GeeEssEff

Please don’t be crap!

@Glassneedles Haha that sounds like me and my cousin. I introduced him to the game (he’s already doubled my hours on it) and called myself the foreman while I showed him the ropes. He quickly overtook me and now he has these insanely intricate, perfectly efficient factories and scoffs at my spaghetti nonsense. He ropes me in when I go to crazy.

@Glassneedles Sounds like you are way better at it than me! I don’t have the logical brain for it so my world is an inefficient, barely automated mess but I still love it nonetheless. I have about 130 hours under my (conveyor)belt and taking a break at the moment but intend to start a fresh game soon to take what I know and speed things up. Easily one of my favourite games of all time.

@FuriousMachine My first month with Satisfactory was basically 17:00 clock out of my real job, 17:01 clock into my factory job. I think it’s the first game I have played that throws out a message letting you know how long you have been playing every few hours…coffee stain knew full well they had created a drug in game form.

I turned off when they started having a lengthy chat about Monster Hunter and Final fantasy crossover DLC.

@Dimey As someone who bought a Series X entirely for Bethesda games and Forza Horizon 5 I feel your pain.

@Ricky-Spanish I think everyone in this discussion hopes you’re right and it doesn’t have as big of an impact on the arts as we expect it will. But given the massive AI push by tech industry leaders like Microsoft, Google and Meta, seemingly at the expense of human jobs, I’m going to assume it will get worse before it gets better….if it does get better.

@Ricky-Spanish I don’t necessarily think people are outraged, they are just voicing their opinions on one of the hottest topics in the world right now. I personally believe that in the right hands and with the right intent AI can be a good thing but I understand why stuff like this gets people’s backs up.

AI produced content generally seems to be worse than human produced content. Partly because AI is not really creating anything new, it’s just taking pre-existing ideas and hashing them together to create what it thinks you want. I’m not usually one to say things are objective when it comes to art and creation but I would argue these videos are objectively bad which doesn’t really inspire much confidence for a world where AI created content becomes the norm. It leads us down a path to less originality, less opportunity for human artists and if we want to get really dystopian there’s the worry that if your face appears somewhere on the internet you are fair game to become the unwilling participant in a random AI created video. It’s going to completely change how we interact with media over the next 20 years whether we like it or not but more than anything people just don’t want the steady ens**tifcation of the things they love like games, tv, film, music and art.

@Ricky-Spanish Fair enough mate no need to apologise I haven’t taken offence.

With regards to the Seal advert I haven’t seen it but I’d hazard a guess that the two main differences are that Seal was onboard with his likeness being used and it’s actually a good advert. Also google is telling me AI wasn’t used but it was VFX handled by a company called untold studios.

@Ricky-Spanish People can disapprove of more than one thing at a time? Me shaking my head at a poorly made AI video doesn’t mean I’m any less outraged at other stuff going on in the world but this is a gaming website so we are going to get gaming related news. There are outlets for bigger picture discussions but PushSquare ain’t one of them.

@Ricky-Spanish Depends entirely on if they asked permission from the people whose likenesses they used. Absolute best case is it’s a super lazy effort to reduce cost, worst case it’s stealing peoples likeness to push sales of a product. You might be fine with it but if my face started appearing on TikTok to advertise stuff I wouldn’t be thrilled.

Aside from being ethically wrong the adverts are just plain bad. It’s beyond creepy how the eyes don’t move or break contact with the camera even for a second and the mouths just look completely unnatural, particularly in the last two.

I would have paid a premium for cute kittens

Unicorn overlord is incredible for anyone who hasn't played it!

@BAMozzy ok last thing I’m gonna post on this as it’s truly mundane and I really don’t care half as much as you seem to.

1. A YouTube video by ‘suboneKD’ is not an official source nor is it credible. He also outright says he is going off information from 2023 not current data so completely irrelevant in 2025.
2. You have said things like “my sources” and “official sources” yet you don’t provide these sources. Why? Because they don’t exist. If there were published COD numbers for each platform they would be available on the internet and you would have linked them but all you have is rough estimations from rando YouTubers.
3. Don’t take things so personally. You’ve come out swinging today calling me uneducated, fanboy, biased etc when I have just asked for evidence of something you stated as fact. Look at your own biases because I reckon we would not be having this conversation if MS hadn’t bought ABK. In that scenario you wouldn’t give two hoots about Battlenet or where people are playing COD.
4. I’m not uneducated. You’d know this if you ever bothered to ask about me and get to know me but our relationship just feels so one sided 🙁

@BAMozzy According to ChatGPT no actual Cod numbers were mentioned during FTC trial but the MAUs for Battlenet vs Steam go completely against everything you are saying.

“You’re asking whether Activision itself provided specific figures on how many Call of Duty players were on Steam versus Battle.net during the FTC vs. Microsoft trial. Based on available filings and reports, there’s no evidence that Activision disclosed explicit player-counts split by platform in the trial documents. Instead, what we have is comparative user data cited largely by Microsoft’s legal team—not Activision—highlighting the outcomes of their platform decisions.

