Also, damn good of you for volunteering to help stem the tides of racism and general stupidity that seems to be spreading these days. Another Thoroughly Decent Fellow.
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Same here, friend.
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Dreamcast was such a nice console as well. I donāt own a PS2 yet my DC is still alive and kicking! VGA adapter on hand as well! That system was so ahead of its time, itās a damn shame Sgea shut it down, I really think it had a chance to be honest. I think I remember Bernie Stolar in an interview saying it had one of the best Sega console launches ever in the US and it was selling great, but Sega Japan wanted to shut the whole thing down. Had such an incredible lineup of games as well, Sega was really reinventing itself at the time and the Capcom support was just insane. And arcade was still big back then so having all of the arcade ports like Crazy Taxy, Street Fight, Virtua Tennis, MvC2, etc on the system was a godsend. Oh, and DOA2 and Soul Calibur!
Man I miss those days! Plus the DC mag with the demo discs, such fond memories. Sega of America actually was the one pushing for a DVD add-on for the Dreamcast which Sega of Japan didnāt want, but at least we got the 56k modem default which wasnāt the case in Japan and that was a smart move. US branch should have been in charge, seems like they understood the market much more.
But to get back to your point, I see it very often when talking with the guys at work, most of them being PS centric and going with all the Xbox fud they see online. Even when they know itās an agenda they donāt seem to care as it aligns with their view. At least I tell myself that most of my older friends who were PS fanboys that are now PC only almost all have Gamepass, so not all is lost!
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Some part of me really wishes to see a timeline where those people get what they wish and Xbox is out, letās see the Sony-only market they want, even though we already took a glimpse at it with PS3ās early years, and it was horrible, but they never seem to learn 
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https://x.com/hazzadorgamin/status/1860767185863631182?s=46&t=O_AGT9SEnlptKOF_2SxtqQ
Once you go Xbox, you canāt put it on lock.
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Man, it doesnāt get better than couch co-op / party gaming 
itās rare for family and friends to get together casually nowadays but when it does itās so special.
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Ah yes, those were the days!
We imported the Japanese DC as well, Shenmue had me and my brotherās jaws on the floor. All that nonsense and hype about how PS2 was better, well back then I believe we had sites such as Lense of Truth way before a DF existed and the comparison screenshots were shocking with games such as DoA and many others. Crisp and clean on DC, and a jaggy/aliased mess on PS2.
Such a shame what happened with DC. It was the far better console.
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Shenmue was a game I wanted so much that I wanted a Dreamcast, but GamesMaster and all the other magazines were hyping PS2 and the future of GTA with a 3D version so got that first and it was dead by the time I was close to saving up enoughā¦ 
Now own all 3 Shenmue games on PC at least lol
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Iām not sure if Iād say any console in particular for that gen was better, but thatās mainly because I genuinely loved all of what each console had to offer (DC, PS2, Xbox, and GCN). While GCN was my personal favorite, I genuinely have an equal love due to the nigh-equal amount of core memories formed with/from those games. DC was an entire vibe though and when I just want to feel joy, I definitely throw on DC games damn often - PSO was a life changer, especially.
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This was the peak
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Because Iām not just an Xbox gamer?
Iāve got a PS4 (admittedly not been turned on in ages, if thereās a Sony game I really want to play I get them on PC now so much cheaper thanks to CDKeys) and a PC.
Unfortunately there really arenāt many PC-specific sites around - I get most of my news from here as PC is covered too, but for example PC Gamer do a ā5 games released on Steam last week you probably missedā and other actually useful things, itās just the random drive-bys on Xbox that do my head in and drive me away from it for a bit.
I really, really miss PC Zone from when I was a teenager - it had Charlie Brooker who was absolutely awesome in both his reviews and features, I wasnāt surprised when Black Mirror and Wipe (a thing he used to do rounding up the yearās news) on TV as I was already a huge fan.
I was gutted when they closed, by the end they shared a publisher and so swapped to PC Gamer (who I used to buy in addition sometimes but they seemed stuffy by comparison) so theyāve got a lot of leeway from me I guess due to the few staff that moved across.
But recently Iāve cancelled my sub and just read the online version - Iāll also pop on Pure Xbox and Push Square to check out Xbox news this place has missed and PlayStation games that might come to PC that I want to keep an eye on (no point getting them on PS4, I want 4K).
I mostly stay away from IGN, EuroGamer and social media as most of it feels like rage bait (although sometimes Google News feed will suggest something that catches my eye), but by going to sites specific to certain platforms I at least know what Iām in for - apart from random shit like the above.
I like to stay informed - in the same way, I read / watch news from newspapers and channels I disagree with to ensure Iām not staying in a bubble (if theyāve any decent points) and to know what the other side is saying.
