Video Game Deals Catch-All

master0 wrote:

I swear the tech savvyness of people in general is going down. I think the sheer ease of use of most tech has lowered those skills. Course I don't why to go back to the past days where everything was so damn fiddly. Maybe I'm just being old and grumpy. ..

I disagree about the level of tech-savvy in the general population. I don't think that it was every particularly high to begin with. Like many on here, I am old enough to remember having to help my mother set the video recorder in the 80s (before 'video plus' barcode scanning became a thing).

I suspect that the GwJ graphic skews towards people who grew up during the home computing boom that began in the early 80s. But it was a pretty niche hobby even then. The majority of people didn't have computers at home then, and therefore didn't have any tech skills. (Given the current struggles to educate children remotely in the West, it seems that a significant number of poor people still do not have computers at home.)

But I agree that access to tech has increased significantly thank mainly to the mobile phone and apps. And what hardware and software makes have done brilliant is to remove the need for specialist tech skills.

Tech hardware are just another 'white good'. A modern mobile phone is no more difficult to use than a washing machine. How often have we seen parents giving their toddlers mobile phones or tablets to play with, in order to keep them distracted. 3-year-old children can use them!

Similarly, tech software is much easier to use. I remember getting Microsoft Works for my mum's computer in the 90s. IIRC, it comprised a small stack of floppy disks, a quick reference guide, a user guide, and detailed user manual. Nowadays, it's rare to see a manual at all.

Video games offer a good comparison. When I first started playing games, the first thing I would do after firing up a new game... was to sit down and read the book that accompanied it. For example, the manual for the original Elite took 30 pages to explain how to fly your ship. The tutorials in Elite: Dangerous have you ready to fly, dock and undertake a range of different missions in maybe an hour.

You say that, but do people even READ thread titles anymore?

mateofalcone wrote:

You say that, but do people even READ thread titles anymore? :D

Lol. Was waiting to see how long it took for someone to notice.

Not my fault!

I was just following Hobear.

I think a good comparison of tech savviness is to look at an opinion of the engineers that worked on NASA's Apollo missions. When one of the engineers was asked if engineers that worked on that mission back then were better than the engineers now, he said "no" without any doubt in his voice or hesitation. Check out the most recent Smarter Every Day video on Youtube, or episode 103 of the No Dumb Question podcast - both of them titled "how to land on the moon" if you want to hear it for yourself.

It's different. We are not better or worse.

/derail

Not a great deal, but back on topic, The 8BitDo SN30+ SNES edition is $45, only $5 off, but they don't get discounted too often.

strangederby wrote:
mateofalcone wrote:

You say that, but do people even READ thread titles anymore? :D

Lol. Was waiting to see how long it took for someone to notice.

Is that any way to talk to your tag daddy?

Don't blame me I was just being a distraction!

This seems new to me, Immortals Fenyx Rising is showing $35.99 for the digital version on the eShop.

KINGDOM HEARTS All-in-One Package (PS4) $24.99

Walmart physical and PSN digital.

Are these any good? Never played one but seems like a good price for three complete updated games.

New round of EPIC free games rage2 and Absolute Drift Zen Edition.

Absolute Drift looks fun if I can ever figure out how to drift. So far I am just frustrated with trying to drift.

Stele wrote:

KINGDOM HEARTS All-in-One Package (PS4) $24.99

Walmart physical and PSN digital.

Are these any good? Never played one but seems like a good price for three complete updated games.

I find them terrible. The settings don’t jive with me, the narratives feel juvenile and nigh incomprehensible, and the mechanics feel way underdeveloped.

The story in Kingdom Hearts feels a bit like someone did a whole book of Madlibs with "heart" and "friendship" in every possible field. I'd be willing to forgive it if the gameplay were fun, but it isn't.

Rage 2 isn't exactly well loved but I had an absolute blast playing it. If you enjoyed MadMax you'll probably enjoy it.

strangederby wrote:

Rage 2 isn't exactly well loved but I had an absolute blast playing it. If you enjoyed MadMax you'll probably enjoy it.

Rage 2 never made it on my radar, but I very much enjoyed Mad Max so I appreciate the recco!

Rage 2 is good but not great. It could have been great but it lacks direction and depth. Perhaps the depth is there but I was frustrated enough with lack of direction that I only put ~20 hours into it.

