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Messages - dhaabi
1
« on: June 25, 2026, 05:07:25 pm »
It is sad how easy we have gotten as gamers though. No fight. Myself included. As much as I stood strong with not getting a Nintendo Switch 2. I will cave to fomo for GTA 6. All mock me now. But I am deeply ashamed of the companies practices. But its also GTA 6.
There will probably be some offense taken by saying this, but it's a hard truth worth saying: if someone ultimately yields to problems they're actively aware of while even after voicing opposition toward them, then it's difficult for others to take that person seriously regarding the topic because it signals to them that that person, at least in this individual circumstance, doesn't stand by their principles.
Well.that would be anyone who hates on GTA 6's anti consumer policies and digital codes, a hiding content behind giant pay walls but also purchased a switch 2 that literally makes you sign away hardware ownership of an entire console and didn't even blink twice. So I certainly wouldnt be alone in that regard. Especially in this forum. We all have taken blows countless tikes in this gaming sphere. Won't be the first. Wont be the last. Don't blame the player for having to balance their principles with their freedom to enjoy their favorite hobby. It isnt always easy.
Everybody has their own priorities. All I meant with my previous comment is that the issues relating to Grand Theft Auto VI appear to be not that big of a concern to you if you're planning to buy the game anyway in spite of recognizing them. And if you're referring to me specifically since it's easy to identify that I own a Switch 2, I've said publicly before that the console I own was not purchased by me. I am not the only one in my household who plays games nor am I the only one who's capable of buying games for their own enjoyment. Needless to say, those people aren't overly concerned with these issues.
Regardless, I don't think anyone really knows with full certainty about the situation with Nintendo's EULA. From what I've read, some people seem to have made this a larger issue than what it really is and it became widely discussed as some big scare. Although how much of an online scare the matter could be questioned—it's not as if I'm aware of every piece of gaming news, but I stay relatively up-to-date and am only hearing about this issue now. I've read others say that the sort of language in Nintendo's EULA isn't setting some new precedent and is common legal text, but I'm not a legal expert nor have any knowledge of whether that's actually true or not. Based on this article, Nintendo's Switch 2 EULA indicates that consoles that have been commonly referred to as bricked have had their online capabilities revoked as a consequence to using modding and hacking tools, thus rendering it an offline-only device but one that's still playable. So I don't think this is some large scale problem. You may find it worthwhile to also know that at this time, there has been at least one legal challenge about this issue, but I don't think there have been any noteworthy updates concerning it this past year.
2
« on: June 25, 2026, 09:18:49 am »
Once playstation gave a digital only console and upsold the disc drives and Xbox followed suit. It was the beggining of the end for Physical media. It said to the devs and consumers alike. Physical is a privilege. Digital is the norm. It is sad how easy we have gotten as gamers though. No fight. Myself included. As much as I stood strong with not getting a Nintendo Switch 2. I will cave to fomo for GTA 6. All mock me now. But I am deeply ashamed of the companies practices. But its also GTA 6.
I may be wrong, but I believe Microsoft released the first digital-only console, it being the Xbox One S in 2019.
There will probably be some offense taken by saying this, but it's a hard truth worth saying: if someone ultimately yields to problems they're actively aware of while even after voicing opposition toward them, then it's difficult for others to take that person seriously regarding the topic because it signals to them that that person, at least in this individual circumstance, doesn't stand by their principles.But ive been told if GTA 6 had released on disc. It woild require 3 discs because modern discs are 100gb blu ray. And its industry's standard. But GTA is well above 200gb. And even with modern compression it'd be 3 discs. And the cost would outweigh what they wanna deal with developing a 3 spindle case at scale like that.
A 3-disc game case wouldn't even need to be manufactured, although one certainly could be made by including a swinging disc tray in already-existing 2-disc cases. Additional discs could just be contained in a sleeve such as what was done for the Xbox version of Baldur's Gate 3.
