is not that easy.
Furthermore, human beings should have a right to be treated decently and paid well when they work.
'just leaving' basically impoverishes the victim, the awful company will rehire long before industry word of mouth gets out, creating more victims.
It's actually really powerful to collectively raise a massive stink about poor labour conditions because companies like this despise bad publicity and as consumers are becoming more aware can choose which companies they support.
Don't want stories about crappy management to get out? Treat your staff with respect
Re: Ubisoft: Players "Don't Get" What Makes NFTs So Beneficial
These may seem like strong words, but I feel like I really despise Unisoft and what they stand for.
Re: "Indie Masterpiece" Platformer 'Horace' Gets Physical Release
I had so much fun with this game but part of the appeal is the nostalgia for British culture and gaming back in the 80's - I can see if this is something that one bounces off the grind of the game turns this into 'another platformer'.
Re: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 'Second Wind' Mod Videos Targeted By Nintendo
@kirgo couldn't agree more. You know those stories where communities and activists take on the massive corporations and governments over polluting rivers or imprisoning innocents? Half of these guys would be going, 'yay lawyers' and 'but the law says...' - laws written by and for the massive corporations to protect their self-assumed notions of rights.
As children we are encouraged to be creative and we are encouraged to share. When Nintendo (and other organisations) act like this they behave like miserly hoarders maintaining a monopoly and control over what is 'theirs'.
I support the 'rights' of creative humans over the 'rights' of greedy companies every day of the week.
Re: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 'Second Wind' Mod Videos Targeted By Nintendo
The comments on these kind of stories always amaze me.
Person takes something many people love, puts an amazing level of thought, care and passion into sharing that to the world, allowing others to further imagine and explore creativity.
What's the reaction? Not how can we encourage and develop human creativity but the usual shock horror and pearl clutching that a mega corporations intellectual property is being harmed and even worse, someone may be recompensed for their own creativity, as though it's somehow stealing to reuse something that already exists.
I know many will go on about the law and copyright blah blah blah but think what you are defending. The copyright argument is rolled out to defend those little creators being ripped off by others passing their work off as there own, when if one looks at the history of patents, trademarks, copyright and intellectual property they have never been about the protection of the little guy, and always about maintaining and centralising profits off human creativity by the already rich and powerful.
Half of you are like, 'but what about the lawyers' and 'what about Nintendo's profits'.
This guy isn't 'harming' anyone or anything and is yet another case of a massive corporation doing all they can to crush someone and extract even more cash out of the world for themselves.
Re: Review: Animal Crossing: New Horizons - An Accessible And Addictive Masterpiece
Amazing in this review there is no mention at all of how anti-fun and anti-consumer this game is for families / couples sharing a switch. All the alleged amazing gameplay is locked behind player 1's own personal playstyle and commitment to the game. Siblings and other family members sharing the island can do little other than gather resources. For a so called 'family' company Nintendo has released a game that suits single people and only child families. How a game with such a fundamental flaw gets 10 is beyond me and a review that doesn't mention that raises significant questions.
If this wasn't a AAA Nintendo title this design would be slaughtered.
There is significant 'buyer beware' with this title that only becomes apparent once purchased
Re: Best Nintendo Switch Life Sims And Farming Games
I just adore Stardew Valley, it has a charm to it that immerses me so much in the game. Came to Animal Crossing late and not getting the same vibe - I am putting time into it but it feels like 'busy work' rather than creating a place for myself in a new community like Stardew did for me.
Re: Nintendo 64 And Sega Genesis 'Expansion Pack' Announced For Switch Online, Launches This October
For me NSO has always been a but paltry, a bit expensive and a half hearted attempt at letting people play older games. It has never been a good service but it had the potential of being better with growth over time.
For a few years Nintendo have done the bare minimum and when they do announce an expansion they are placing a premium on it.
Feels quite cynical really and I can't see the value in this at all, especially as there are better options for retro gaming
Re: Mousebot: Escape From CatLab Is A Colourful Runner Platformer At A Budget Price
It's a nice bit of fun this game and probably worth a few £ if there are no microtransactions. Has a certain charm and 'just one more go' element to it.
Re: Teenager Hits $1.7 Million In Revenue During Pandemic Reselling Pokémon Cards, Game Consoles And More
'Scummy rich kid gets richer by using existing assets from scummy dad without creating any value whatsoever'.
