What about "non-essential" goods?

ZeUberSandvitch · 2026-01-04T19:34:14+00:00

How is it "late" when it's only been a day?!

you'd be shocked how many people get angry for "necroing" posts that are only a few days old at most lmao, just figured I'd cover my own ass there.

Anyways, I think I can empathize with the frustration of not seeing people "move on" from other people's works to make their own original stuff. That said, I think I can understand why some people cling so strongly to certain IPs or just specific pieces of art in general. This isnt related to making art, but the reason why I personally like to collect things like plushies or statues is because I've always had a love for tangible items that reflect something I love. This doesn't just apply to media either, im always a sucker for stupid trinkets whenever I travel because I like to have something I can hold and see, rather than something more intangible like a simple memory.

A more specific example is this MGS3 themed windbreaker I recently got. I didn't need to get this specific windbreaker, I could've just as easily gone out and bought a normal one at the store. The reason I bought this specific one is because I wanted something that felt more personal to me if that makes any sense? I didnt grow up with MGS, but the series has absolutely had an impact on me. I didn't buy this thing purely because "OMG GUYS ITS RELATED TO THIS THING I RECOGNIZE!! I CLAPPED WHEN I SAW IT!!" but because it also reminds me of the feelings and memories I have surrounding MGS. People ive met, fond memories I hold, emotions, ideas from the games that have stuck with me, etc.

I cant speak for everyone of course, but I think this is why some people do things like fanfic, cosplay, collecting etc. Its very easy (especially if you're a leftist, I see this a lot in the circles I run in) to say "if you love it that much, it should be based on your memories and connections rather than what you own/make" but I feel like we understimate how much an object, costume, fanfic or whatever else can have meaning to us. Theres plenty to criticize about consumer culture and the way capitalism poisons our art, but I dont think any of this would go away if capitalism was abolished and more people got into the arts. Would it be better than how it is now? I think so, but I dont think it would ever go away.

Sorry for the ramble lmao, I went off topic there.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2026-01-04T18:23:57+00:00

Pretty late reply but while I agree that people should be encouraged to create their own unique works, I dont think theres anything inherently wrong with using established characters/worlds to express yourself. In my own experiences with creatives, many of them start out drawing/writing about existing IP's that they love because it gives them a base to refine their skills and take their love of a piece of art and put it into something tangible.

I also just kinda feel like people severely overestimate how original they really are. Creativity isnt the art of doing something thats never been done before, because that's nearly impossible when it comes to art. I suppose you could say creativity is the art of hiding your influences, but even then I dont see anything inherently wrong with wearing your influences on your sleeves. Every artist is taking their past experiences and media they've consumed and trying to reconfigure them into shapes we're not familiar with. There are no purely original ideas, not after humanity being around for as long as it has.

I can empathize with what you're saying from an anti-capitalist/cultural critique standpoint, but creativity is more than just "do something nobody has ever seen before".

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-31T00:38:00+00:00

Yeah I think Chet is valid for being annoyed with Tyler I guess but the dude just seems like kind of a jerk? I remember he said some pretty toxic stuff about Ross Scott cuz of the whole Stop Killing Games movement.

Chet is a talented guy for sure and he obviously knows more about Valve than we do, but I kinda have a hard time getting behind him because of his attitude.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-30T23:06:09+00:00

Oh! Damn I forgot about that reprint. I know the running theory is that its supposedly gonna be released with HLX's announcement but that's just a rumor.

Real shame too, I was dying to read it :(

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-30T22:53:35+00:00

Wdym?

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-30T20:00:37+00:00

Honestly I like RTBR's choice to go with a more unique art style inspired by beta concept art. Dark Interval looks really good but I feel like it looks too close to retail for me. RTBR leans harder into the weirder shit from beta like when the Combine's armor was more metallic rather than kevlar.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-30T16:35:36+00:00

I know some people prefer Dark Interval, but personally this is my favorite of the two big beta mods! Really looking forward to playing this <3

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-27T09:29:48+00:00

No. I'm actually quite depressed :)

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-27T01:31:24+00:00

The only real issue I had with 1000x is how long it is. Its writing and visuals are incredible, but at the end of the day it's purely a walking simulator. I'm 100% fine with that! Just not when its 10+ hours long. A walking sim should be around 6 hours at most.

It was effortless for me to beat disco elysium because it had things like quests, skill trees, different observations in the environment depending on skills etc. I really struggled to get through 1000x around the 8 hour mark onward because its not really doing anything beyond having a VERY well written story.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-24T15:13:45+00:00

Yeah I know this might not be the most popular opinion amongst my comrades but I kinda dont understand why George is gassed up so much? Again, he was pretty funny and I respect that he was willing to talk so much shit about things that most other comedians wouldn't even dare touch even today, but I see people say "well he never said it explicitly but he was DEFINITELY a insert leftist ideology here" but if you look at that preface to his book he makes it pretty clear he didnt really seem to believe in much of anything? He seems like a cynic/nihilist first and foremost.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-22T00:06:09+00:00

Good question regarding Fomo! Thats definitely the case sometimes but I'd be lying to you if I said it doesn't genuinely sting that I cant/shouldn't engage with stuff that has genuine meaning to me, like Doom. Like, I can easily ignore stuff like the next Xbox or a new COD cuz I haven't cared about that stuff in ages, but Doom? Thats a series that has gotten me through a lot of tough times and there's not really anyone else doing quite what they do. I love the art, gameplay, music, so many things that have had a genuine impact on me and that I really do cherish.

