Comment by verdverm
16 hours ago
it seems like all the media companies are being bought up by a select few people
does not portend good things for the future
16 hours ago
it seems like all the media companies are being bought up by a select few people
does not portend good things for the future
Especially judging by whats happening in the gaming industry right now. Mass layoffs everywhere from once leading lights in the industry, now acquired by big business and having to succumb to broad budget cuts.
I hope for more indie, in games and software - more lifestyle & small businesses - where creativity and uniqueness can flourish
Abandon all hope, yee who enter.
Well there is certainly more "indie" AI slop nowadays. The latest example is Next Fest on Steam right now, almost 8k demos and, well, just have a look, or read any media outlet who is reporting on it - it's an absolute travesty.
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I still can't believe EA just shut down Bioware.
Of course considering who just bought EA (PIF, a Saudi fund + Kushner and some other asshats) and it all makes sense. But I'm still shocked and really sad.
Bullfrog, Origin, Mythic, Westwood, Maxis and others.
As for Bioware - Mass Effect Andromeda, Anthem, Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
EA's prior behaviour combined with Bioware's recent performance would be enough for this to make sense.
This also isn't unusual with what's happening across the AAA gaming industry; take a look at the layoffs at Microsoft.
Bioware is a cadaver. All the original people are gone, they aren’t even a shadow of their former self.
There's no way the future is good, near term or long term. Not unless you're a part of that specific class.
At the same time, more people are getting news from independent sources on social media and self publishing platforms. I can’t remember the last time I watched cable news.
"independent" may be a misnomer these days, much of it is catering to the audience and political alignment, with people living in different realities
the new incentives do not seem to have served us well, and perhaps worth noting that the same oligarchy controls the algorithms of the new platforms
Independent in the sense that they're not part of the corporate media.
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for the future? this has already been happening for years and is a major reason we're in the predicament we're in
What predicament are we in?
Consolidated and Sanitized media controlled by a few brands, that coordinate propaganda messaging.
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what is a predicament?
the greatest wealth concentration and inequity in american history, blatant corruption and nepotism
an out of control, bipartisan oligarchy
The majority of HN has been on the winning side of this equation, benefiting greatly from the rise of the computer, internet, and now Ai. This is not most people, we forget about them, we tell them it's their own fault when it is not. The game is not fair, it's rigged for most humans.
Michael Sandel explains it better than I can yet
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Roku isn't a media company. They make hardware and license software.
They are also a media company. They run the Roku Channel streaming service which produces original content and also has a 5% share of all us tv viewing tv viewing.
Paramount+ has a 2.5% share and Disney has a 4.7% share for comparison.
https://advertising.roku.com/learn/resources/nielsen-gauge-4...
Ok. But I really wouldn't trust numbers coming from the same company that produces them. A better gauge would be Nielsen. Roku doesn't even show in the top 10.
https://www.nielsen.com/data-center/top-ten/
Personally I've had Roku from the beginning and never once saw or watched the Roku Channel. But I did look it up now. Looks like all "D" rated films and really old media. They produce nothing and licence and syndicate everything.
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They are an ad and media distribution company.
The hardware looses them $80m+ while the add and media distribution brings them in $1b+.
The hardware is a side hustle run at a loss to acquire users for the main business.
I did not know this. Can you expand on it? When I was on Roku channel it looked like it was all free. I didn't watch long enough to notice if it had advertising embeded in it. If it is ad supported your telling me after distribution costs their advertising network brings in 1b+?
It is a strong signal that open solutions should be available to swap into when the enshittification comes.
I have been unable to find an open equivilent of Roku, Apple TV, and Nvidia's Shield, but would be interested in sponsoring an open version via https://bounties.fulu.org/ that could be manufactured through CrowdSupply. An open design and code to run on the hardware avoids future commercial capture. One can then own their media system end to end, from storage, streaming (Jellyfin ecosystem), and hardware on a display.
I've heard this is a recent clout chaser trend, more with smart TVs directly than a stand along accessory.
Not sure if that translates into real demand for it, most consumers are going to consumer.