canekicker's recent activity
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Comment on The 100 games that taught me game design in ~games
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Comment on The 100 games that taught me game design in ~games
canekicker LinkFan of this channel and this is a long one but for each of the 100 games, he has a small blurb about why he feels it's important to him (it's very subjective) and the lessons learned. It's an...Fan of this channel and this is a long one but for each of the 100 games, he has a small blurb about why he feels it's important to him (it's very subjective) and the lessons learned. It's an enjoyable background listen for those who are in the middle of some mindless tasks at work.
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The 100 games that taught me game design
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Comment on Raw milk easy to obtain despite bird flu warning, FDA interstate ban in ~food
canekicker Link ParentYea I think industrial farming practices did good by giving so many access to cheap protein, but it has really come at the cost of animal welfare and arguably human welfare. I think about the the...Yea I think industrial farming practices did good by giving so many access to cheap protein, but it has really come at the cost of animal welfare and arguably human welfare. I think about the the near annual culling of diseased chicken, pig farms contaminating water, zoonosis (COVID anyone?) , etc.
Sad thing is I remember watching this Reading Rainbow episode when I was a kid where Levar Burton went to a dairy farm, showed the feed they gave the cows (looked delicious) and then even milked a cow. I distinctly remember them dipping the udders into a iodine solution to sanitize it and as a kid, I was like "man, these cows have a good life". Clearly wasn't how most farms at the time were doing it but it took me a long time to learn that.
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
canekicker Link ParentGood point though but I do feel Mario Kart is a bit of an extreme example and Nintendo is wholly unique in the industry given the amazing quality and consistency of their first party games that...Good point though but I do feel Mario Kart is a bit of an extreme example and Nintendo is wholly unique in the industry given the amazing quality and consistency of their first party games that basically sell consoles in a way Microsoft and Sony can only wish for. That said, if you look at the mainline Mario games you don't really see that kind of growth, particularly when you only look at the first launch on the original system. Here's what I saw based on the link and a bunch of unnecessary commentary on my part because I need a break from work.
Mario (NES) - 40 mil but I assume this is partially due to the fact the game was often packaged with the system
Mario 2 (NES) -7.5 mil
Mario 3 (NES) - 18 mil but goat status
Mario World (SNES) - 20.6 mil , also goat status that was bundled
Mario 64 (N64) - 12 mil but I also saw your 10 mil stat
Sunshine (GCN) - 6.3 mil
Galaxy 1 (Wii) - 13 mil
3D World (Wii U) - 5.8 mil
Odyssey (Switch) - 28 mil
Wonder (Switch) - 13.4 mil, drug fueled goat
So I do agree that there are more people playing games and factors like non-console exclusive lead to increase sales (though I don't know how much development cost goes into making an Xbox vs PC vs PS version of something) but just how much, I don't know.
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Comment on Raw milk easy to obtain despite bird flu warning, FDA interstate ban in ~food
canekicker Link ParentYea, for personal use in a creamery you own, sure personal freedom and what not. Hell if I ran my own creamery that ensures good animal welfare and proper sanitation, I'd probably be less...Yea, for personal use in a creamery you own, sure personal freedom and what not. Hell if I ran my own creamery that ensures good animal welfare and proper sanitation, I'd probably be less concerned. But my microbiology and public health background still makes me weary and concerned about the salmonella, listeria, and staph risk associated with the raw milk. Certainly wouldn't sell the stuff but people can go home and chug bleach if they wanted to.
At the same time, I'm not a fan of woo woo practices and the alternative medicine out there and enjoy milk for the taste so pasteurizing is still the way to go. FYI, for those who also enjoy milk, some of the best milk I ever had was in Tokyo inside the Akihabara station. Highly recommended for anyone who really loves milk.
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Comment on Raw milk easy to obtain despite bird flu warning, FDA interstate ban in ~food
canekicker LinkI recall about a decade ago that there was some bro science about how raw milk cures lactose intolerance , which was widely refuted by actual scientists.. I get the love of milk, like I'm a huge...I recall about a decade ago that there was some bro science about how raw milk cures lactose intolerance , which was widely refuted by actual scientists..
