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Latest Comments by thoughtfulhippo
Cult classic Beneath a Steel Sky is finally available free on Steam
29 Jul 2020 at 2:58 pm UTC Likes: 1

I excitedly bought Beyond* on release but wanted to replay Beneath* first, which I have on GoG, but it's so much more likely to happen now it's on Steam. Thanks for saving me from messing around with the config.

The itch.io charity bundle hits over $4 million and now over 1,500 items inside
11 Jun 2020 at 4:17 pm UTC Likes: 6

Quoting: morbiusI like my Steam library because it gives me sense of real ownership. The games are easy to install, remove, share with family, they will be there when I decide to give some of them another spin 10, 20 years from now. I just don't get the same from others.
I find this an odd sentiment because it is almost exactly opposite of how I feel. Games on itch (and GoG) are guaranteed DRM-free. So I can download them now, back them up and be confident they will still work in 10 - 20 years (assuming I can recreate the environment they need). This to me is what real ownership is.

However, most games on Steam require Steam servers to be running for them to start. Who's to say Steam will be around in 10 - 20 years? So even if you can back them up, it's moot if you can't play them in the future.

This bundle has left me feeling a bit guilty though. I bought it because I was interested in trying Overland and Death&Taxes, but probably would not have bought them for myself. But now two games high on my (Steam) wishlist - Code 7 and Helium Rain - have been added, which I would have happily paid (more) for. Will buy in next Steam sale (only 2 weeks now).

Stadia Pro will soon drop down to one free month
20 May 2020 at 7:05 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: sub
Quoting: randyl
Quoting: subIs there a free to try option?
Yes, it's free for 2 months right now. Soon it will drop back down to 1 month. The link is in the article.
That's my question. I have to check the terms of service.
I'm not looking for a contract that runs, let's say,
12 months and they just offer me the first two for "free".

That's not what I would consider "free to try". :)
You pay monthly and can cancel anytime - it's what I did with the original Pro offer. I've had 4 free months of Pro (re-subbing for the 2nd offer), and have yet to pay. And after that you can use the 'free' tier indefinitely.

Microsoft Teams is now available on Linux
11 Dec 2019 at 10:58 am UTC

While my attitude to Microsoft has definitely softened over the last decade, and I do see it as a positive not being forced to use Windows for 1 or 2 applications that may have been forced on you by your client / employer, I will remain hugely skeptical of their 'love linux' motives until I stop hearing about this [External Link] sh*t.

Google Stadia is out now for early adopters, well a few anyway
20 Nov 2019 at 5:33 pm UTC

I pre-ordered, and have been conflicted over the value of the service, but yesterday decided to cancel.

Originally I (probably very naively) wanted to support Stadia because it runs on Linux, and hoped the long term effect would be more Linux native games. I also thought Stadia might be the most legitimate way to play Borderlands 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. But neither of those games are available on Stadia yet, and will likely be on Steam at the same time they hit Stadia, making me wonder why I would get them on Stadia.

However, yesterday I went to the pub and didn't cancel; my Stadia kit is arriving tomorrow!

I do get a Chromecast which I wanted anyway (especially since Amazon Prime now supports it), my partner has a Pixel 3 so I'll 'borrow' that for testing, and it might be a solution for the kids wanting to replace an aging gaming laptop.

But the lack of included (free) and interesting (to me) games, means this might just end up being a tech demo for now.

EVERSPACE 2 is officially funded and on the way to Linux
5 Nov 2019 at 1:56 pm UTC Likes: 4

Backed the campaign, and very happy to see it funded - though not sure I can wait until 2021 for a full release!
I've been watching corben78 play the Everspace 2 demo on Linux [External Link] (Proton) and subsequently bought a MoveMaster, which has made me a *much* better pilot.

Odds and ends, the Linux and gaming Sunday Section
28 Oct 2019 at 9:26 am UTC Likes: 2

I'm not sure what your criteria are, but surprised you did not mention the ongoing Everspace 2 campaign [External Link]. They've a week to go, and need a bit of (solar) wind in their (light) sail.

Noir-inspired detective adventure 'Backbone: Prologue' now supports Linux
26 Oct 2019 at 9:57 am UTC Likes: 1

That's great news. I backed the campaign and it's good to see them come through on their promise for Linux support.

Things are going downhill for the Atari VCS as Rob Wyatt quits
8 Oct 2019 at 3:29 pm UTC Likes: 11

Quoting: macintuxNot trying to sound rude or anything, but, why do you keep giving them your money? All it does is encourage bad behavior and poorly planned out ideas like the Atari VCS.
No, not rude. I don't just back any campaign! I look at who's running it, if they have prior experience with whatever the project is, have they run successful campaigns (and delivered) previously. I backed "The Journey Down, Part 3" because they delivered the first two; I've back Zenva courses because they deliver on time, and I backed Everspace 2 because they delivered an excellent previous product. I hardly think that is rewarding bad behaviour.

If I think the campaign seems fanciful, over-hyped, is just plain BS, or this is their first one I would steer clear. For example, I did not back Atari VCS.

My point about no expectation, was that I recognise that software and hardware is hard, and that despite the best intentions, the project may fail to deliver. In the case of a sole developer, they may have massively understimated the time to deliver, or suffer burnout. Some games still deliver, but many years after they promised. I don't get angry about this.

Things are going downhill for the Atari VCS as Rob Wyatt quits
8 Oct 2019 at 1:54 pm UTC Likes: 2

This is a shame, but sadly unsurprising news. I doesn't even sound like they have the hardware finalised. Even without the software, and streaming services, if they could deliver a tidy little Linux box with the Atari logo on then backers would probably be (reasonably) happy. It's not going to be that difficult to install whatever emulator you want on it.

I've backed several Kickstarter campaigns (latest is Everspace 2 [External Link], all of which have delivered or are still expected to. When I back a campaign, it is with no expectation that it will deliver either on time, at all, or what I wanted.