I'm posting this here as I think this is a gaming model to be watched since it might be even worse than gacha, and because Square Enix has lots of gachas out there.
Honestly, Square Enix is already pretty bad in mobile gaming right now, their ports are often buggy and their gacha games are quite disposable (hello NieR) or way too greedy (FFWotV, FFBE), but today, a brand new year starts and they've chosen to go all out on not knowing their community and humiliating themselves to those who love their IPs.
Link: https://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/news/2022/html/a_new_years_letter_from_the_president_2.html
Matsuda, Square Enix's director, released the letter above to say they're investing in new technologies... The main point of the letter being, you guessed it, NFT games. Yeah, do we really doubt they'll soon release an NFT game with a very beloved IP? I'd say I wouldn't even doubt if it were FF...
And he shamelessly went for the "decentralized gaming" approach, plus the text kinda implies they want their gamers to not have fun while playing, but to want to work for them and "contribute" for the community, which is pretty low imo.
Anyways, have a quick read and let's hope for their fail, because if gacha gaming is already predatory, imagine having to pay hundreds of dollars to even being allowed to play a game like a lot of NFT games out there already.
Long article refer link attached From Yagan Square to ‘Fight Square’: Increased police presence for failing public space
https://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/news/2022/html/a_new_years_letter_from_the_president_2.html
>I would like to begin by wishing everyone a Happy New Year.
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>The metaverse was a hot topic in 2021, inspiring a lively global conversation first about what the metaverse is and then about what sort of business opportunities it presents. Against this backdrop, Facebook changed its name in October to Meta, serving as evidence that the concept is not a mere buzzword but here to stay. The metaverse garnered so much attention that 2021 was dubbed the “Metaverse Year”
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>I attribute this in large part to advances in extended reality (XR) technology, the increasing prevalence of the cloud and 5G, more sophisticated blockchain technology, and other technological evolutions that have taken place in a variety of fields over the past several years. That is because these advances are giving rise to services that fall under the metaverse umbrella. The metaverse will likely see a meaningful transition to a business phase in 2022, with a wide range of services appearing on the scene. As this abstract concept begins to take concrete shape in the form of product and service offerings, I am hoping that it will bring about changes that have a more substantial impact on our business as well.
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>Another term that gained quick currency in 2021 was “NFT” or “non-fungible token.” The advent of NFTs using blockchain technology significantly increased the liquidity of digital goods, enabling the trading of a variety of such goods at high prices and sparking conversations the world over. I see 2021 not only as “Metaverse: Year One,” but also as “NFTs: Year One” given that it was a year in which NFTs were met with a great deal of enthusiasm by a rapidly expanding user base. However, we do observe examples here and there of overheated trading in NFT-based digital goods with somewhat speculative overtones, regardless of the observed value of the content provided This, obviously, is not an ideal situation, but I expect to see an eventual right-sizing in digital goods deals as they become more commonplace among the general public, with the value of each available content corrected to their true estimated worth, and I look for them to become as familiar as dealings in physical goods.
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>To address these changes in our business environment, the
Love walking around the city and particularly like checking out pedestrian-friendly plazas/parks/squares. We all know the Manhattan ones like Herald Sq, Rockefeller, Bryant Park, but what are some of your favorite Brooklyn ones to walk around?
DOJ may well be the main catalyst. I say we moon on Jan 28th.
Thanks to u/MSOTruliever for posting on the Cannabis site!
I hear Krystal and Sagaar talk about this a lot recently and I never really understand their point that Facebook is committing "horrific infringement on people's free speech right" through censorship. I mean, I think Facebook and social media are a total mess, but I can't help but see what they are saying as inherently dangerous.
Do I have an inalienable right to a Facebook account? I personally don't have a Facebook account - am I even capable of Free Speech since I don't have one?
One example that comes to mind is if I own a bulletin board and I allow members of our larp group to post on it, and one member uses it to some other purpose - and I tell them they are no longer allowed to post on my bulletin board - am I now a tyrant who has limited their free speech? Is there a difference between free speech and and an End User Agreement? And how popular does my bulletin board have to be before it becomes the Public Square?
I am sure there are many forums out there that are specific to a certain topic or viewpoint. If I go to a dog forum and continually post how much I hate dogs, and I get banned, have my rights been violated?
I don't mean to strawman Krystal and Saagar or to use this post as some kind of gotcha. I am actually unsarcasticaly confused and just wondering where I missed the point. I would agree with the FCC requiring algorithmic transpareny and published moderation guidelines, but I don't understand what the end game is for describing Facebook as a public forum of Free Speech.
Edit: Apologies for spelling/formatting, I am on mobile
I totally thought this was a bodega so I was initially disappointed when I popped in for some butter and dish soap and found a little food court in there. The place was poppin though, and the vendors are actually pretty great. Recommend for sure.
Contest summary from Winning Writers:
>Recommended free contest awards $1,000 for a poem by a US author that best evokes a connection to place. "Place" may be interpreted by the poet as a place of historical, cultural, political, or personal importance; it may be a literal, imaginary, or metaphorical landscape. Send 1-3 unpublished poems, no length limit, by email. Zocalo Public Square connects people to ideas and to each other in an open, accessible, non-partisan, and broad-minded spirit.
Contest details
- Sponsor: Zocalo Public Square
- Category: Poems
- Submission length: 1-3 poems of any length
- Entry fee: No fee
- Awards: $1,000, publication, and a public reading
Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)
This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers
I don't know if I made this up, learned it in school or saw it in a TV show, but I always pictured it like a podcast of the past. People would watch smart people talk about smart things, and information would spread, much like podcasts of today. Long forum discussion for public viewing.
Would this happen? Any history of the people or discussions involved?
