Wait, this has hunted? That map was 80%+ of my TFC playtime. I need to look into this.

Except that it is still an option to only buy phones that allow bootloader unlocking and root? That’s been a requirement for me since my first smartphone.

lol. Now that’s a unique take.

I’m not sure about the 10.

Exactly the problem; current phones are good for the short-to-medium term, for anyone willing to use aging hardware, but what are the long-term prospects?

I’m hoping this will increase true open source phone OS development, like a Linux phone, but we’ll see. If there’s a way to really get Android or iOS apps onto a Linux phone (after these changes) then true open-source apps can fill most use-cases, but everyday users can still use the latest games/apps they expect to “just work”. That might be the ideal future option, at least until if/when Linux gets enough market share to get its own mainstream support (like the Steam Deck has brought to gaming).

Presumably, rooted users/custom ROMs should be able to get around this, but how many developers are going to continue to support development and/or release .apk files if it’s only a tiny subset of the userbase they can reach?

Sure, but that’s kinda the point, isn’t it?

Linux has so many possible splintered ways that systems could be configured that it’s hard to support, especially when a Steam Deck native could then be adjusted to work by your userbase, without any support or testing required.

Still a win, and fair that Larian doesn’t have the budget for a full Linux release.

Oh, shoot. That sucks. I was going to get Hogwarts Legacy for my kiddos.

Thankfully, the pirated version doesn’t have Denuvo, so I guess there’s an alternative, but it’s so much easier to just buy it on Steam than pirate it, lol.

My understanding is that businesses have more rules than individuals.

I looked into this ahead of a meeting with my boss a few years ago about my future employment (my contact was expiring). I wanted to record the meeting in case there was something said that I might want to take to my union. Based on my reading at the time, my understanding is that individuals in Canada can record any of their private communication, with no limits, for personal storage and review.

I think that any individual can record any/all of their personal phone calls made anywhere in Canada without informing anyone else that a recording is being made.

I’m pretty sure this is incorrect. I’m not a lawyer, and the person I’m quoting below likely isn’t either, but this lines up with my understanding:

In Canada we have one party consent, which means you can record a conversation you are part of. Doesn’t matter where the other people are because you are in Canada and Canadian law applies to you at that time.

If the other party is in the USA then US law applies to them and the actions they take must conform with US law… but US law doesn’t dictate what you can do and Canadian law doesn’t dictate what they can do.

However, one party consent has nothing to do with publishing. Releasing these recordings may breach privacy laws or if the information is confidential under an NDA you might be sued for revealing it.

Good question; didn’t even occur to me this might be a thing, but a quick search confirms that previous demo releases have had Denuvo.

Still waiting on Hogwarts Legacy to drop Denuvo. I’ve almost bought it three times, when it’s been on sale, only to cancel when I did the Denuvo check. It’s been cracked for 2½ years, since 12 days after release. Why the hell is it still included!?

Literal newspeak, straight from 1984.

Lawnchair doesn’t seem to allow gestures on icons/folders, so it’s a non-starter for me. I use swipe actions all the time to launch apps. Like, tap for SMS, swipe down for WhatsApp, swipe up for Signal; or tap to open a folder of utilities, swipe up for Root Explorer and down for KeePass. I want to be able to launch all of my frequently used apps with 1 action from my homescreen. If anything, I’d like a launcher that allows even more swipe actions (right & left).

I just want a full app drawer and a single homescreen with shortcuts/folders that can be overloaded with swipe actions. IDGAF about widgets or search. If I need to type anything, I’m doing too much work to launch an app.

Sure, but even so: that hardware isn’t going to be obsolete or wear out for a long time.

Compared with going to a concert that can be $10K for 2 people to attend a single show.

Or keep the live service model, but label things correctly:

You’re getting a subscription to the service that’s guaranteed to last at least until [planned minimum end date]. Make it illegal to label anything using “buy” that doesn’t grant a permanent, non-expiring license to the software or digital good.

There’s nothing wrong with charging for a subscription. If that’s their product, and the only way they can offer the product, then clearly market it that way and there’s no legal problem under the proposed rules.

Granted, that still sucks for videogame preservation, but at least it’s honest. And I’m not sure how many people will be willing to shell out $80+ for a “minimum 24 month subscription” to a new game, or pay $9.99 for a "micro"transaction they’re guaranteed to keep access to for 8 7 6 5 months.