Here’s what was reported:

• Microsoft’s legal filings criticized Activision’s decision (2018–2022) to make Call of Duty PC titles exclusive to Battle.net as a “resounding failure,” arguing that the platform did not see growth in monthly active users (MAUs) during that period https://www.pcgamer.com/making-call-of-duty-a-battlenet-exclusive-was-a-resounding-failure-argues-microsoft/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• The filings also noted broader platform trends: Steam continued to grow, with its monthly active users increasing from about 90 million in 2018 to over 120 million in 2022 https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/d09412-answer-and-defenses-of-respondent-activision-blizzard-inc.pdf?

To clarify—these statistics refer to overall Steam and Battle.net MAU trends, not the number of Call of Duty players specifically on each. Activision did not provide breakdowns of Call of Duty player counts by platform in these proceedings, at least as publicly available.

So in short: No, Activision did not state separate figures for Call of Duty players on Steam versus Battle.net in the FTC vs. Microsoft trial filings.”

Also I wanna clarify that I’m not actually disagreeing with you because, like I’ve said, I don’t know for sure, which is why I’m asking you for one, single source of evidence. I think it unlikely Battlenet numbers are higher than steam but more than happy to be proven wrong, emphasis on the word proven. Instead you keep spouting google numbers with no sources, incorrectly referencing a trial from 2 years ago and generally acting hostile when all I want is a single irrefutable report which you claim exists but can’t link me to. If I was the one presenting “the facts” then I promise you I would have stuff to back it up but I’m presenting my opinion and calling it as much. Your the one claiming to know the facts so the burden of proof is on you. Come on send me a link you coward!

@BAMozzy the irony of you calling people fanboys 😂 Link me to a single one of these reports mate and I will admit you’re right. If you use google estimated figures though I’m going to take the stuff you say with a large pinch of salt. When I googled it, not only did it pull up completely different stats depending on how I worded the query but it was citing random Facebook and YouTube comments as sources. While I will admit I don’t know for sure because the figures actually haven’t been published, you seem hellbent on stating your estimations and guess work as stone cold fact.

@BAMozzy A simple “no I don’t have any credible sources” would have sufficed.

@BAMozzy “Call of Duty is MORE Popular on Battlenet than Steam”….You got a source for this claim or is it just pure speculation?

I gave it a go on gamepass last year and a shockingly large amount of my time spent with it was literally just holding forward on the analogue stick. Excellent visual and auditory experience but a really boring game. If it was a TV show I would watch it in a heart beat.

If you told me 3 years ago I would be excitedly anticipating a game about washing stuff I would have laughed in your face but the first game is just so satisfying and therapeutic.

I can see it doing really well on the Switch. It’s been the perfect handheld game on the Steamdeck for me. I hope it comes to PS5 soon because it’s incredible!

I’ve not had much time for gaming recently but have a relatively free weekend so I’m looking forward to getting lost in Death Stranding 2 some more.

Personally I just feel it’s a waste of electricity using my consoles for media when my smart tv has all the apps I need built in. I also like the magic wand on the LG tvs which I find make it a bit easier navigating through them. Each to their own though!

@DennisReynolds I’ve been reading a lot of stuff on Reddit saying it’s a lot easier than the first game. It’s great for me someone like me who is learning the ropes but I can understand why it’s frustrating for DS1 veterans.

I’ve put 24hours in so far and feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. I have been taking the main story at a snails pace, mainly just rebuilding roads, doing side orders and triking around to the awesome soundtrack. 9/10 for me but could be a 10 by the end.

I’m starting to regret not giving the first one more time as I’m thoroughly obsessed with DS2. I think it benefits from a more interesting opening that throws you into the action much quicker. The Mexico section does a great job of introducing you to the mechanics and combat while drawing you in.

I’m on chapter 6 now and enjoying the variety of missions, bizarre characters and seeing the world flesh out as I reconnect the chiral network and work with strangers to rebuild. I certainly didn’t expect there to be so many options in the way I tackle each mission’s unique challenges. I’m really glad I decided to take the plunge as I was one of those who had both games written off as a delivery walking simulator but now realise how wrong I was. Sorry Hideo!

@cburg Criticising MS will never get old. Not saying Sony are paragons of virtue but they certainly haven’t spent the equivalent GDP of Luxembourg consolidating the industry on the promise of no price rises or job cuts. MS should 100% be held accountable and if for some reason seeing it hurts your feelings maybe stop clicking on the articles about it?

Death Stranding 2 for me. Despite bouncing off the first one hard I got wrapped up in the hype and so glad I did. Really enjoying it so far

@Toot1st There are over 100,000 games on Steam he could have chosen to show off on the launcher. Let’s not pretend his choice to go for Spiderman was purely coincidental. Also love you insinuating anyone else is a clown fanboy 😂 Looked in a mirror?

I love that Tom Warren thinks this is a major flex. Good for you Tom!

