Videogame Deals

This is where you can deliberate anything relating to videogames - past, present and future
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ratsoalbion »

In defence of the GOG situation, they got rid of their toxic social media manager/Twitter guy over a year ago and replaced him with someone who comes very much from a different place.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by Alex79 »

KSubzero1000 wrote: February 29th, 2020, 2:32 pm
ThirdMan wrote: February 29th, 2020, 12:55 pm I wonder what, if any, effect that will have on the sales figures for Cyberpunk. Virtually none, I suspect.
I suspect so too. It's pointless to expect any broad consumer base to care about anything other than their own entitlement and naked self-interest.
Hmm, steady on, because that sounds like an incredibly sweeping and judgemental statement to make. I wouldn't expect for one minute that 90% of gamers know the first thing about the work ethics or socio-political leanings of any game developer to make that informed decision in the first place. And that's not their fault, either. Most people aren't as interested in the gaming press or follow news stories as people generally on special-interest forms such as this are.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Alex79uk wrote: February 29th, 2020, 8:36 pm
KSubzero1000 wrote: February 29th, 2020, 2:32 pm
ThirdMan wrote: February 29th, 2020, 12:55 pm I wonder what, if any, effect that will have on the sales figures for Cyberpunk. Virtually none, I suspect.
I suspect so too. It's pointless to expect any broad consumer base to care about anything other than their own entitlement and naked self-interest.
Hmm, steady on, because that sounds like an incredibly sweeping and judgemental statement to make.
That's because it is one. Look no further than the music, movie, textile, agriculture, fossil fuel and tech industries for parallel examples that are making money hand over fist day in and day out because they happen to provide a product that people want and/or think they need, despite their gross and deeply unsustainable elements being a matter of public record. It's that simple, really.

When I said "broad consumer base", I meant that the critical mass of consumers simply doesn't care about anything other than their desires being fulfilled. Some individuals can and do care, but those are the exception and not the rule otherwise these industries would either be forced to undergo significant change or cease to exist entirely.

I'm not trying to be antagonistic here, just not in a sugar-coating mood these days.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ThirdMan »

How do you live your life with those standards? That's an honest question and I'm not trying to be rude. And how can you afford to meet all of those criteria? Sustainable textiles, green energy etc. Needs versus wants. The whole lot. You have a very fixed view of what an ethical lifestyle is so what does your life look like from day to day? Something as simple as travelling to another city in another country for the weekend, just to play videogames. How does that fit into your sustainable, needs versus wants ethical model?

Again, I'm not trying to pick at something. I simply don't know how I'd live my life if every movement, every purchase, every activity and hobby was subject to serious scrutiny and self-analysis. I know we all need to play our part and I, in particular, can do a lot more, but tell me what life would look like if I was you?
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Re: Videogame Deals

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ThirdMan wrote: February 29th, 2020, 11:26 pm How do you live your life with those standards? That's an honest question and I'm not trying to be rude.
That's okay. It's a fair question and I know my previous statement was strongly worded.

Without going too deep into the minutiae of my day-to-day purchases, I'd say this is mostly a matter of picking up good habits and not mindlessly following every trend. Basically, I really don't want to screw anybody over if I can help it and I do what I can where I can so that I'm able to live with myself. Waste as little as possible, value quality over quantity, understand where your money goes to. That sort of thing. I'm not naive enough to believe that the capitalistic system I live in is going to change overnight which means I know my efforts are mostly symbolic, so I'm still allowing myself a bit of leeway on certain issues (physical games, for example).

ThirdMan wrote: February 29th, 2020, 11:26 pm And how can you afford to meet all of those criteria?
Cost analysis can be a bit of a red herring in my opinion, because it is often built on the faulty premise that better solutions are inherently more expensive. Oftentimes the trade-off isn't monetary in nature, but has to do with convenience more than anything.


I travel by train instead of by plane whenever possible, the trade-off is that it takes a bit longer.

I almost never use disposable plastic bags, the trade-off is that I have to think about taking my 15-year old fabric bags with me when grocery shopping and throw them in the wash every once in a while.

I turn off my tv and consoles when I'm not using them instead of the 24/7 standby mode of every other household (which significantly increases their longevity, btw), the trade-off is that I have to physically get up and press the big red button when I'm done for the evening. I don't think I've ever had a console die on me and it saves huge amounts of electricity.

I prefer supporting my local arthouse theater instead of the big scummy multiplex, the trade-off is that the screen is smaller and they don't have any concession stand. But that's okay because I'm there to pay attention to a good movie instead of catching a clogged artery.