That's capitalism.
There is a world of difference between using assets and knowledge to create something of value and sell it and this which is just someone using existing wealth to rip people off.
Little scumbag
Re: Nintendo Wins $2.1 Million In Lawsuit Against ROM Website
We have had a quarter of a century of digital piracy and the movie, music and gaming industry are still thriving. There is limited actual evidence that mega corporations who have bought up as much intellectual property they can are suffering in any tangible way (and there seems to be some real confusion on here between the rights of the creator and the rights of the corporation who buy / own rights to property).
Evidence has shown that the people pirating movies are the ones with huge dvd / Blu-ray collections, the ones who go to cinemas and the ones who subscribe to streaming services.
Likewise music pirates may steal a lot of music but are also paying for a lot to. I suspect it is the same with gamers - piracy is undertaken by people who own a number of consoles and huge collections of games.
Where it gets interesting is that pirates are often providing lots of free promotion to the good content out there, encouraging a wider reach outside traditional advertising and promotion. They are a boon to the industry in some respects.
Where the big companies are being disingenuous is the suggestion that each download represents a lost sale. It doesn't, those sales were never going to happen - there isn't enough disposable income in the world to pay for them - it's like asking for unlimited money that doesn't exist.
Furthermore, most piracy isn't by a casual user - it's by hoarders, fans who will never even use the content but want for completions sake.
It is notable that piracy decreases when easy accessibility increases. Music torrenting is now niche due to the availability of streaming services. I don't think the genie can be put back in the bottle, there is a demand for nostalgia which if not met by the big gaming companies will be met elsewhere...
Re: Overcooked! All You Can Eat Serves Up A Treat On Switch Today, Here's The Launch Trailer
@Ogbert yep, feels like a bit of a cash grab at players who have strongly supported the series (I too have both games and all dlc). Think I will pass on this
Re: Violent Fantasy Football Game Blood Bowl 3 Arrives On Switch This August
@Anguspuss Of course as soon as Games Workshop bought Citadel Miniatures they became a miniatures company more than a gaming company.
Their wargames, boardgames and roleplaying games all had miniatures to sell to varying degrees but at least in the mid-late 80's you could play most games easily with provided card inserts - they wanted you to buy their games and actually play them!
Maybe it is an age thing but I noticed increased dependence on miniatures that took the fun out of it (they must be painted, they must be the right model).
I may bore my son later with the heroics of my Halfling team from those days....
Re: Violent Fantasy Football Game Blood Bowl 3 Arrives On Switch This August
@Ladasta oh yeah, I am definitely not getting those years back. I suspect my son will be 'so what' too when I try and enthuse him
Re: Violent Fantasy Football Game Blood Bowl 3 Arrives On Switch This August
@Ladasta I remember the second edition back in the late 80's and poured years into that boardgame and still remember seeing the first edition about with the card figures instead of miniatures.
Played Fumbl on PC for a long while too and will probably pick this up and then regret it because it can never fill the gap of 30 years and those experiences from that time!
Re: Review: Football Manager 2021 Touch - With Patience, This One's Got Great Potential
My switch has been gathering dust following getting FM21 on the PC last month so the addiction is real! There's always 'one more game, one more season' and it's hard to get out!
The covid 'con' is a little overstated, there has been some discussion in the FM community about it being included but it's not like many fans have clamoured for it, especially as many players may have suffered from covid or lost family or friends.
In any case, covid mods are available for the pc version for people who really want it so I am surprised at the number of words given to this 'issue' in the review
Re: Split-Screen Multiplayer Returns To Switch Version Of Rocket League In The Next Update
Several months to put something back that never should have been removed. There is no way Psyonix / Epic didn't know of this fault before their 'update'. The fact they released it showed a shocking disregard for the customers of the original game.
My son will be pleased multiplayer is back and we can take each other on but I am pretty clear Epic / Psyonix don't get a penny of my money again
Re: Atelier Ryza Developer Clarifies Its Stance On Video Game Censorship
@Sun-Wu_Goku 'your woke crowd' lol....
You show a stunning lack of knowledge about the history of culture getting censored, erased and banned and by whom and why.