@Cakefish if you want a PC why not just get a PC? You don’t need to wait for Microsoft to slap an Xbox logo on an Asus prebuild and charge a fortune for it because PCs already exist. There’s thousands of them and they already play Sony games and plug into TVs and have multiple storefronts and dedicated gaming modes and Windows and Gamepass and literally everything else you are hoping this next Xbox will have. Pound for pound I’m willing to bet they will work out much cheaper as well when you compare price to power.

@RamboMike I dunno. Forza Horizon 5 is nearly 2 years older than FF16 and is £5 more expensive but it has sold a ton of copies on the PS5. Gears Reloaded is a £40 remake of a 20 yr old game but is currently one of the most pre ordered games on PS. I get there is a novelty aspect to these 2 but if age and price were major factors they would not be selling.

If this weather keeps up I will be out in the garden with the Steamdeck playing a mixture of Monster Train 2, Fantasy Life I and Assassins Creed Shadows. Have a great weekend everyone!

@Ravix Yeh I think you have hit the nail on the head there. Previous Ass Creed games have kind of varied the main and side missions a bit more whereas most of them in Shadows seem to boil down to either "Assassinate a powerful enemy" or "Kill 100 less powerful enemies"

I think the levelling seems quite slow as well which doesn't help matters but I will plough on with it anyway...If I drop it now I will never come back to it! Have a great weekend whatever you settle on.

@Ravix I have recently made the same poor decision: Trying to play Assassins Creed Shadows after KCD2. I love the setting, I love that they have embraced the two character system with a brawler and an assassin but I just am not enjoying it overall as much as Valhalla and I cant quite put my finger on why.

Nioh 3
Lumines (VR Woo!)
Marvel Tokon

I think it’s those three purely for the surprise but I’m also really pumped for bloodstained, Bond, Ghost of Yotei and to my own surprise Everybody’s Golf.

Performative overreaction or not it is just nice to see gamers react positively to something for a change. The game looks awesome and I can’t wait to play it.

Well yesterday I didn’t know there was a Nioh 3 and today I do so consider me a very happy bunny.

@SBBuds Haha fair enough mate. I am my mother’s son so I will look anywhere for a bargain but I can understand where you’re coming from. When you got some subs on a 12 month basis and other monthly’s it can become messy to manage.

@SBBuds Have you not been tempted to pay for a year in advance if your happy continuously subbing anyway? You save about £40 for a 12 month sub over monthly’s

Solid 8/10. Might make it to a 9/10 by the time I complete it if it doesn't force too many more dragon and mech levels on me.

Starfield is a weird experience. It starts off great, throws loads of activities and systems at you, there’s the whole “OMG it’s Skyrim in Space” excitement, pretty fun combat and an interesting skill tree….then you just start noticing the same barren landscapes, the same procedurally generated points of “interest”, nonsensical fetch quests, terrible inventory management, uninspired narrative, load screen after load screen, inconsistent voice acting and lack of any real impact from your choices.

I don’t want to say it’s not worth the money necessarily because I reckon most people get a solid 50-70 hours out of it before they start to drop off but I would recommend anyone desperate to play this on PS5 keep their expectations in check.

This is what I have been waiting for to get back into it! Bring it on

Paul Tassi has been releasing at least 2 Marathon hit pieces a week since its reveal. No one wants this game to fail more than him. Maybe it will flop, maybe it will be a surprise hit but the one thing I do know is that if I was a journalist who thought a game looked crap I would move onto something else. Obsessively releasing constant negativity and telling the world what a flop it’s going to be is nothing more than clickbait and unfortunately it seems to be getting him the attention he craves.

Amazing game that still holds up pretty well. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years…time is flying too fast!

lol what?!? I love Riders Republic but absolutely cannot see it transferring well to the big screen. Why have they/are they trying to turn every single franchise into a movie?

Out of those, my choice would be Fallout New Vegas but honestly they are really starting to feel dated. I would rather just get an ES6 where they sort out the loading screens, facial animations, inventory management and the other Bethesda jank that was tolerated 15 years ago but is majorly outclassed by other modern RPGs.

@puddinggirl Yeh it’s mainly because I am absolutely shocking at navigation….definitely a me issue. Once I started treating the exploration more like a Souls game than a JRPG, it clicked a bit more.

Awesome combat, challenging but fair difficulty, beautiful world, engaging story, interesting characters and no bugs! The fact it is cheaper than most new games is just the icing on the cake.

I didn’t think anything would challenge KCD2 for my personal GOTY but Expedition 33 is doing a fantastic job so far. My only minor gripes are a lack of fast travel on the world map and a mini map wouldn’t go amiss in the dungeons. However I can appreciate these as design choices to make you feel slightly lost in an oppressive world. 10/10 at about 15 hours in and long may it continue.

@IOI honestly how do reviewers actually win with you? If this gets a higher Metacritic on PS then you will be screaming XbOx TaX from the rooftops. If it scores lower than it will be because reviews are biased against MS.

A review is an opinion and every opinion is different. If you go looking for conspiracies you’re going to find them but maybe just accept that not every person on the planet thinks this is a 10/10 game.