Indeed. I’ve been radicalised by Ubisoft.

In 2012 I bought Splinter Cell Blacklist for Wii U. Loved it so much I paid for all the DLC, just like I did with Assassin’s Creed III also on Wii U. Not too long ago, Ubisoft announced they were terminating legacy activation servers, and multiplayer modes would no longer function. But this also meant that without those activation servers, I would lose access to the DLC I paid for (as Ubisoft disclosed) because the game phones their activation servers and authenticates if I own the DLC. With enough public gamer outrage and pushback, Ubisoft walked back this decision… for now.

I thought I was safe buying physical games like I always have. I thought I was safe if the DLC was downloaded to the console. If this legacy server decommissioning went through, I would never be able to legally play the stuff I paid for and should own. Lesson learned, and every last ounce of ever wanting to play a modern Ubisoft game died in about ~2020 when they announced this. I don’t trust them, and I’m glad to see their company is beginning to tank because they stopped innovating and making good games like they used to decades ago.

When I wanted to replay Blacklist recently, I pirated it. The pirated copy ran better than the copy I own on Steam and Uplay - no crashes every 30 minutes (seriously, look it up), no bugs, etc. I didn’t want to play the Wii U copy because it’s a very slow console and the loading times for levels is insane (10+ minutes to load in due to the archaic Wii U architecture, back when I first played it in 2012).

I’m receiving a better service from the pirates rather than Ubisoft. Not that I want to play any modern Ubisoft games, but this whole “ownership” thing has made me question every digital purchase I’ve made. Now, I rip all my Blu Rays to PC and archive them. I buy on GOG, and only buy on Steam if I can’t get it on GOG.

Sorry for long story, Ubisoft just really pisses me off and they destroyed the last thread of good will I had for them. I’ll just stick to playing Beyond Good and Evil on my GameCube if I get nostalgic for the games they made that had heart and innovation.

I don’t do voice chats on Deck. But when I only have a short time to play, I just use standard Apple earbuds that I’ve had for years.

When I get to game for more than an hour and feel like gaming on the couch, then I use my JBL Quantum TWS earbuds with the USB C adapter. These are primo ear buds, incredibly low latency, sound excellent, and are immersive with the noise canceling and noise isolating. Built in microphone, but I don’t use it for that purpose. I’d imagine for the price point the mic quality should be somewhere between good and great, depending on preference.

Edit: I chose the JBLs primarily because of the low latency. I can’t do Bluetooth because the input lag is so noticeable. Some Bluetooth headphones are great at reducing it, but nothing beats a USB receiver if you’re looking for low latency wireless. A note of caution that you’ll use up your USB C port so you can’t sit and charge your Deck. This setup works great for me though when I feel like having a semi long gaming session, but if I’m gonna game longer or play a more demanding game I head to my gaming PC instead.

I have sleep apnea. It’s very common. Get a sleep study so you’re properly evaluated and referred to the correct CPAP solution you’ll need. Then sleep with it.

I had an early model where it had a lot of background noise that wasn’t so bad for my spouse. However at certain points my mouth would open up and I’d emit a loud pressurized Darth Vader-like sound from my mouth. I’m checking with my provider to see if I can another sleep study and a different CPAP that will not bother my spouse as much.

Fun fact, sleep apnea is very dangerous and life threatening if left untreated. Get tested if you’re constantly exhausted and never feel like you get quality sleep. If you have a partner you share a bed with, they can help you identify you’re snoring and if you sound like you’re choking while you’re asleep - this happened to me and my partner woke me terrified that I might be dying.

Edit: some word replacement corrections due to typing on mobile

Correct, that’s why my comment also mentions the return of brick and mortar. I’m aware of retail stores and how they used to operate, having worked retail for years while I did school

It’s costs a lot to store unsold inventory. It costs a lot to ship it from store to store to try to get it to sell (based on their inventory metrics they want to place that product in stores that will be able to sell that product). Not all stores carry enough (or at all) of the item you want to buy. Brick and mortar could return, but we still have that problem of stocking stores.

I proposed an option I could see happening if it somehow became the norm to tip your delivery drivers. Maybe we would see drive thru pickup services.

If the future brings about a shift where delivery corporations reduce costs by outsourcing employee pay to the working class, then we must opt out of delivery companies bringing products to your door.

There will be a return of brick and mortar retail, or an opportunity for corporations to enter the market with new drive up delivery lockers where you can pick your shit up through a drive through window - McPackage (not sexual).

If there’s one slightly good thing about capitalism, it’s the blood-thirsty competition. Some corporation wants your money, and they’re gonna do what they can to capture the market and get your money. Drive up package pickup sounds really cool for a $79 annual subscription (until it eventually enshittifies). I’d love minimising the time I need to be home, the concern of missing a delivery, a porch pirate stealing a package, something getting damaged or lost in transit, etc.