I've said this elsewhere, but I want a Fallout-universe game that looks like Mad Max, especially the 3rd person perspective. I want an open-world action/adventure Fallout like that. They've tried like, five styles of Fallout if you count Fallout Shelter, so give me that!

Anyway, Mad Max was brilliant, and I was sad that team's next game was a first-person shooter.

Mad Max was robbed by reviewers who just didn't seem to get it.

Mad Max did not do itself any favors by making the first area too big and too boring. Once I got past that the game was really great and I liked it. But making the first part of the game an interminable slog was a huge mistake.

maverickz wrote:

Mad Max did not do itself any favors by making the first area too big and too boring. Once I got past that the game was really great and I liked it. But making the first part of the game an interminable slog was a huge mistake.

It's why I never made it past it. Got tired of the same damn mission

I also thought the end was meh, but the whole middle section of the game was the best parts of open world goodness (meaning you could still burn out, but fun for what it was).

maverickz wrote:

Mad Max did not do itself any favors by making the first area too big and too boring. Once I got past that the game was really great and I liked it. But making the first part of the game an interminable slog was a huge mistake.

Rage 2 suffers from a bit of a similar problem. It is a fantastic, frantic id-style shooter that's really kinetic and a lot of fun to play. Eventually. Unfortunately, the developers made the decision to lock all the cool powers and all the cool toys away in vaults scattered around the open world that you need to find before you're allowed to have fun. It's worth looking at a guide to find the first few weapons and abilities to get yourself started properly.

Blind_Evil wrote:
Stele wrote:

KINGDOM HEARTS All-in-One Package (PS4) $24.99

Walmart physical and PSN digital.

Are these any good? Never played one but seems like a good price for three complete updated games.

I find them terrible. The settings don’t jive with me, the narratives feel juvenile and nigh incomprehensible, and the mechanics feel way underdeveloped.

For what it's worth, my kids loved all of them. I liked the first one, but after that the story went off the rails, and the combat isn't anything special.

At least the first one seems worthwhile for a Disney fan. I played them all and at least largely enjoyed my time with them.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
maverickz wrote:

Mad Max did not do itself any favors by making the first area too big and too boring. Once I got past that the game was really great and I liked it. But making the first part of the game an interminable slog was a huge mistake.

Rage 2 suffers from a bit of a similar problem. It is a fantastic, frantic id-style shooter that's really kinetic and a lot of fun to play. Eventually. Unfortunately, the developers made the decision to lock all the cool powers and all the cool toys away in vaults scattered around the open world that you need to find before you're allowed to have fun. It's worth looking at a guide to find the first few weapons and abilities to get yourself started properly.

The Avalanche Way™

Hobear wrote:
maverickz wrote:

Mad Max did not do itself any favors by making the first area too big and too boring. Once I got past that the game was really great and I liked it. But making the first part of the game an interminable slog was a huge mistake.

It's why I never made it past it. Got tired of the same damn mission

That must be why I’ve always been confused about the praise that game gets. I didn’t last through the start.

My 2020 GOTY, Lair of the Clockwork God, is only $6. One of the funniest games I've ever played.

Pink Stripes wrote:

My 2020 GOTY, Lair of the Clockwork God, is only $6. One of the funniest games I've ever played.

SECONDED!!! It's SOOOOO GOOOOOD!!!! And very unique in all the best ways possible.
(Thanks again for the recommendation, Pink Stripes!)

Hobear wrote:

Is that any way to talk to your tag daddy?

That takes me back.

I was so confused as to why so many people were suggesting hat related puns.

Starting on March 1st, the 2016 remake of Ratchet & Clank will be free to keep on PS4/PS5. It'll be free until April, and you don't need PS+ to claim it.

strangederby wrote:
Hobear wrote:

Is that any way to talk to your tag daddy?

That takes me back.

I was so confused as to why so many people were suggesting hat related puns.

Does it refer to a rivalry game instead?

Eleima wrote:
Pink Stripes wrote:

My 2020 GOTY, Lair of the Clockwork God, is only $6. One of the funniest games I've ever played.

SECONDED!!! It's SOOOOO GOOOOOD!!!! And very unique in all the best ways possible.
(Thanks again for the recommendation, Pink Stripes!)

Thirded! Great game.

Void Gore on the Xbone is $4, only $1 off, but it's a game that's ridiculous to the point of being fun and consuming. Very simple, retro graphics and sound, but non of that pesky flickering.