General gaming discussion

The Raging Bile Duct

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

Uhmm maybe I'm wired to everyone else but a lot of people are pulling a weirdly negative read of that paragraph, in particular that it's some form of attack on consoles or escapism.

I feel like you are kinda missing the point of the first sentence of the last paragraph



I think that regardless of supply comment is important

This reads a lot less like inserting bs and more preparing readers for what will likely be a rather muted launch period, that unlike the last few console generation releases that were big party events with midnight queues and headline news articles about smashing sales records etc this one is probably going to be uneventful by comparison because it is for the reasons listed above a difficult time to have a new console launch.

I do think it needs to be said because for a chunk of the player base they will throw a tantrum when the initial news covering these new consoles launches will not be the biggest news story of the week and may even get a fairly lukewarm reception critically from the more general consumers and on top of that (very much in the xbox case) the initial offering of whats actually new available at launch will possibly be worst since the PS2 so everybody should calm down, get perspective and dont throw out the generation too soon.

Which yeah, the xbox series X launched yesterday and between lockdown in the UK and everything else going on, the most I've walked away with about the console is that it is very quiet. Not exactly the best sales pitch to be fair.

I'd wager there was a fair few parents stuck on the PUP that were secretly thankful that the PS5 sold out in minutes because it meant it wasn't solely down to their lack of money why little Johnny was going to be disappointed that he wasn't going to be getting his new console on Christmas morning.

johnny_ultimate

BloodBath wrote: »

You know when I want to read about US politics or Covid I look up stories related to it. There's no shortage and they don't randomly go off in a tangent about games or gaming hardware when talking about it.

And you have hundreds of thousands of words and thousands of hours of videos about the new consoles readily available without any of that. We’re talking about three paragraphs in one review in one publication, and from a site as you say is well-known for blending politics and gaming. BloodBath isn’t the only audience member for every piece of writing about games, y’know If Kotaku isn’t for you, there are countless alternatives.

pixelburp

BloodBath wrote: »

You know when I want to read about US politics or Covid I look up stories related to it. There's no shortage and they don't randomly go off in a tangent about games or gaming hardware when talking about it.

When I look up games or hardware review/information I want information related to that topic. Hey but that's just me. Let's not pretend Kotaku haven't been doing this for years, pre covid, pre BLM, pre GF, pre election. Those things are covered to death in traditional media.

If you're so used to kotaku "always" inserting politics then the question is begged as to why you're even reading it? What did you expect to find if their editorialising is so blatant and consistent in your eyes? These console launches don't happen in isolation and remarking on the social context seems like fair game to me. If it displeases you then don't read kotaku, as it's clearly not your jam. Just reads like you're getting uppity about something you have entire control over

ancapailldorcha

I've read all sorts of drivel in the Guardian about games so that paper is no longer my go to outlet for gaming. If you don't like something, stop consuming it. Simples.

BloodBath

I don't read it. Just felt like ranting about it as I've gone mad from listening to an alarm go off for the last 36 hours straight and I haven't got to speak to the owner yet.

Carry on.

Penn

BloodBath wrote: »

I don't read it. Just felt like ranting about it as I've gone mad from listening to an alarm go off for the last 36 hours straight and I haven't got to speak to the owner yet.

Carry on.

I mean you're complaining about an alarm going off, even though there's a worldwide pandemic, election trouble in the US and a likely incoming recession.

PERSPECTIVE, MAN! THE ALARMS ARE GOING OFF EVERYWHERE!!!!

Zero-Cool

Enough of the politics, lets talk about the real issues like the fact that 51.5% of Pornhub console traffic came from PS4 users last year and the PS5 is removing the web browser and putting an end to it. PREORDER CANCELLED!

SomeSayKos

Zero-Cool wrote: »

Enough of the politics, lets talk about the real issues like the fact that 51.5% of Pornhub console traffic came from PS4 users last year and the PS5 is removing the web browser and putting an end to it. PREORDER CANCELLED!

i didn't even know there was a web browser on my ps4!

quokula

Kiith wrote: »

It's nothing to do with being "sensitive". Some just don't think it should be in a console review.

To be fair, i was thinking Kotaku did the Kingdom Come review where they practically accused the devs of racism, so may have gotten on my high horses a bit too quick :pac:

I mean, the developers did say and do a lot to indicate that they were racist, so it's understandable.