3
« on: June 25, 2026, 08:52:03 am »
It deeply saddens me that we are here as a society, where no one values actual ownership and we're essentially a society of subscribers, renters, and borrowers. 15-years ago, people were up in arms about on disc DLC. For a bit, this practice was either kept on the hush hush by publishers or outright removed due to the backlash. Now, there are people who unironically get hyped for DLC, even when it's clearly being used in an abusive way. My faith in humanity has taken a massive hit over the past decade and all this certainly doesn't improve it.
Is there something inherently wrong with DLC? More content becoming available is generally more good than bad.
It's a subject that, from the perspective of a physical collector in particular, requires some level of nuance. Would most collectors rather have games be manufactured physically with all content on the disc itself? Yes—but patches and updates, let alone DLC, complicates that. Sometimes more up-to-date versions are released physically at a time later with these updates, but that more often doesn't happen for a variety of reasons.
4
« on: June 24, 2026, 07:10:53 pm »
Normally ultimate editions don't sound like too big of a deal, usually cosmetics, or more like post-release content included, but I don't like that they have so many guns, vehicles, and stores hidden behind paid content on an 80 dollar game. Just feels like they wanted to do 100 bucks for the base game, but knew it would annoy a bunch of folks if they did it outright.
That's exactly what's being planned with these price points. For $80, consumers can—and will—buy an incomplete game. And this isn't like DLC announced soon after or even before a retail product releases which is actually extra content that's being promised to players should sales numbers reach their target goals. Instead, the Ultimate Edition content is just what's being taken away from those who decide to spend less, simply believing that it's only just the more affordable version.but if they are charging 80 bucks, at least do a dual disc release, it's not like it's impossible to do and it's guaranteed to sell.
Obviously, that sort of action would lead more people who are interested to make the sale, but I suppose Take-Two's marketing analysts don't think it would offset the costs of everything that comes with physical products, such as manufacturing and distribution. Because at the end of the day, it's not as if Take-Two is against physical products. They're just concerned with what decisions will yield the most profits.
5
« on: June 24, 2026, 10:27:01 am »
Spending $80 for the opportunity to have the game's license revoked someday sure is a decision many fans will wholeheartedly take, all because it's Grand Theft Auto and it's apparently the exception.
6
« on: June 22, 2026, 03:28:39 pm »
25. Novena || Browser || 06.21.2026
I'm still trying out bite-sized Bitsy games. Something I noticed when first starting but haven't mentioned yet is how many of these experiences that highlight story and storytelling are immediately presented when playing in browser. By default, the button to execute programs on itch.io will be labeled as run game, but there is a trend among Bitsy games to alter the labeled text to something more fitting. For Novena specifically, the button now reads run poem. And while that's a slightly dramatized change, it does reflect the more poignant tone it sets as a drama.
Novena is a story emphasizing repetition and the ongoing effort it often takes to help rebuild what's been broken—if it can be rebuilt at all, even partially. Specifically, the problems introduced deal with depression but ultimately stem from mistrust and exploitation, though they're presented in a somewhat abstracted way. Above anything else, the game's use of color reinforces the emotional journey with its changing progression being simple yet powerful. To be expected, it's a short story that's best experienced first-hand instead of reading about. And this is especially true considering that gameplay only consists of basic exploratory interactions—walking around small rooms and reading dialogue or other in-game text that appears. Gameplay is especially limited, but I can't imagine what other mechanics could have been incorporated that wouldn't have instead subtracted from the experience.
While the game is primarily designed with Bitsy, it also utilizes other tools and effects beyond what are typically available. These additions are subtle and don't greatly alter the experience but do elevate it. Particularly, its most noticeable outside element is the implementation of music. While music is optional to most gameplay experiences, it would be a disservice to say that Novena would be the same without it. Other changes are much smaller, relating to text formatting effects and something so minor such as directional avatar positioning instead of players controlling a character that's solely bound to one static direction despite where they move to. Having already looked at the Bitsy tool some, I don't think the game incorporates any other changes besides these ones; if other effects are present, they're slight and went without my noticing.
From my observations, Novena is one of the more popular games built with Bitsy, and for good reason too. It exemplifies what Bitsy does best by being a short graphic adventure experience, although I do believe that its overarching theme would have been considerably less effective had no music been added from outside tools. And to be straightforward, it's not that I find the game's theme to be all that compelling or unique, but its storytelling capabilities are noteworthy considering the limitations its bound by.
