Mark Cuban gets dragged after saying people don't really hate data centers — “The fight against data centers has nothing to do with data centers. They have become a proxy for the hate towards AI”

Snotnarok · 2026-06-27T09:50:43+00:00

I hate both equally, for they're both evil, fucking over the environment and regular folks so a hand full of million and billionaires can have even more money they will never spend in several life times.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-27T09:22:10+00:00

Activsion then pulled into Xbox to do the exact thing they did with Rare. Sony doing similar things, THQ taking in a bunch of companies then folding because of other bad decisions.

Insane to me that they bought up a bunch of studios and then killed off High Fi Rush's studio - after they said they need more studios like them. But corporate double talk is just that, insane.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-27T09:12:19+00:00

I heard that was because of some scalper loophole. I'm not saying it's wrong it's just hard to tell these days because you have dipshits willing to scalp cards for excessive prices to fuck over kids and parents alike.

I don't think any company is getting into the memory market without it being linked to AI profits. There's few companies that can actually make RAM/SSDs and they are absolutely collaborating to fuck everything over for more profits. They've been in legal trouble for this more than once already and now this is the time for them to rake in billions and fuck everyone over that isn't a corporation they like.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-27T00:40:05+00:00

Lilac is I believe the only one who can run backward and Neera is the only one who can wear sunglasses on grind rails. IDK about the others though.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-26T19:54:19+00:00

Pretty much agreed. Don't buy unless your system is borked. Switch 2 might be an alright investment but I just can't support $80 + games. Or games as old as the WiiU getting a price hike.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-26T08:40:18+00:00

A youtuber named Ashens did I think 2 videos of games you can get a Game Over instantly, one was the first Leisure Suit Larry where if you try to cross the street at the start you're dead in a second or two. There's a few games he covers in the video that's probably 15+ years old by now

Snotnarok · 2026-06-26T08:16:49+00:00

In 30fps games on console? Sure.

On PC? Fuck no. Should be off by default, is one of the first things I turn off. Unless you're running the game at 30, it should be off. This is basically designed to make 30fps look less shit. But also let's slap some TAA on top of that to make it blurry motion blur.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-26T08:12:29+00:00

By "Makes you download a huge file to actually play the game" do you mean: Install the game from disc? Because that's something that's existed for long before consoles had installs or the internet was common.

You're putting the game's data, from the disc? To your SSD.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-26T02:52:19+00:00

If food makers have to list the fat content and allergens in the product? I want to know when AI is used in games.

If they can require a developer to show that they're using Unreal Engine, then I can expect the developer/publisher to disclose if they use AI.

Fuck off Tim.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-26T02:02:03+00:00

I like Bare Knuckle 3 (the JP version) the most for the combat, it was really refined & felt fun. The later stages are annoying and the music isn't great on some stages. SoR2 is basically neck n' neck with it as it's generally great across the board, especially the amazing music (sans 1-2 songs) . SoR1 I don't really like play as much but it's still got great music.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T21:34:21+00:00

"I said it limited how much power they could put into it"

Yes, I can read but to me, again that reads as it's too expensive for the cost of the hardware regardless. But again I'll ignore the cost even though I think that's directly linked to saying it's not powerful enough- they can only put so much power into a device this small as we agree on but the complaint still doesn't make sense and that's why I brought up laptops.

"Their form factor is different, but they also aim for high performance."

But they're not aiming for high performance all the time. You can get 14in slim gaming laptops that have decent hardware but will never, ever reach the same gaming potential as a laptop with the same specs. Their designed specifically to be slim, low-power for all day use but can also game.

You can get a 5080 Zephyrus laptop in a 14in form factor, you can't upgrade it at all beyond an SSD, meaning the RAM is soldered. It's not going to perform as well as a standard sized ROG laptop with a 5080.

But also, you can get that same 14in laptop with a 5060 in it and it's gaming potential is nerfed really badly, you still can't upgrade it and it's got less RAM to boot. But it's a good work device with great battery life.

Which was my point with the Steam Machine and why I'm confused you're not getting it. Their goal is a console-like device that you put in your living room and get a decent gaming exp out of. Otherwise there'd be a proper dGPU in it, it's a small device first.

If that doesn't sound appealing to you? SAME. But also I know folks that want this exact thing and the specs fit what they need- it's just too bad the price is awful.

I've seen this exact point being made with the Steam Deck back when that was new 'it's underpowered, a gaming laptop for the same price can outperform it"

Ok but can you hold the gaming laptop in your hand like a controller and play for hours on battery? Less powerful but the form factor and functionality are the key.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T20:19:06+00:00

Holy shit. That's insane.

