Ghost_MH

45 minutes ago, ort said:

Also, who is asking for super apps? That has always seemed like the worst idea ever. Talk about lock-in.

 

Mostly people that aren't as tech savvy. For instance, they'd prefer one Comcast app that does everything instead of multiple apps to handle wireless versus Wi-Fi versus paying their bills. Apple only allows one primary category per app plus a single secondary function. That's why T-Mobile and other carriers have a dozen apps instead of one main app that can handle every need of their customers. Unfortunately, that then carries over to Android because making two sets of the same app is already a lot of work, but two sets of entirely different apps is a bridge too far.

Fine, these little guys go great with my Angus Beef Big Mac Gundam.

 

8 minutes ago, ort said:

My main concern is that the our elected officials have proven time and time again that they have absolutely no fucking clue about any of this stuff.

 

Apple's locked down system is as much of a selling point as it is a hindrance. That's kind of their whole deal. If you don't like it, you have plenty of other very viable options.

 

Apple's control only becomes a problem when it controls what's available on Android.

 

 

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“For years, Apple blocked cloud gaming apps that would have given users access to desirable apps and content without needing to pay for expensive Apple hardware because this would threaten its monopoly power,” the lawsuit reads. “In Apple’s own words, it feared a world where ‘all that matters is who has the cheapest hardware’ and consumers could ‘buy[] a [expletive] Android for 25 bux at a garage sale and... have a solid cloud computing device’ that ‘works fine.’”

 

Apple feared that giving legitimacy to cloud streaming gaming apps wouldn't hurt users, but could convince users they could get away with buying cheaper hardware which includes Android.

 

Same goes for super apps.

 

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However, the DOJ’s lawsuit claims that Apple doesn’t want users or companies in the US to benefit from super apps. It notes that during a board of directors presentation, Apple cited super apps as a “major headwind” to boosting iPhone sales in countries where they’re popular because of “[l]ow stickiness” and “[l]ow switching costs.” If someone benefits from using a super app, they don’t necessarily need to be tied to any one ecosystem — like Apple’s.

 

Apple is doing what it can to stop the development of super apps on iOS because they know it would make switching over to Android easier. When half the market is cut off, few are going to invest in making these apps for Android and Android alone.

3 minutes ago, ort said:

I find a lot of rules in the App Store to be pretty shitty, but this really feels like they are kinda reaching on a lot of these points. Are they really a monopoly? They have half the market in the US and like 30% or something like that globally?

 

Are they going to go after Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo for selling closed systems?

 

This reminds me of when they went after Apple for the book store price fixing when Amazon had like 95% of the market.

 

I do believe there is something to be said about toys and general use computers which, in the year 2024, absolutely includes smart phones and tablets. You aren't doing your banking on a Switch. You don't need a PS5 is be a functioning member of society, but you absolutely need a smart phone. Apple might not control the entire market, but the DOJ is claiming that they own enough of the market to push their weight around in a monopolistic manner.

 

This is like California getting to choose emissions standards on cars that affect everyone else. Only, California is legally allowed to do that while Apple probably isn't.

Easy

 

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Damn yellow words caught me for a bit

 

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Looks like we're starting the spring season early. You don't normally see anime start popping up for another week or two, but we've got one videogame tie in that needs sorting out.

 

Unfortunately, Toriyama didn't make it in time to see a wider audience enjoy his wildly under-appreciated Mad Max meets Dragon Ball short series. The first seven episodes are out on Hulu TODAY. The first 6 episodes of this new anime will recount the events as told in the 1999 manga. The seventh episode will begin a new arc Toriyama wrote specifically for this anime series. That arc will run for 7 episodes bringing the series to a total of 13 leading up to the release of the Sand Land game coming out April 26.

 

Also coming out in April is Kaiju No.8...

I've been reading the manga since the first chapter. This should do very good as anime, so here's hoping this adaptation is good. Who doesn't like stuff where folks are fighting kaiju while using kaiju parts to power their weapons and armor?

 

 Wait, is this actually another season of Black Butler? I had to look it up and sure enough, it's been a full decade since the last season...

 

Speaking of anime that's a long time in the making, Fujiko Fujio is getting another new anime? You might not know the pair, but you've certainly at least heard or seen Doraemon at some point. It's been some 35 years since the last Time Patrol Bon anime. Now we've got a new season hitting Netflix in May...

 

I am all for more Korean manhwa getting the anime treatment...

Nerdy twig of a kid takes on all the bullies in town to rack up YouTube views. The first season of the manhwa was a ton of fun, so here's hoping this anime is too.

