Firefox with Betterfox user script. Then from there is a bunch privacy focused/oriented extensions. I also harden my DNS with custom host files from StevenBlack. I also point all my devices to NextDNS as another catch and also to standardize things as I use NextDNS to manage my kids access to the world.

I do need to create a private VPN (of my own) still so my mobile devices can be setup behind StevenBlack host entries.

Marketing has been rough lately. I stopped using reviews sites for the most part. A lot of the time I could not tell if there was any integrity in the reviews posted or if it was just a paid Ad. I rely a lot more on word of mouth and watching my favorite streamers play a game before even considering it. I get the devs struggle. How do you grab my attention when the market is full of these types of games and it’s hard to differentiate at a glance.

Also, this game from the article is the type of game I wait until a steam sale before buying.

Was my favorite game for 2 years. Got into the esports and everything. Got super pumped at Blizcon 2018 when they said they are doubling down on the game and investing more into it. Bought a $100 year pass thing to help support the game.

Two weeks after Blizcon announcement thing, esports is canceled and most devs pulled from the game. I don’t think I ever felt that betrayed (I know that’s weird). I uninstalled the Blizzard client a few days later and left the Blizzard fandom.

Riot games is going down the same route “it feels” right now with League of Legends. I don’t think these companies understand that these games are not just games. They are these weird intersection of common interests for a friend group. Destroying that also destroys any interest in their IPs.

Do they really need to launder anything (genuine question as I could be missing something)? Usually you do that to hide money from the government, but in this case it’s MBS and co using money from oil and other shady stuff to try to propel themselves as relevant in the world. Would not put it past them to also use this as a way to fund more terrorist activity (it’s Saudi Arabia after all)

The saddest part of all this is how they could have used some of all their crazy clickbaity mega spending to help Gaza. Instead they would rather pay a bunch of sports and esports athletes crazy sums to increase epeen

It’s almost odd how rare this attitude is nowadays. I remember being excited for the next Blizzard Games release back in the day because you always heard them talk about quality over meeting arbitrary deadlines.

I get that being out there in the market early is important too. Investments need to pay a return with our current economic model. I just keep thinking of all the games that could have used a little more ripening and they likely would have been a lot more successful instead of losing the studio money.