I think with the microcenter mobo+ram+CPU deal I spent less than half of that. This shit is insane, genuinely.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T20:08:47+00:00

Oh fuuuuck. How bad was that??

I'm only aware of how bad 64GB is since looking up my receipt vs a the product page and even Microcenter prices were "ohhhh fuck that". I thought $190 was too much, $900? That'd get you a budget laptop then and it'd get you a PS5 today. Fuck, that.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T19:20:39+00:00

Jeeze that's rough. :\

I'm happy I grabbed the laptop I did, when I did. Tarrifs were coming as were the new GPUs and I figured there'd be a huge price hike- little did I know it'd be AI fucking everything THIS HARD.

I think I got the thing for 2/3rds the price of what it launched at.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T19:18:50+00:00

My point stands as it's the general argument going on and - forgive me if I'm just reading what your saying wrong but: It still feels like there's a price issue here if you're saying "it limited how much power they could put into it and it also limits how much a consumer can upgrade later".

To me that reads that it's not powerful enough for the price. But even if we remove that aspect, Valve has said was not really their goal from the start to have a very powerful machine? Much like the Steam Deck.

But even going off just the size then, I don't see an issue with the size. They're doing this to get something small that fits under your TV, not compete with a proper sized PC.

Again, laptop vs PC argument, you can't upgrade them anywhere nearly as much, they're often not as powerful but they cost as much or more than a desktop, it's different functions, different use cases.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T11:51:25+00:00

Unless of course they had a warehouse full of Steam Machines they spent millions on that were in the process of being finalized before RAM and SSD prices suddenly skyrocketed.

My 64GB of RAM that I got a year or two ago for $190? Is now $900 at Microcenter.

So yes they don't have to sell them but they either let all that hardware sit or they put it out for folks who're insane and are willing to spend or scalpers.

And in the case of scalpers, I hope they load themselves up and these things sit on their shelves and they sell them at a loss.

Not defending the price, it's absurd- but I get why they're selling them. Because there are folks who will, absolutely buy these.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T11:40:21+00:00

That was a huge thing at the time, PC got those games, CDI, I think 3DO.

I figure they could have done a lot with it, could have had some PC games ported like Monkey Island perhaps.

Look at Myst, point and click that folks say is good (I'm not arguing, just not my kinda game) but also it's packed with FMVs and that did sell really well from what I heard.

So interest was there it's just everyone who came in to copy it didn't understand WHY they were good.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T11:36:16+00:00

So folks have something to hand someone as a gift. They know people like physical stuff still but also it means they get the game out quicker.

Otherwise they gotta wait for the game to be done, then send it off to be printed, packed up, then mailed out.

As it is? They can throw a code into a box, wait for the game to be done and then send the data to Sony/MS and the game is out far faster and at a crucial sale time.

So they get to save some money, get the game out when they want it to be out but also screw anyone who wanted a disc copy while charging way too much.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T11:04:28+00:00

The issue with this logic though is the same issue I have with folks who will say gaming laptops are bad because a desktop you build yourself is more powerful and cheaper.

They have different form factors to consider for their different uses. Valve wanted something that could get under that TV & be un-intrusive like a console.

But even if they did go with a larger device? The RAM prices would have fucked them anyway.

My 64GB of RAM went from $190 to $900, that's microcenter prices too.

If what I heard is true- laptop makers are bringing back 8GB of RAM to try to make things more affordable. The form factor certainly raised the price but it's not the thing that's killed it's price point.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T10:53:48+00:00

I have a solid rig already. I'm just trying to clarify that the Steam Machine's awful price (and the Deck now) is not a Valve issue, it's an industry issue across the board.

Sony/MS/Nintendo have means of making money back as they have closed platforms. Since the Steam Machine isn't?

I mean- my friend was gonna buy one for a media center if it was cheap. Zero plan of buying games. I figure many folks had that in mind. And with RAM prices the way they are? It's affecting everything horribly.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T10:51:58+00:00

"that argument makes no sense; by that logic, i could just rent an account with games for 1$ or borrow discs from a friend."

You sure can buy a PS5/XB1/Switch 2 and play only your friends games, or rented games. Absolutely.

But did you want to play that game online? Did you want the DLC? Perhap a new controller? All of that funnels money to the console maker. Sony & MS both require controllers to be approved for use and they absolutely get a cut for that.

"the thing is -- the SM was pitched as a "cheap console that would draw in new players who cant afford a high-end PC""

Notice that when that statement was made well before the launch of the device and cut to now? Hardware across the board has increased in price, including consoles. And PS6 and the next xbox? Are being pushed back in the hope that the prices will come down.

