figmentPez
Staff member
Random Video Game Crap
- Thread starter Frank
- Start date
figmentPez
Staff member
I'm frustrated at how stupid people are, again.
On Reddit I saw a Shower Thoughts post "Considering how new $1000 phones are released every year with minor changes, it's a good thing gaming consoles don't do the exact same thing."
In response to someone noting that none of the Xbox variants cost more than $500, I noted that they don't come "free" or discounted with a subscription service, and that as soon as console makers can normalize getting a console bundled with a subscription the price will creep up. I can only assume that smart people upvoted me and moved on, because every single person who responded to me didn't listen to what I said. "Microsoft has already done that!" No, you soggy muppets, introducing a subscription service is not the same as successfully making a two-year contract the expected way to buy a console. $1,000 cell phones would be a lot less common if the cost weren't at least partially hidden within the monthly cost of cellular service.
Also, no, buying your console now with a credit card is not the "smart thing" to do when compared to waiting until you have enough money to buy the console outright. Holy shit, this comment alone is proof that there are people who won't notice that they're paying $1,000 every year for a new console, as long as they can just barely afford the monthly fee.
On Reddit I saw a Shower Thoughts post "Considering how new $1000 phones are released every year with minor changes, it's a good thing gaming consoles don't do the exact same thing."
In response to someone noting that none of the Xbox variants cost more than $500, I noted that they don't come "free" or discounted with a subscription service, and that as soon as console makers can normalize getting a console bundled with a subscription the price will creep up. I can only assume that smart people upvoted me and moved on, because every single person who responded to me didn't listen to what I said. "Microsoft has already done that!" No, you soggy muppets, introducing a subscription service is not the same as successfully making a two-year contract the expected way to buy a console. $1,000 cell phones would be a lot less common if the cost weren't at least partially hidden within the monthly cost of cellular service.
Also, no, buying your console now with a credit card is not the "smart thing" to do when compared to waiting until you have enough money to buy the console outright. Holy shit, this comment alone is proof that there are people who won't notice that they're paying $1,000 every year for a new console, as long as they can just barely afford the monthly fee.
figmentPez
Staff member
Rent-to-Own is proof that stupid people are out there, but it is a pretty small part of the market as a whole. ("2.3 percent of U.S. households had used rent-to-own transactions in the last year, and 4.9 percent had done so in the last five years." - FTC ) I think the broader existence of all different sorts of financing for home entertainment electronics is even more proof. Though I'm just realizing now that you may mean just that when you say "Rent-a-Center".
That said, I still think there's a significant difference between "the new XBox for 202X will be $1,000, but you can get it for $50 a month!" and "the new Xbox for 202X will come free with X-tier 8K GamePass. $60 a month gets you X-clusive access to Halo 8K and 8K cosmetic skins, and you get it 3 months ahead of non-subscribers! (Xbox 8K without bundled subscription will be $1,000 and you won't be able to buy it until after the holiday season is over)."
I was using it as a stand-in for the whole idea of not actually owning stuff, really. Monthly forever phone plans, auto/home leasing, payday loans, cable bundles, the Microsoft/Adobe subscription software model, or even student loans, all of them things crafted to either hide the total cost behind the smaller monthly payment they dangle in front of you, or else as a forever cost that ideally (for them) you will never stop paying.
—Patrick
The irony of this is that Microsoft already has an installment based system for purchasing the new Xbox and has had such systems since the 360 at least. There is no reason to "rent to own" an Xbox because you can already pay less over time to just outright buy one.
figmentPez
Staff member
Yes, they very clearly want it to become normal for the console to be the subscription. I think they've been trying to set up that model since the 360; at least I seem to recall there being some sort of program that bundled a "free" 360 with internet service, or something. They haven't made it the standard yet, which is why I think console prices have remained where they are.
figmentPez
Staff member
HA!
But really, I was figuring it'll be Xbox Series-8X, an "8K capable" update to the Series-X.
figmentPez
Staff member
I'm still giggling that in Final Fantasy 4 the lord of the ninja clan, who brags about his abilities, is out to avenge the death of his parents, dresses in a purple cape with a mask that still shows off his windblown anime hair, and dual wields katanas is named... Edge. Lord Edge. Edgelord. (and, according to design notes, is really named Edward) Pre-dating the internet term by ~20 years.
figmentPez
Staff member
When I played Dead Money, I got into the vault and realized that oh, there's all these gold bars, but even one is so heavy that it's going to incumber me and make me unable to escape in time, making this one of those classic moments where you're forced to leave the treasure to save yourself.
Well, screw that! I took every single bar, and then cheesed my way out of the vault by saving and reloading and taking every shortcut I could to make it out just before the explosion, using a stash of stealth boys to sneak past the boss at the end.
I then crawled across the desert (can't fast travel when encumbered) for thirty minutes to my safehouse to stash all the gold. So ha! I'm rich!
Of course, none of the merchants carries enough caps to actually buy one of those bars, but that's beyond the point.
Honestly, I think you should have been able to turn in the bars for Rep and Caps from the NCR (as their gold reserve just got blown up). But that's beside the point.
I traded the gold for expensive guns from the Gun Runners.
figmentPez
Staff member
Since you all clearly chose to leave the point of Dead Money behind, have this:
I think the point of it would have been more salient if it hadn't been very easy to just dump a lot of useless shit and sneak some of the bars out.
This randomly popped up on my YouTube recommendations. I giggled.
This video spawned a subreddit for showcasing silly video game AI!
Reddit - Dive into anything
www.reddit.com
Dunno if it fits exactly since it was mostly me trying to cut corners but this had me in stitches when it happened.This video spawned a subreddit for showcasing silly video game AI!
Reddit - Dive into anything
"Shoulda moved!" Like the guy could have anticipated a full grown man falling from the floor above directly on to his table, followed up by the casual "Anyway, hello."
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Or at the very least, keel over, breaking the bannister after being shot. This guy has clearly never been in a saloon before.
figmentPez
Staff member
figmentPez
Staff member
Coincidence?