Cancel culture isn't a 'new' invention by woke millenials. It's funny that you refer to my thinking as outdated when it's clear you have no understanding of the history of artists and culture and the issues they face presenting their work
Re: Atelier Ryza Developer Clarifies Its Stance On Video Game Censorship
@Silly_G you can't have 'politically and ideological impartiality' it simply doesn't exist. Everyone is a product of their environment and brings their own standards and cultural bias to the table
What is considered dominant culture changes over time and what is acceptable is fluid.
For example 'bad' language is more prevalent in media aimed at teens now than in the past whereas smoking, alcohol and drug use is far more frowned upon.
Re: Atelier Ryza Developer Clarifies Its Stance On Video Game Censorship
@RR529 I'd agree with many of your observations, I like how you point out it's not one thing or another but I would add it's not 'the designers are influenced by the modern left' that is responsible for censorship more that executives have lines they won't cross.
The Christian conservative right has never been happy with anything that implies sexualisation, seeing as they see it as sinful and degenerate.
I suspect much of those who see things from a feminist point of view would say it's not sexualisation that is the problem more the treatment of it and female figures in culture (so sex is fine, but female characters need to be defined by their sexual perspective rather than the male gaze of horny boys).
In the corporate world these forces come together to be reluctant bed fellows (actually they are in different beds!).
Also there will always be a market for adult or sexual or even offensive games but a developer always wants the widest audience and to avoid scandal, and also wants to reach a wide audience (games are not for teenage boys anymore)
Re: Atelier Ryza Developer Clarifies Its Stance On Video Game Censorship
@FNL Agree... it's funny how right wing people think game censorship is due to some kind of liberal wokeness when the rich tradition of censorship and destroying culture is almost always the preserve of the Christian, conservative right.
'Morality' of what is appropriate has often been the soapbox of the right, not left.
I do agree in some ways that calls for sensitivity or treatment of women / minorities in culture often leads to similar puritanical demands (no matter how well intentioned).
Short version - if Americans don't like panties in games it's not because of the 'wokes'
(See PMRC and record burning and the Satanic panic of Dungeons and Dragons for older examples)
Re: Soapbox: If The Smash Community Wants To #SaveSmash, It Needs To Start From Within
@ChaosBadger777 I am sure the victims of sexual violence are comforted you are joking and hopefully they'll lighten up and stop taking things so seriously.
Making rape jokes is grossly inappropriate in an open forum addressing sexual violence in the gaming community
Re: Soapbox: If The Smash Community Wants To #SaveSmash, It Needs To Start From Within
@Merry_Blind your takeaway was 'point the finger at Nintendo'.
Organisers can't be responsible ultimately for the behaviour of all individuals BUT fan / community / convention events do have a duty of care to make their events as safe as possible.
Blaming a sponsor for pulling financial clout does not absolve the organiser or abuser and your defence to look elsewhere snacks of the 'it's not us / don't talk about it' attitude the article highlights
Re: Soapbox: If The Smash Community Wants To #SaveSmash, It Needs To Start From Within
@JRRR92 Clearly the previous organisers neither had the experience or expertise to hold events safe for gamers.
It's nothing to do with being 'woke', it's about ensuring people are safe, something that has failed in the past
Re: Soapbox: If The Smash Community Wants To #SaveSmash, It Needs To Start From Within
@RandomAfricanGamer so, in an article about gamer safety and sexual violence in the community your take away is 'the joke is funny'.
It wasn't, you're not.
Re: Soapbox: If The Smash Community Wants To #SaveSmash, It Needs To Start From Within
And then...'if you want to find someone to blame for sexual violence perpetrated by gamers look to Nintendo, not the predators or organisers of these events....'
Blind indeed
Re: Soapbox: If The Smash Community Wants To #SaveSmash, It Needs To Start From Within
It's pretty sickening that in these comments someone chose to make a rape joke and then qualified it by saying, 'I don't condone rape, it's a joke' as if that makes it okay?
The article calls for some introspection and reflection amongst this gaming community but as predicted it only takes a few posts for the jokes and deflection of the issue to occur.
Says it all really
Re: Psyonix Says It's Still Working On Resolving Rocket League's Split-Screen Multiplayer "Issue" On Switch
Basically I am at the point where I see the devs and Epic as scammers. This game was bought in good faith and they have completely dumped on those who already owned the game.
They MUST have known about the issue before they went free to play and the fact they did so knowing it would upset the existing user base is disgusting - but hey, here's a battle pass to win wheels with llamas on them.
I think it is despicable to be honest