I try to support local farmers as much as possible, the trade-off is that I have to familiarize myself with seasonal products and treat exotic fruits as the occasional luxuries they are, for example.

I try to be careful about how I spend my entertainment budget, the trade-off is that it takes a bit of time to research stuff beforehand.

I prefer creators / developers / filmmakers (smaller ones in particular) to be compensated for their effort, the trade-off is that, well, somebody needs to chip in.

Clothes and electronic products are almost always produced overseas in deplorable working conditions, so I try to make sure to buy quality products that will last as long as possible. It's both cheaper and less exploitative to buy some solid clothes once a year than some cheap ones every month because I feel like it. And it's certainly not any more expensive to turn on the old GameCube to play some masterpiece I already own than to buy the latest hardware revision of a modern console in order to play the 4K version of a game I'm gonna get bored of halfway through anyway.


Plenty of other examples I could list off, but you get the idea. Sometimes it costs a bit more and sometimes it costs a bit less, so it's really not about money. I just like thinking before doing and I think it's important to look beyond the nearest price tag, that's all. People used to be much wiser about this sort of things 100 years ago, btw. Now it's all about "saving money" and screw everything else (just look at the thread we're in!).

I imagine the issue can be traced back to people being bombarded with materialistic status symbols from a very young age without ever being incentivized to reexamine things, quite the contrary in fact. Personally, I think it's more important to appreciate what you have and to try to be a part of the solution rather than the problem, but that's just me. We won't take any of that shit with us, after all.

If it makes you feel any better, I've received my fair share of criticism for overthinking things and, well, there's probably a bit of truth to that. :P

ThirdMan wrote: February 29th, 2020, 11:26 pm Something as simple as travelling to another city in another country for the weekend, just to play videogames. How does that fit into your sustainable, needs versus wants ethical model?
Just to make sure I understand this correctly before I answer, are you referring to my trip to Michiel's?


EDIT: Am I rambling here? Oh God, I'm midnight rambling again. This is starting to become a thing. I believe the go-to label these days is "pompous". :lol:
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by Stanshall »

I have a lot of respect for all the above. My best man is similar and I feel like I talk the talk too much in comparison.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by Stanshall »

I actually did slide a spare copy of Deathsmiles down a grid because I was concerned that my wife might see it and not agree that moe is a question of cultural perspective.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ThirdMan »

KSubzero1000 wrote: March 1st, 2020, 1:29 amWithout going too deep into the minutiae of my day-to-day purchases, I'd say this is mostly a matter of picking up good habts....
With respect, my purchasing and consumption looks pretty much the same as yours, yet here I am thinking I could do so much more, while you're strongly criticising others for doing so much less. So I guess that's just a difference in temperament between us.

In certain areas we're doing the same things but for different reasons. I don't buy plastic bags because here in Ireland there's a €0.15 government levy per bag. People that otherwise don't give a shit about the environment will nonetheless have their re-usable 'bag for life' because they don't want to line the government's pockets with unnecessary charges.

I'm quite responsible in how I source my food but that's because (a) I've chronic bowel disease and (b) my girflfriend's family are organic farmers. So buying local, 'simple' foods is vitally important for my well-being and it's frequently free of charge (or at the very least cheaper than organic is for most people). I've also been mostly vegan or vegetarian for the past 15 years because I have difficulty digesting meat and dairy. So once again I'm arriving at contemporary sustainable living habits almost by accident.

A notable area where I'm wasteful is with my 'media budget'. Buying and trading consoles, speakers, turntables. etc. But that's a behavioural problem that has sprung up in recent years and part of a much larger emotional pattern that I'm currently receiving help with. So that's a work in progress and is in no way related to my views on the environment or sustainability.

Another problem area is commuting. I have a 200km round-trip each day. Driving by car is the only option I have for getting to work on time because of where I live. I've thought about working closer to home but at present my only area of training is in commercial litigation and that means High Court work in Dublin or Cork. I hope to transition to criminal law when I'm certified to practice and if that happens I'll be able to walk to work in less than 5 minutes! But until then I'm a diesel guzzler. I suspect my next car will be a hybrid if not fully electric but at present I'm simply not willing to make the switch.

