a list of games, developers and studios to boycott.

[jplebreton@mastodon.social]

@davidgerard the word "festival" makes it appear much more like a valve-sanctioned event, like the themed sales weeks they commonly run on the platform. i wonder if this will lead to any steam policy changes.
steam's user culture hates AI and can be super toxic in that classic gamergatey way, and for once (compared to all the times they're freaking out about eg a woman or LGBTQ character or dev) they might act in alignment with the rest of us.

[kaito02@mastodon.social]

@pndc @davidgerard why would you play slop games

[frothyphobe@mastodon.social]

@dcoderlt @davidgerard Very useful, thank you!

[cal@kind.social]

@dcoderlt @davidgerard And one for AI store content: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45751774-Slop-Descriptions

[lariscusobscurus@wien.rocks]

@davidgerard SteamDB has a full list of games taking part in this "Festival"

https://steamdb.info/sales/event/669500857710019396/

[rune@social.sound-city.dk]

@davidgerard thanks, I hate it

[floppy@mastodon.me.uk]

@davidgerard the apostrophe here leaves me wholly unsurprised.

[natanox@chaos.social]

@pndc @kaito02 @davidgerard Fair enough, though the question is still why anyone would litter their expensive hard drives with this garbage instead of high quality games - preferably those you own (fuck "licenses", you OWN what you bought).

I'd rather have a copy of every single git commit version of Beyond All Reason on disk (like, physically, no version management inbetween) than a single of those Slop "games".

[spawnie@mastodon.social]

@LariscusObscurus @davidgerard
Some real gems in there
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4596000/CODEX_vs_SCIENCE_Not_Talos_Principles/
" CODEX vs SCIENCE (Not Talos Principles) is a [...] game designed to address the deep-rooted cultural drivers behind severe human conflicts: the friction between dogmatic religious extremism and anti-dogmatic scientific skepticism. Set against the backdrop of current geopolitical crises, such as the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, the game serves as a cultural intervention. "

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

[grim_elsewhere@lgbtqia.space]

@davidgerard 13 members. Whoo. Gangbusters.

[curtadams@urbanists.social]

@davidgerard "Learn how AI being used to games faster than ever" - they can't even get the grammar right. Isn't that supposed to be something GenAI is actually pretty good at?

[lariscusobscurus@wien.rocks]

@spawnie @davidgerard Quality stuff. There is also no AI disclosure on the store page, unless I somehow missed it.

[spawnie@mastodon.social]

@LariscusObscurus @davidgerard
It has a singular negative review. This guy didn't even bother to do any marketing - anyone who cares about reaching people via steam knows that you get friend, family, early enthusiasts to post a couple reviews as the game launches, because that's how the algorithm figures out you're a real project.

For the record putting a game up on steam costs 100 euros.

[turgemanvt@mastodon.social]

@davidgerard Blacklisting a dev should be a feature...

[kayohtie@blimps.xyz]

@davidgerard wtf these look like game titles and thumbs you'd expect to see in a meme specifically mocking asset-theft garbage just out here actually doing it anyway

Edit: thinking more, like especially things like "pick me, pick me". I have no idea if the game is meant to parody anime waifu CYOA graphic novel games but it showing up in a meme absolutely would be

[chx@chx.contact]

@davidgerard meanwhile Mark Roberts from Grinding Gear Games: "But I’m just like, from my understanding, and it mostly comes from us trying to recruit people, my understanding is we’re already working multitudes faster than every other company under the sun. Almost. So why should we go and adopt technologies that would slow you down?"

https://outputlag.com/feature/diving-deep-into-path-of-exile-curse-of-the-allflame-with-grinding-gear-games/

[giordanoscarso@mstdn.io]

@davidgerard But why is Bad Rats from 2009 in the festival? xD
https://store.steampowered.com/app/34900/Bad_Rats_the_Rats_Revenge/

[psychuan@plush.city]

@davidgerard how apt. the page appears to be broken.

[davey_cakes@mastodon.ie]

@chx @davidgerard

Love it.

"We're actually good at our jobs" in short.

[the_gayest_goat_on_elekk@elekk.xyz]

@davidgerard didn't they already do this some years ago or am I having deja vu?