A great many games are inherently political in their storylines, and those that aren't story driven are still often political in the characters they portray or don't portray, in the way developers choose to market them, in the kind of accessibility they offer to players with different disabilities, in the way they portray violence or conflict, in the way they portray different cultures, in the actions of the studio and the treatment of staff during development. It is very valid to discuss these kinds of things.

That is all a far cry from dedicating a large chunk of a review of a piece of hardware to criticising it for daring to exist in 2020 though. If it was some extreme luxury console far out-pricing the competition like the PS3, or if they were having massive launch parties or marketing it in an irresponsible way in the current climate (they've actually done the opposite and put announcements out on twitter to tell consumers not to go and queue at shops to buy one), then that criticism would be perfectly valid.

But there were no such details, it's a normal console launching at a normal price, on a normal release cadence, that just happened to coincide with difficult times in the US. By that logic every single game Kotaku review this year should also feature a disclaimer that it happened to release during the pandemic therefore we should be weary of it.

quokula

SomeSayKos wrote: »

i didn't even know there was a web browser on my ps4!

It's really, really terrible, slow and hard to use with poor compatibility. Still disappointing to hear it's being removed though, I'm surprised about that. I use it occasionally for sports streams as it's the only straightforward way to get them on my large TV.

CastorTroy

SomeSayKos wrote: »

i didn't even know there was a web browser on my ps4!

Just had the pornhub app installed? :pac:

I think I remember there being an icon for the browser, or that might've been the PS3.
I was wondering why would people use the playstation for internet, especially when the majority would likely have smartphones as well.

The Raging Bile Duct

SomeSayKos wrote: »

i didn't even know there was a web browser on my ps4!

It's like nipples on a bloke - completely useless.

johnny_ultimate

I think it was the RTÉ Player that only ever worked in the PS3 web app. It was so slow, and had a tendency to run out of cache space after 30 mins or so. Good times.

Penn

Zero-Cool wrote: »

Enough of the politics, lets talk about the real issues like the fact that 51.5% of Pornhub console traffic came from PS4 users last year and the PS5 is removing the web browser and putting an end to it. PREORDER CANCELLED!

Yeah but I got my home office set up now so that 51.5% is going to drop drastically anyway.

BloodBath

quokula wrote: »

I mean, the developers did say and do a lot to indicate that they were racist, so it's understandable.

A great many games are inherently political in their storylines, and those that aren't story driven are still often political in the characters they portray or don't portray, in the way developers choose to market them, in the kind of accessibility they offer to players with different disabilities, in the way they portray violence or conflict, in the way they portray different cultures, in the actions of the studio and the treatment of staff during development. It is very valid to discuss these kinds of things.

That is all a far cry from dedicating a large chunk of a review of a piece of hardware to criticising it for daring to exist in 2020 though. If it was some extreme luxury console far out-pricing the competition like the PS3, or if they were having massive launch parties or marketing it in an irresponsible way in the current climate (they've actually done the opposite and put announcements out on twitter to tell consumers not to go and queue at shops to buy one), then that criticism would be perfectly valid.

But there were no such details, it's a normal console launching at a normal price, on a normal release cadence, that just happened to coincide with difficult times in the US. By that logic every single game Kotaku review this year should also feature a disclaimer that it happened to release during the pandemic therefore we should be weary of it.

What did they do to indicate they were racist? Not every game has to be culturally diverse. Eurogamer who did the article aren't exactly culturally diverse either and that's perfectly fine too.

It's an artform and guess what. Artists and designers are free to express whatever tf they want whether in a historical context or a completely fictional one.

Who's criticizing Ghosts of Tsushima for not having non Asian characters? It doesn't happen because it's a stupid argument made by morons but somehow it's become semi acceptable if it's a mainly white European or American studio.

The Witcher 3 got some of the same criticism. Lord of the rings too.

Virtue signaling idiots.

RasTa

Zero-Cool wrote: »

Enough of the politics, lets talk about the real issues like the fact that 51.5% of Pornhub console traffic came from PS4 users last year and the PS5 is removing the web browser and putting an end to it. PREORDER CANCELLED!

PS4 Master Bate....

Retr0gamer

BloodBath wrote: »

What did they do to indicate they were racist? Not every game has to be culturally diverse. Eurogamer who did the article aren't exactly culturally diverse either and that's perfectly fine too.

It's an artform and guess what. Artists and designers are free to express whatever tf they want whether in a historical context or a completely fictional one.

