Latest Comments by Mal
Valve making steps to address 'off-topic review bombs' on Steam
17 Mar 2019 at 5:57 pm UTC Likes: 2
Like:
You're not entitled to have an opinion on a game getting a new DRM (and one day you find out you can't play your product anymore).
You're not entitled to have an opinion on a developer moving his game form one platform to another (and you planned to play with friends but now if he buys he'll be on a separated platform).
Your're not entitled to have an opinion on a game getting a change in price policy (again maybe you planned to play with friends, but with the new pricing they're cut out)
You're not entitled to to have an opinion on a dev promising something and then not delivering (you bought because you trusted the devs, but they took money, showed you middle finger and you can't even manifest disappointment)
You're not entitled to to have an opinion on a publisher enforcing a new EULA that kills streams and videos (maybe you like to imitate pros on twitch when you buy game or you like to stream/youtube yourself)
And so on. Those are just examples of -in my humble opinion ofc- legit opinions that covers aspects of the product that do influence your experience but that the average authoritarian redditor would dismiss review bombing. Unless he's one in the minority being damaged ofc. In the end the real issue of this age is lack of empathy on the Internet.
Then I'm all for better review system, more clear, that allow you differentiate score between aspect of the product. I'm also open to discuss when a review tool is indeed abused, like when the mob punishes a dev for his legit ideas and opinions rather that for actual actions that had an observable effect on customer fruition of the product.
But in 2019 claiming that software is just a bunch of binaries and that everything around it from support, publisher policies, associated media, distribution platforms, pricing, DRMs, EULA and so on are totally unrelated to the product, have 0 effect on customer experience and thus must not be subject to end user review... frankly speaking: it's bullshit.
17 Mar 2019 at 5:57 pm UTC Likes: 2
Quoting: Doc AngeloThat shouldn't even be explained. When someone decides for you what you are entitled to express your opinion on, that someone is free to shit on you.Quoting: MalA sad day for consumers.Huh? Why?
Like:
You're not entitled to have an opinion on a game getting a new DRM (and one day you find out you can't play your product anymore).
You're not entitled to have an opinion on a developer moving his game form one platform to another (and you planned to play with friends but now if he buys he'll be on a separated platform).
Your're not entitled to have an opinion on a game getting a change in price policy (again maybe you planned to play with friends, but with the new pricing they're cut out)
You're not entitled to to have an opinion on a dev promising something and then not delivering (you bought because you trusted the devs, but they took money, showed you middle finger and you can't even manifest disappointment)
You're not entitled to to have an opinion on a publisher enforcing a new EULA that kills streams and videos (maybe you like to imitate pros on twitch when you buy game or you like to stream/youtube yourself)
And so on. Those are just examples of -in my humble opinion ofc- legit opinions that covers aspects of the product that do influence your experience but that the average authoritarian redditor would dismiss review bombing. Unless he's one in the minority being damaged ofc. In the end the real issue of this age is lack of empathy on the Internet.
Then I'm all for better review system, more clear, that allow you differentiate score between aspect of the product. I'm also open to discuss when a review tool is indeed abused, like when the mob punishes a dev for his legit ideas and opinions rather that for actual actions that had an observable effect on customer fruition of the product.
But in 2019 claiming that software is just a bunch of binaries and that everything around it from support, publisher policies, associated media, distribution platforms, pricing, DRMs, EULA and so on are totally unrelated to the product, have 0 effect on customer experience and thus must not be subject to end user review... frankly speaking: it's bullshit.
Valve making steps to address 'off-topic review bombs' on Steam
16 Mar 2019 at 10:43 am UTC Likes: 1
16 Mar 2019 at 10:43 am UTC Likes: 1
A sad day for consumers.
Valve announces new networking APIs for developers and Steam Link Anywhere
15 Mar 2019 at 1:09 pm UTC Likes: 3
15 Mar 2019 at 1:09 pm UTC Likes: 3
Quoting: subHaha.Well. Look at the bright side. It could be worse. They could be scanning you hard drive looking for words like China, Xi Jinping or Winnie the Pooh.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/b15k8g/epic_games_launcher_appears_to_collect_your_steam/ [External Link]
No.
But not really surprising if this SteamSpy guy is now in charge at Epic.
Valve announces new networking APIs for developers and Steam Link Anywhere
15 Mar 2019 at 12:57 pm UTC
15 Mar 2019 at 12:57 pm UTC
Steam stream service over the Internet. It might be that my next rig is actually an aws instance or something of the likes.
ProtonDB released another data dump, here's a quick look over some February 2019 info
4 Mar 2019 at 11:19 am UTC
4 Mar 2019 at 11:19 am UTC
Quoting: TcheyI' ve reported the games i tried, but now i don't have any more game i want to try on Proton, so i don't report anything. I mainly have native Linux games, and overtime, my library went from "Windows only" to "Some Linux" when i was dual booting, to "99% Linux only" since a stopped dual booting about 5 years ago.Like you, all my windows games are older than Steam for linux.
