The Xbox once did have a version of Internet Explorer on it, I remember.
Its supporters claim that in some ways it’s meant to make development easier; that it simplifies many lighting tricks devs handle manually.
I don’t necessarily think it’s a strong enough point since it’s often throwing hardware at a creativity/effort problem.
I remember one where a sect of humanity was being persecuted, and left to try to find a better life in the stars. They failed to find a life, gave up and returned home, but their interstellar trip consumed so many Earth years that by the time they returned, Earth had moved on from persecution and eagerly welcomed their historical memories.
Sadly, I forget the name; it may have been a short story.
"We are also pleased to announce that, next year, we will be adding support for Gamecube games other than Super Smash Bros. Melee." /s
I regret to be taking no action on this - because I already started my boycott of Xbox back when they fired Tango Gameworks.
You had ONE Game of the Year, all year, Microsoft!
But uh...yeah, funding genocide is also extremely bad.
Although we still number consoles, in a lot of ways we did get our “tiered” console structure.
Take most people’s daily plays, and I’d say about 90% of them or more have an edition available on the prior gen console. And it makes sense when so many of those games have relatively basic graphics - and when game engines have gotten better at scalability.
So, those consoles are neatly serving as a low budget option for a lot of gamers that can’t follow all the latest and most expensive games. Yes, some newer releases will be fully excluded; but even then, getting a brand new or used Switch or PS4 can introduce someone to a huge number of games if they haven’t been exploring options.
I think your voice could actually be better than your wallet on this.
For one, these games are free. So, are you harming the world by playing them and just not buying loot boxes? Minimally, at best. I also advise people enacting boycotts to represent vocal action around them. For instance, I called Target directly about my boycott when they ended DEI hiring.
You can also help lobby politicians to make clear how you feel on the issue. That can put a lot more panic on publishers. Politicians don’t have a strong reason to defend them - often it only gets ignored because they don’t think voters find it a significant issue. Even if you don’t get a federal ban, sometimes you can get state laws like limiting physical advertising; which can also sometimes spread to other states.
Basically, boycotting as a form of inaction, especially when it makes your days boring, isn’t necessarily an effective approach.
In a small European town, you get on your bike, travel two blocks through zero red lights, and arrive at a cozy corner shop that has everything you need for lunch and freshly baked bread. If you don’t have a basket on your bike, you just walk there instead.
The gigastores we associate with groceries in the USA are a product of our car culture. Someone has braved the highway ramps, so they need to bring back a big haul in their large trunk. Of course, that also leads to food being wasted as we buy in bulk and let it expire.
Citing population density is just exemplifying the planning problem. You can look at Australia’s population density too, but it’d be disingenuous to include the large outback - which no one settles into, because why would they. Same question for America’s pointlessly broad frontiers, where everyone just seems to want to get away from each other.
Venomously rotund?
As inspiring as that sounds, I wonder about how easy it is for someone facing obesity to ease into cycling. Their own machine and their balance struggle will have an uphill battle against that weight, and it may be especially scary if they live in a car heavy area.
Curious about this story, since I may know people who would benefit from such experience, both in terms of fitness and extra transit options!
Wow. I bought my city ebike for about $2K and it’s served me fine. I’ve maybe spent $50 in maintenance in the year since, and $200 in cycling gear.
I take bike/bus…I bring reusable bags. =/