MrGabr

joined 2 years ago
[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 5 points 59 minutes ago

Indeed. The sources I've read seem to lay blame with games not usually patenting mechanics (which apparently is all patent officers look at for prior art, not other games), meaning it needs active challenging to be thrown out.

PocketPair is based in Japan, which is where the previous, more directly problematic patents have been filed mid-litigation. While there is clearly prior art for the US patent, it isn't quite as comically broad as the Japan ones, and since Japan doesn't seem to care about prior art, those remain the most concerning to me.

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 11 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

In the US, yes. In Japan, it would appear such a concept does not exist.

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 11 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah but not raw milk straight from the udder (unless you enjoy salmonella), letting it dribble down your chin and get in your beard (unless that's what does it for you I guess, you do you)

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 17 points 1 day ago (3 children)

My main gripe with TLJ is that the editing is a total mess. Multiple scenes lose continuity between shots. The most egregious example is the milk scene, which in addition to being gross and unnecessary, was clearly jammed in between two shots meant to be continuous. Rey and Luke start walking down a skinny peninsula, no space cow in sight, then hard cut to space cow and Luke milking it, then hard cut back to the end of the peninsula and Luke setting down his stuff.

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 2 points 3 weeks ago

I found one for NieR: Automata at a used bookstore that has maps, a ton of concept art, and a short story.

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 53 points 1 month ago

Race condition

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 5 points 1 month ago

There are thousands upon thousands of indie games with neither of those mechanics...

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Any two party system is the mathematically-inevitable result of first-past-the-post voting, nothing more or less.

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 0 points 1 month ago

I'm not saying it isn't insanely hard (actually I mentioned that fact twice), I'm just trying to point out that Steam gives developers more tools for visibility than any storefront that exists, with most storefronts giving no tools whatsoever. Any game with no marketing budget selling enough to support a multiple-person development team, when they have to compete directly with AAA games, is impressive for both the developer and the platform.

If you want to advocate for improvements and change, you can't just ignore the positive things that already exist.

~Also you clearly didn't read the page about the update visibility rounds, because those have nothing to do with popularity and are completely randomized regarding who among the recently-updated games gets a spot on the front page. In fact, your game gets rotated off that spot once you've gotten 1 million impressions.~

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network -1 points 1 month ago (2 children)
  1. Blatantly untrue, as update visibility rounds are one of several marketing tools Steam gives you that can put your game on the front page for free, regardless of popularity.

  2. Kitfox Games has published a guide (one among many you can find on the internet) on how to successfully market a game with no advertising budget. While their existing audience definitely helped, and as they mention, it takes a significant amount of time and effort, they do not spend actual money on sponsorships or advertising. This would not be a viable strategy on any other storefront, save maybe Epic, though Epic still gives fewer tools than Steam.

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 4 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Steam has been coasting on the fact that everyone shoots themselves in the foot, sure, but you should look into the unparalleled level of "free" (30% cut) marketing support Steam gives to developers. On no other platform could developers end up with the visibility they achieve on Steam with nothing more than very strategic timing and good social media presence. It's still insanely hard, but the fact that it's even possible to compete with zero marketing budget against AAA companies speaks volumes.

[–] MrGabr@ttrpg.network 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It is a little insane how many games release on any given day. On July 15, 2025, 150 "titles" (of which 78 are actual games, not demos or DLC) were added to the Steam store. I would guess that their data includes all titles, but even just 78 real games on what should be a slower-than-average random Tuesday could totally contribute to 34,000 games released in a year.

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