Maybe it's the same for many others ? That's a part of why the reports are going down over time.
Factorio has a major new experimental release out ready for testing, loads changed
27 Feb 2019 at 4:39 pm UTC Likes: 1
27 Feb 2019 at 4:39 pm UTC Likes: 1
Quoting: scaineI thought this left EA last year! When are they actually going to finalise its content??In the next months in their plans. So, realistically, I'd say Q4 this year. :) Regardless, this should be the last experimental major. It will be updated until it basically becomes 1.0.
Valve is getting back to focusing on gaming, with non-gaming videos being retired
20 Feb 2019 at 5:28 pm UTC Likes: 1
20 Feb 2019 at 5:28 pm UTC Likes: 1
The generalist video effort had a meaning in the context of a SteamOs based living room ecosystem. But as living room remained solid domain of console lords, it makes sense to scrap it entirely.
Not to mention that according to analysts the competition in the video streaming market is going to be super ugly later this year, with no restraint of anti consumer practices. Unless you are already a big player there its better to opt out entirely since it's pretty obvious that in the end it will be the pirate bay to emerge victorious there (which actually sucks since Netflix has been so convenient until now).
Not to mention that according to analysts the competition in the video streaming market is going to be super ugly later this year, with no restraint of anti consumer practices. Unless you are already a big player there its better to opt out entirely since it's pretty obvious that in the end it will be the pirate bay to emerge victorious there (which actually sucks since Netflix has been so convenient until now).
The war of the PC stores is getting ugly, as Metro Exodus becomes a timed Epic Store exclusive
4 Feb 2019 at 3:32 pm UTC Likes: 7
Metro is in no way a small IP or an unknown one. If it had released on Steam it would have generated tons of revenues. These are not words from a revenue desperate indie that is starving and risking default. Deep Silver simply choose to be greedy and put Epic money above their customers. What the hell they expected out of from this? That they could shit on people heads and people would applaud them?
These outings "if you don't buy then we don't come on PC" are just vents coming out of bad managers. Which mentally sane person in this industry thinks that your can raise sales by blackmailing your potential customer? Those are the words of frustrated management that knows it took a healthy IP and ruined it for short term greed but doesn't want to admit its errors so it blames others (the consumers). It's nothing new, that's a common trait among powerful people (and I'm not playing anti elite populist here, it just happens that I have a passion for history from middle age to modern era in general, it's how human societies go... these are the kind of people that usually get in power :) )
So really. They don't want to sell nest Metro on PC because the shit they made? Who fucking cares. These are the golden ages of PC gaming. If they don't sell on PC then it's them deliberately choosing to lose money. And if THQ shareholders don't push to fire the guy who wrote that bullshit and start to mend the relationship with their customers but instead choose to go full kamikatze... bye bye! We won't miss them. Some another publisher will make sure that any gap they leave will be filled with new awesome IPs.
In all this story really we consumers are the strong side. We may lose a game or two true, but we simply cannot lose the war, unless as I said before Gabe goes nuts and Valve and Epic agree to make a monopoly cartel. Who I'm really sorry for are the devs that genuinely worked with passion on Metro games and now see their legacy ruined by people who has 0 interest in gaming but only think on make quick money. These are the sole helpless victims in all this affair. More so since it looks like Deep Silver decide to play dirty by using them as meat shields in their total war vs the whole PC gaming world. :(
Edit:
Ok looking at the last minute link of Nevertheless it seems that Deep Silver did not in fact played this dirty and is not using 4A games devs as meat shields. Nice to see that. Now I don't think they can just trash their exclusivity contract with Epic without paying a gazillion penalty so they won't just U-turn on this one. Let's hope they learnt something from this and don't further damage their own business. If publishers stop signing exclusive deals with Epic out of consumer rage backlash fear, Epic will be forced to abandon its monopolistic aims and switch to a healthy competitive strategy. To the satisfaction of everyone (except Epic itself I guess).
4 Feb 2019 at 3:32 pm UTC Likes: 7
Quoting: MohandevirUnfortunately, on PC, game boycotts will only damage the industry. Just look at Deep Silver's answer. Instead of understanding that exclusives are a bad concept, they throw back the pressure on the customer's shoulders.That's a common misconception. As long as a market is profitable someone will invest in it because there will be return of investment. PC gaming is in no way in peril (not until Gabe goes mad and follows Sweeney on the exclusive deals route at least)
Metro is in no way a small IP or an unknown one. If it had released on Steam it would have generated tons of revenues. These are not words from a revenue desperate indie that is starving and risking default. Deep Silver simply choose to be greedy and put Epic money above their customers. What the hell they expected out of from this? That they could shit on people heads and people would applaud them?
