Ugh. I hate how shitty all this has become. It’s very, very hard for me to justify buying a game with an in-game store.

Hey all, remember when we were told that we were overreacting when Microsoft wanted mandatory Kinects and an always-online requirement in the Xbox One? It turns out we were wrong all along and we shouldn’t be so paranoid!  Boy, we sure look like dopes now!

So, reading between the lines, I’m guessing loot boxes are now so radioactive that publishers are on the verge of abandoning them and finding new ways to exploit whales. And this is a way to get a PR win out of it, by saying they’re enacting reforms at the request of their customers.

Here’s a friendly reminder — Call of Duty and other popular FPSes have business relationships with the gun manufacturers, who allow them to use likenesses of their guns in the games, often for marketing purposes.

Hey, all you “actually it’s about ethics” clowns! This here is your party, the one you helped push to power with your BS 4chan playbook, taking a huge dump on your hobby — the hobby that defines you. The “SJWs” you hate so much?  They’re not blaming your hobby today.

That’s correct, they did. I don’t agree with the premise of the article, but whatever. His opinion, his piece. But this is the review. For some people making the decision to buy this, it may be the only Kotaku piece they read.

You can love, hate or be indifferent to them, but no mention of the in-game store in the actual review of the game? Seems like a notable omission.

Yupppp.

Translation:

I hope each Garfield from Garfield: His 9 Lives is a playable character.

I’m sure Bethesda is super-upfront in all its marketing and packaging about how three’s a store in the game where you can pay real money to get more of the game you already bought.

• Hamsterdam | Switch

I like your take a lot. I often wonder if we’re talking about two separate game industries. — the third-party AAA publishers, who care only about live services, long tails, and recurring transactions, vs. the industry that produces the games people actually want to play.

This point can’t be made enough. I just bought Steamworld Heist for $6.50 yesterday. $6.50! It’s very good so far,and I could sink hours and hours into it if I want.

Game publishers: “Games are too expensive to make! We can’t charge more than $60, so we need microtransactions and loot boxes!”

Kotaku’s a news site, not a politician whose supporters are aligned with the protest.

Is “The Oncoming Storm” loot box legislation? Or maybe EA’s plans for Bioware?

Looks like Kotick needs some more of that sweet loot box cash now that he’s back on the prowl. I sure hope no one photo-shops horns on his head again.

CANADA!

I started watching tonight, and noticed some odd changes in the subtitles from what I remembered, like the missing translation on the toothpicks jar, and changing “Looks like we won” to “We won.” So I went on line to find out more, and I came across this shit.