Latest Comments by Alm888
Saber Interactive splits off from Embracer Group taking various studios with them
19 March 2024 at 1:29 pm UTC

Quoting: F.UltraSo let me get this straight, Embracer themselves and all media is lying for some unknown nefarious reason?
Like that is something new to them…

Lying? Yes, absolutely. "Nefarious"? Not at all! Just protecting Public Image by trying to mask their nearly catastrophic financial state. You know, Shareholders won't be pleased if PLAION's stock market value plummets.

Quoting: F.UltraAlso not entirely sure why you are conflating layoffs with finding buyers for valuable assets that you suddenly have to sell off? Remeber that Saber was a founding member of Embracer so this is not something that they really wanted to do.
They need cash. Embracer has purchased a lot of dead gamedev studios in order to make an impression of a really big company. They are broke. Most of the dead weight they've got can not be re-sold in a timely manner. These studios are the only ones Embracer could find a buyer for.

Saber Interactive splits off from Embracer Group taking various studios with them
18 March 2024 at 4:46 am UTC Likes: 1

Anyone who wants to see how Embracer/PLAION/Koch Media deals with true Russian gamedev companies can look at authors of "Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG" ("Dark Crystal Games"). It took Embracer less than a week to cut all contacts, stop all game support (including readied but never to be released patch 1.4) and run away with the money.

So no, I wont buy this "We can't deal with pesky Russians" story.

Saber Interactive splits off from Embracer Group taking various studios with them
14 March 2024 at 7:19 pm UTC

I despise Embracer Group and PLAION while not particularly caring for Saber Interactive or other studios mentioned in the news.

So… Is it good news? If anything, this shows that Embracer/PLAION is struggling to stay afloat and in desperate need for cash. Good.
Quoting: F.UltraThe selling of Saber have nothing to do with the financial status of Embracer or with their previous missed investments. This is simple done because Saber is Russian and the CEO of Embracer is also involved with renting out property to (among others) the Swedish Defense and they simply have let him know that he should either cut ties with Russia or with them, he can't have both. And it also looks like their business with Saber is infringing on the export embargo on Russia.
[sarcasm]So, Nimble Giant, 3D Realms, Slipgate, New World Interactive, Fractured Byte, DIGIC, Sandbox Strategies and Mad Head Games are Russian too. Good to know.[/sarcasm]
If Embracer/PLAION could absolutely not have any dealings with anything "Russian" (yeah, sure, like such a thing as "Russian Game Studio" exists… ) then why now? Not, let's say, two years ago?

War Thunder game engine Dagor Engine from Gaijin now open source
3 November 2023 at 1:43 pm UTC

Interesting!

When I first had heard "Nau Engine" is supposed to be open-source I didn't believe it (considering "Unigine" is as-closed-as-it-can-possibly-and-impossibly-be). Now, I see they are actually serious about it.

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
6 May 2023 at 11:54 am UTC Likes: 2

Quoting: poiuzThe windows version is updated?
Of course. (Remember, Windows has Galaxy Client that gets updates immediately, unlike "offline installers" we are forced to rely upon). And yes, the Windows version is currently updated to 6.00HF2.

This is not the exception. It is the norm for GOG.

Quoting: mphuZIf a person is really my compatriot, then he will perfectly recognize this site.
Excuse me? Since when I'm legally obliged to know every shady store out there?
Just so you can understand me easily: Я не собираюсь гадать, в каком Яндекс-маркете или у какого Ростелекома ты собрался покупать ворованные ключи. Хорошо, может быть и не ворованные, может эти "уважаемые партнёры" закупили ключики загодя и теперь распродают остатки неликвида. Что это меняет? Ты говоришь, что этот именно CDProjekt продаёт свои продукы. Пруфы в студию! Пока что с твоей стороны -- одни домыслы и тупые игры в "угадайку".

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
6 May 2023 at 10:11 am UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: mphuZ
Quoting: Alm888I am genuinely curious what have I missed.
If you really are from Russia, then you will easily find out exactly where the game is sold.
Sorry, it does not work that way. What's the site name? "rutracker.org"? Since when the GOG-keys are being sold on the third-party sites?

As I've said, shady key re-seller sites do not count.

