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The Chinese make about half the apps on the Apple app store. Probably more in the Android store. All of them are just as able to be spyware as TikTok is. In fact more so. The amount of Wireshark TikTok has been exposed to and will continue to be exposed to is far more than the various obscure apps you have. Half of which or known to be Chinese. A half of the remaining could be the chinese using a straw developer in another country. Any of the for certain Chinese ones have the same obligation to share data with the government TikTok has.
If they ban TikTok and only TikTok the only differentiating factor it has verse a large number of allowed apps is the speech they've allowed. This would be congress singling out a single company for punishment over speech it has allowed others to do. IDK. Maybe TikTok would have a case in the courts.
Some say "yeah, but TikTok is a larger company more capable of doing shady processing of the data they receive on the back end." What with their algorithms! We don't know what these "smaller" companies back ends look like. If they are a state sponsored data collection their back end processing could be just as capable. Heck they could just raw dog the data sharing and give everything to the chinese government and then the CCP could apply whatever sophistication is claimed TikTok has exclusive access to.
Banning TikTok because it's Chinese while China is the single largest app source in general makes no logical sense. Maybe we shouldn't have a bunch of Chinese apps on a device with a mic that's always on and always with us. But then let's fix that.
Yes.
Anyone who trusts technology these days is a fool.
Also, the problem isn't tiktok, its tencent.
Why not both?
Is true. TenCent is why certain video games cannot/will not touch certain topics. If the CCP says no, then there goes a literal billion+ potential buyers. Its a thing that in the creative community that bothers me. It compounds when dealing with businesses that need to turn a profit of xyz or everyone goes home (look at ubisoft) damn near every release (2 flops = death). So to turn your back on that many potential, and hungry, customers is hard to do for those companies. It gets even more fucked when you look at publishers and distro, valve isn't going to give up on that market. As you were in the animation industry, you know how expensive those 20 sec shots can get, and that only gets worse when you layer on user interactivity. Its a thing that pisses me off, and i wont play by those rules! lol!
I once read that Valve makes 19 million dollars in profit per employee, making them the most productive employees on the planet. It get me to thinking. Are their employees that skilled or is the business model that good?
Makes sense that someone should compete and cut into those profits. What do you say? Should we do it? Sure it sounds like boring software. Literally just a software repository. But to have even a thousandth of that profitability per employee would be insane. Any luck and they would just buy us out to retain their monopoly.
There are already some competitors which shows that there is survivability for more than one in the market. But at 19 million per employee profit to exist in any company there is no way the market is saturated.
Interesting story about assuming a market is saturated. Pintrist was made when a couple tech employees said that its insane how over saturated image hosts are for what they do. They decided to make yet another one in a day as a joke and released it. It took off.
Those Pinterest guys, I would wager (((they))) were connected.
NONE of the big names gained purchase without solid footing in compromised territory one way or another.
@x0x7, @HighQulaityDickPics, @LarrySwinger,
If you were to launch a Valve clone, how would you organize and manage it (besides directly copying Valve), what would you do differently, how would you brand and market it, and how would you put your unique custom spin on it?
Name proposal: Hydrant (with a hydra monster logo).
If you're not for Hydrant, then you must be a flaming spigot.
Yes. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <- this is an actual great idea given their current issues with being under scrutiny for having a monopoly.
Also guess what. I no-showed at work today. Entirely a mistake. They've gotten the schedules so mixed up and me exhausted from picking up slack with all their recent dumb ass hires that I slipped up and thought I had the day off.
But guess what I'm doing tomorrow!!
So I'm done. I could replace this job in less than a month if I had to. Or really take a month long break and then replace it instantly with the references I have for a much better one.
So that's what I'm doing. I'm not working for the next month.
I'm making an LLC and a non-profit instantly. I'm also going to hit the meetup scene like crazy. But it also means we could actually make something like this. It also means that Matrix is finally going to be good. That's an absolute target for that free time.
YEAH! I'm so down.
Have LLC, will travel.
well, maybe not travel.
A dumb idea for now, but maybe worth a thought later!
A thing that a lot of game devs have issues with is financing. They get fucked by their distro AND the engine (generally).
the unity fucking ->
Unity Personal: Free for developers earning less than $200,000 annually.
