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Only by hitting them in their wallets does this stop. Even tolerating it and it gets worse.
We’re stuck with this kind of behaviour though. What am I going to do? Throw out my Xbox because I don’t like what they’re doing? Maybe this will make people choose a different console next generation, but that’s barely sending a message if there’s only a couple of viable options.
Maybe this will make people choose a different console next generation,
Reject consoles, return to PC gaming. As consoles get more and more expensive, with less to offer, it makes less and less sense to continue supporting consoles.
And consider Linux. Microsoft has put ads into Windows, and could do the same thing they're doing on Xbox if they think they could get away with it. Yeah, some games don't work on Linux (most do though!), but Linux also doesn't track or advertise to you.
"Could do"? I haven't used Windows in a decade at least, but doesn't it have ads in the start menu now?
I think so? I know they used to pre-install Candy Crush or whatever, but I'm not sure what Windows 11 does these days.
Regardless, that's not going to happen on Linux, but it totally could (does already?) on Windows.
It's pretty bad on PC as well, with more and more games requiring kernel level anticheat software. I wish I had something positive to say. Just lots of bad news coming out in gaming it seems.
Well, yeah. I get both consoles. But that's one of the reasons I leaned heavily into Playstation last generation. Xbox has been ad heavy since one of their UI updates on the 360.
I mean Sony has been pulling plenty of terrible shit and Nintendo hates their fans. PC is the only consumer friendly option and they're doing their best to make sure that stops.
Although I have my grievences with Valve for other reasons I do have to commend them for their efforts to make linux a way more viable gaming platform than I ever could have imagined. I think a full 2/3rds of my steam library is playable on linux, which is pretty good considering that's not something I considered when buying them.
We're not likely to shop our way out of something every goddamn company is doing.
Let's just ban it.
Ban what? Advertising?
While I would like this kind of crap to stop, I don't see how you would properly legislate to ban it.
Instead, I think we should look at requiring any changes to software to not be possible to hijack your equipment and remove features.
So if you choose not to update, you can. Currently, they ban you from online play if you don't. Force them to be backwards compatible and they will. Force the updates to provide user benefit and they will.
Bricking devices, like happens all too often when support ends or a cloud server shuts down should entitle you to a full refund unless they specifically offer it for only a period.
Sony recently with the loss of content. Microsoft with the windows ads. Microsoft with the Xbox ads. Amazon with the ad insertions. We need to combat enshittification in general. Force service portability and force backwards compatibility.
Ban what? Advertising?
Don't threaten me with a good time.
In this case, specifically - banning ads in shit you already paid for. If there's a subscription fee, then selling your time and attention to someone else cannot possibly be excused with 'but but but how will they make money? (sad eyes emoji).' It's just greed.
Same shit for any gizmo that costs five hundred dollars and still has the unmitigated cheek to call that price 'subsidized.' Was that price put on you by a vengeful wizard? No. You chose to lose money. Seems like a stupid move! Not our problem to fix, by being propagandized at, on top of the 30% you make on every game same, and the subscription multiplayer fee.
Control of your hardware is important but not strictly related. Stallman was right. But I don't need to appeal to software freedom to say, if you pay $200 for an operating system, or $500 for a console, or $120 per year for service, then at the very goddamn least there should be a big obvious button that makes all the ads permanently fuck off.
hit back
Complaining on twitter isn't hitting anyone. A financial impact is the only thing that will drive change.
But others have also complained during recess, some went as far as calling Microsoft dirty names.
It will never cease to amaze me how fast media is to negatively cover Xbox. Its like they've got these pre-written with their finger over the post button.
The ads on the home screen gotta go though.
People love to hate Microsoft and for good reason given some of their bizarre moves.
It does seem disproportionate to other companies sometimes but I think that's due to their ubiquity.
Unfortunately this will become the new normal.
There's always a new generation of gamers on their way who won't care.
For them you have always been able to play online and always had to pay
The Xbox consoles are not and never were advertised or sold as a subsidised device, but the ads are sure making it feel like one.
Yeah, because they are subsidized. Microsoft loses money on every Xbox, expecting to make it up in game and subscription sales.
https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-loses-between-100-and-200-on-every-xbox-sold
this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2024
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