I think there can be an intermediary step where things get a little better before they get much worse. I’m thinking of Youtube, which pre acquisiton, iirc, was getting slow and bad. Google infrastructure made it faster, but then, well…

This is really just the first step of enshitification - first they make things good for users, then introduce advertisers, then claw back all the value for themselves.

Or put another way

• "don’t worry you favourite thing will stay the same - we don’t want to mess with a winning formula!
• “these changes will benefit users!”
• “we have to comply with industry standards and best practices. please read our updated terms of service.”
• "in order to compete in a dynamic marketplace, we’re introducing an add supported tier!
• “we’ve made changes to our subscription model!”
• “we’ve made changes to our subscription model and we’re introducing adds on paid tiers! suck it!”
• “sure, you paid for it, but our agreements are expiring and we don’t value you as a human being!”
• “really, where else are you going to go? lololololol”

I play a lot of boomer shooters, some of the more nostalgic ones give me that feeling.

But the cozy exploration, and childlike wonder of Sable are feelings I yearn for long after completing it. So far nothing else has scratched the itch.

It makes even less sense considering the pivot to an “original franchise.” If they’re cynically trying to print money, why not cash in on something with an established active fanbase? Seems like less of a risk.

I’d have bought a new Deus Ex game, regardless if it got badly reviewed. Not really interested in whatever they’re cooking up now. I’m sure most of us fans probably feel the same way.

“um, akshully, it’s not genocide, but it might still be bad or whatever.” Ridiculous

Setting aside whether Israel’s attacks, killings, civilian casualties and mass displacement meet a particular definition of genocide, what possible reason does the author have to quibble on this?

Either they’re merely being pedantic (which I find hard to believe) or they’re trying to blunt outrage over what I think any reasonable person would call a genocide. They’re reaching for any means possible to make these crimes seem less heinous. Seems like a move of desperation to me.

It’s not my primary device but it fills a couple niches really well. And travel device isn’t even the most important, though obviously I love it for that.

Sometimes I game with it over my PC when I want to be outside in the summer.

But most of the time I end using it with the tv. I have the dock and it’s become more like a Nintendo switch than a Sega game gear. My friends and blasted through Streets of Rage 4 in an afternoon for example. And im in a couple discord movie servers and when I’m watching I just switch to desktop mode and full screen it.

So yeah I’m not using it the way I thought, but it gets used couple times a week minimum, a lot more if I have along bus or train ride.

And if you don’t mind hard games with a lot of dying. I died about 600 times on the first boss, no joke. But the game doesn’t make you wait between deaths, and they all felt fair. It’s the good kind of hard game.

They’re not really the same vibe, but they do have an extremely far future setting, vast intelligences called Minds that run society, and my favourite part, luxury space communism. Most people recommend you start on book two - The Player of Games since it’s a better example of what the series is. While that’s true I stated on book one - Consider Phlebas - and liked it, so up to you I guess.

Wishlisted!

As a fan of the Culture series and really any far, far future stuff, this looks to be my jam.