Unity Plus: $399/year.
Unity Pro: $2,040/year per seat.
the steam fucking -> 30%
the dev fucking: so thats 30% off the top, then, if you do well, you need to start paying for a unity plan. This is why people were up in arms about the new pricing that unity was doing. They wanted to charge a runtime fee based on the number of installs once your game surpasses certain thresholds in revenue and lifetime installs. This is the shit that holds games, as a science and an art, back. As a solo dev, its fine for me (and i would be doing it anyways, yeah, passion!) - but anyone that is running a team needs rapid turn around and back to back hits. I think If you address that, a lot of people will take notice.
Not that I want to make a roblox clone but... What if we distributed our valve clone as a "game". That people could make games in. Not because we want to make a game that can be any game like some pothead idea (though not always a bad one). But because that means that everyone could piggyback on our license!!
Like you said, Unity Pro is $2,040 seat. But we can have fewer seats for the total game content produced if only our employees are seats. And all they have to do is wrap the shit out of everything.
Now we have a dev kit value add, distribution, price work around for unity, match making and networking. That's enough to be asking for some money I would think.
I think this would maybe be a later stage.
Because it's a "game" we could even list on steam. Just like anyone who lists on there it's just an equation between how many more sales we get vs what we pay (really the math is how many non-steam sales you cannibalize vs the 70% retained of the additional sales you gain on steam). But still that helps out the community because if they pay us 20% of their revenue (in theory because we could have a different model entirely), but ok they pay us 20% of their revenue they are ultimately only paying 6% to steam now so we are cutting them out even if on steam. I assume steam takes their 30% for in game purchases if they are a steam user. If not that's even better.
Ok. I rate this idea 25%. I don't want to lose you on a crackpot idea. But it was worth expressing, because it's not entirely uninteresting.
The GPT output when querried about the idea:
Your idea of merging social media functionality with a distribution platform for games (or other software) is innovative and goes beyond what many existing platforms are doing. While Itch.io does allow some level of community interaction, it’s far from a full-fledged social media platform. Let’s break this down:
Existing Platforms and How They Compare
Itch.io:
Steam:
Game Jolt:
Patreon/Substack:
Kickstarter:
Social Media Platforms (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, Twitter):
What Makes Your Idea Different
Your proposal combines software distribution (like Itch.io or Steam) with social media functionality (like Instagram or TikTok). This unique combination could offer:
Potential Features for Your Platform
Dev Profiles:
Social Features:
Game Hype Tools:
Revenue Models:
Analytics for Devs:
Industries or Platforms Outside Gaming Doing This
Behance/Dribbble:
Gumroad:
YouTube + Patreon:
Reddit:
Is It Too Much Like Itch.io?
No, your idea is broader and more ambitious than Itch.io. While Itch.io focuses primarily on hosting and selling indie games, it doesn’t provide:
Next Steps
To move forward, focus on:
Let me know how you'd like to proceed—whether it's brainstorming features, drafting a tech stack, or creating a roadmap!
I recommend you copypasta that to Projex.Wiki to begin documenting and organizing your project.
Its just the output of GPT. I think the main take away from it is that it had provided a list of other services that 'kind' of do a social media service combined with a software distribution service. Most of them are ok at what they do, but clearly there isn't a specific thing that hits all the notes i mused upon. They kind of do it, but nothing is dedicated. People are on bluesky, twitter, facebook -and then have to get fucked by steam. No blue checkmarks, no shadow bans, none of that shit. We go transparent, up and up, take a smaller cut then steam, dont bow down to tencent, let devs make the games they want... the more i talk about this the better it really sounds to me. @x0x7
Well, you aren't going to lose me a crack pot idea. I'm currently waist deep in my own crackpot ideas and at this point, may as well add on some more! AKA, no bad idea, i will not walk (i prefer to bike).
Most studios, i think, have a dedicated dev machine that has their unity3d seat. So all 'dev' work needs to be done there officially. Same with Maya, substance painter, so on... I assume. Unofficially, im sure they get stuff ready on another device and then just migrate that over in a package.