I'm also not willing to switch properties in order to live in a more energy efficient home. I'm not yet in a position to buy a home and the rental market is too volatile and expensive to justify a move. For more environmentally conscious people that wouldn't be a problem, they would just do it, but I'm not going to just do it. So I know I'm not doing enough in (at least) two major areas of my life and it does get under my skin at times. It's a lack of conviction for sure but there are limits to what I'm willing to do at present.
KSubzero1000 wrote: March 1st, 2020, 1:29 amJust to make sure I understand this correctly before I answer, are you referring to my trip to Michiel's?
Yes, that's what I was referring to and the only reason I remember it was because I was green with envy. Being able to jump on a train and visit a friend in another country to play games is a cool way to spend some time. But where does that rank in terms of stuff you want, need, or think you need? For example, when I visit my friends in Croatia or Barcelona I check the dates of the flights, I book my time off work and I go. And that's what I'll continue to do until somebody tells me it's illegal. I think I need to see my friends so I just go.

But you clearly hold much stronger views than me so I'm wondering how easy it is for you to find a balance between living your life and meeting your own standards. I have a vision of you fully powering off your PS4 to save electricity and then jumping on a transnational train the next day to play videogames somewhere else. It's the type of apparent contradiction that's easy to poke fun at but I'm being deadly serious. Because it's that balance between living my life and meeting my social and environmental responsibilities that troubles me, and it troubles me because I'm simply not willing to go all the way. Sometimes it's about money, other times it's about convenience. Whatever the reason, the end result is the same. It's not the best version of myself but it's the truth.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by KSubzero1000 »

ThirdMan wrote: March 1st, 2020, 9:45 am I am thinking I could do so much more, while you're strongly criticising others for doing so much less. So I guess that's just a difference in temperament between us.
That's fair. I have a bit of a cognitive dissonance in the sense that I'm quick to lambaste people at large while being careful not to unfairly criticize individuals in particular. Everybody's situation is different and none of us can really do enough to change the system single-handedly. You mentioned cars for example, and yeah, cars are a very much a practical necessity for the vast majority of people nowadays. Do I think our societies need to become less dependent on fossil fuel for both environmental as well as geo-political reasons? Most definitely, but none of this is the fault of the ordinary folks who need to commute by car every day. Other areas are less of a necessity, which is where I think it's important to raise the standards a bit.

ThirdMan wrote: March 1st, 2020, 9:45 am Being able to jump on a train and visit a friend in another country to play games is a cool way to spend some time. But where does that rank in terms of stuff you want, need, or think you need? [...] I have a vision of you fully powering off your PS4 to save electricity and then jumping on a transnational train the next day to play videogames somewhere else. It's the type of apparent contradiction that's easy to poke fun at but I'm being deadly serious.
Well, I can see why it might raise a few eyebrows out of context but I was traveling in that direction for (very serious!) unrelated reasons anyway, and the additional costs and time needed to make a stop in the Netherlands were minimal at best. More of a happy logistical coincidence than a regular gas-guzzling habit. :P

ThirdMan wrote: March 1st, 2020, 9:45 am Because it's that balance between living my life and meeting my social and environmental responsibilities that troubles me, and it troubles me because I'm simply not willing to go all the way.
I mean, these daily compromises are perfectly understandable and borderline unavoidable for most of us. As long as you're aware of the issues and try to make sustainable choices in at least some areas, you're already doing more than most anyway.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ThirdMan »

KSubzero1000 wrote: March 1st, 2020, 10:17 am
ThirdMan wrote: March 1st, 2020, 9:45 am I am thinking I could do so much more, while you're strongly criticising others for doing so much less. So I guess that's just a difference in temperament between us.
That's fair. I have a bit of a cognitive dissonance in the sense that I'm quick to lambaste people at large while being careful not to unfairly criticize individuals in particular. Everybody's situation is different and none of us can really do enough to change the system single-handedly. You mentioned cars for example, and yeah, cars are a very much a practical necessity for the vast majority of people nowadays. Do I think our societies need to become less dependent on fossil fuel for both environmental as well as geo-political reasons? Most definitely, but none of this is the fault of the ordinary folks who need to commute by car every day. Other areas are less of a necessity, which is where I think it's important to raise the standards a bit.

ThirdMan wrote: March 1st, 2020, 9:45 am Being able to jump on a train and visit a friend in another country to play games is a cool way to spend some time. But where does that rank in terms of stuff you want, need, or think you need? [...] I have a vision of you fully powering off your PS4 to save electricity and then jumping on a transnational train the next day to play videogames somewhere else. It's the type of apparent contradiction that's easy to poke fun at but I'm being deadly serious.
Well, I can see why it might raise a few eyebrows out of context but I was traveling in that direction for (very serious!) unrelated reasons anyway, and the additional costs and time needed to make a stop in the Netherlands were minimal at best. More of a happy logistical coincidence than a regular gas-guzzling habit. :P

ThirdMan wrote: March 1st, 2020, 9:45 am Because it's that balance between living my life and meeting my social and environmental responsibilities that troubles me, and it troubles me because I'm simply not willing to go all the way.
I mean, these daily compromises are perfectly understandable and borderline unavoidable for most of us. As long as you're aware of the issues and try to make sustainable choices in at least some areas, you're already doing more than most anyway.
There's no need to explain yourself to me. If I could hop on a train and visit my friend in Split to play games then I'd be en route right now and to hell with my carbon footprint.