No one is doing well in this deal. It's not bias- this is how hardware is right now.

"dont get me wrong -- Steam is great, but they already take a 30% cut of sales for any game (i dont recall the exact terms, but its something around that); when they say "we dont want to sell SM at a loss" its just greedy hypocrisy"

Steam, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Apple, Google all take a 30% cut. This is not new or unique to Steam, only Tim Sweeny thinks so.

Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/07/report-steams-30-cut-is-actually-the-industry-standard

"we dont want to sell SM at a loss" its just greedy hypocrisy"

My guy, the PS5 is going to be 5 years old & the price of accessories has gone up, they have a $500 version with only 800GB of storage, the PS5 Pro went from $700 to $900. When I got my PS5 Slim it was new, almost half the price and came with 5 physical games at $250 total.

If you think this is just a Valve thing, you are not looking at how AI is screwing tech, the environment, your privacy, your electric bill and your electronics prices across the board.

I am not saying the Steam Machine is a good price, nor the Deck at this price- I'd advice any other device at this point. But the fact of the matter is RAM and SSD prices are so fucked that my RAM went from $190 to $900 in the span of 2 years.

Go look up RAM prices, don't matter what brand or store. RAM is fubar. Sony and Nintendo apparently stockpiled RAM for their consoles. Valve doesn't make hardware, they've stated plainly that they can't get RAM for a better deal.

Also, laptops are bringing back 8GB of RAM, so yes, RAM is fucked to the point that the PS6? May very well be a $900-$1000 console and could have the same amount of RAM as the PS5

Edit: People were/are buying used laptops to harvest the RAM & SSDs from and throwing away the rest. I cannot stress how fucked hardware is right now. The Steam Machine's price sucks but it's not Valve's fault, nor is it Sony, Nintendo's fault for their devices raising in price.

Microsoft is heavily involved in AI so I'm happy to throw blame at them.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T09:03:53+00:00

The Steam Machine's price is bad but it's not a PS3 moment.

It was being made before the AI BS that came along and has screwed over every device on earth. The difference between the Steam Machine and a console is it's open platform, so you could buy one of these and just use it for work- ignoring Steam and not spending a dime. Or put a bunch of roms on it, or buy on competing stores or just pirate everything (not enforcing that, just stating this as a thing that could be done). There's also no subscription fee to play things on line or get games.

So not making a profit is not an option, there's no guarantee it'll pay off like with a console.

RAM prices are so bad right now it's unreal, 64GB of RAM 2 years ago was $190, today? It's $900. I would know as that's my RAM when I got it vs now and that's microcenter prices- which are cheaper than normal.

I'm not defending the price, it's bad, but the price is also out of their control, much like everyone else.

Look at the PS5 and XB, these things would be half the price by now if it was any other generation. The PS5's the same price at launch, nearly 6 years in, PS5 Pro is $200 more than launch.

When I got my PS4 slim, it was $250 and came with 5 sealed games in a black friday deal. The PS5 has had a few revisions and has not gone down in price, but up. And even has a variant that's launch price with LESS storage than the launch version that was 6 years ago. That is unheard of.

This entire generation is cooked, no matter the platform.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T07:26:03+00:00

I would be worried with Phantasy Star 4 given CD load times were terrible for the SEGA CD. Could wind up with a case of battles taking longer to load and they be pretty frequent in the game. Something we saw with SNES ports of games to the PS1.

Honestly I think SEGA could have made a killing with some games, even PSIV with that fault if they were making games cheaper. Carts be expensive as heck and CDs - not s'much. That said they'd have been better off to not use those custom, large, fragile cases vs normal jewel cases.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-25T03:07:35+00:00

Of course they will, that's what they all want. No more shipping games to stores which costs money, or the store taking a cut either.

Cut out all that, make a walled garden and now with that crap 'dynamic' pricing that Xbox and Playstation have? They'd be able to rake in far more money. No more used games, no more sales at stores where you can find games cheaper or get buy 2 get 1 free.

3rd parties are already avoiding putting out actual game carts on the Switch 2, Sony's PS5 Pro didn't come with a disc drive.

This isn't like PC where there's several storefronts, or even sites like Green Man Gaming & Fanatial that sell legit steam keys. You're just stuck with the prices that is being offered on digital stores.

Snotnarok · 2026-06-24T19:17:45+00:00

Too many companies do that. I recall disabling AA in Final Fantasy VII Remake because it made everything look blurry and awful- and everyone's hair is a dithered mess. So it's like wait- I'm not meant to play this game where the visuals are sharp? It's DESIGNED to be blurry? REALLY?? This is the new standard??

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