Roblox is what it is, and that is a game engine. Game engines are weird because as crucial as they are (unless you want to brew your own), they get the short end of the stick all the time. Its hard to make a game, nearly impossible i would say, and then they want to charge you on top of that herculean work. This leaves a bad taste. Unity is near bankruptcy, Godot had a MASSIVE pr issue, GameMaker is a toy, so on. I think thats is own problem, and that presents opportunities. Good opportunities? I dunno.
Here is the thing. No one is combining a distro service like steam with a full fledged social media outlet like X or Facebook. If we provide a one stop shop to hype your game and sell it, that reduces the individuals need to maintain multiple accounts (X, facebook, myspace, geocities) and their distro page (steam, itch) and their landing page (www.xyz.com) - we provide 1 place that can do that for you. We allow them to make a landing page like github.io pages, we let them post video, images and text to build an online following, we let them sell software (not just games). I think thats a winner right there.
Filed under /s/StupidWorld.
I don't know how old any of you are, but in grade 7 and grade 8 we had several Apple IIc at our school, circa 1983-1985. I made lots of custom Load Runner levels that were quite creative - but I never shared them until I beat them. Then when others would complain they were too difficult I'd tell them I could do it. Times certainly have changed.
lol. for a game jam i had played my own levels so much that i *thought it was easy. There is a youtuber that reviews game jam games, thats her thing, she tried mine and i was like. Ohh.... yeah.... you don't have to play that level 100 times to make sure everything worked. Hmmm... it was a good lesson.
Yes. Once level cleared I moved on. I was more interested in creating aesthetics and challenges. I took it to extreme levels but always figured out a way.
They fired you or you quit? Or neither? No one called you until the day was over?
If you've made the time maybe I should make the time too. I have some work ahead, but full time or not, I will still have me time and I'd rather be more productive than the usual multitasking routine of listening to stuff while doing stuff.
I could help with fresh ideas, organizing extant ideas, outlining on Projex, CSS design, branding, other design, etc. IMO, Goat and Proj are working so they should take priority, and Goat has more action so it's top, but I/we could also finish prepping LeverMind if time permits.
Tuesday for the first time, before a video shoot, I finally ate at The G.O.A.T. Very good food and one waitress was tall and hot. I'll be back. I got some schwag - a beer cozy, gift card, coupon, and some photos that I'll upload soon enough.
Wish I had a meetup scene here. I've thought about trying Unjected (and the Autonomous course), but that's all - just thinkin.
LLC for what? What does that entail? I imagine it might be different in Windsor here.
Also, new idea for GoatMatrix:
If making a "Comments" page of chronological comments (like on SaidIt) is too difficult, perhaps you can just sort by "Hottest Comments", "Newest Comments", and "Topless Comments".
We should keep the software boring as hell. The point is boring software seems to make money while really cool games with novel concepts are in the strategically more minor position.
I think we should take a play right out of pintrist and let people pin games and browse each other's lists. That will bring in the influencer crowd at least a little. Especially the wannabe influencer crowd which produce more value than what we ever offer them back.
I think that should be the only gimmick. Keep it simple.
Of course valve has a small number of other things going for them. Anti-cheat, proton, their own game studio. Maybe we don't fully ignore those just to stay on par, but we don't necessarily need a giant list of new ideas. Proton is already open source (thank's valve). Own game studio is really the more optional of the three. Anti-cheat is really the only hard one.
Oh, also match making and workshop. Workshop is just more repository tier shit. Match making, simple enough. Either you just help with negotiation and then the game maker's software takes over, or you set up some rabbitMQ type stuff to be message passer between clients and pretend you've done some significant work that indi game developers need help with.
YES! THIS! THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IN THE COST BREAKDOWN! YES!!!!!!!
Like, there is most def an influencer crossover going on with dev's right now- maybe thats just me. But, it kind of makes sense that if you already have a following of 100 people and you release a product, thats 100 people that will prob buy that. So if you wanted to market to game dev's, then i would maybe try to mix in social media angle to allow them to try to gather that following. I mean, you are 100% right saying "the wannabe influencer crowd which produce more value than what we ever offer them back."
Simple is good for phones.
"Simple is easy," says the guy who doesn't know how hard it is to make things look effortless.
I don't know much about games, but I can help with branding, design, messaging, marketing, etc.
I don't do games since my early 20s. But I have mad respect for those who DIY make them. I'll never forget a couple documentaries on Myst, Fez, and Spore breaking the molds. Always meant to try them.
