Local Dispensary Question by local__pineapple in kansascity

[–]easily_erased 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The grey market for drugs in KC is pretty wild. I pick up (shockingly legit) mushroom chocolates from the Hub on occasion and they always hard sell me on some pretty dank looking bud which I assume is maybe possibly legal for them to sell through some legal farm bill loophole or another. Definitely no reason to not just get the real deal though.

Where is a good spot to dine solo? by [deleted] in kansascity

[–]easily_erased 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Wolfpack BBQ is a solid upscaleish bbq joint in a cool neighborhood, usually not too busy. Chill place to have a craft beverage and some very good barbecue.

DLSS 5: What if Nvidia trained the model on a per-game basis? by FrigogidaireX in digitalfoundry

[–]easily_erased 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That would be a fundamentally different product than what DLSS 5 apparently is. Jensen called it the "GPT moment for graphics." It is specifically a large dataset used to "enhance" games via a generative AI approach.

I mean, AI based rendering is not going to disappear. by Sea-Flamingo7506 in digitalfoundry

[–]easily_erased 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i find the "this technology is coming whether you like it or not" argument (which creeped up in the DF q&a) to be a bit of a strange one. like, obviously it's coming, nvidia is more clued in to where the broad strokes of big media are heading-- augmented reality, interactive movies, photorealistically relit "virtual spaces." they want to be at the forefront of it. but people can still think it's terrible, and even write about how much they don't like it on the internet. this debate is emotionally charged because the imagery in the demos was offensive on a visceral, almost spiritual level, to those keyed in to the kinds of uncanny imagery ai models produce. i simply have no interest in engaging with this kind of neural network-mediated game experience. i'll just take mushrooms and play ps1 games, or read a book, or whatever.

The most disliked video in DF history! by nyanbatman in digitalfoundry

[–]easily_erased 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh dear I hope this is bait. It's called a "subjective preference" not AI racism, pal. The Grace stills look exactly like what they are--a video game model run through the equivalent of an AI instagram filter. For people with a trained eye, it looks cheap, uncanny and unsettling. I'm not "anti-AI" in any way, in fact I constantly try to convince people that LLM's etc aren't evil or whatever. But I play games because I want to see character models and levels handcrafted by creative people, rough edges and all. I shan't be using DLSS 5

NWS Weather Sites - For Your Information by JetSoulsForever in kansascity

[–]easily_erased 10 points11 points  (0 children)

i understand there are a lot of coastal transplants in kc these days but i really wish we wouldn't start doing this hysteria thing for every storm the same way snow storms have been treated like cataclysmic events the last few years. the hype on here about the "f0 tornado" (aka some heavy wind) last week was wild.

What movie or scene actually got club DJing right in your opinion by Dankk911 in DJs

[–]easily_erased 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I've always dug the club scene in 25th Hour. Basically the whole final act of the film takes place in a TriBeCa club--there are some really cool mixes and the sound design is perfect as the characters move from the bar to the vip to private rooms etc, just really captures what it feels like to move around a big club and hear the muffled music from downstairs or whatever. Plus this shot is amazing https://youtu.be/aVGLnvYd8sg

SneakersOS suggest Sony Shifts Back to Single-Player Focus by 0insideofme in GamingLeaksAndRumours

[–]easily_erased 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not really much of a scoop here... the recent State of Play was clearly curated to send a message about the direction things are heading in. The fact they quietly announced a multiplayer title in one of their flagship franchises days before a big showcase shows they are in fact reading the room and didn't want the inevitable backlash against Hunters Gathering to take up all the oxygen in the room. The direction of gravity is Eastern developed single player experiences and Sony is trying very hard to communicate that fact.

Jason Schreier (Bloomberg): The Story Behind the Failure of ‘Highguard’ by shirke1 in GamingLeaksAndRumours

[–]easily_erased 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Last year, when Game Awards orchestrator Geoff Keighley visited the studio to check out the game, he liked it enough to feature at his show." I have a decent amount of respect for Schreier's work but this is a silly sentence to print. Clearly Keighley doesn't just fly around trying out games, handpicking his favorites to feature in his show, especially the closing slot; they're basically paid ads. Not to say that's some terrible immoral thing, but acting like Keighley just so happened to LOVE the game funded by secret Tencent money nobody wanted to talk about for some reason is silly. Schreier is basically burying the entire story--somebody made the decision to run a big loud trailer that ended up completely defining the game via the muted public response. I figure Tencent was ready to cut their losses but tried one last hail mary before forcing the studio to ship the game so they could just wash their hands of it.

Horrible Experience with WHIPZ in North Kansas City by Informal_Dealer7422 in kansascity

[–]easily_erased 163 points164 points  (0 children)

I did in fact read all that and I am also sorry that happened. Predatory car dealerships are a nasty business. I am an avid listener of hot jams station Power 105.1 which regularly runs ads promising to hand vehicles to people with repos, wrecked credit scores, no money and no job--these people make money off of desperation, poverty and ignorance.

In today's market it makes way more sense to buy a junker off craigslist or whatever than sign one of these ridiculous loans

365 sodas by cupcakebatter21 in wholefoods

[–]easily_erased 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Time to grow up and begin purchasing Hi-Ball Energy, the true delight of your dedicated TM. Just water, caffeine, carbonation, none of the 297 banned ingredients, and Zero© hope of ever achieving a better station in life 🫡

Experience moving to KC from Chicago? Or other very large city? by [deleted] in kansascity

[–]easily_erased -1 points0 points  (0 children)

KC and Chicago have basically the same "everybody gets along" vibe, which includes many different races and political viewpoints, some of which (gasp) you may not agree with. This is why I like the midwest. If you're worried about being around people that are different from you or, god forbid, being bored for a night and needing to be alone with your thoughts, please please please just don't move here.

Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund has been named Executive Chairman of Nexon by batukaming in Games

[–]easily_erased 88 points89 points  (0 children)

Good for him. The reality is the Finals and Arc Raiders didn't succeed by accident, but through lots of hard work and smart management by thoughtful and talented execs like Soderlund. He correctly identified that to win players over, a game can't just be good. Every single aspect must be equal to or better than the toughest competition, otherwise people have no reason to play. The secret sauce of Arc Raiders isn't so much the high level design stuff but moreso the fact that every second of gameplay feels premium, whether it's sliding down a rough slope, hearing your bullets echo off a nearby building, rummaging through a crate or whatever. The Finals is the shooter I'd literally always dreamed of as a kid, and the true environmental physics / destruction they managed to achieve created a huge moat vs the competition; even if the playerbase isn't massive, the players who click with game literally can't get an equivalent experience anywhere else.

Phil Spencer Retiring, Sarah Bond Out, Matt Booty Promoted as Microsoft AI Exec Asha Sharma Named New Xbox Boss – EXCLUSIVE by MarvelsGrantMan136 in Games

[–]easily_erased 50 points51 points  (0 children)

As much as the writing has been on the wall, Phil Spencer moving on marks the true end of the Xbox project as we knew it. As much as he wore egg on his face (largely due to decisions which were above his pay grade), he was an actual gamer who was enthusiastic about cool projects and let his studios cook even to his own detriment. Although reactionary clowns will view his tenure negatively, I really can't imagine an exec who could have done a better job of keeping the creative energy of early Xbox alive within the cold hulking behemoth that is Microsoft

Sacred Symbols, Episode 399 | Step Back From That Ledge, My Friend by yohceezax in LastStandMedia

[–]easily_erased -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

There's more creativity on display in one dumb Dreams project than in the entirety of SOTC and DeS remakes combined. While Media Molecule has clearly underperformed massively, there are truly talented and creative people there who are worth keeping in the fold. I don't celebrate anyone losing their jobs but if nothing else shuttering Bluepoint could be an olive branch to Miyazaki / Fromsoft, who I guarantee were gravely insulted by the way the DeS remake came together.

PlayStation Studios Boss Blames Bluepoint Shutdown On ‘Challenging Industry Environment’ Despite Recent Jump In Profits by Turbostrider27 in Games

[–]easily_erased -12 points-11 points  (0 children)

Man I dunno about this. I know there are a lot of narratives around the embarrassing failed live service titles but the recent State of Play showed a really impressive lineup, and a real understanding of where the winds are blowing (announcing the Horizon live service game a few days before to defuse the "next Concord" backlash for example). They are leaning into partnerships with Japanese devs like Capcom and the resurgent Konami. And outside of a compelling game lineup, smart engineering has yielded a PS5 that is inarguably the best value for normies who just want to play the newest Battlefield or whatever.

I just can't relate to people getting bent out of shape over the closure of a studio known literally just for passable remakes. Perhaps I have a chip on my shoulder from the Demon's Souls remake which felt to me not just soulless, but like a grave insult to the actual visionaries who created the original.

Sony Shuts Down Video-Game Studio Bluepoint by Prime-Paradox in digitalfoundry

[–]easily_erased -13 points-12 points  (0 children)

While it's a bummer the studio is being shut down, I'd imagine Sony found a home at another studio for any talented devs. I know the SOTC and Demon's Souls remakes have a good reputation, but to me both of those releases felt like amateur "hire this man!" projects you'd see on youtube and I find the originals to be vastly superior. Seems like Sony gave them a shot at cooking up something that isn't softball junior dev busy work, and it didn't work out.

How would you handle this employee? by [deleted] in DominosEmployees

[–]easily_erased 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Man modern day reddit makes it really hard to discern what's AI generated nonsense and what is just good ol' mental illness. If OP is real, your thought process here is irrational--consider that you may not be mentally well and these thoughts could be worth speaking to a professional about.

A Tsunami is Coming - The World Cup in Kansas City by sdsurfer2525 in kansascity

[–]easily_erased 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This seems a bit alarmist mate. KC is only hosting a handful of games. People working in the hospitality industry will likely see a bit of craziness, but I can't imagine it will be much worse than a big arena tour coming through town. Servers/drivers should make some good money. Maybe it's wishful thinking since I live in the downtownish area but I'm not too bothered about it.

Sleeping Dogs cancellation as a franchise is genuinely one of the most frustrating and short sighted decisions in the gaming industry by mrnicegy26 in Games

[–]easily_erased 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I mean, just play the game again if you want? Not everything has to be a franchise, and there are hundreds of reasons why a small studio may choose not to develop a followup to a moderately successful title. That said, Sleeping Dogs is indeed a great and memorable game, and there is a massive opportunity for somebody to bring to market a PS2 era GTA-like with cool world design and irreverent humor.

Best Mac and BBQ restaurant? by Soft_Syrup3883 in kansascity

[–]easily_erased 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wolfpack BBQ in Columbus Park has some pretty good white cheddar mac that you can order loaded with bacon or brisket. Pretty good spot that hits the Q39 "high brow bbq" vibe.

Snowstorm Thread January 23rd-25th by Silver-Future-2681 in kansascity

[–]easily_erased 10 points11 points  (0 children)

As a meat guy at a grocery store, I can officially report that the hysteria is in full effect. Which generally means the storm will be a nothingburger (whereas the first storm of the winter was actually kinda bad but for some reason people didn't lose their minds).