Rob Rule

False. The only reason you subscribe is to enable online play of Tetris 99.

Update 30 live. Aquatic vehicle, Deagle et al. But no Erangel remaster. Also...people seem to be interpreting this as a story mode? Whether it's because of the new Erangel's story hint easter eggs or Schofield's reputation I don't know.

Doesn't need to be a buy in point. I think a system like that's value is in user retention, making people fire Antstream up for more than progress within the games. For a scene, human activity, like how we're all here so often. Definitely a USP and exactly why they're almost obliged to give it a try and build a community.

Def a casual comment - I can go into it and clear it up a bit. As earlier posts of mine have already made clear I'm not interested in joining in on a forum pile-on so I hope I'm not being viewed through that lens. I say: "I also think it's pretty unlikely anyone at all will be passionate about their Antstream gems/hi-score/ecosystem." I'm talking about the Antstream ecosystem - it's covered about halfway through their Kickstarter vid iirc. It's the rank up, XP, account-based bragging rights stuff ala PSN Trophies and one's Gamerscore. Those latter two are what make me think it's a waste of Antstream's time and make me wonder about their direction with the whole thing. I think they're too small for it to be worthwhile - and would be even with their full potential audience, given a portion of the serious hobbyists who won't touch the thing eat into that margin). Even on the incredibly dominant, compulsory platforms like those console services there's nowhere near 100% player engagement (and that's fine, there doesn't need to be, it's just a bonus for those who care). It's a subject I've been curious about in the past. Today, first page of google is rife with community polls on game-centric nerdhole forums showing about 30% unengaged with those services from the big players. It's even lower on Steam. The reason I don't think anyone will be passionate about Antstream's rank-based offering is: these accolades become exponentially less important to the user as the number of their game-related peers on the service goes down - and that's already from a 30% base of distinterest on platforms where everyone is connected with you. It's just a question of ubiquity that gives me this half-informed opinion. I presume Antstream might post their game hi-scores and notable Antstream achievements to social media but what doesn't, that's saturated to hell and we tune it out nowadays. The comment about the ecosystem isn't me equating it to the reason something like Antstream would fail or succeed, obv. And yeah, I get that they have to try. You've got to be ambitious and put everything in there, I guess. But I'd funnel the work into the UI, the website and 'the message' (barf) first. IS THAT ALRIGHT, DAD. And now look what you've done! I've got some exciting social media news I wanted to message you specifically about this week and now I have to wait until the weird 'private message following a forum to-and-fro' window has expired so I don't look like creepy vengeance spectre @angel. FFS!

They're going for the nostalgia dads who'll forget and let their second year subscription tick over. Maybe not consciously, but that'll be their ultimate market. I think a free trial with no tie-in might actually hurt Antstream as I reckon the vast majority of their potential audience - those remaining casual enough not to already be in our retro folder with their Raspberry Pis - will be sated by an afternoon of playing some of their old favourites. I also think it's pretty unlikely anyone at all will be passionate about their Antstream gems/hi-score/ecosystem.

Yep, I only played Quick Race to try every vehicle. Didn't experience every surface type but it'd probably be both dissatisfying for me and unfair on the game to expect a different kind of experience when its foundation is something else, or just play one gravel track with one vehicle and then find replayability lacking. Round hole square peg.

I just gave Ultimate Racing a spin, it's not made for me sadly. It's worth nothing that it's closer to the sim/serious end of the racing spectrum, which is well communicated by things like its aesthetic and the fact it boasts tyre wear and what not - I just like my top downs all snappy and arcadey with strong drifts. I prefer the feeling of them being relatively light RC cars more than proper heavy vehicles. The go-karts and bikes are closest to this, but not by too much as they're just a little tighter in the turning circles. A more impressive, detailed game than most in the subgenre but if you've got limited tastes and you don't like your top down racers diverting from the arcadey Micro Machines/Circuit Breakers/Slicks 'N' Slide/Turbosliders it might not be for you. @Soi this is the best one on the Switch:

It's an absolute gem. I didn't think the Xenoblade series would get its heart back after the cold, task-oriented X, but 2 is just full of clever landscape spectacle, likeable characters and a sense of camaraderie that's only equalled in a JRPG by the optimistic chums from Skies Of Arcadia. I sometimes wonder whether XC2 would have been even better had Zelda: BotW not cannibalised its staff. 3 programmers! https://segmentnext.com/2018/02/06/impacted-xenoblade-chronicles-2-team/

A cartridge with controller ports. Brilliant.

Oh man. An actual b-tier videogame for this disappointingly slick and high budget AAA generation. Yes!

I don't care to hear the so-called 'unbiased opinions' of someone who blatantly gets backhanders from Ocean and Interplay, thanks.

Definitely, this forum is famously a Vote Leave enclave.

Carlospie, you're mad. What major outlet doesn't get sent free games or given free backdoor access to services to review them? I think Antstream is a bit doomed and Anne Summers/jamielemon is demonstrating his usual here. But you're being grossly unfair/keen, and seemingly lashing out at everything and flitting between subjects of annoyance - be it Eurogamer, quantum physics or Anne's PR abilities. You can know it doesn't work as claimed and understand the science, but some decorum and singularity of accusation, jeez. Or at least watch the part of the Eurogamer coverage that talks about the lag. You're making anyone else with concerns/criticisms look rabid. Besides, if you wanted to court conspiracies you should've gone with the fact that *gasp!* job cybernet contributed some articles to Eurogamer several careers ago. Dun dun DUN!

We're just playing the game differently and we should keep that in the back of our minds when we talk about these things. Iirc you're a TPP player, while I'm solely a FPP player. They're fundamentally so different I won't disagree with your experience - especially when we don't know each others' matchmaking rank. In EU FPP these days it's got (famously) ridiculously brutal, and it's rare that a fight lasts long enough close range (which is what we're talking about, because SMGs) for reloads to be the problem - everyone's a laser. MP5K and Vector are bedfellows, though.

Jealous.