Then yes like most people Iāll retreat back to here and my preferred news sites to feel comfortable and relaxed lol
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Mario Kart Double Dash didnāt really feel like a proper Mario Kart when I played it on my mateās GameCube, but god it was so much fun that I think I preferred it to the normal ones.
Teaming up to try and take out the computer, pissing ourselves laughing when weād get twatted and I think my guy (always Yoshi or Toad) had to climb back on after - and Iād make him lean forward or rock side to side convinced I was helping lol
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Double Dash is still damn fun to this day and doesnāt feel replaced by the newer ones at all.
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Now to show Iām not just bashing PC Gamer despite silly drive-bys, an interesting article that underscores what Iāve been thinking about with Xbox and Windows.
Basically, the new Windows update breaks some Ubi games - not ideal obviously, but until either MS or Ubi puts out a fix (potentially both, as Ubi already released a fix for SW Outlaws), Windows is withholding the update from systems that have those Ubi games installed, apparently the first time this has ever been done.
Iāve probably talked / humble bragged about upgrading my PC recently too much, but getting back into PC gaming while still using my Xbox for how quick / pick up and play it is has really highlighted something to me - as has this news story.
Already Windows has DirectStorage in games that support it now, just like the Series consoles, and Quick Resume is always rumoured to be coming soon (it often tops most-wanted Windows features lists on gaming sites) - particularly as the āsnapshotā idea QR uses is based on the hibernation option Windows has had for ages.
Nowadays, launchers such as Steam, Rockstar, Battle.net, Xbox / Microsoft Store, Epic, EA (used to be Origin), Ubi Connect, GoG and itch.io etc cover 99.9% of game installs, can mask the install location (although you can usually change it), help set default graphics options and provide controller support if needed, and most importantly no longer mean a separate Win installer for every game - just accept the EULA just like on a console.
It used to be a sod finding out if a game was installed and what version (having to go into the registry on occasion which isnāt for casual players) - but the landscape is now so predictable and compatible that Microsoft can detect games and withhold updates if need be.
Thatās huge, as is the āconsole-likeā experience PC is getting closer too - mostly from Microsoftās hard work (particularly joining up the GDK for Xbox and WinStore - for example Forspoken is on there so will likely need no work once exclusivity is up) but also from game devs / publishers as a common experience and standard way of doing things reduces risk and saves them money too.
It does (as Jez and others have been saying) feel like PCs are slowly becoming more console, and consoles becoming more PC (x86 processors etc) so it feels like the next Xbox being a hybrid is actually a natural progression.
Instead of making a console as complex as a PC, by leveraging the massive Windows team (given the Xbox OS is an offshoot of it anyway) they can make a PC as simple as a console and just like on PC now keep things the same and simple for users that want that, or more complicated for those that want to tweak things / install other stores etc.
It really feels like PC has learnt so much from consoles - if they add Quick Resume and get the experiences right by leveraging the huge resources available at Microsoft, they really could pull off not just a spectacular console hybrid but also a handheld hybrid.
At that point, if Windows can offer an Xbox experience (āthis is an Xboxā takes on its full meaning lol) then as well as Xbox consoles / handhelds it does open up the possibility of third party (or even home-built) PCs and handhelds enabling the feature (or it literally just being part of Windows).
It simplifies cloud too, as instead of custom APUs they can use standard servers (ones with beefy graphics cards, they do exist!) which reduces the cost as it can be shared with other Azure usage.
And it means Xbox canāt ever die really - I suspect Windows will survive even if we end up in a Fallout scenario lol (and they even own Vault Boy to replace Clippy in the new world order!), and weāll still be able to play our back catalogue long after consoles or even physical devices in your home stop being a thingā¦
Link to the update story that triggered this long meandering thought:
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The real game awardsā¦
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I get it but at some point, itās better to just let it all go. It all is what it is and itās not going to change. Itās best to just enjoy what you like and ignore what you donāt.
I understand this because itās actual issues that are vital and important. I have never and will never see gaming as vital and important. Itās a form of interactive entertainment, a hobby meant for fun, enjoyment and to waste time.
When it comes to gaming media in regards to Microsoft and Xbox, itās been the way that it is for over a decade and isnāt going to change so getting triggered or upset does nothing to improve any of it and if anything, who cares what people in gaming media and whatnot says about Microsoft and Xbox? All anyone should care about is are they getting what they want from Microsoft/Xbox, are enjoying it, happy with what theyāre getting and that itās worth their time and money. If the answer is yes, all this other bullshit shouldnāt matter because all itās going to do is lessen the personās enjoyment for something that they like and enjoy.
Iām mainly an Xbox gamer and PlayStation is secondary. I will also buy a Switch 2 when it releases.
