Just to be clear: A plaintiff almost always has to prove damages, even if the defendant defaults. In this case, unless this idiot can show a legitimate reason for his default (maybe he was out of the country or hospitalized, for example), Nintendo must still prove why it is entitled to the amount of damages it is seeking (or entitled to any damages). In many instances, the defaulting defendant does not appear at that proceeding either, meaning Nintendo would face the easier prospect of arguing against an empty chair. But it's not likely that a judge would simply give Nintendo the damages it's requesting without a hearing on the evidence.
@Ganner First off, Completionist status was finally reached this weekend, in addition to gold-staking a seventh deck and (so far) closing in on the eighth.
I have no idea when this obsession will end, but it often does when I'm sitting around on a Friday night, ready to jump back into my current game, and then say, "I'll just play an hour of this other game first." And then OCD and ADHD take over, and the "other game" becomes the go-to and the game on the hundred-hour run becomes a dust collector.
@Ganner I'm a little beyond 250 now, which is why it's a little frustrating that I'm just waiting on one random joker to pop up to reach Completionist. I'm playing Gold Stake on my seventh deck this weekend.
How are you doing with SnowRunner? Did I tell you I bought it? It's in backlog at the moment, obviously.
What else? Balatro. I'm at 99.3 percent of Completionist, just needing one extremely shy joker to show his face during a run. Random chance is not my friend, I'm afraid. In the meantime, I'm closing in on Gold-staking a seventh deck.
Still on Balatro. I'm working on gold-staking a fifth deck and have now reached 98 percent toward Completionist. Maybe a little Splatfest if my addiction allows. I also hope Mario Party Jamboree will finally be booted up.
Not much time this weekend, as family stuff and sports are taking priority. I downloaded Mario Party Jamboree but spent about five hours on Balatro last night, so it looks like Mario Party will have to wait until next week.
I'm still — still — attacking Balatro. I beat Gold stake on Checkered Deck last night and will turn my attention to another deck this weekend. Completionist status is coming into range.
@Ganner Hey, Ganner, I picked up SnowRunner. I haven't gotten to it yet because something else is sucking up all my free time, but I'm looking forward to hitting the (off)road.
I started with more than six hours of Balatro last night. I'm working my way up the ladder toward Gold stake on the Checkerboard deck now, having hit Gold on two others. I also unlocked three more jokers on the way to Completionist.
It's a beautiful weekend here, and there's playoff baseball in this house, so that may be it. I probably need to get away from this Balatro addiction for a couple of days!
Wishing them well, as long as they ditch the idea that gamers have to get used to "feeling comfortable with not owning your game." Otherwise, vaya con dios.
The Financial Times also ran a piece on this, I believe Thursday, with the only complaint being there wasn't enough about the history behind the games, like how Miyamoto arrived at the company and gained so much influence over development, or the origin of the GameBoy, for example.
The law should be that once you buy the game its license can't be revoked and that it must be available for free redownload (as long as proper credentials are provided) for a reasonable period after the sale. It's nice that they have to let us know they can revoke the license, but that doesn't really make things better at the bottom line.
@EarthboundBenjy Agreed. Atari has mastered the practice of getting folks to continually repay for the same things. I still have my 2600 and cartridges, in addition to a few Atari collections and the PS2 Activision one, but it's so much more convenient to have them all in one space on the current console.
@Ganner Oh, man, glad to meet a fellow Balatro addict. What are you working on now?
I've unlocked all the decks and beaten every stake but Gold, which I've been attacking for a few weeks. Last week I had it. Perfect joker build. Six hands available for every round. Everything in order. I was there. At the finish line. And then the Ante 8 boss was The Violet Vessel, with its insanely large blind. The cards went cold, and I narrowly lost. If any other blind had popped up, I'd be a well-rested man today. Alas, Balatro.
Gold stake has opened a whole new world for me. I'm now figuring out ways to use and weaponize jokers and tarots I never previously considered.
@OrtadragoonX I agree that Nintendo did a poor job of highlighting the Wii U Gamepad's second-screen functionality, but I'll submit that Mario Maker wasn't the only game that did it well. I still miss it in the current versions of Splatoon, and Nintendo used it to great effect in Nintendoland.
I like the idea of designing games so that they can be entirely completed in a manageable amount of time.
One of the things that's difficult for me — particularly as someone with OCD — is maintaining the mindset that I won't complete every objective, see everything there is to be seen, etc. I often say I will just play for the core experience, but then it becomes a quest to do everything that ends with 75 hours played, a bunch of stuff still undone, disappointment, and other games that were never played as a result. So, for me personally, if completionist times were reduced, I'd be happy.