Who's criticizing Ghosts of Tsushima for not having non Asian characters? It doesn't happen because it's a stupid argument made by morons but somehow it's become semi acceptable if it's a mainly white European or American studio.

The Witcher 3 got some of the same criticism. Lord of the rings too.

Virtue signaling idiots.

Why is it always the people that give out about freedom of speech and expression that delude themselves into thinking they are all for freedom of speech and expression when really what they mean is I'm all for freedom of speech and expression only when it's about what I want to hear?

johnny_ultimate

On a different note, just see that the excellent but somewhat underappreciated Eastshade is on GamePass for PC. Kinda like a small, more focused and no-combat Skyrim where you're a travelling painter on an island looking to paint some of your mother's favourite sights. It's a small indie production and janky in some respects, but it's also very lovely with some gorgeous pastoral landscapes to explore (plus some neat secrets). Well recommended for anyone looking for a bit of video gaming peace and quiet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYslaGEMs4o

pixelburp

Kinda hard to avoid "politics" when America insists on making even apparently trivial social issues like "wearing a mask during a pandemic" a political, partisan issue. Everything is politics because that's how the world works ATM.

What I will say is I do hate how we keep inheriting Americas's insecurities and hang ups; we co-opt their cultural conflicts as our own, despite not having any direct equivalent or relationship. We have our own problems but we simply don't have the issues Americans protest about

johnny_ultimate

pixelburp wrote: »

We have our own problems

Absolutely, but America did outrageously inflict the Wild Mountain Thyme trailer upon us last night. ****ing American exceptionalism

gizmo

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Absolutely, but America did outrageously inflict the Wild Mountain Thyme trailer upon us last night. ****ing American exceptionalism

You never play The Saboteur?

J. Marston

They're openly admitting that it's clickbait...

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1325967086636720129

Retr0gamer

J. Marston wrote: »

They're openly admitting that it's clickbait...

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1325967086636720129

:rolleyes: Give it a break

SomeSayKos

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

On a different note, just see that the excellent but somewhat underappreciated Eastshade is on GamePass for PC. Kinda like a small, more focused and no-combat Skyrim where you're a travelling painter on an island looking to paint some of your mother's favourite sights. It's a small indie production and janky in some respects, but it's also very lovely with some gorgeous pastoral landscapes to explore (plus some neat secrets). Well recommended for anyone looking for a bit of video gaming peace and quiet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYslaGEMs4o

I watched Limmy doing a stream of this. It was gas

SomeSayKos

J. Marston wrote: »

They're openly admitting that it's clickbait...

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1325967086636720129

I mean technically he just openly admitted that he's proud to have published that story and that it was an added bonus that it annoyed some snowflakes.

The Raging Bile Duct

J. Marston wrote: »

They're openly admitting that it's clickbait...

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1325967086636720129

How's that admitting it's clickbait? You must be seeing something I'm not...

pixelburp

Christ the invocation of Kotaku is hitting Soros levels of tedious repetition. I'm not even that enamored with them, but read the outlet understanding their love to slant some of their work. I get it, deal with it. Not sure why they specifically need calling out

Azza

I don't think there is any issue during the current situation with the pandemic that saying purchasing a PS5 might be a hard sell to people effected economically by the pandemic.

But I'm really struggling to figure out what the hell does America's health care and political systems have anything remotely to do with a console launch?

gizmo

Azza wrote: »

I don't there is any issue during the current situation with the current pandemic that saying purchasing a PS5 might be a hard sell to people effected economically by the pandemic.

But I'm really struggling to figure out what the hell does America's health care and political systems have anything remotely to do with a console launch?

The additional financial uncertainly brought about by a global pandemic affecting a system which is already so hostile to the populace that it is responsible for over 60% of bankruptcies nationwide. The political side likely relates to the administrations current efforts to repeal the last attempt at regulatory overhaul, which at least ensures everyone can receive cover regardless of pre-existing conditions, and replacing it with one whose most recent ancestor may claim to do the same, but also removed the upper limits on what companies could charge for premiums in the process.

As others have said, it just adds some context to the US release of what amounts to a luxury item that costs $399/$499.

Heres Johnny

The Raging Bile Duct wrote: »

If you're not going to get much for it would you not just keep and use it on another TV to remote play your PS5?

Could keep it and use sky go on it I suppose, free multiroom