 

For a moment, I thought we'd be seeing more manhwa getting animated, but nope, we've just got a manga sharing the same name of a wildly popular manhwa series that's still running. Let's blame an editor over at Kodansha for not Googling the name of their new manga. Either way, if you want more delinquents beating the shit out of each other, Wind Breaker will do that for you.

 

What's the opposite of high school delinquents punching each other in the face? Some cute girls trying to form an anonymous musical group? Sure. If anything, Jellyfish Can't Swim at Night certainly has some pretty animation...

 

Speaking of music, there's also Hi Dive's Whisper Me a Love Song. This one is more romance/drama, though...

 

We've got to even out the world. Whisper Me a Love Song may be a rare lesbian romance anime, but you know what's even more rare? A gay romance anime, and we've got one coming up with Welcome Home...whose title Crunchyroll decided not to translate...

 

Thinking about it, we aren't getting too many shoujo romance anime these days. We do have A Condition Call Love coming out next month...

 

Let's not be ageist. Old people can love too in Grandpa and Grandma Turned Young Again streaming...who knows where...

 

Am I missing any demographics? I guess elves deserve love in An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride...

 

Fuck it, vampires are also allowed to love in Vampire Dormitory...

 

Lot of romance and isekai anime this coming season. I'd link to all the isekai, but they've all got titles like...

 

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World...

 

Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers...

 

I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince So I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability...

 

There should be something for everyone.

 

Oh! CLAMP has done some work for a new anime on Netflix? I have a hard time turning down new stuff from them, so I am definitely checking this one out...

 

Last episode of Frieren is out later this week and is still rated as one of the best anime of all time. Honestly, that's pretty deserved. I love the world Frieren builds. The only thing I don't like is that the anime covers like 3/4 of the manga, so it'll be years before we can get another season of anime.

Took way too long on that last guess

 

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Forgot to go back to Connections yesterday, and blah to today

 

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Never made the purple connection and all those words for into the yellow category.

Thought I had it sooner

 

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1 hour ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Considering the relatively young ages that these Japanese anime/magna creatives are passing away, it probably reflects the intensive level of stress in that industry.

 

The weekly churn can be pretty brutal. Eiichiro Oda may be famous for One Piece, but his real claim to game should be his unnatural ability to keep it's weekly chapter pace with barely any breaks. A lot of my RSI in this bunch, a lot of sleepless nights. I'm pretty sure Oda still sometimes sleeps at his desk while working on One Piece. An average mangaka's schedule is working on storyboards over the weekend, followed by meeting with editors for tweaks on Monday before spending the rest of the week to work on rough drafts, lining, filling, and final pass sometime around Friday before starting all over again. If you're lucky, maybe you get some time off on Friday.

 

Mutsumi Inomata probably didn't work that crazy schedule, but she still did a lot and has been in the industry for decades. It'll be weird for be future Tales games to not feature her character designs.

1 hour ago, Jason said:

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@Ghost_MH

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Nope, the bot is pure bullshit here.

 

 

First thing I thought of was those transformers. Thanks. Nostalgia wave hit me and now I went and spent $20 on eBay to buy a few of them.

Hey, for some wild life hit me reason, I missed No More Heroes 3 on the Switch...but now it's on Game Pass, so that's what I'm playing. A ton of fun so far.

Easy

 

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Also easy

 

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11 hours ago, MarSolo said:

I’m actually curious who he picks. He wants to be the center of attention so he has to pick someone boring that won’t overshadow him, but at the same time be a big deal.

 

Tim Scott?

 

Tulsi Gabbard

Easy

 

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Also easy

 

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23 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Also, the ones most likely to take any Epic deals.

If you're a smaller dev, like maybe the guy who did Lethal Company, then even with a 30% cut you're making more than enough money. That guy is set for life now.

 

What does "making more than enough money" even mean here? That Zeekerss should be happy he took less money home than he would have if there were actual real competition among store fronts? That's silly. He did more to deserve the money that game brought in than anything Valve contributed.

 

This whole conversation is silly, though. I'll repeat myself. Gamers don't want competition in this space. They're happy with Steam and want nothing else. Epic can throw free money at an indie devs and, even here, you'll find folks upset that came with an exclusivity window instead of being happy for a monetary windfall for some small-time developer.

 

I recall when they paid Ember Labs for Kena Bridge of Spirits and people were upset because they didn't want a second store front installed on their PCs.

3 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Companies that are making record profit but still somehow not making enough to prevent laying people off. The idea that giving them more money would make everything peachy keen is silly.

