The entire point of gaming is having fun + escaping reality. Whether it be alone, with friends and/or people you never met before. And said strangers may very well become your besties, one day. The subscription era now feels like the people making products don't even understand what they're selling anymore.

All these companies pushing subscriptions are edging more and more towards the thermocline principal: "In large bodies of water, the temperature drops slowly the deeper you dive, while remaining acceptable. Yet, at a certain point, the water temperature drops sharply. Meet he thermocline: a near-physical barrier where warm water meets cold. The shift is sudden and dramatic." In business, this translates to users accepting gradual changes, without protesting too much. Then comes the last price hike/tweak, and all of a sudden sales collapse. This usually is near by impossible to reverse. Trust is broken, and alternatives are adopted.

This has been a blessing in disguise in some ways. I now make most of our food from scratch. Canned foods, bread, no more soda and instead I make Kefir (which is healthy, too). I bought tools and do the gardening. Same with home repairs. Dumped streaming and will buy second hand DVDs/blurays. It takes a lot of my time, but it's also so fun, gives this feel good vibe. Ended up in way better shape, less pollution, cleaner food, reconnected with nature. Gaming/movie nights/etc took a big hit, but then again, time well spent with the family.

Theaters cost over 100€ for the four of us... Am not Paying 15€ for a bag of candy. Its so stupid. And then you have people on their phones during the screening.

We bought a decent TV 3weeks before the latest model dropped in store, meaning we saved 40% of the price tag. Homemade popcorn is practically free, you can pause the movie anytime to go take a piss. I don't see myself going back.

Side note: we have been doing the seasonal store discounts whenever we need stuff. Outdoor furniture 50-70% off, etc. Its the IRL equivalent of the Steam Summer sales :D. We bookmark stuff and wait.

Quality tools are such a good investment. They last close to a lifetime, and save many multiples of their pricetag.

Dude this is awesome :D

There is some hope if we chip at it as much as we can. No action is too small:

• less travelling. Life is fun near home. Happiness isn't tied to an airplane and a beach far away
• eat less animals. You ll get used to whatever diet in a few weeks. It doesnt have to be vegan or nothing. Also, beans are delicious:)
• bamboo toilet paper. Grows fast, renewable.
• plant bushes, trees. Look up local resilient species. I've been planting everywhere I can. You can call your local municipality, they have regreening programs.
• buy less stuff. Available tech is already good enough.
• vote with your wallet. This is the only real power we have over corporations, imo. Lots of great easy to repair brands. Fair trade, etc.

If we convince ourselves we are screwed, we ll give up. Be the hero of your own story. YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET IT 100% RIGHT. Any improvement is improvement. We all live different lives, and the economy is hard on alot of us.

I believe:)

Edit: I get that industries/billionaires represent a majority of this issue. I also believe that change starts home. We gotta tackle this at every level, even if it seems lost. The alternative is watching it happen and wait for the others to change. This is a prime "tragedy of the common" problem. You drink filtered tap water? Well those plastic bottles dont get made, thrown away. Do this a lifetime and those bottles represent a hill of waste that never existed.

I m rooting for you, for us!

Thanks for sharing. I love everything about this

Laughs in Jellyfin