I get the love of milk, like I'm a huge fan of dairy products but man alive, raw milk is just not a risk I'm willing to take.
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Comment on X-Men '97 - Season 1 Discussion in ~tv
canekicker LinkI have yet to see the final episode (I'll check it out tonight) but when the series first started, I felt it was too on the nose in terms of tone and throwing fans references from the old show....I have yet to see the final episode (I'll check it out tonight) but when the series first started, I felt it was too on the nose in terms of tone and throwing fans references from the old show. Think "say the line, Bart" vibes. I kept going and now really enjoy the show as they've done a great updating the tone while capturing the spirit of X-Men. Plus, I stopped reading superhero comics in the late 90s so the easter eggs are still accessible to me, which is always fun.
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Comment on Amazon Prime Video orders Tomb Raider live-action series from Phoebe Waller-Bridge (writer of Fleabag, Killing Eve, Broadchurch) in ~tv
canekicker Link ParentShe walked away from the show and had no involvement in the final product. She and Glover had creative differences which can be explored more here.She walked away from the show and had no involvement in the final product. She and Glover had creative differences which can be explored more here.
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
canekicker Link ParentOh no, no bad vibes at all, I was just joking around. Hope you also have a great day and appreciate the thoughts.Oh no, no bad vibes at all, I was just joking around. Hope you also have a great day and appreciate the thoughts.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
canekicker LinkA ton of From Indian Lakes. Definitely one of my favorite bands in the last decade and hearing the evolution from emo-revivalists to post-hardcore to this dreampop/shoegaze adjacent indie rock is...A ton of From Indian Lakes. Definitely one of my favorite bands in the last decade and hearing the evolution from emo-revivalists to post-hardcore to this dreampop/shoegaze adjacent indie rock is really great. Their new album is Stereogum's Album of the Week and I'm excited to hear it, especially given how much I loved their previous album "Dimly Lit"
Also revisiting Rival Schools.
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
canekicker Link ParentThe vibes on this reply. All kidding aside, thanks for the clarification. So much of what we're seeing in the gaming industry and restaurants are byproducts of the greater socioeconomic systems...The vibes on this reply. All kidding aside, thanks for the clarification. So much of what we're seeing in the gaming industry and restaurants are byproducts of the greater socioeconomic systems we've tied "progress" to. However, I will put my stake in the ground
The whole industry needs a great reset.
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Comment on Patriarchy according to the Barbie movie in ~life.men
canekicker (edited )LinkI quite enjoy Pop Culture detective and this one really hit, particularly the characterization of the effects of patriarchy on men, namely the unrealistic expectations to be unemotional, rational,...I quite enjoy Pop Culture detective and this one really hit, particularly the characterization of the effects of patriarchy on men, namely the unrealistic expectations to be unemotional, rational, invulnerable, dispassionate, and in command of every situation. It's definitely something I've seen in myself and my friends and something we're all struggling with, particularly with the need to be dispassionate and hyper rational.
The video was originally on Youtube but WB struck it down so if you want another version, you can view on his free Patreon.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/alternative-to-104004592
EDIT : it's back up on youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK66s7VQmXE
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Patriarchy according to the Barbie movie
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
canekicker (edited )Link ParentIntentional or not, I take offense in the characterization that I'm some sort of corporate shill trying to justify "mega-rich people trying to make even more money". I specifically pointed out the...I grow tired of the arguments used to justify mega-rich people trying to make even more money.
Intentional or not, I take offense in the characterization that I'm some sort of corporate shill trying to justify "mega-rich people trying to make even more money". I specifically pointed out the shitiness of corporate practices and corporate greed. At the same time, if the big publishers are suffering, then the smaller ones are likely having a hard time. 2023 saw massive layoffs from a bunch of people in the industry and the recent closure of Arkane Austin really sucked.
My point was that you can have multiple things be be true at once : shitty corporate practices and greed, unsustainable practices in the industry as a whole, and an audience completely anchored to a decades old mindset concerning expectations and price points. Like inflation alone would make Mario 64's 1996 would cost nearly $120 today. Am I worried about EA, not really. But I am worried about studios like Supergiant and Playdead and publishers like Devolver Digital and Annapurna.