I was waiting for the PS5 Pro to upgrade from my PS4, but at THAT price — and without a disc drive — "I can do without the rock 'n roll," as Mick Shrimpton famously said.
I don't think we need to even think about this. Of course it will be backward-compatible with a device that will undoubtedly have sold more than 150 million units when its successor launches. That's too many people potentially waiting to make a purchase; too many lost software-sale opportunities.
@Oppyz666 I'm planning/hoping (procrastinating) to create shelf space for my CRT to get all my post-Atari retro consoles set up. What are you using to split all those connections? Any recommendations?
@anoyonmus Echoing what @Neckcrane said and adding that you DO NOT need to understand poker to play and beat this game. Once you play a couple of runs, it becomes simple to understand but with so many strategical options. You and I could have an entirely different approach to winning. So many risk-reward decisions and thought-provoking choices.
Crazy-addictive game!!! There's so much to unlock and beat with what we have now, but new variations will still be most welcome. I double-dipped for the physical version because I always want this in my possession.
@Axecon 2026 seems right to me too. It gives 3 another couple years of sales, and it provides a nice year-two momentum booster for Switch 2 and its online subscription service.
Probably a sentimental nod to the Squid Sisters for their "splatastic" debut in the original, but I may just have to go with Callie and Marie for their humorous banter in 2. Decisions, decisions.
The original Metroid gets a lot of criticism, but one of the things I enjoyed most was mapping it myself. Same for the original Zelda. I think that's what you would do it if you were actually in such a situation in real life. I realize modern games are more convenient and probably more fun with easily accessible maps, but I found the cartography of Metroid and Zelda a big part of the fun. As for Kraid, well, that's another story.
Comments 2,199
Re: Nintendo Is Handed Another Lawsuit Win After Accused Switch "Pirate" Fails To Plead
Just to be clear: A plaintiff almost always has to prove damages, even if the defendant defaults. In this case, unless this idiot can show a legitimate reason for his default (maybe he was out of the country or hospitalized, for example), Nintendo must still prove why it is entitled to the amount of damages it is seeking (or entitled to any damages). In many instances, the defaulting defendant does not appear at that proceeding either, meaning Nintendo would face the easier prospect of arguing against an empty chair. But it's not likely that a judge would simply give Nintendo the damages it's requesting without a hearing on the evidence.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (9th November)
@Ganner First off, Completionist status was finally reached this weekend, in addition to gold-staking a seventh deck and (so far) closing in on the eighth.
I have no idea when this obsession will end, but it often does when I'm sitting around on a Friday night, ready to jump back into my current game, and then say, "I'll just play an hour of this other game first." And then OCD and ADHD take over, and the "other game" becomes the go-to and the game on the hundred-hour run becomes a dust collector.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (9th November)
@Ganner I'm a little beyond 250 now, which is why it's a little frustrating that I'm just waiting on one random joker to pop up to reach Completionist. I'm playing Gold Stake on my seventh deck this weekend.
How are you doing with SnowRunner? Did I tell you I bought it? It's in backlog at the moment, obviously.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (9th November)
What else? Balatro. I'm at 99.3 percent of Completionist, just needing one extremely shy joker to show his face during a run. Random chance is not my friend, I'm afraid. In the meantime, I'm closing in on Gold-staking a seventh deck.
Re: 'Switch Pro' Dongle Is Making A Comeback With New 'RGB Collection'
This is called repackaging overstock before it becomes obsolete.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (26th October)
Still on Balatro. I'm working on gold-staking a fifth deck and have now reached 98 percent toward Completionist. Maybe a little Splatfest if my addiction allows. I also hope Mario Party Jamboree will finally be booted up.
Re: Balatro's New Free Update Features Crossovers With Stardew Valley, Slay The Spire And More
Gave these a whirl last night. I like Slay the Spire most.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (19th October)
Not much time this weekend, as family stuff and sports are taking priority. I downloaded Mario Party Jamboree but spent about five hours on Balatro last night, so it looks like Mario Party will have to wait until next week.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (12th October)
@Ganner Keep moving that timber, buddy!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (12th October)
I'm still — still — attacking Balatro. I beat Gold stake on Checkered Deck last night and will turn my attention to another deck this weekend. Completionist status is coming into range.