7
« on: June 22, 2026, 09:44:11 am »
I think this is the right place to put this. This needs to have variant info added in the title and a new entry needs to be added.
https://vgcollect.com/item/4804
I recently had this YouTube short appear on my YouTube homepage, then I looked up something along the lines of "Lego Star Wars II DS patch" and then came across this video. The tl;dw version is the game was a broken mess on launch, then it got a silent re-release patched version sometime later. The only way to identify it is the back of the physical cartridge, the original version is AL7EN0J12, and the fixed version is AL7EN1J12. So this is kind of like the situation with Spyro Reignited Trilogy where the only way to identify copies with all the games on the disc is the disc art of the actual disc.
It might be worth looking into the other region releases of the game as they have may done the same thing according to this post on the Lost Media Wiki forums.
https://forums.lostmediawiki.com/thread/8873/lego-star-nintendo-revision-versions
A new forum topic would have been more ideal, but that's fine.
To clarify, there are more serials for The Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy's cartridges than just AL7EN0J12 and AL7EN1J12. I've come across several others on eBay including those ending in -09, -20, -22, -34, but those ending numbers relate to manufacturing sequence only and not software content.
Now, while a variant entry for this updated cartridge could be created, there are other steps needing to be taken prior to that. Information from boxed copies will need to be gathered from sources like sealed unboxing videos and by observing trends from secondary markets. First, the outer packaging will need to be inspected and compared to see if some kind of difference exists there. And if it's concluded that the packaging is the exact same, then the various other components need to be compared as well which consist of the Instruction Booklet and Health and Safety Precautions Booklet, each with their own unique item numbers. Once those steps are completed and no other differences besides the cartridge serials can be found, then a variant entry can be submitted with an entry name descriptor relating to the cartridge serial. Since the serials aren't fully the same, it is best for a descriptor to relate to something more objective.
I won't be doing that research, so you will need to do it yourself if you're wanting a variant entry created. If you need help along the way, you can provide sources in a dedicated forum topic and staff will provide feedback.
8
« on: June 17, 2026, 09:40:48 pm »
24. Third Crypt || Browser || 06.17.2026
While I've continued to try out various games made with Bitsy, it's become abundantly clear that the majority of them are designed primarily to showcase some sort of small story or even a brief moment that's complemented by simple, yet sometimes quite impressive, visual art. And while there's nothing wrong with those sorts of games, I've been curious about what sort of other gameplay experiences can be crafted with Bitsy's limitations. As a result, the next game I've decided to discuss is Third Crypt.
What sets Third Crypt apart as an early Bitsy game besides its visual design is the type of game it aims to be as a first-person dungeon crawler. Now, that sort of descriptor is admittedly bold to use because while it is technically valid, the game's implementation of these mechanics are elementary and still largely remain in a proof-of-concept state despite the game being declared finished some nine years ago. Basic exploration performs in a way that feels complete enough, but that's really all there is; so, in the end, the game exists in a state that really only differentiates itself from more ordinary Bitsy games by its unique perspective. Environmental interactions, NPC dialogue, a player goal, dead ends, and even fail states all manage to be present in this final build. They remain overly simple, but it's easy to imagine how these systems could be expanded upon past this iteration.
As players explore, they're able to change directions and move around one unit of space with each directional input. A basic map and compass system have been placed at the top of the screen that allow players safe traversal through the eponymous crypt without becoming lost, a condition that otherwise would be easy to reach given the game's setting. Third Crypt also utilizes Bitsy's avatar function and interconnected room systems in a novel way by assigning them to the navigational tools themselves. So, while it may seem as if players control the unseen player-character from a first-person perspective, they're really controlling the blinking indicator on the map that marks the player's position while the map's location markers are the actual rooms players explore to and from. Everything else functions as a visual component only.
It's been nine years since Third Crypt has been declared finished, though the creator does acknowledge that it's not in a fully realized state. So while my time with this design experiment was brief, I did enjoy seeing Bitsy being utilized in such a creative way so soon after it had first released as a tool.