 

The companies making record profits and then laying off a bunch of workers to squeeze their execs a larger bonus are the same ones Apple and Valve give sweetheart deals to where they don't charge their typical 30%. Nobody is talking about them.

Well that took a while

 

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Well, this one was easy

 

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49 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

Probably not true.  I don’t think Epic’s capable of pulling many people off Steam regardless of the quality (or lack thereof) of their storefront. Just like Bing isn’t pulling many from Google.

 

It's very unlikely Epic could do anything to move people off Steam. Gamers just need to be honest and admit that even if Epic brought EGS to feature parity with Steam they'd still choose Steam because that's where all their games and friends are. Like I said earlier, this is the same as rooting for AMD to get Nvidia and Intel to lower their prices. Gamers "want competition" only to maybe lower prices and convince their current champions to make better products.

1 hour ago, Xbob42 said:

I don't get how you type that up and think "and so Valve should willingly make a lot less money for no reason" lol

 

I'm sure Sony gives a lot more support than Nintendo, but you sure as shit don't see Nintendo lowering their rates. Epic offers more on their (vastly inferior and vastly less popular) platform, but the only reason they have that platform is because they filled their diapers over not being able to keep more of their Fortnite money, so clearly making a lot of money is important to them, so I don't buy their EGS "altruism" for one second. If EGS had actually accomplished its goal of ousting Steam, I could see those rates "unfortunately needing to rise" each year, bit by bit. We'd stop hearing about how hard it is for developers to make money and start hearing all these details about server costs and account maintenance and how much it costs to keep an army of support and IT around, etc.

 

Again, from a dev perspective, I totally get why you want more money. Yet from a platform holder perspective, I also get why you want more money. It, as always, is a matter of power. And Valve holds it, while Epic wishes they did. As a consumer, I really don't care that much either way, these are business deals for the suits to fight, our opinions are completely irrelevant, but I do think it's funny that the argument is always basically Valve should just make less money for some reason.

 

If you figured out how to improve your company's profits by 5%, you might be promoted to CEO. If you decided to lower your company's profit by 12% or more, they might feed you to piranhas. 

 

If Valve could get away with it, they'd charge 60%. Of course I understand why they charge 30%. They're raking in money hand over fist. I'd love to double my salary for no additional effort.

 

It's still bullshit for devs. I don't really care what Epic's interest is here. They only care about making money. I only care about the folks making the games I love and I'll do what I can to support them. If that means I buy their game on EGS or even itch.io or directly off their own webpage, that's where I'll go. I don't feel any allegiance to a store front when the important part is the games.

 

The big publishers are a big shrug to me, but there are so many indie devs out there feeling the crunch just as badly as all these gaming companies firing people left and right. Why should anybody go to bat for Epic or Valve or Nintendo or Sony or Microsoft or Apple? They're all vultures, but at least the console guys provide more value to devs for their 30% than Valve does. Hell, even Apple provides more value to devs than Valve does; even if that value is artificially inflated due to Apple's overly draconian developer tools and agreements.

Easy

 

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That works

 

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31 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

How much do Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony charge?

 

Last I checked, it was 30%.

Thus, industry standard.

 

Also last I checked, Fortnite is available on all of those platforms, didn't hear Sweeney pitch a bitch about that.

 

Not wanting to pay 30% makes a lot of sense, picking and choosing when it's "okay" to pay 30%? Ehhh.

Wanting Valve to just give up a huge portion of their main revenue "just because" is really funny though.

 

Valve isn't a console manufacturer nor does Valve offer the same level of assistance to game developers Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo do. There's a reason Valve makes more money per employee than just about any other tech company out there.

 

 

Either Valve is magic compared to Sony and Microsoft or they run wildly high margins thanks to their 30% cut. The only games company I know of that makes more money per employee than Valve is Nintendo and it is very much because they own the platform while also selling the largest volume of games for said platform. It's the biggest reason why people arguing Nintendo should put their games on PC store fronts like Valve's are crazy. No serious person is going to try to argue that Nintendo makes its off the party game sales, especially when this has been the case for Nintendo since way back on the Wii.

 

 

24 minutes ago, legend said:

I do think it would be nice if they made it a more objective sales metric that could then extend to the smaller groups.

 

100%. Valve just has no incentive to unless the publisher is large enough to realistically not need Valve. That's why it would be nice to have more competition, but gamers really are set in their ways. It's like all those folks wanting AMD to succeed but only to force Nvidia to drop their prices.

 

All I want in a store front is cloud saves, easy choices on where games are installed, and some reassurance the store front isn't going to disappear on me a year from now *cough*stadia*cough*.

8 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

 

Yeah, that looks like fun. I'm in.