Re: Nintendo Announces Switch Online: Playtest Program For "New Feature"
@axelhander I don't share the underlying sentiment, but my goodness was that funny.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (5th October)
@Ganner Hey, Ganner, I picked up SnowRunner. I haven't gotten to it yet because something else is sucking up all my free time, but I'm looking forward to hitting the (off)road.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (5th October)
I started with more than six hours of Balatro last night. I'm working my way up the ladder toward Gold stake on the Checkerboard deck now, having hit Gold on two others. I also unlocked three more jokers on the way to Completionist.
It's a beautiful weekend here, and there's playoff baseball in this house, so that may be it. I probably need to get away from this Balatro addiction for a couple of days!
Re: Ubisoft's Disastrous 2024 May Lead To The Company Going Private
Wishing them well, as long as they ditch the idea that gamers have to get used to "feeling comfortable with not owning your game." Otherwise, vaya con dios.
Re: Feature: The Nintendo Museum Goes Hard On Merch & Fun, But Could Dive Deeper Into History
The Financial Times also ran a piece on this, I believe Thursday, with the only complaint being there wasn't enough about the history behind the games, like how Miyamoto arrived at the company and gained so much influence over development, or the origin of the GameBoy, for example.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (28th September)
The Balatro addiction continues here. Six hours last night. I'm trying to Gold Stake a second deck. Yellow.
Re: Californian Law Dictates Storefronts Be Honest About Digital Game Ownership
The law should be that once you buy the game its license can't be revoked and that it must be available for free redownload (as long as proper credentials are provided) for a reasonable period after the sale. It's nice that they have to let us know they can revoke the license, but that doesn't really make things better at the bottom line.
Re: Where To Buy Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom And Hyrule Edition Switch Lite
Mine was delivered this afternoon. A nice addition to the collection!
Re: Every New Game For Atari 50's New Paid DLC Has Been Revealed
@ChromaticDracula @Not_Soos If you still have your GBA or a PS2, you can grab compilations of 2600 Activision games.
Re: Every New Game For Atari 50's New Paid DLC Has Been Revealed
So now we're good until the next DLC and an even-steelier book?
Re: Atari 50 DLC Adds 19 Games And Launches Later This Week
@EarthboundBenjy Agreed. Atari has mastered the practice of getting folks to continually repay for the same things. I still have my 2600 and cartridges, in addition to a few Atari collections and the PS2 Activision one, but it's so much more convenient to have them all in one space on the current console.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st September)
@Ganner I've had my eye on Snow Runner. Probably better to pick it up for my PS4 Pro, would you say? How much do the season packs add?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st September)
@Rykdrew I had unexpected spare time tonight and finally beat Gold stake, the Violet Vessel included. It's a special night in Balatro Country!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st September)
@Ganner Oh, man, glad to meet a fellow Balatro addict. What are you working on now?
I've unlocked all the decks and beaten every stake but Gold, which I've been attacking for a few weeks. Last week I had it. Perfect joker build. Six hands available for every round. Everything in order. I was there. At the finish line. And then the Ante 8 boss was The Violet Vessel, with its insanely large blind. The cards went cold, and I narrowly lost. If any other blind had popped up, I'd be a well-rested man today. Alas, Balatro.
Gold stake has opened a whole new world for me. I'm now figuring out ways to use and weaponize jokers and tarots I never previously considered.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st September)
I did almost six and a half hours on Balatro last night. So I'm down until Sunday-night Balatro.
This game is insanely addictive and starting to push its way into consideration for top-five status in my Switch rankings.
Re: Rumour: Supposed 'Switch 2' Design Photos And Specs Surface Online
@OrtadragoonX I agree that Nintendo did a poor job of highlighting the Wii U Gamepad's second-screen functionality, but I'll submit that Mario Maker wasn't the only game that did it well. I still miss it in the current versions of Splatoon, and Nintendo used it to great effect in Nintendoland.
Re: Rumour: Supposed 'Switch 2' Design Photos And Specs Surface Online
Skeptical of this, but if it's true, it's disappointing that Nintendo would not have solved the issue of adding a joycon D-pad.
Re: Soapbox: Splatoon 3's 'Grand Festival' Was The Perfect Goodbye
This was Nintendo at its best, paying homage to a great franchise and its loyal fans. So much love, care and time put into free DLC!
Re: It's Official, Splatoon 3's "Regular Updates" Are Coming To An End
An unbelievable send-off, Nintendo. The Grand Festival was an amazing piece of work and a huge salute to the game and all of us who love it.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th September)
SPLATFEST and Balatro!!!
