It kinda sucks how hard it is now to share a game with a friend. That was one of the main draws of console gaming for me; how you’d have ownership of the game to do with as you wished. PC gaming switched to predominately digital downloads years back, which is fine when you consider how affordable those games eventually become during Steam sales. But first party Nintendo games seem to hold their value and the sales are never that great, so you’re left with more expensive games and no longer the option to share them.

Hey, if it works, it works :3

I can definitely relate to some of the points you’ve made here. Regarding things feeling the same day-in-day-out, I get this feeling when I fall into a rut. Like get home from work, play the same game I’ve been playing for a few weeks, watch the next episode of a show I’ve been watching, tidy up etc. When I notice this happening, I realise it’s time to shake things up a bit; go for a walk, draw something, alter my schedule and try a new game. Variety is the spice of life and all that.

I think it’s pretty normal to move on from old friends after a while - life kinda just gets in the way and you get out of rhythm with them as you say. Maybe you need to find a new community to involve yourself with, one that reflects your current social needs. I might get downvoted for this, but on a personal level I’m quite glad I found the furry community after I moved away from my hometown. There’s a lot of hate online for the group, but at the end of the day it’s filled with cool nerdy people who don’t take life too seriously, and this feels especially valuable at a time when we’re bombarded with depressing news of politics and war. Obviously you don’t have to join this group in particular, but having any kind of community around you I think is really useful.

And like someone else has said, try to step away from social media if you use it at all. The algorithms usually steer towards negative, controversial topics that gather the most clicks. It’s not a healthy thing to consume.

Couldn’t you ask them to give you gift cards for places you might visit?

I worked at a McDonalds for a month. I’d done bar work before that and really enjoyed it, but fast food was depressing. Although my colleagues were pretty cool, the managers were absolute assholes. They made fun of all the staff and took the piss for the fact that I had a degree but was having to work somewhere like that. I was ‘sick’ for my notice period (I’d found work elsewhere).

I think it’s mostly social convention - i.e. sometimes it’s not the ‘done thing’ to give someone money as it shows a lack of thoughtfulness perhaps. Gift cards are stopgap that make it look like you’ve put some effort into a gift.

Yes that’s a good point, we need the early adopters to buy the games when they come out so companies can make their money. But still… in terms of pre-orders why not just wait until it’s been released and see what reviews are like first? 🤔

When I was younger I won a copy of the board game ‘Game of Life’ through some online giveaway. Think I played it once or twice xD

I also wonder cinema tickets for me and some friends. It was a competition a local cinema did for designing a costume for Stuart Little, around the time that film came out. The tickets were a runners up prize, but I remember it being pretty great - about 10 of us and we were given free drinks and snacks!

I think you’re taking the meaning too far. It’s not that someone in a bad position is not allowed to feel bad. Rather, you have to consider the context in each case. A friend could be having a hard time, and even if your situation is technically worse, that doesn’t invalidate theirs. Because if you are willing to invalidate your friend’s difficulties, by that same token you could say your own are invalidated by those in an even worse position than yours.

Essentially I’m saying that everyone’s life is different and their worries are valid. Yes, perhaps it can be a touch tone-deaf for one person in a privileged position to complain about something relatively trivial. But for someone to assert that their situation is infinitely more important, and that their friend shouldn’t be allowed to complain about their own experiences… it reeks of envy and narcissism.

On Switch I’m playing through Mario Wonder (awesome game - have been slowly savouring it over the last few months) and Steamworld Quest. I’d heard mixed things about Quest, but I’m really enjoying it! I like how each character has their own deck of cards which you can synergize with the rest of your team. And it’s a bit more forgiving than something like Slay the Spire as you can add or remove cards to your decks at your leisure.

On PS5 I just started Spiderman 2 - loving the larger map and ability to switch characters.

This and Mario Kart were definitely the highlights for me. Looks fun! :)

Ehhhh it’s cool that this is a feature, but boy did it look laggy.

This actually looked really cool. An open world and seamless transition between maps is something I’d never had expected to see from a Mario Kart game.

But is that anything new either? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Nintendo promoting specs since the N64.

Hmm I’m not sure I follow the author’s argument here. Nintendo hasn’t been trying to keep up with the power of Xbox or PS consoles for years, that’s nothing new. But the Switch 2 is essentially a Switch with some upgrades and… better specs. If they’d ‘moved beyond specs’ then they’d have no need for a new Switch model.

It’s a pokemon eat pokemon world out there…

I haven’t played a Pokemon game since Sword and Shield, but it looks like they’re doing some interesting new stuff here and shaking up the battle system. I’m quietly optimistic!

Just had the bathroom flooring redone and some boxing removed, which has exposed some wall that wasn’t visible before. Need to fill in, sand and repaint this section so it matches the rest of the room!

Do 4D beings have 3D puzzles that would have the same issue for us? 🤔