20250703-stop_killing_games.txt There's been a recent surge in popularity for an initiative called "Stop Killing Games." Simply put, it's against allowing game publishers from revoking your games and rendering them unplayable whenever they feel like it. In theory, I support this. I've always been amazed at people who buy games that turn into (usually lousy) paperweights once a necessary server is shut down. I believe the only game I have that fits that category is THQ's Homefront, and even that still has a singleplayer game still available, so basically my collection is devoid of plastic coasters. In reality, I'm not sure. I've always been of the opinion that if you want companies to pay, short of suing them, stop buying from them. I guess I'm technically a "retro gamer" now. I play games from the Xbox 360 era and earlier, save a very select few that are free like Unciv. I don't buy fucking game "licenses." I don't tolerate it. Where were these assholes the past 10-15 years when the gaming industry went to shit? The last time I contemplating buying a console was the Xbox Oni generation simply for the Master Chief Collection. Even then, I thought it's quite a chunk of change to spend on a game that came out around a dozen years ago and didn't really have workable super jumps. I mean I could technically put the Halo 2 disc in my console right now and play it if I wanted. It's just funny to me that they keep making at best minor improvements in gameplay with different skins and charge you another $60-70 for it. I basically laughed when I heard Overwatch 2 nuked Overwatch 1's multiplayer. Is there even a singleplayer mode in that game? Regardless, serves the fuckers right for buying Blizzard products and not expecting end-stage capitalism horseshit. Don't buy from anti-consumer companies. It's the very reason I absolutely loathe Apple and generally sneer at assholes who overtly support them. Consumers ruined the market by enabling this shit, and now they want what I've been enjoying for 20+ years? Yeah, some games don't age well, but even games from the SNES era are fun and good enough visually (Donkey Kong Country). Don't just trash or trade in your old games and systems. Considering how little you usually get for them, I don't know why anyone does anything other than sell them to other consumers. IMO, an N64 gathering dust is still worth more than the $20 you'd get for one (subject to market changes). I love college football. As such, I have a few college football video games. EA's NCAA Football series took a hiatus after litigation regarding using real college players to "inspire" the roster and they weren't compensated. That hiatus lasted about 11 years. I remember these fucktards whining about "When are they going to make a new game?" I just laughed because there was NOTHING stopping these assclowns from playing the latest version, or even earlier versions. Especially with sport games, not much changes usually. IF you can "stomach" the good 3D graphics from 2004, NFL 2K5 is STILL the best pro football video game I've ever played. I've played it 20 years later. Still fun, still great, still has features that EA's newest games don't have. I guess the moral of this long post is yes, companies should respect consumer rights, but consumers shouldn't allow companies to disrespect those rights. A vast majority of smarter consumers would have stopped this from becoming an issue in the first place.