Yeah, lots of trail blazers out there. I mean, quake 3 implemented the fast inverse square root and due to that we have modern graphics. The french game designer who made Alone in the dark kind of -invented- bones in 3d modeling for animations in his game. Games are cool because they push technology and make it do that which it ought not to, which appeals to my hacker side for some reason. Finally, there is that interweaving of art and science. Like, modeling and animation a thing is cool, super SUPER cool! BUT - getting that thing to do stuff itself just makes it that much neater. Like, you draw something and set out some animations, and then before you know it, its walking around and making little decisions based on the system you set up. Its very machiavellian.
I recall the inverse square lighting falloff but not that reference. Interesting history. The woke meme applies to CGI surfaces too: "If you have to normalize it, it isn't normal."
I think Jurassic Park came out in 1992 too. They used SoftImage which had skeletal systems, and though I don't recall if they had inverse kinematics then SoftImage had it figured out by 1996 - yet even by 1999/2000 3D Studio Max didn't have it solved. I had to fight the glitchy twitches for 4 sponge commercials. Odd that 3DSM eventually caught up and surpassed SoftImage. Shame.
You'd be surprised how much you have to hack in non-interactive filmmaking. The interactivity has pros and cons. It's an extra dimension of complications that can fail or succeed - while folks are (or used to be) more forgiving on the visuals due to the limitation nature of the immediate render.
Machiavellian or Godlike?
NPC's believe in me and be saved through my son, Pickle Rick, sacrificed on the sandwich alter of my hunger.
I should actually read up on the history of 3d modeling software, lol! That could actually be useful at some point, especially in games where assets can get mothballed and forgotten. Man, Jurassic Park was so great, to my understanding they were going to go with puppets but then did CGI, however, they kept the puppet crew on set because (obviously) they used a mix of both AND the cgi team found the insights by the puppeteers to be helpful! Thats super cool of them to do!
Machiavellian or Godlike? Probably neither, honestly. Its just cool to dev a system and then watch it go or play around it in. Build a behavior that seeks cover and then chase your lil nerd around is fun!
Not sure 3D history would actually be that useful without direct application. I have boxes and boxes of old industry mags - and at least one box of T-shirts from at least 4 Siggraphs and more - back when it was actually good.
Yes, neither. Though you create entire worlds, "HighQualityDickPics" doesn't roll off the tongue like "Zeus" or "Thor".
How about we make a new F/LOSS game that teaches the ins and outs of Machiavellianism, propaganda, spycraft, truthseeking, etc. We can call it "Cyops".
Only if its set in a techno-future version of ancient Greece and the 'CyOps' is a mega computer with ye old one eye monitor.
Sounds like a mix between cyclops on a unicycle, HAL 9000, and Colossus.
CyOps was for cyber psy-ops.
Neo-classical retro-future Greece certainly adds some character and flavour to things. It certainly might be fun to play up the theatrical pomp and circumstance of "higher learning", as well as bring it all down to earth - as well as occasionally shit on it. We could start with the Trivium and Quadrivium then explain "Greek style" (near to Italian).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argus_Panoptes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lernaean_Hydra
I'm sure more Chinese apps will get the axe soon. TicTok is just the most popular with the most influence at the moment. I'd argue that you have to look at more than just privacy. The Chinese have a policy of "total warfare" that attempts to exploit every possible attack vector including corrupting social norms (hate the USA, eat the rich, cut your dick off, it's OK if Biden gropes children) of other countries via social media.
It's most certainly not just the Chinese. It's totalitarians of all stripes.
It's too bad tech is so complex you can't have small trusted DIY communities (regardless of nationality) able to work within the corrupt matrix of rigged systems.
I'm starting to feel more fenced in than I did 4 years ago. But not hopeless.
What do you think of Brax?
I would think if I ever got a Brax Phone it would be second, mostly kept in a Faraday bag or box, used for specific purposes - beyond whatever I can currently imagine. I imagine many other folks might use it as a second phone too.
As a second phone it would be good if you could somehow tether, reroute through, and/or monitor your first phone. If this app does not exist it should - and should be verifiably safe. Obviously that tether would need to be cut and/or deleted at the first sign of tampering or surveillance.