The 'problem' you have is that you hold quite strong and derisive views about how other people live their lives and spend their money. The instinctive response to a polemicist is scrutiny so the louder you bark the more inclined people will be to dig into what they know about you.

Okay, I was being slightly cheeky but ultimately I was using it as an example, real or imagined, of the type of dissonance involved in living a conscious and ethical life while also just being ourselves. I find it very difficult.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by Simonsloth »

I must be missing something but I don’t see Ksub as putting himself on a pedestal at all but simply making some observations about how society in general does very little to be eco friendly. What he says also happens to be backed up by him trying to do his bit. I don’t think he is marking himself out as holier than thou and the only reason he’s had to go into great detail about it all was because he was directly challenged.

Let’s all get back to talking about videogame deals.

Days gone is reduced heavily on the PS4 store and I’m giving it a whirl.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ratsoalbion »

Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is currently £8 (66% off) on Steam.

Please - for the love of god, people - take any tedious, irrelevant interpersonal dramas to the GWJ forums...
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by dezm0nd »

Owly?

I'm not sure where the deals are in here other than 2 people dealing with each other.

Just get naked and get it over with. Christ
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ThirdMan »

ratsoalbion wrote: March 1st, 2020, 8:56 pm Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is currently £8 (66% off) on Steam.

Please - for the love of god, people - take any tedious, irrelevant interpersonal dramas to the GWJ forums...
If we did that would reduce the forum to 17 regular contributors. We might then qualify for a minority group cultural grant. Could sort our your Patreon problems. I'm willing to jump ship for the greater good.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ThirdMan »

Disco Elysium is down 20% to €31.99 on Steam. It's not a huge drop but I expect it to hold its value for quite a while. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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Re: Videogame Deals

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ThirdMan wrote: March 1st, 2020, 11:43 pm
ratsoalbion wrote: March 1st, 2020, 8:56 pm Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is currently £8 (66% off) on Steam.

Please - for the love of god, people - take any tedious, irrelevant interpersonal dramas to the GWJ forums...
If we did that would reduce the forum to 17 regular contributors. We might then qualify for a minority group cultural grant. Could sort our your Patreon problems. I'm willing to jump ship for the greater good.
What Patreon problems?

In fact we had a greater number of regular contributors before a few larger characters and personality clashes started polluting or even dominating the discourse in an increasingly large number of topic threads.

If the prevailing feeling is that this place is no longer of use or pleasure then Jay and I will quite happily shut it down. It wouldn’t make any significant difference to our podcast listenership (or Patreon subscribers), but it would be one less thing for us to manage.


Edit: I realise, reading back, that my post sounds really harsh, so apologies for jumping on a joke that way (though it comes from a place of truth). Bit sensitive as I’m fed up at this once-treasured place being bad-mouthed recently, notably in the main by those who have contributed to a shift in atmosphere. I’m hopeful that any drama will soon be put behind us and equilibrium restored. In terms of the number of regular contributors, it’s always been quality over quantity and that has served the community and the podcast very well indeed.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ThirdMan »

ratsoalbion wrote: March 2nd, 2020, 1:00 am
ThirdMan wrote: March 1st, 2020, 11:43 pm
ratsoalbion wrote: March 1st, 2020, 8:56 pm Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is currently £8 (66% off) on Steam.

Please - for the love of god, people - take any tedious, irrelevant interpersonal dramas to the GWJ forums...
If we did that would reduce the forum to 17 regular contributors. We might then qualify for a minority group cultural grant. Could sort our your Patreon problems. I'm willing to jump ship for the greater good.
What Patreon problems?
It was a joke, Leon.
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ratsoalbion »

Right.
:D

Edit: Added silly emoji to indicate levity
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Re: Videogame Deals

Post by ThirdMan »

I haven't made good on my promise to make liberal use of emojis. I'm starting to think I'm actually a wanker in real life but there's at least some of my charm getting lost in translation.
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Re: Videogame Deals

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Happens to all of us!
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