I think there can be an intermediary step where things get a little better before they get much worse. I’m thinking of Youtube, which pre acquisiton, iirc, was getting slow and bad. Google infrastructure made it faster, but then, well…

This is really just the first step of enshitification - first they make things good for users, then introduce advertisers, then claw back all the value for themselves.

Or put another way

• "don’t worry you favourite thing will stay the same - we don’t want to mess with a winning formula!
• “these changes will benefit users!”
• “we have to comply with industry standards and best practices. please read our updated terms of service.”
• "in order to compete in a dynamic marketplace, we’re introducing an add supported tier!
• “we’ve made changes to our subscription model!”
• “we’ve made changes to our subscription model and we’re introducing adds on paid tiers! suck it!”
• “sure, you paid for it, but our agreements are expiring and we don’t value you as a human being!”
• “really, where else are you going to go? lololololol”

I play a lot of boomer shooters, some of the more nostalgic ones give me that feeling.

But the cozy exploration, and childlike wonder of Sable are feelings I yearn for long after completing it. So far nothing else has scratched the itch.

It makes even less sense considering the pivot to an “original franchise.” If they’re cynically trying to print money, why not cash in on something with an established active fanbase? Seems like less of a risk.

I’d have bought a new Deus Ex game, regardless if it got badly reviewed. Not really interested in whatever they’re cooking up now. I’m sure most of us fans probably feel the same way.

And if you don’t mind hard games with a lot of dying. I died about 600 times on the first boss, no joke. But the game doesn’t make you wait between deaths, and they all felt fair. It’s the good kind of hard game.

Is that Aftermath? I just started reading it today.

I’m also a fan of 404 media, started by motherboard defectors.

I worry about subscription fatigue setting in, but I do think it’s exciting that breakway independent media is seemingly having a moment right now

As has been said I’m sure without Yahtzee the site is basically over.

Which is too bad I really enjoyed extra punctuation and the Slightly Something Else podcast. The whole point of having a subscriber model is that you’re not beholden to advertising or the algorithm or nebulous corporate goals, as the hosts have aid many times.

I guess it goes to show getting acquired by a corp only ever benefits the corp

I’m waiting for all 4 to drop so I can binge them. I mostly don’t want to hear about him - need to be in the right angry mood, like shortly after he does something monumentally stupid.

While I don’t think he’s doing some kinda 4 dimensional chess, I think he is trying to stay talked about, like Trump does.

It’s a great podcast though. Been listening for awhile.

there’s a conspiracy theory - use the fee as a way to normalize paying X for things and then pivot to paying through X for things until it’s the fascist super app of elon’s sweaty fever dreams.

i agree completely, and i’ve said it before, a small fee goes a long way to stopping spam and the bad kind of shitposting. It’s barrier that a lot of actors, good and bad, can climb, but they’ll be at least someone who can’t or won’t.

thing is, twitter has already eroded so much trust and relevance that i think for a lot of folks this might be the last straw. we’ll see - much like the reddit rebellion it’s hard to tell how many folks will actually quit from the noise alone.

For the fediverse i’m not certain at all. on the one hand many of us want the fediverse to grow and become more diverse. Fees are a barrier to entry. but i also agree, as you say, that mods and admins deserve something for their trouble - especially since their job is a lot harder on lemmy.

i hate to say, but maybe discord has it right? monetize cosmetics and stuff? i really don’t know. Disclosure i am nitro subscriber, mostly for the emoji.

Is it just me or is search on mobile worse too? I find the message I want is often the second or third result now when sorting by “relevant.” Switching back to newest helps.

I’m not put out by an extra step. It’s that, as OP correctly says, I can’t think of an update to a productivity that gave me anything I wanted. Instead updates seem to tell me I’ve been using the app wrong this whole time.

Too bad it doesnt actually have a gyro. I’m one of those gyro aiming weirdos. I like the ergo of the Xbox controllers better but I mostly use a dualsense because of this feature.

Moving to a user supported service IS a good way to cut down on spam and wrest control from advertisers…

…IF you do it before you destroy all value, branding, community and cultural relevance

As so many others have said, this move at this point sounds like he’s trying to finally end this fiasco.

There’s a good but at times strange podcast about a super app that takes over society. It’s sort of like histories told from the far future about our near future. Most of the tales are told in first person so it takes a some listening to get a sense of the timeline of the world.

https://programaudioseries.com/

You’re right, it doesn’t really. But I bet if they revisited omikron it would be the same story, a different genre of game with many familiar trappings.

Kinda like how the newer Doom games purport to be more like the originals while simultaneously getting less like them. Although I absolutely love Doom Eternal, let me be clear.

The space is so saturated it feels like it’s only a matter of time before every game I’ve ever played is remastered, remade, revisited, or given a extremely late sequel

That game blew my mind when I played it back in the day. Despite all the clunky mechanics it achieved a sense of place I don’t get from most modern games. I’m surprised they haven’t revisited or revived it in some way.

I mean, Bungie’s remaking Marathon! Anything is possible in this crazed timeline

Me too! I have a couple and I only use them on games that “need” them for fear for fear of breaking them. The rest of the time I use a PS5 controller.

Next time I have too much money I’m gonna get a scuf controller.

https://scufgaming.com/

Kinda sounds like Night City from the Cyberpunk games too. These guys read the science fiction and miss the point entirely.

They’re not really the same vibe, but they do have an extremely far future setting, vast intelligences called Minds that run society, and my favourite part, luxury space communism. Most people recommend you start on book two - The Player of Games since it’s a better example of what the series is. While that’s true I stated on book one - Consider Phlebas - and liked it, so up to you I guess.

Wishlisted!

As a fan of the Culture series and really any far, far future stuff, this looks to be my jam.

darren korb is unparalleled

Bastion and Hades especially