It is not just gaming and tech, almost everything is getting enshitified & expensive, how to pivot?
For the Gamers and hardware enthousiasts among us,.. I feel like it has been the worst news week in gaming for many years! To wit:
- New console prices (of exact same devices that came out yeeeears ago) up by 100 to 300!
- The three sole manufacturers of RAM in the world have done cartel style price fixing and to be in large degree responsible for the RAMpocalypse, they have had a class-action lawsuit filed against them.
So, they are doing it again, after have been convicted and fined, and pleading guilty before in the 2000s, for the exact same thing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRAM_price_fixing_scandal
They will not care one iota if convicted again, since they are currently making insane money! "Cost of doing business". "Tax write-off".
AI thing is only half of the equation of hardware price hike, price fixing is the other half.
Analysts all say they do not expect hardware prices to go down before 2028,. if ever! New ""Normal"". It is important to remember that prices for many devices will go up, DRAM is phones, tablets, SSD/storage, Routers and switches and more.
Sony / Playstation Physical disc production ending in January 2028 You will own nothing, including any new PS games, ever again.
ESA (The Entertainment Software Association, biggest lobbying group that represents all of the largest game publishers) lying like a rug, getting awful laws passed in California, that pave the way for non-ownership of any software as well as lying about private Minecraft servers being illegal
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-esa-quietly-starts-walking-back-baffling-statements-about-private-servers-being-illegal-though-its-still-tutting-and-wagging-its-finger/
- Steam / Gabe Box costing $1049 for cheapest configuration
It is So over. Evil Big Tech Brother needs to Die. 🤷🏻♂️
I don't even game, I just hate all the above and the extreme greed on principle. Also, the things above are happening to a large degree with every digital product + media, series, music, books, messengers, software, OSes etc, almost everything seems to be getting worse or more expensive in terms of monthly cost or privacy.
I do see points of light.
I heard about
The Ennies, the award for best in person tabletop roleplaying games seem to have more amazing games than ever:
https://old.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/1umfifh/2026_ennie_award_nominees/
And if you do want to play an RPG on your computer,
The Secret of Weepstone and Esoteric Eb are affordable and seem really great:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2057760/Esoteric_Ebb/
Bazzite/Steam OS etc means (indie/retro/affordable) gaming on linux is a possible way to go. However with hardware prices being what they are,... if you don't already have a gaming PC now, you better have deep pockets.
Pivoting
I wish I could write more about this. For me pivoting has meant using Stremio for series and movies at little to no cost.
Getting a bit more second hand things.
Leveraging that I can travel freely in EU for work or cheaper accommodation.
Saving when I can. Relying on friends and putting time into IRL meet ups and other free or at least cheap entertainment and hobbies.
Learning how to (batch) cook better.
Possible pivots and solutions may look very different for you! I realize the above is not possible for many people, some people are truly stuck between a rock and a hard place, and that makes me rather sad, I always hope society will move in a more equitable direction. I like this video below which states that many people should "Stop telling poor people they need to get better at being poor." and that too many people online are "Cosplaying at poverty" than actually being and knowing what it is like to be poor.
https://youtu.be/NXTF61r-RT4