Watching a good video from PC Gamer that suits your preferences is great but you would probably be better off just ignoring/skipping the rest of what they post/say because if it upsets you, whatās the point? Getting mad or whatever doesnāt help you or make gaming better for you.
Itās good to stay informed and all but im able to do the same without watching/reading all this bullshit about why Xbox is dead/dying or whatever the fuck it may be today.
I stick to those I follow on Twitter/YouTube and ignore the rest. Granted, theyāll shit post here and there but I would say that 90% of the time, I donāt see any of it and even when I do, itās usually just someone tweeting what an IGN/PC Gamer/GameSpot/whoever article/video said which right off the bat, I can keep scrolling and ignore that tweet/video.
Itās funny, before that business meeting earlier this year, I would get so frustrated and pissed off with all of this shit (for example, The Game Awardsā¦does anything even need to be said at this point? lol) but since the Spring when I decided to just ālet it all goā, I have enjoyed gaming more than I did before because now, everything is a lot clearer and Microsoft going in the direction that they are if anything has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me because I no longer care if the game is exclusive and is it this or that?
Itās like, fuck that. I donāt care anymore about any of that shit. All I care about is if the game is of interest to me and if I want to play it. If so, then I just hope that itās great and I enjoy it. If I donāt, I drop the game and move on to another game.
Outside of gaming, yeah, other stuff is far more important and vital but gaming only wise, I canāt speak for others but im 46 and im done with all of this console war bullshit. Main reason being that nothing Microsoft has done or is currently doing is going to get me to stop playing games on my Xbox Series X Galaxy Black 2TB Edition (cheap plug!! lol) because the platform is my preferred place to play games and for the few games that I canāt play on Xbox, I will play on PlayStation and once completed, im right back on Xbox. lol
Anyway, my point is that why not just stick to what you like and enjoy while avoiding the stuff that you know may upset/annoy you? In other words, watch/read the good stuff and ignore the rest. 
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Back to Dragon Age: The Veilguard!! 
The problem with this way of thinking is that for those in the industry, thus directly affected by things like media manipulation, it very much is vital and important for their work to be represented realistically and fairly. After the last four years of seeing the industryās mass layoffs and downturns, can we leave the āitās just gamesā at the door when it comes to these conversations?
Thereās a difference between being embroiled in the situation and simply not wanting to sit by and say/do nothingā¦
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MIcrosoft should block them from previews and review codes if they havenāt already. PCgamer is an awful media company
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I donāt watch videos for the most part, I read as itās easier for me (I struggle without subtitles as for some reason I have a problem picking voices out of background noise, and CC on YouTube generally sucks lol).
So itās pretty difficult to avoid stuff I donāt like / want to read - as I said, Iām on PC a lot now (best place to play PlayStation games looking their best 
while also the cheapest - even games out less than a year are really cheap on CDKeys) and PC Gamer is pretty much the only site dedicated to it.
If people have alternatives that cover as much Iāll happily swap as I do avoid the articles that are clearly trolling but thatās why the drive-by stuff irritates as itās in articles I was otherwise enjoying.
It doesnāt particularly bother me as much as you seem to think it does I go āFFSā then get on with my day (particularly as much of my reading is done during work lol) - Iām a developer too (not in gaming) and understand the pride in the work so the irritation is much more about the individual dev teams never getting a fair crack in reviews because of obvious bias which drive-bys highlight and help to propogate further (as other reviewers might read them and absorb without thinking it over too much).
I post it here for the same reason other news / thoughts are posted here - to help inform the community, in this case that PC Gamer are often shitty, so if you can get PC news elsewhere (I wish there was a better one!) do or at least people know what to expect.
If no one posted opinions or things theyāve found online here itād be pretty dead other than the odd bit of news and reviews - I enjoy the discussions here, even āargumentsā I enjoy as I like having my world view challenged and examining my own biases or opinions and perhaps correcting / adjusting them.
Also as others have mentioned, itās good to know the current mood music - as for example I was going to give my old One away to a relative but discovered theyād never use it as theyāve been brainwashed into āXbox sucksā and my partner didnāt even want a Series X as an additional present due to toxic console warring friends.
In either case, without knowing the media perceptions enough to ask before buying / giving Iād have been out money wise or similar - instead I save money and as for the One it went to a friend who would actually use it with family (hopefully more Xbox converts to play the odd online game with lol)
Context matters - I like to be informed as I like to know whatās going on in the world, much of it may not be happy / joyful reading but being ignorant of it all might make someone happier for a while but when something then happens that surprises them in a bad way they canāt ignore it comes as a harder shock.
And to be honest, no offence but Iāll read what I bloody well want to
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