These outings "if you don't buy then we don't come on PC" are just vents coming out of bad managers. Which mentally sane person in this industry thinks that your can raise sales by blackmailing your potential customer? Those are the words of frustrated management that knows it took a healthy IP and ruined it for short term greed but doesn't want to admit its errors so it blames others (the consumers). It's nothing new, that's a common trait among powerful people (and I'm not playing anti elite populist here, it just happens that I have a passion for history from middle age to modern era in general, it's how human societies go... these are the kind of people that usually get in power :) )
So really. They don't want to sell nest Metro on PC because the shit they made? Who fucking cares. These are the golden ages of PC gaming. If they don't sell on PC then it's them deliberately choosing to lose money. And if THQ shareholders don't push to fire the guy who wrote that bullshit and start to mend the relationship with their customers but instead choose to go full kamikatze... bye bye! We won't miss them. Some another publisher will make sure that any gap they leave will be filled with new awesome IPs.
In all this story really we consumers are the strong side. We may lose a game or two true, but we simply cannot lose the war, unless as I said before Gabe goes nuts and Valve and Epic agree to make a monopoly cartel. Who I'm really sorry for are the devs that genuinely worked with passion on Metro games and now see their legacy ruined by people who has 0 interest in gaming but only think on make quick money. These are the sole helpless victims in all this affair. More so since it looks like Deep Silver decide to play dirty by using them as meat shields in their total war vs the whole PC gaming world. :(
Edit:
Ok looking at the last minute link of Nevertheless it seems that Deep Silver did not in fact played this dirty and is not using 4A games devs as meat shields. Nice to see that. Now I don't think they can just trash their exclusivity contract with Epic without paying a gazillion penalty so they won't just U-turn on this one. Let's hope they learnt something from this and don't further damage their own business. If publishers stop signing exclusive deals with Epic out of consumer rage backlash fear, Epic will be forced to abandon its monopolistic aims and switch to a healthy competitive strategy. To the satisfaction of everyone (except Epic itself I guess).
The war of the PC stores is getting ugly, as Metro Exodus becomes a timed Epic Store exclusive
1 Feb 2019 at 10:52 am UTC Likes: 6
1 Feb 2019 at 10:52 am UTC Likes: 6
Quoting: crt0megaAh, yes. The guy who complained that installing Linux would be like moving to Canada [External Link] has opened his own Canada :D.It's more like a North Corea.
The war of the PC stores is getting ugly, as Metro Exodus becomes a timed Epic Store exclusive
31 Jan 2019 at 11:18 am UTC Likes: 6
That is called leeching. Sweeney is filling his mouth with words like open platforms and freedom of choice but that that isn't really what free mean. Free platforms come to be when companies that make billions reinvest that money in features that improve the ecosystem for everybody not just people that pass through their store. Whilst for freedom of choice one should not even explain why it is the antithesis of exclusives. If he was serious about freedom he would run a store with he same philosophy as Steam and instead challenge Valve (or google if he dares) to open even more their ecosystems.
He knows all to well that users will go on Steam forums to get help as he know that they will go to Google for any issue they have with their apk (be them original or cracked). In fact he counts on that. His philosophy is to exploit open platforms to take everything and give nothing in return. But when it comes to walled gardens like Apple and iStore he's diligently paying his 30% fee without complaining or lamenting exploitation. Had he been even a little consistent with what he says, he would not had landed on that platform at all.
31 Jan 2019 at 11:18 am UTC Likes: 6
Quoting: stretch611I think I read somewhere that the Epic Store has no forums... If this is true, where do you think users are going to turn to for help? Most likely, steam forums. And they will go there because most gamers already have an account there. (One of the better aspects of steam is that with your steam id you do not need to create a login on every developer's individual site.)You mention one aspect of a wider strategy employed by Sweeney. Ofc we here focus on PC only, but we better not forget that Epic is moving is similar fashion on Android where they circumvent Google store (but really, any other store out there) and instead distribute their own apk for fortnite (maybe he plans to turn that in a store too).
That is called leeching. Sweeney is filling his mouth with words like open platforms and freedom of choice but that that isn't really what free mean. Free platforms come to be when companies that make billions reinvest that money in features that improve the ecosystem for everybody not just people that pass through their store. Whilst for freedom of choice one should not even explain why it is the antithesis of exclusives. If he was serious about freedom he would run a store with he same philosophy as Steam and instead challenge Valve (or google if he dares) to open even more their ecosystems.
He knows all to well that users will go on Steam forums to get help as he know that they will go to Google for any issue they have with their apk (be them original or cracked). In fact he counts on that. His philosophy is to exploit open platforms to take everything and give nothing in return. But when it comes to walled gardens like Apple and iStore he's diligently paying his 30% fee without complaining or lamenting exploitation. Had he been even a little consistent with what he says, he would not had landed on that platform at all.