Back compatibility is still key for me. If they support this at a minimum, I will buy whatever HW they decide to make.

Not sure if I would consider it a gem but this game gave me a good chuckle: Genital Jousting is currently on sale for 69 cents.

Late to the news but I’m not entirely surprised. As messed up as the situation may seem, I like to remind it’s in everyone’s best interest not to jump on the outrage/cancel train. I do not have any loyalties and find the best way to judge anything is to listen to various outlets prior to constructing my own opinions. LMG f’d up in this instance but that’s not to say that their other content has no value. All these different YouTube channels work in an ecosystem of checks and balances and we need all of them to stick around to provide different perspectives. It is up to the viewers to think for themselves and don’t let the echo chambers of social media cloud your judgement. Whether it’s politics or tech reviews, let’s avoid extremism as nothing is ever black or white.

I've never owned a cat myself but I have watched enough internet cat videos to know why they're so popular. I plan to check out Stray at some point, but waiting for it to discount 50%+ before pulling the trigger.

For those who want more insight, I highly recommend reading 'Chip War' by Chris Miller. When one thinks of 'tech', semiconductors are often overlooked as it's not as sexy as AI, EVs, or the latest iGadgets. It wasn't until the pandemic hit that governments and people start realizing the importance chips play in our everyday lives. The semiconductor industry is the backbone of the entire tech sector and not only does it drive a nation's economic growth, it also serves national security purposes too. As an industry veteran, I have observed how China had been investing heavily (funding domestic chip startups, education and university research, recruitment of talent, etc.) while the West continued to offshore their manufacturing and supply chains. The pandemic was a wake-up call and I'm happy that the US is re-focused on chips and trying to compete again. Let's hope we can motivate a new generation of workers to study semiconductors and enter the field because we have a huge shortage of qualified engineers and technicians needed to support the industry.

Wow. TIL...

Good to know. I'm hoping to hear more about the game from players before deciding to dive into this.

Maybe I'm naive, but what's holding everyone back from living a paperless life or at least attempt to? Other than printing out the occasional return labels for Amazon stuff I return (they offer label free drop offs now), I can't think of anything else I would use it for as most things have gone digital.

News like this needs more visibility...especially among the international community so that wider outrage can hopefully pressure the judge to reconsider his ruling. Too much BS like this slips by due to lack of awareness.

My favorite game is to score deals on video games and then watch my kids play them afterwards. I bought Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on release ($70) saving by using Nintendo game vouchers (2 games for $100) purchased with Costco eShop cards ($100 value for $90). I've been watching my daughter play these past two weeks while combing through Steam's summer sale. Another pro-tip is whatever game I find on sale @Steam, I can (usually) find the same game on Fanatical.com for a few dollars less and score a 5% coupon for the next puchase.

SimAnt was my gateway drug to RTS games like Warcraft II, C&C: Red Alert, and StarCraft.

Agree that this needs to happen. But given the brand power of Nintendo, they will just do whatever they want to screw over their fans and we will still be willing to pay.

This story saddens me. Having grown up in a matriarchal household, I have huge respect for women and what they do for us in society. I don't claim to know a lot about Japan but I have worked in the country for a couple years and there seems to be a deeply engrained pervy culture that's not helping their cause. To confront the issue requires more than some government policy changes, but really to disrupt their own identity and push for cultural change.

I agree. Politicians like to throw in the term "wealth" to create class division and evoke enough emotion to help push their agendas thru. Also, the 400k universal threshold doesn't make a whole lot of sense...someone making 400k in Mississippi is much better off than someone making 400k in California. What's considered a 'fair share' is hard to quantify, but definitely taxing capital gains equally is a good place to start.

Do you only plan on playing games available through Game Pass? I know there’s a couple of handheld devices (not really handheld PCs, Switch/Deck-esque with Android and smart phone hardware) that are built specifically for Xbox’s cloud gaming. (Maybe you don’t even know what you intend to play at this stage, and just expect to play whatever’s available without paying more money?)

I play a mixture of both games I've bought and games through Game Pass. Xbox cloud gaming isn't great and I think it works for certain games but latency is a no go for me. One reason I like keeping Game Pass is that I often like to trial games before committing and for only $10/mo, it allows me to do this. Before the service exsited, I can easily waste $30+ buying games that I later learn I don't really enjoy.

This. Ever since I quit facebook, I find myself reaching out to friends who I care about rather than just following their feed. I also find when we hang out, there's more for us to discuss and we cherish each other's company more because we no longer have the convenience of staying hyper updated about each other. It's the whole idea of absence makes the heart grow fonder. My advice to everyone is to stop relying on social media to keep up with people and go have some real relationships with those you care about. You'll find yourself much happier.

Thanks for the comprehensive review. When I mention the deck is limited, I’m mostly referring to the ability to play PC Game Pass through Xbox app. I know you can install Windows but it’s likely more tinkering than I would be interested in doing. Also, are there any issues still plaguing the device? After all, the Steam Deck is still a first gen product. I can’t wait to see what they will do in their next iteration.

Congratulations! I always appreciate the creativity of new parents trying to find ways to keep life the way it was. Not to discourage you from trying, but I honestly hope you can succeed where most of us have failed.