Wiper

Not so sure about keeping the PSP stuff available for Vita part, otherwise their statement that doesn't mean much - I presume the PSP bit is being removed entirely now, even for PSP>Vita purchases. No idea what'll happen with PS1 stuff, of course - whether that's considered part of the "PSP commerce functionality" or not!

Having very recently gone through the Vita process, I can happily confirm that there's no need to use CM to hack it (at least from sub-latest firmware; I don't think the newest firmware needs CM either, but not having gone through it can't confirm either way). So that at least shouldn't be a problem.

Yeah, I saw that and immediately wrote it off (which is a shame, as the Mega SG is a wonderful piece of hardware). Seems a crazy design decision for a niche product whose raison d'être is giving players a way to play their old games, to include a non-user-replaceable limited-lifespan component. And that's before you consider how much Analogue struggle to produce enough hardware (and the whole 'being in America'/'far from guaranteed to still exist in ten years' issues), meaning that they're not a company I'd trust to reliably be in a position service a machine! Daft.

That's been a problem with PSP batteries for a while (they particularly like to swell and eventually destroy the console, which is a fun time), but they're at least readily replaceable. I've not looked at the state of DS/3DS/Vita/Switch battery replacement, though! The above is the bigger issue for me - batteries can become unsafe outside of their lifespan, and need to be removed. If they aren't designed to be a) easily removed, and/or b) are hooked into the system in a way which means you need a battery present to complete the power circuit, even when plugged in, then th

To be fair, that's a pretty standard lifespan for a clock battery (see e.g. the Dreamcast CMOS). The difference is, when the Dreamcast's dies, you only have to replace it if you don't want to have to reset the console date and time every time you unplug it, rather than needing to replace it and get a live connection to some sort of Sega Network in order to be allowed to keep playing your games.

Yeah, soldered on components are the worst, giving users a whole extra avenue by which to break their console should they need to replace something.

My standard for "easy battery removal" in consoles basically comes down to "battery is in a generic holder, rather than directly soldered or mounted in a bespoke solution". The PS3 Slim remains my favourite, where not only is the battery a colossal pain in the arse to get to, it looks like it's in a generic holder, but if you try to pull it out without using a combination of a spudger and firmly restraining said holder against the motherboard, the entire holder will tear away and destroy your motherboard. Smart design.

<- 100% correct opinions

Just reading through issue one (which I didn't read at the time, what with my not having access to a PC until 1994), and I unironically love the Dune 2 review for the struggle to define its genre — "a Sim City clone which is also a real-time shoot 'em up".

Meanwhile I was mostly thinking it was a shame that Stevie's so obviously trolling/moving goalposts in his core argument, as it was refreshing to find someone else who didn't think much of Titanfall 2 (it was the most disappointing FPS for me in terms of general reception vs personal experience since Half-Life 2. Just something about it - besides the banal plot, that is - which utterly failed to click, despite the idea of frenetic shooter + high mobility + sometimes mechs being very appealing. I should probably try it again, as at least the shooting itself didn't leave me feeling v

Yeah, I've found Zero aged more gracefully, funnily enough - just as irreverent as PC Zone, but not quite as far into the over-the-top laddish banter. Still, I do have a lot of fondness for Zone - I remember adoring their Carmageddon review at the time (written from the perspective of someone expecting a normal racing game and getting more and more distressed/delighted as they accidentally wreak murder and destruction across the countryside), and it was one of the magazines I read every month, alongside PC Gamer, Edge and (era-dependant) Mean Machines Sega and Official Dreamcast Ma

I didn't see this while I was writing my last post as I'm on my phone, but the connection is specifically to PSN - you can't just spoof an NTP server for it, because the main purpose of the check is to stop people "freezing time" and thus indefinitely keeping access to PS+ (the secondary use is for trophy timekeeping, I believe). The only current workaround is through custom firmware, which does suggest that Sony could deactivate the functionality relatively painlessly if they wanted to, but it's still a bit of a worry given the grace with which they dropped the store closure announcements. I'

And what? It’s a dead system, no one cares. Stanley, I know we sometimes (well, frequently) have different takes on things, but I've always respected your willingness to make reasoned arguments and give and accept different perspectives. This seems a little beyond the pale, though. I can accept that you think the broad issue is overblown, and that you believe it's being weaponised by people with weird fannish vendettas against Sony (I mean, it assuredly will be, as any criticisms of any major company will stir up certain elements in the forever culture wars), but

I mean, it doesn't, but also it does. Looks like a podcast is coming from some of the old PCZ alumni (Richie Shoemaker seems a clear inclusion, otherwise unsure who's involved). How much content can be generated by picking over the bones of Zone I don't know, but it could be interesting to listen to. Given how, er, 'well' the lad's mag humour of Zone has aged, I'm not sure that its style could (or should) be resurrected, but it was a formative read for me throughout my teens (and introduced me to some of my favourite games of all time), and it'll be fun to

Sorry, you now get to live in the same Opinionated Prick bucket that I and others share. Which seems a little unfair to me (your admittance to the bucket, I mean; I'm aware that I'm a) not a fan of the games Kevvy likes, and b) Always On My Bullshit. I've made my bed and I'll lie in it), but hey-ho.