On a different note, recently the "all-favorite" game "X4:Foundations" has gotten a 6.00HF3 patch. Guess what version is on GOG?
Fresh as a Spring
That's the level of "service" Linux gamers are being treated with.

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
6 May 2023 at 9:35 am UTC Likes: 2

Quoting: mphuZWhy should I read something on the Internet if I live in Russia myself and see everything from the inside?
WOW! What a coincidence, my compatriot!
Quoting: mphuZYou know that you can sell games for Steam and GOG on different platforms, right?
Me? May be. CDProjekt? No. I mean, which stores have I missed? VKPlay? No, doesn't look like it: VKPlay

You *do* understand the difference between CDProjekt selling their games to Russians directly and someone else re-selling (probably stolen) Steam keys for the game on a shady site, don't you?

Yes, you can "emigrate" into Kazakhstan in order to purchase the game on Steam, but I doubt this counts.

I am genuinely curious what have I missed. Can you post a screenshot of a place where exactly CDProjekt has started to sell its games to Russians?

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
6 May 2023 at 8:59 am UTC

Quoting: mphuZ
Quoting: Alm888There is no way in hell GOG returns to Russia. They'd better forget it.
At the same time, CDPR recently resumed sales of Cyberpunk 2077 in Russia and Belarus. Oh, this capitalism.. If you want to eat, you will be bow-legged even worse.
I believe you are wrong on this one. Don't believe everything that is being written on the Internet. It is better to check.
"Cyborgs & Punks 20/77" is still unlisted in RU region of Steam: Steam
And obviously (as anything else) is unavailable for purchase on GOG: GOG

So rest assured, CDProjekt stays firm with their believes!
Galvanizing

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
6 May 2023 at 5:18 am UTC

"…to suspending operations in Russia and Belarus."
Abolishing, you mean. There is no way in hell GOG returns to Russia. They'd better forget it.

The Steam Deck has released, here's my initial review
25 February 2022 at 8:21 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: areamanplaysgameI think you are talking about two different groups of people, honestly. "Ordinary people" do not buy consumer electronics and then try to replace the operating system on them.
Well… Maybe you are right.
But! We are not talking about ordinary "ordinary people" here. Steam Deck will not be sold at brick&mortar stores. It must be pre-ordered through a dedicated gaming store. People on Steam (provided they know how to make a pre-order) are more than likely to tinker: install mods, stream on TVitch/YouTube, make benchmarks. You know, typical (glorious) PC gamer (master race) stuff. It would not be fair to treat them as "console players" who are more accustomed to "power-on & play" behavior. So, when they find out Valorant (for example) does not launch… What will they do?
Quoting: areamanplaysgameMost people I bet will not bother installing Windows on it. Only tech nerds will care. Your typical console player certainly won't.
What should they do, then? Cancel their purchase, demand refunds and send their new handheld PC back to Valve?
I think at least some people will make attempts to "negotiate" their new devices before giving up. And I think they at least deserve to know what perils await them should they try to circumvent the problem by using Windows.
Quoting: areamanplaysgameBut as Liam pointed out, drivers aren't ready yet. This is custom stuff made by Valve/AMD from what I understand of it. So while it's a x86_64 setup, it has custom GPU, not to mention all the custom control inputs.
Well, yeah. I figured as much. But will those drivers be ready by the time first owners get their devices? Will said owners be able to easily find those drivers? Will those drivers be included in the box on a mini CD (like the good old times) or flash drive? :P

Plus, I'm honestly curious about performance loss of the SteamOS against Windows (provided I do not even have a Steam account and have forgotten already the last time I've used WINE for gaming).

Well, it is Liam's choice not to test Windows games in their native ecosystem; I believe some reviewers will do such tests eventually.

Quoting: LoftyValve & the community need to put emphasis on how tailored Steam OS 3.0 is for the Steam Deck so people don't think it is just a binary choice of one OS over the other.
Yes. But Valve also needs not to alienate potential (still Windows-using) customers preemptively. And people really do not like to be put in stressful situations. In this case, knowledge that in case something goes wrong there is a "Plan B" (installing Windows) as a fallback will assure gamers of the purchase safety.