Should giant publishers take a profit cut to keep good studios around after a bomb like Redfall or to better pace out game development? Absolutely and EA corporate heads can go fuck themselves. At the same time, should "gamers" examine their entitlements , be more discerning about how they spend their money, and generally as a whole be less shitty? Absolutely and it's not happening at a scale that's meaningful. If 'gamers' spent as much time not supporting games with anti-consumer practices (e.g. just not buying them) as they did sending death threats for trivial fucking things like bad endings or other stupid shit publisher heads may realize that these practices aren't viable. However, that just doesn't seem to be the case as too many are willing to just fork over money for dumb shit like pay to win mechanics and high priced in-game cosmetics.
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
canekicker Link ParentYea, we've seen some hilariously stupid product integration like Death Stranding using Monster which could be a route games choose. I don't expect EA to come up with anything that great but I...Yea, we've seen some hilariously stupid product integration like Death Stranding using Monster which could be a route games choose. I don't expect EA to come up with anything that great but I could see them adopting some sort of product ad in the chyrons of their sports games.
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
canekicker (edited )LinkAt risk of being labeled some anti-consumer, corporate shill (I'm not but GaMerZ (tm) gonna GaME), I'm wondering how much of this is due to the fact that making games seems less and less...At risk of being labeled some anti-consumer, corporate shill (I'm not but GaMerZ (tm) gonna GaME), I'm wondering how much of this is due to the fact that making games seems less and less sustainable given the huge costs (CP2077 was 500 mil??!?!) , increased complexity to create, and the fact that nominally, games have stuck to the $60 price tag for the past 30+ years. Like unrelated to this (but sort of related), it's easy to see why AAA games are less and less "interesting" and so incredibly risk adverse.
It feels like those who love the medium, myself included, are even more disconnected from the reality of game creation. Sure, companies are horribly run, making stupid decisions like betting on fucking NFTs, overworking employees, creating toxic environments, FUCKING CORPORATE GREED , and generally have anti worker policies, but even if there are studios or one person projects that are doing everything right, the numbers seem to not make sense?
I kind of see parallels to the restaurant industry, where I and many others want all staff to have a living wage which drastically increases overhead yet there's a significant portion of the population who simply won't tolerate any increase in prices. But maybe I'm just being naive.
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Comment on Fear the Mad Catz - The worst video game controllers ever in ~games
canekicker Link ParentFunny you mention Hori but I actually used a Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 SA way back then (don't play fighting games anymore) but all my friends were using Mad Katz TE sticks. I preferred the TE stick...Funny you mention Hori but I actually used a Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 SA way back then (don't play fighting games anymore) but all my friends were using Mad Katz TE sticks. I preferred the TE stick but I couldn't afford it on my grad student budget as I believe the TE stick was more expensive.
In addition Mad Katz was far more accessible ( I want to say I got my Hori stick off ebay after a lot of waiting) and as others stated, was a good configuration for modding. It also had some nice QOL things like cable storage. I can't speak for all of Mad Katz sticks but my general impression is that they made some good stuff back then.
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Comment on Fear the Mad Catz - The worst video game controllers ever in ~games
canekicker LinkI didn't watch through the whole thing (1:12 ??? what is this a rant about how the MCU has gone woke?) but despite it's shit reputation with controllers, Mad Katz made some really good fighting...I didn't watch through the whole thing (1:12 ??? what is this a rant about how the MCU has gone woke?) but despite it's shit reputation with controllers, Mad Katz made some really good fighting sticks which I didn't see covered here. For example, when SF4 came out, I knew a ton of people who had their TE stick which I believe was well received in the FGC, hell even Daigo was sponsored by Mad Katz and used their gear.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
canekicker LinkSaw momma open for girl in red and I really dig them, mainly because I'm old and momma is basically a throwback to 90s alt rock. Check out their song speeding 72 and callin me which really hit...Saw momma open for girl in red and I really dig them, mainly because I'm old and momma is basically a throwback to 90s alt rock.
Check out their song speeding 72 and callin me which really hit that 90s itch
Good point, I'm only half way through so I'm thinking since it's so subjective, much of his gaming experience excluded a lot of this stuff?