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verdverm | on: Roku developer repositories moved from GitHub to GitLab
it seems like all the media companies are being bought up by a select few people

does not portend good things for the future

alt227 | parent | next
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.
verdverm | root | parent | next
I hope for more indie, in games and software - more lifestyle & small businesses - where creativity and uniqueness can flourish
20after4 | root | parent | next
Abandon all hope, yee who enter.
lossyalgo | root | parent
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.
verdverm | root | parent
Yup, I let streamers help me figure out what games are worth playing.

Lately, I'm just watching About Oliver, he does blind / no-wiki / no-backseat gaming. If you are a Minecraft fan, you'll experience something no one else in the community can do. He's currently doing a Create series, but watch the first season first, it's really special.

https://www.youtube.com/@AboutOliver

Also working on an NES harness instead of gaming myself after a too long stint with X4 foundations :x

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lossyalgo | root | parent
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.

OnlineTux | root | parent | next
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.

LtdJorge | root | parent
Bioware is a cadaver. All the original people are gone, they aren’t even a shadow of their former self.
rnd0 | parent | next
There's no way the future is good, near term or long term. Not unless you're a part of that specific class.
pokstad | parent | next
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.
verdverm | root | parent
"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

weberer | root | parent
Independent in the sense that they're not part of the corporate media.
verdverm | root | parent
I'm not so sure, they are still beholden to click / subscription optimization, which has their content and headlines tuned for their base. Think outfits like Laura Loomer or Meidas Touch.

I generally look for those whose primary means of income is not their reporting or podcast.

robertfw | parent | next
for the future? this has already been happening for years and is a major reason we're in the predicament we're in
cwbriscoe | root | parent
What predicament are we in?
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ozgrakkurt | root | parent | next
what is a predicament?
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cramer4next | parent | next
Roku isn't a media company. They make hardware and license software.
VanTheBrand | root | parent | next
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...

cramer4next | root | parent
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.

VanTheBrand | root | parent
The numbers I posted are the Nielsen numbers. Also Roku channel does produce original content as well.
tiew9Vii | root | parent
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.

cramer4next | root | parent
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+?
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toomuchtodo | parent
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.

| root | parent | next
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verdverm | root | parent
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.