9
« on: June 17, 2026, 09:31:12 am »
I exported my collection to CSV/import to spreadsheet and removed digital games, Sega items, computers, baseball games, Japanese PS2, etc and left with 1,708 rows. I sent this spreadsheet to a buyer to get an offer.
What's your interest in holding onto JP PlayStation 2 games specifically, as opposed to JP PlayStation?
Going through your collection with this in mind, I was surprised that you owned so many baseball titles.
10
« on: June 15, 2026, 08:24:33 pm »
Remember when Microsoft announced Ninja Theory's third installment in the Hellblade series just eight days ago? Now, they've announced that the studio is closing.
Double Fine Productions and Compulsion Games are also reportedly negotiating with Microsoft to avoid being shuttered. While I'm sure if that does ultimately happen it would result in the loss of many's jobs, I think it would ultimately benefit Double Fine particularly in the long-term future as they re-build themselves up as the indie studio they had been. If there's anything third-party studios have realized in the last few years especially, it's that being tied to a major publisher who only sees you as a disposable asset in this present moment isn't in your best interest.
Anyway, Xbox is so back.
11
« on: June 15, 2026, 10:37:46 am »
23. Night Drive || Browser || 06.14.2026
For a while, I've been wanting to try out Bitsy games but never got around to it until now. With all its limitations, it's a simple yet fun, little game creation tool. And from what I've gathered, much of the creator's initial thought toward it presumed it'd be a program to "make it easy to make games where [one] can walk around and talk to people and be somewhere," and this is even demonstrated by a fair amount of the earliest games created with it. However, it really didn't take long for others interested in the program to extend beyond those basic gameplay mechanics and design philosophies even without the array of tools that would later be released to evolve the types of experiences that eventually would be crafted. One of those games is Night Drive, which is what I settled on playing first.
As the faceless protagonist, players control a disembodied hand of the driver longing to find some escape in the direct aftermath of a relationship that's ended. Along this perpetually never-ending drive, the protagonist provides context to before, during, and after this life-changing event alongside general musings of what little they're able to see in the far-off horizon of the empty desert nightscape. Feelings of hopelessness are evident in the moment, but two brief lines of text imply the protagonist's ability to someday move on past this ordeal—even if that ability is granted in the form of forgetfulness only. How these bits of story information are conveyed is by selecting one of the several interactive screen elements that triggers dialogue. There isn't a linear path to follow, though there is some continuity between short excerpts that will make more narrative sense when moving the cursor along from one element to the one directly next to it.
Visually, the game establishes a strong sense of atmosphere. Unlike most other projects made in Bitsy, Night Drive is designed with an unchanging, first-person camera perspective that reinforces the unknown of what's to come during the aftermath of a time when stability was, but now isn't, constant. Unlike most other projects designed with Bitsy, what's presented isn't a room either in a traditional sense but instead a viewpoint. Graphically, what's presented is restricted in design but in a way that maintains the ability to convey just enough detail that's needed to craft a convincing setting. And even when considering Bitsy's low-fidelity constraints, animation is used sparingly but not in a way that sacrifices the setting's quality.
Like a fair amount of early Bitsy games, Night Drive doesn't have an ending. No concrete resolution is ever achieved either, resulting in the protagonist to remain trapped in their mental anguish at the response to a relinquished love. Yet, while the game's reflective anecdote proves able to capture a player's attention in a way that may even be relatable to some of its audience, I was most enamored by its vibrating cinematic.
12
« on: June 14, 2026, 12:47:34 pm »
22. 10 Mississippi || Browser || 06.13.2026
10 Mississippi is one of those games that I just sort of found myself playing without really meaning to—I actually stumbled upon it in a small list that included another game I was reading about. The game's page auto-loads without input, and it's a short experience that can be completed before ever realizing how far you've reached even if your intention was just to experience a quick glimpse of its mechanics and presentation.