Edit: I’m aware you can pay for P.O. Boxes and parcel lockers from delivery companies, but they will become anachronistic. Expensive monthly fees, small lockers, and inconvenient because you have to find parking at your strip mall, walk in, wade through people, and get your stuff from a small area. I can see drive up package pickup (McPackage) taking off if tipping your delivery drivers becomes the norm.

Oof I never read that. Well that’s disappointing.

It’s good to see clips from Loops as the Fediverse is trying to get their competitor to TikTok and whatever the other competitors from Facebook and YouTube are called. Loops can be a good thing but it’s still very nascent, so I appreciate OP making posts for Loops content to try to inform others and spread awareness. But I’d rather see an occasional cat video or something, as on Lemmy I prefer reading over watching stuff. I’m not the target audience for short form videos.

The short clip summarises the About page of GOG. https://www.gog.com/about_gog

Cool to spread awareness for people that are on those platforms and enjoy swiping through short videos. But here? Nah we’re okay. Plus I speculate the majority on Lemmy knows the value of GOG compared to more public places like Reddit.

Love Tales of Berseria. Velvet’s English voice actress excellently communicated such complex emotions ranging from anger, compassion, grief, and peace. Probably time for another replay!

Hi! I like technology! They’re comfy and easy to wear!

The ultimate gamer high is to take a deep breath from the Steam Deck exhaust, lick a Switch cartridge, hold your breath, and then chug down a G Fuel.

The song in this TV spot is a variation of a released song and was made exclusively for the purpose of this TV spot. This version was never released.

The original song is “Still With Me” by Tritonal feat. Cristina Soto.

So wholesome watching the Star Wars Halloween Special. 🥰 I watch it every year. In the original movie, I think Anakin falls in fiery stuff and screams how much he hates someone, or something like that. But in the Halloween Special, he falls into Twizzlers and screams “I ate you!” at the Twizzlers, while some older dude on a mountain watches him with admiration and calls him his brother and how much he loves Twizzlers and Red Vines, too. He loves candy. Such a lovely moment, I cry every time with happiness.

LOL at the most interesting cat portrait on the wall too. This gato is living the life I wish I had

So the camera is third person, but you of course experience the game through the eyes of Senua! You feel her courage, her fear, and her strength and grit as she pushes forward to solve her problem (no spoilers here).

While you play as Senua, you also get to hear Senua’s voices. Lots of voices, and it is an eerie and tough experience to get through. They will uplift you, praise you, beat you down, scare you, make you feel rotten. And it’s absolutely best to play this game with headphones - trust me.

I can’t praise this game enough. For me, it was about an 8.5/10. I only had a few nitpicks with gameplay, but the story beats, heartrending story, wonderful voice and motion-capture acting, musical score, art direction, etc is such an experience.

One of my favorite gaming experiences. For anyone reading this, it’s a must play. It’s not the greatest game of all time, but the audio experience combined with the heartrending story make an emotional package.

I drive a hot hatch and purchased aftermarket jacking rails for it. The rails are two long pieces of steel that I bolted underneath the car to distribute weight. I can jack the car up from anywhere along those rails.

Alternatively there are also jack pads you can buy for pinch welds. It’s just a block that you set on top of your jack. As you raise it to the point of the pinch welds, the jack pads surrounds it and helps distribute weight and support the car better.

For my PC I prefer headphones for the immersion. When on the Steam Deck, I use in ear buds. I have a handful of Apple ear pods I’ve amassed over the years that I’ll use when I’m trying to get some quick gaming in. If I get a chance to really sit down and game for an hour or more, I use my JBL Quantum TWS with the USB C receiver. Total immersion, excellent sound quality, noise canceling, and incredible latency. Battery life could always be better, but they’ll comfortably get me through a solid gaming session on the Deck.

I don’t use the speakers on my Deck at all. I probably should play some games with it and see how I like it.

Get the original on GOG without DRM or forced PSN.

Don’t buy from them. They don’t seem vetted.

Here are alternative known good sellers that also offer great discounts:

• Humble Bundle
• Green Man Gaming
• Fanatical
• Game Billet

There are others that are legitimate.

Avoid places like the site you listed, and also these ones especially:

• G2A
• Kinguin

If you buy from Eneba, G2A, Kinguin, etc. you may be fine. However, there’s risk that you may not be fine and have a key that was purchased via a scam or stolen credit card. Then that game which is linked to you can be deactivated from your Steam account, possible Steam account ban, etc. Don’t buy from them because you just don’t know where that key may have come from.

So freaking cute. Hi Gin!