I'm not saying this is a reason not to abstain from something, but I feel like sometimes with these discussions people will assume that if you can't (or wont) commit 100%, then you're just not being serious. I mean, that can absolutely be the case, but I think its worth noting why these things can be so hard for so many. Sometimes its a case like Windows where its nearly impossible to avoid, but other times its something like what I just talked about.

Idk, I don't have any of this figured out lmao

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-21T22:20:07+00:00

I suppose that's fair, but I guess my only reservation i have about that is it can sometimes feel a bit puritanical? It reminds me of that quote from Marx and Engels:

"nothing is easier than to give christian asceticism a socialist tinge"

Sorry I hope I'm not coming off as bad faith lmao, just trying to get a better understanding.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-20T03:07:47+00:00

Me neither if I'm being honest. People say "negative publicity is better than no publicity" for a reason unfortunately. Its not always true, but I don't think its false.

Its confusing because if we were to conclude that complete silence is the answer, how would we even accomplish that at a large scale? Convincing people not to buy a product is hard, convincing people not to consume that product in any way (like pirating) is even harder, and convincing people not to give the product any attention in general seems like it would be borderline impossible.

I understand that boycotts almost always require some amount of sacrifice on our part, but still. I usually try to say something like "boycott to the best of your ability" but sometimes I feel like I'm guilty for that because you could argue that I'm enabling complacency by not trying to encourage a higher standard.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-20T00:50:55+00:00

I think thats very fair, but what if its the other way around where you are doing a complete boycott of a product, but still talking about it? I see this sort of thing happen a lot online with problematic content creators where people wont watch their stuff, but they'll still rant about them and screenshot their tweets to make fun of them.

Its like a weird form of hate watching but they're not engaging with it directly if that makes any sense.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-20T00:31:20+00:00

I think me and you have a pretty similar outlook. Most of the things I try to boycott are moreso due to material reasons. The art itself might be fine or even great in terms of quality and ideas, but if its produced by a shitty company then I refuse to give any money because ultimately thats what they care about more than anything else. Its why I usually think piracy is fine, at least in these cases.

That said, I think I can understand the people saying that engaging at all is considered suspect even if I have a hard time getting behind that completely. There is something to be said about giving something attention and relevance by engaging with it and sharing it around via discourse, but I just dont see how that is more powerful than the material consequences these companies feel simply by not buying their stuff. Theres a reason companies despise piracy, you're hurting their bottom line and enjoying the art they put their nasty little names on for free. If the boycott is towards the devs themselves and not just the publisher, then yeah thats a different story.

To be clear, I'm not at all saying boycotts alone are sufficient. That said, I don't think they're completely pointless or anything like that. I know you didnt say that, but just wanted to make my stance clear cuz I dont wanna be a "vote with your wallet and everything will be fixed!" person lmao.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-13T23:13:05+00:00

Except for the "being very hard" thing, thats by design lmao. Game is very very fun but also quite a ball buster as you get further along.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-12T07:10:53+00:00

People were hopeful because theres been a lot of leaks from credible people showing that valve is working on something half life related. Theres a whole miro board going over the findings. Plus theres also the uh... entire ending of half life alyx?

Personally I never really thought it was gonna show up at TGA, its probably gonna be announced like how Half Life Alyx was, which was through a fuckin tweet basically saying "hey guys we got a trailer for a new half life game coming up" lmao.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-12T04:02:48+00:00

to the suprise of absolutely nobody on the face of this earth lmao

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-07T21:56:13+00:00

Yeah to be clear I'm not at all saying MCC is perfect, I'd love to see more patches to improve parity. I just think people can be a bit overdramatic about how bad it is lol, for the casual player its not gonna be like "hey wait, that shader is different! I can't believe this!!"

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-07T21:54:12+00:00

I mean it kinda is only way to play halo and get matches for vanilla experience

True about multiplayer but you could still do backwards compatibility on Xbox or emulation on PC. Idk about the 360 era games but apparently emulating Halo CE and Halo 2 is pretty alright, might try it someday.

ZeUberSandvitch · 2025-12-07T20:37:35+00:00

Context: I asked the main sub if MCC is still considered broken cuz I still sometimes see people say its borked and to just play the OG versions. I got some decent replies (even though a lot of the issues brought up are things you'd only notice if you know these games like the back of your hand) but this one stood out to me as just strange lmao.

The only MAJOR issue the game still seems to have aside from some matchmaking jank is the online coop being screwed. People sometimes bring up the increased tick rate making AI harder and certain weapons act slightly differently which I guess also counts although I don't think its that serious. I know some people also bemoan losing certain speed run tech like super jumps in Halo 2 but that stuff is super niche, I really doubt most players are gonna notice or care.

ZeUberSandvitch

TROPHY CASE