In a way, 10 Mississippi is an interactive visual diary told through a series of vignettes presented in stop-motion photography. Without dialogue and little text (most of which is an optional triggered effect) the game is a looping narrative about a woman's daily routine, beginning where it ends each sequence as if no time has past. At times, the actions a player controls feel as if they mimic their own personal life: the buttons to the shirt you've just put on are put in place nestled in fabric one-by-one, monotonous office tasks at your desktop are worked on, a razor glides across your body as you shave, a simple meal is prepared after the stovetop's burners are turned. These moments all feel familiar, but they simultaneously feel intrusive as who players control is ultimately a stranger to us.
Each of the game's scenes is momentary, and the majority of them pause for user input in the form of simple key strokes being pressed that are often in quick succession and loop. How these scenes are presented have some thought to them in regards to their interactivity too, such as food being stirred that requires specific keys to be pressed in a circular order or the struggle to get out of bed requiring multiple attempts at holding the up arrow key as the stop-motion imagery mirrors the player's actions. However, some scenes will advance even if player action isn't completed or even taken at all. In the game's first linear playthrough, players will unlikely be able to see all of these actions or notice all of the game's minor details as they're still learning the key strokes needing to be pressed, often in a short time window. So to some degree, playing the game one or two additional times to see what more information is revealed or environmental changes occur, as little or insignificant they may be, may be worthwhile to those curious.
Apart from visuals, sound is sparse and is mostly a looping audio recording of the current action taking place such as a key unlocking a door, but it all complements the ordinary, familiar experience of just another day to get through well enough. One music track can be triggered that helps reinforce the routine to the player-character's early daily routine as well, and it, too, functions adequately.
In some ways, 10 Mississippi is a game assigning players to be a silent observer of just another day that makes up some stranger's life, but observing feels wrong as we violate societal boundaries and intimate moments of varying degrees in what I'm assuming to be an autobiographical, slice-of-life interactive experience. What's presented ostensibly has no plot, but the connection of individual moments do, in some way, provide a greater insight to the player-character on screen. While I personally found enjoyment without such element, the game's opening and closing scenes do suggest something larger at play that I'm not sure how is intended to be understood in the game's larger context, so having some additional detail—however minor it may be—or omitting these two moments altogether may have been more effective.
13
« on: June 10, 2026, 10:08:33 pm »
The algorithm has bestowed me a real gem: 1990s Catholic ambient. For anyone curious, more about it can be read here.
14
« on: June 10, 2026, 10:00:28 pm »
With my time very limited right now due to the combo of me moving to a different state, starting a new job, preparing my house to get put on the market in about a week, and looking for a new house to move to, games that I can pick up, play for less than an hour, and then continue on with the whirlwind that is my life are paramount to me right now.
I'm late to saying anything, but I hope that all of life's changes have been fair despite the chaos of it all in the moment.
15
« on: June 10, 2026, 09:56:24 pm »
21. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life || PlayStation 4 || 05.15.2026
After having taken a relatively long break from the series, I recently began playing Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. While I had been long wanting to play this specific title, I simultaneously never found myself in the mood to, once more, begin a lengthy time commitment as each of the games in the franchise offers an abundance of optional content that I try to engage with as much as reasonably possible. With that said, I was looking forward to this playthrough once having finally committed to starting.
Since players have come to know franchise protagonist Kiryu over the course of modern events since his debut in the first title entry when he formally renounces his ties to yakuza, it's abundantly apparent how such action is easier said than done. Throughout this intended conclusion to Kiryu's story, themes of family and change are heavily emphasized. Over the past decade which coincides with the real-world calendar, the realization that it's often his presence alone that triggers certain dangers and events that jeopardize the safety of those he loves has become more and more truthful. In every way, Kiryu is a selfless hero who's simply bound to external forces at play. And it's in this seventh entry that Kiryu does whatever it takes for this life of being connected to crime to be left behind, including severing his ties to family and friends. Meanwhile, Kiryu's partial severance to the yakuza demonstrates now more than ever before the passage of time and the changes that occur during it. In some ways—though admittedly as a direct result to being tied to Kiryu—another certain character mimics the challenges Kiryu is also forced to overcome due to change. And at the same time, a new generation of yakuza demonstrate the shifting practices, attitudes, and power dynamics held by leaders and rising members in direct contrast to Kiryu himself.
