I really love Playstation but I bought Xbox and PS5 this generation and I’m noticing a lot of features on Xbox that are just killing it that don’t really get enough recognition. Game Pass is huge, but things like quick resume, VRR, frame rate boost on old games, instant upgrades and recognition when I want to play a…

I am once again calling on gamers to stop being really, really weird.

If you’ve ever played ArmA (or even games like ArmA) it’s pretty easy to tell it’s an artificial physics engine--the speed and explosions and lighting are all pretty but not quite right. But if you’re older or unfamiliar with these games in general I can see how blurry footage could be mistaken for real life.

Maybe the most ironic part about how little the military asks of Americans is that you believe crazier shit than you would if you were familiar with it beyond, I dunno, whoever told you it’s about killing brown people (which by the way is pretty offensive to “brown” people—you describe Middle Easterners as if they’re…

It’s not still in development, in fact they just killed it. But it was a great shooter, well ahead of its time. Really great game. I think it’s hilarious people think video games are some sacred space (unlike any other form of media) where the idea of a pro military effort is simply unthinkable. 

He doesn’t “act” like this is a “new” thing. It’s an increasing concern among recruiters. I don’t think he disputes that it’s been an issue for years. Americans are generally too fat for military service, or too unprepared for physical activity. It’s an obvious issue if you’re in the Army and trying to prepare…

I read the article you linked and it’s a lot less ridiculous than you make it sound. I think he’s referring to the fact that a lot of young Americans are generally not in good shape, which is true, and more prone to injury as a result, which is true.

The US Army routinely wins international sniper contests. Usually it’s a team of two national guardsmen with a lot of former active duty army experience. And yes, they beat every video game player’s favorite protagonists, the marines.

You know how I can tell your army is worse than the US Army

It depends on your job. The US Army infantry doesn’t do the same job as a guy who sorts containers in a warehouse or a guy who monitors medical supplies on a computer.

Agreed 100%, though I’m hopeful that as mobile becomes a bigger market (it’s already the biggest market) and AAA studios jump on board, we’ll see fewer games that are poorly disguised gambling sims and more fleshed out, real experiences worth playing.

While this is true, it doesn’t completely negate the awfulness that is GAAS, and that’s still my biggest barrier into mobile gaming. I appreciate that it’s the largest and fastest growing money-maker in gaming. That can’t be ignored, especially as game streaming (and frankly, cell phones more powerful than old game…

AAA gaming has become such big business that everything is going to be GAAS titles littered with cumbersome, boring narratives, shallow and half-baked live service elements rife with artificial grinds for content you don’t even really want. It’s all about generating the maximum amount of profit and growth, and you…

The first game made simply running around stabbing zombies fun. The second game seemed to downgrade a lot of the physics and replace them with boring filler quests.

Cyberpunk suffers as an RPG. This game would have been so much better if it was just action/adventure open-world shooter. The RPG mechanics are so half-baked and kill the flow of every single fight you get in. The way you are constantly running across weapons that are higher tier than the one currently equipped is so…

I’m so sick of every game adding tinnitus buzzing whenever you get hit, stunned, or exploded. It’s so annoying--why anyone would want to experience that artificially is beyond me.

The plot of Destiny hasn’t made sense ever since they removed the original (launch) plot years ago. Honestly I never have any idea what’s going on. Half the NPCs have an exotic nom de guerre that references something alien, some of the NPCs are dead but you wouldn’t know unless you played since launch, and major plot…

Yeah I feel like the big story that got lost in how bad the bugs were (and how unfinished the product was) was that the game itself just isn’t that great. As a shooter it’s pretty bland, and as an RPG (frankly as a shooter as well) the missions and story are pretty tepid and uninteresting.

Really wish they’d bring games like this to Xbox (since it’s on Game Pass for PC anyway, I think?)

The Oscars aren’t doing anything wrong, it’s just that the format hasn’t really changed much in many decades, while the media landscape and the way people consume content has. Traditional award shows probably warrant a live stream and a focus on digital access, but Oscar hasn’t really made that jump yet.