Re: Random: "The Time Players Spend In A Game Is A Cost" - Sakurai Talks Long Runtimes
I like the idea of designing games so that they can be entirely completed in a manageable amount of time.
One of the things that's difficult for me — particularly as someone with OCD — is maintaining the mindset that I won't complete every objective, see everything there is to be seen, etc. I often say I will just play for the core experience, but then it becomes a quest to do everything that ends with 75 hours played, a bunch of stuff still undone, disappointment, and other games that were never played as a result. So, for me personally, if completionist times were reduced, I'd be happy.
Re: Soapbox: Sony's Insane PS5 Pro Price Highlights The Delicate Balance Nintendo Must Strike With 'Switch 2'
I was waiting for the PS5 Pro to upgrade from my PS4, but at THAT price — and without a disc drive — "I can do without the rock 'n roll," as Mick Shrimpton famously said.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (7th September)
Balatro, Splatoon and maybe a bit of MK8 Deluxe. Enjoy, everyone!
Re: Splatoon 3's New amiibo Are Now Available, Will You Be Getting Them?
They are en route from Best Buy at this very moment!
Re: Rumour: Switch "Successor" Will Be Backwards Compatible, It's Claimed
I don't think we need to even think about this. Of course it will be backward-compatible with a device that will undoubtedly have sold more than 150 million units when its successor launches. That's too many people potentially waiting to make a purchase; too many lost software-sale opportunities.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (31st August)
Yet another weekend of Balatro and the two Splatoons. I've unlocked all the Balatro decks, so the next hurdle is the gold stake.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (17th August)
Splatoon 2 and 3 and Balatro!!!
Re: Random: Man Sets World Record By Connecting 400+ Working Game Consoles To One TV
@Oppyz666 I'm planning/hoping (procrastinating) to create shelf space for my CRT to get all my post-Atari retro consoles set up. What are you using to split all those connections? Any recommendations?
Re: Random: Man Sets World Record By Connecting 400+ Working Game Consoles To One TV
And I thought I was the bomb with five: Switch, Wii U, Wii, PS4, PS3. Anybody got a spare 400 splitter cable?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (10th August)
Splatfest and Balatro!!!
Re: Switch On Track To Surpass PS2's Lifetime Sales In The US
@Spider-Kev When the Switch reaches 160 million units sold, Jim Ryan will say the real number is 165 million.
Re: Balatro Celebrates 2 Million Units Sold With A Free Update Announcement
@beltmenot Yes, but it hasn't shipped yet. At least mine hasn't.
Re: Balatro Celebrates 2 Million Units Sold With A Free Update Announcement
@anoyonmus Echoing what @Neckcrane said and adding that you DO NOT need to understand poker to play and beat this game. Once you play a couple of runs, it becomes simple to understand but with so many strategical options. You and I could have an entirely different approach to winning. So many risk-reward decisions and thought-provoking choices.
Re: Balatro Celebrates 2 Million Units Sold With A Free Update Announcement
Crazy-addictive game!!! There's so much to unlock and beat with what we have now, but new variations will still be most welcome. I double-dipped for the physical version because I always want this in my possession.
Re: Feature: The Next Splatfest May Decide Splatoon 4's Future, So We Make A Case For Every Team
@Axecon 2026 seems right to me too. It gives 3 another couple years of sales, and it provides a nice year-two momentum booster for Switch 2 and its online subscription service.
Re: Feature: The Next Splatfest May Decide Splatoon 4's Future, So We Make A Case For Every Team
Probably a sentimental nod to the Squid Sisters for their "splatastic" debut in the original, but I may just have to go with Callie and Marie for their humorous banter in 2. Decisions, decisions.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (3rd August)
The two Splatoons and maybe two or three Balatro runs.
Re: Soapbox: Why I Love A Good Map, And That Time I Mapped Yoshi's Melons For Nintendo Power
The original Metroid gets a lot of criticism, but one of the things I enjoyed most was mapping it myself. Same for the original Zelda. I think that's what you would do it if you were actually in such a situation in real life. I realize modern games are more convenient and probably more fun with easily accessible maps, but I found the cartography of Metroid and Zelda a big part of the fun. As for Kraid, well, that's another story.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th July)
Splatoon and Balatro!
@wazlon My favorite game in the Yoshi series. Enjoy it!
Re: Switch Online Adds Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Icons
Looking forward to the little blue dot appearing next to NSO every single time I fire up my Switch.