Like it's been with every game in the series so far, Yakuza 6 features open-world city environments to navigate, and they've never felt more exhaustive and seamless to explore than in this title—particularly the main city of Kamurocho—despite being comparatively small to other games with this world design. Loading times during exploration are limited to moving from one map to the other, meaning players are granted the opportunity to do as they please without pause. Buildings and businesses can be entered freely (though certainly not all of them), and the detail within them is robust. Players can scale some of the larger buildings up to rooftops with ease and even have the option to stop on each floor and inspect each business within them. The space between buildings that isn't intended to be traversed by the public can be shimmied through that adds a layer of depth is present, and it adds to the sense that there's a fair amount of connecting paths to discover. However, all of the above simultaneously comes across as limited. as major portions of Kamurocho that have been present in every series entry thus far are blocked off entirely in addition to extensive roof and sewer systems being abandoned. Above all else, the majority of the game's sense of open space and liveliness lies in Kamurocho's tallest building structure, though there's seldom reason to explore it more than once as it largely exists without purpose other than to instill a sense of city magnitude. So while there's some higher level of real-world fidelity achieved in this entry, it comes at a cost of fewer city streets and locales to explore.
With that said, it's along these streets and city environments where the game's central combat takes place. And in full transparency, combat just isn't that engaging with its limited amount of fun to be had. Throughout the series including this title, special combat moves called Heat Actions may be triggered, but the amount of them available is sparse and the variety among them even more. This is especially unfortunate, because for me, Heat Actions are one of the series's best features. One reason for the meager amount of Heat Actions is that there are few weapons and weapon types to pick up from enemies alongside being unable to equip weapons from the menu. So, this leads to players performing the same basic combat functions most of the time which ultimately results in all combat encounters, whether they be low-stress street ones or major boss battles, to be the same. More than ever before, combat feels like a shallow means to an end—the balance between resolution and the path to reach it simply isn't present. In previous titles, the balance was largely present although certain boss encounters felt overly drawn-out with numerous phases and multi-layered health bars. But now it's the opposite: fights just aren't exciting or fulfilling due to simplicity. Meanwhile, the other reason for the reserved Heat Action amount is the leveling system. In short, EXP is accrued and is divided into four categories while skills to be learned have their individual requirements for the total amount needing to be spent. The system is basic but functional, but the progress reached concerning how varied Kiryu's combat abilities can become feels primitive—something that's obviously closely associated with the combat system itself.
In a similar manner, the core experience Yakuza 6 offers is noticeably scaled back from previous titles. Of course, the chief reason for this is arguably because this entry is the first to utilize the newly-designed Dragon Engine, so development seems to have prioritized environment design and graphical fidelity more than its individual features like combat and optional content to engage in. As a result, Yakuza 6 is a far less daunting and extensive game than previous installments since developers Ryu ga Gotoku are known for continuously adding on to each subsequent title with more and more content while building upon the previous iteration. Nevertheless, this latest entry and the amount of content it offers is a welcomed change of pace, and especially so when directly comparing it to the Yakuza 5. In my opinion, players don't need to always have the option to engage in every mini-game or optional activity that the developers have ever designed. At the same time, while substories are the contrasting personality to the franchise's more serious crime narrative, there can only be so many before their quality thins—and especially when there's only one protagonist such as in this instance, something I'm specifically mentioning since that's a fluctuating variable across the series. So generally, the game's more limited offerings are refreshing, though it's problematic aspect at times such as the issues with combat as mentioned above.
In some ways, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is a fantastic albeit bittersweet send-off to series protagonist Kiryu after starring in seven games in the main franchise. Of course, I'm only now playing this game ten years after its release and several more titles have debuted, so the time of my playthrough does influence the impact of its conclusion to some degree. However, I'll only know once approaching follow-up games if the franchise's continuation is when Kiryu's involvement as the primary protagonist or even a featured character should have ended or not, and I'm anxious to find out.
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