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Latest Comments by Valck
Linux user share on Steam continues rising — highest for years again
2 August 2022 at 6:06 pm UTC Likes: 2

Regarding the "market share" when all it really ought to be a survey of what hardware is out there and in use - not everyone submits their data when asked for.

I guess that goes for both Linux and non-Linux, and of course I may be completely wrong, but I think there's a slight possibility that people using Linux are generally a bit more conscious about privacy and big data, and as such might appear to make up a smaller portion of the sample than they actually are.


PS.:
Kudos to Valve for asking in the first place, and not simply collecting straight away. Sadly, that seems to be the rare exception, and as such I feel it merits specific mention.

Linux user share on Steam continues rising — highest for years again
2 August 2022 at 5:59 pm UTC Likes: 6

Quoting: Purple Library GuyBut what about all the other non-English speakers? For the overall percentage to be less than half the English-speaking percentage, no-Linux has to be very common out there. Why is Linux so terrible at penetrating beyond the English speaking (gaming) world?
Quoting: EikeSome people here said they are using Linux not in their native language, but in English. So 3.35% versus the 2.97% might be off. (I'm using my Linux in German, though.

Which would be me, for example.
I'm not a native English speaker, but I have been accustomed to using English hardware and software right from the beginning, which was with a Sinclair ZX81 in my earliest teens, followed up closely by Pen-and-Paper RPGs. While you could get the basics in translation, the really good stuff, as well as the really bad stuff I guess, was only available in English. And so much more of it, too. Even decades later, I don't think that has changed much.

Another part of the equation may be that usually software comes with a complete and fairly decent English localization, if it wasn't translated from there to begin with.
In contrast, more often than not, localizations are incomplete, clunky, or dubious. It doesn't take much to feel out of place, when everything else appears to be consistent.

That being as it is, I simply don't bother looking at any translations; if and when curiosity gets the better part of me, it almost always feels like a waste of my time, and as such, a wasted effort from the translators' side as well.
I do consider that part of my impression of English localizations being more consistent may come in part from English only being my second language – but on the other hand, I think I have learned so much more than just school vocabulary no small part exactly because of that.



With that as a preamble, shouldn't the article's title be "highest in years again", with room to grow, as opposed to "highest for years again", with only a downward path possible for the foreseeable future? :)

Total War: Warhammer III cautiously builds upon a tried and true formula
26 July 2022 at 9:59 pm UTC Likes: 2

Quoting: lukas333I hope there won't be Warhammer 4 any time soon.
ToarWoar WoarMoar Fwoar

...gonna love it :)

Heroic Games Launcher adds GOG Cloud Saves, Epic Overlay support, anti-cheat helpers
18 July 2022 at 4:21 pm UTC

Quoting: slaapliedjeThanks GOG for not support cloud slaves on Linux
Oh, wait... I don't think you meant that in the way it was written... I was about to agree... well, I guess I still do. Down with slavery, everywhere!

Other than that, maybe it isn't that bad... I mean there are now several open launchers instead of one proprietary one. That has to be positive, right?
No, seriously. I like having the choice of manually downloading, archiving, and installing my games. I usually don't have that choice with Steam, unless the devs go out of their way to make sure their games run without Steam.

And while I don't actually know, likely one also doesn't have that choice with any of the other stores (Epic, Ubisoft, etc.?)

Unity to 'merge' with ironSource with a buzzword salad press release
14 July 2022 at 5:13 am UTC Likes: 5

Fits the image I have of them. Remember RedShell, anyone? When it comes to sneaky "marketing", Unity always appears to be the most eager of them all to get there.
I'm not saying others don't do their share, but it always seems Unity isn't just flowing with the trend.

I so wish products had an obligation to state what engines and middleware they were built with, and to which telemetry servers they connect, before purchase and installation. I might still decide that I want to bite the apple, but please do let me know that it's poisoned, thank you.

Expansive open world country-life sim The Ranchers gets funded in less than a day
8 July 2022 at 4:40 am UTC Likes: 6

Quoteif they don't make it on day-1
Not a great sign. Sorry if I sound cynical, but it's been shown time and again that the "Windows first, and then we'll see..." kind of approach just doesn't work that well. The professional approach to cross platform development is to be cross platform from the start, or else it'll die the death of a thousand paper cuts.
That doesn't mean I don't wish them all the success they can get, of course.

Minecraft - The Wild Update is out now, Java & Bedrock now one purchase
12 June 2022 at 8:09 pm UTC

Quoting: sternschnupfenShame that I cant play because Microsoft wants me to give them a phone number for "security purposes". Not even MY phone number they say I only need one to login, it can be any. And "of course" it will not be saved into my account. This data hoarding needs to stop.
Thanks for the heads up. I was almost about to budge...
I haven't touched Minecraft since Microsoft took over, and I guess with that, it's definitely over. I might have justified migrating to an MS account before myself, but not if it involves giving them anyone's personal information :F
It was bad enough they got to see from where, on what servers, and when and for how long one plays when it was just Mojang, but f if it's MS.

Sadly none of the alternatives are really where MC is at, or even was at the time. Oh well.

Fall Guys to become Epic Exclusive for new owners, so no Steam Deck support then
18 May 2022 at 5:41 am UTC

Quote[…]the Easy Anti-Cheat file needed to run on Linux and Steam Deck, although it's in the wrong place and needs moving to work[…]
Honi soit qui mal y pense.

Not that I care, the mere fact that it does have that heavy DRM would already put me off, if it had a native Linux version to begin with, and the genre were of interest in the first place.

From the start, everything Epic announced or did felt like underhanded attempts to get at Steam.
I'm fine with competition, and Steam really needs some, but why can't that be one that tries to trump them with positive and open features instead of trying to be worse for their audience in every which way.

Good Old Games Week is live on GOG with a sale
3 May 2022 at 6:37 am UTC

Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: Valck
QuoteThe aptly named Good Old Games Week runs from April 29 - May 9.
Last time I checked, a week ran for seven days. As such, I would be hesitant to call it aptly named ;)
Are we really being that pedantic about things?
Obviously some are, others aren't ;)
Of course I can only speak for myself, but I feel one has to draw a line somewhere... I'm fairly certain had they called it "Good Old Games Fortnight", there would have been an outrage about deception and exploitation, despite the fact that their idea of a "week" is actually closer to fourteen days.

And just in case it wasn't entirely obvious (this being the Internet, after all), I'm ranting with tongue in cheek. I know; I'll never learn. Have been bitten by myself more than once.

Good Old Games Week is live on GOG with a sale
30 April 2022 at 4:24 am UTC Likes: 1

QuoteThe aptly named Good Old Games Week runs from April 29 - May 9.
Last time I checked, a week ran for seven days. As such, I would be hesitant to call it aptly named ;)