bybeach

I can see paying full price for Elden Ring is not an original thought for me alone.

Otherwise, if the game seems really wonderful (even besides Elden Ring), I will do it.

But not much has really come along that I am not willing to wait for the old sale in fall or winter.

I think the new top nvidia cards follow the old adage that once prices go up, there is strong resistance for the prices going back down. It can be nuanced, but when manufacturers and retailers finding themselves making more money they well, don't want to quit doing that. Bitcoin has fallen, and supply has improved, but people are making money do not want that to diminish, though there will be some price reduction.

Sad loss is the democracy of people with less money now being forced out of the pc home-build, while people of better means still being able to afford the cards, along with the PSU's, and probably other components required to make the upgrade-rebuild worthwhile. And with thinking tv's into the mix, many will be forced into the console approach for gaming.

This may be what happens to me, or I will be interested in the 5000's or next series, with one eye solidly glued to the price performances. I have a 3080 I paid too much for even with that newegg raffle. It performs well, so no hurry.

I started Cyberpunk 2077 around 2 weeks ago and had trouble getting my head into it. That's mitigated some, just getting used to how the characters like to converse and all. Also, I am having a struggle deciding what input to use. My old controller was shot, so I bought a new x-box wireless, and it is fine and more. But I just keep wanting to use K+M.

I'm not far in at all, but the world seems realized, and the graphics are good. I bought the game for 30.00, and I feel that's good for the wait, before I would trust picking this game up to play.

I didn't do well with Bloodborne. To some extant I did the move-sets down and using the mostly underpowered gun for parrying. But I could not say I enjoyed it much. I think what mostly defeated me was the monochromatic world, and the same reflected in the very story and actions of the characters around you and which one engaged with. Kind of a dive into a bleak grey universe, though there was of course color of sorts. I gave up with whoever the Deacon lady was, and really, and I didn't regret it. Most of my knowledge of Bloodborne was later from watching Jan' let's play during the pandemic. And I would have to say the story intrigued me much more than playing the game, and I spent some time on you-tube for that reason. But over-all, Bloodborne was a depressing big blah for me in terms of actually having to play it.

Elden Ring on the other hand had both graphic color (rather like DS 2) and was such a grand open endeavor with wide spacious vistas. And what the player could be in it was way more open and nuanced than say some black attired rotty-looking individual with a chopper of sorts and a gun. So much more to do, and not in any way so one-dimensional appearance. I started out as a Warrior but re-started as a Prisoner, that I also wasn't above using a shield, wand or sword, various move-sets, armor and so on. Perhaps that made Elden Ring easier, but I found it hard enough. And that without respec-ing. The fact that if so desired, one could hike up their skirt and go explore some another front was stupendous. Yes, I guess the open world aspect was a good thing in this case, at least. And though the world and what was happening (hundreds of crucified and hanging bodies), so that you could almost smell the stench, it communicated this without leaning on a faded pallet.

The preference for me is obvious, without even sales or ranking

I'm playing it right now, and I am having a good time. It is neither lacking in ambition or over the top hipster. The controls seem fine, and I personally like the story and what it seems to be commenting on, but that's me.

Gamers seem to have, when in bulk, inclinations to viewpoints and then causally, backlashes. A lot of times, it does seem understandable, but other times it's like some kind of reaction then re-reaction is already in place, Kind of a social edifice.

As for Jeff, he is a pretty damned good talking head. As for Brad and what he thinks of Stray, I think Brad breathes rarer air then I do. I remember Brad getting real short and curt about Valve ever doing another Half life game. Then a few years later Alyx came out for VR, and seemingly not missing a beat on atmosphere or quality, despite the time past and ppl. moving on. But I still listen to Brad, he is a smart dude.

I know very little of Stocks, playing the Market, so on and so on. Most education I've gotten has been Gamestop, where I learned some concepts by osmosis. I'm very adverse to playing games with my money.

But I am sure it has occurred to everybody (or perhaps just uninformed ppl. like me) to buy near the bottom of the bitcoin value and catch the wave up. Even at this point, it might be worth it to buy, long view. Or not. But I would only do it for fun and with disposable cash. And the second half of my ignorance still tells me that nobody wants to buy high, bitcoin anyways. Bitcoin to me seems the kind of thing that is the antithesis to the concept of bluechip. So one has to know when to cash out. I wonder if people have been buying in, but it's not the kind of thing I track.

I have been fidgeting w/ the idea. and probably that's all I am going to do. But you hear of those bitcoin millionaires, start thinking of that old Dire Staits song, and go hey! Effing Lol.

Gut level, I doubt very much the U.S. allows any ties with it's currency to bitcoin, beyond exchange value.

There is a thought that amused me occurred right now, though it also is just speculation. As @borgmaster mentions, I was there for the debacle at Gamespot. The site was as I recall, decorated with Starsky and Hutch, Kane and Lynch embroidery over the main page. I do remember somewhat the Video review of Jeff ranting and I think, waving something around. The next day his stuff was in the hallway (as I remember, could be shaky)

That whole occurrence was a magnificent springboard for his new career, co-founding GB.

I'm not putting forth anything more than a pattern. And I am not challenging the sincerity of whatever. It did surprise that most of present and prior GB did a show lately. Well, minus Jeff.

I have three Video game places I go now.

Seems to work out, as I like all three.

I don't know about fixing it. I lived in that world, and for the most part loved it, least till the last third. Tell the truth, it looks like I sunk 530 hours into it. Not taking Malania when I came across her though, that about broke my heart , and it did so my patience.

I think what got under my skin most was an almost sadism or meanness in the game design. Loosing a ton of souls wasn't nearly so bad as being kicked to the curb suddenly and decisively in a random encounter or new meeting engagement. But I recognized that there were aspects of the game that mitigated most all that, and it even rewarded you for just being there. But I loved the exploring so much, even if after a while if it was variation of cave or underground necropolis.

At the end, I grew short with the final boss resembling very much the Melenia fight. Then I got it done. All I can say is I thought the final boss form was super cool, almost scifi. But I was so aggravated I missed a better ending I had earned.

Now I am missing my time in Elden Ring, but I do not see a good reason to go back till dlc is incorporated in. That is because over anything else I want to explore and find new npc' questlines and such to interact with. And really just see what's over the next mountain, in a valley, or way the far underground.

A whole lot of that 530 hours was me telling the game to go fuck itself, and going to do something in the kitchen or something like. When I was ready, often near an hour, I would go back and pick up the controller. Gave me a little time to be pissed off, and also think about how I was to proceed. Elden Ring was just conducive that way.

@lonelyspacepanda: Dan Rykert the most important thing to happen to this site?

Bah. BAH I say.

But then, Hell yeah I guess, welcome back Dan! And the Creative Director you-all say! Well, Take down the sails, this boat won't need them to travel.

And my best to the future of G.B. and the staff here who I feel are doing their best to make things work.

Thank you for all those years of great and creative 'Content', Jeff. You near made GB a true Show to view, just not a collection of various video game reviews and such. As the saying goes, greater than the sum of it's parts.

Utilizing innovative media for unique and also personal takes on Video games and adjunct pastimes. And then beyond that, for contemporary culture and events as they have happened.

It's been a hell of a ride, even at one point a tragic one. But it is something I have been seriously attuned for ever since GB was founded.

Thank you so very much.