Hearted Youtube comments on Jimmy McGee (@JimmyMcG33) channel.

  1. "This video contains spoilers for Hachette v. Internet Archive" gold
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  2. Great video as always, just a few random points that popped into my mind while watching. - I find it fascinating how stuff that tried to obfuscate its gambling nature has progressively become more comfortable with not doing so. I don't think it's a coincidence that the highest grossing gacha game is based on horse racing, or that the card game metazoo quickly devolved into being only about the secondary market and by extension NFTs ( the history of metazoo is very interesting, an entire card game designed to be virtually unplayable). - I really like how you mentioned that the 'zone' that these machines put you into can be enjoyed second hand. I recently saw that Twitch opened a gambling category where people just play online slots (as you mentioned a lot of them partnered with the site they are betting on) and I couldn't believe the viewer numbers be organic but they absolutely are. It's baffling to watch, especially seeing how people react in the chat. - I think it's very important to mention that you also enter the 'zone' by playing gacha games as free2play, a lot of my friends cope about 'it isn't evil or gambling since I play free2play' which I've seen has led multiple people to eventually dropping money into the system anyway, it just slowly grooms you towards it. I think we like to rationalize this free2play gambling as enjoying the thrill without the stakes as being second hand but it really isn't.
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  3. Whoa ok I just finished the video and this is great! The way you touched on the popular talking points of AI with more nuance and depth was nice. I especially loved the more neglected talking points you touched on, which were just as, if not even more impactful. Also the way you related the problems of AI to broader themes you've been exploring (content-creator cycles, gambling, etc) and the emotional climax at the end were muah chefs kiss. Looking forward to more stuff by you :D
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  4. I've been calling these "proxy currencies' scrip, cause that's basically what it is. You can only spend them in their company store and they regulate the exchange rate and how much you get.
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  5. I was relistening to this video over some gameplay since it can be hard to find a good backdrop at times, and I found a couple more things to say than just "oh nice vid". The music you made and played at the end was very good for it's purpose, whether you made it as it's own piece of crescendo or specifically for that part of the video, it was very fitting. What I wanted to talk about (initially when I started writing this comment) was about Richter and his plotline. If I remember correctly, one of the writers lost their mom at some point roughly during HM2's development time (or some period shortly before). From what I understand, his story was more of a bit of self-reflection and grievance over losing her than just an expression of internalized violence amorally, although I do believe it's pretty good from that angle. I just think that's a bit of context that may help you understand that section of the game a bit more. Ultimately it can be more than just one or the other. The irony of Hotline Miami 1 and 2 being so ahead of it's time is crazy in retrospect. 1 being monumental in the moment, inspiring a lot internet culture even to this day a decade later. 2 having a lot to say and being completely misunderstood in 2015 and receiving far better feedback over 5 years later (which is quite a bit later for a game made by a small team). It makes me wish that the duo had stuck it out and tried their hands at other projects after freeing themselves from the "shackles" of their cocaine cowboy beginnings. While the nuke has many purposes narratively, it was also a direct way for them to say "look, we've done Hotline Miami. Stop asking for more" in a rather literal way - I believe they said at some point it was one of the many motivations for ending the game like that. After all the backlash, they kinda fell out of the public eye. Dennis eventually went silent, but Jonatan has kept somewhat active on Twitter, and has alluded to working off and on with a passion project since 2021. I think making the level editor in the midst of everyone complaining to them really broke their drive to make games, which is a damn shame to see from a duo that obviously had a lot they could deliver, and the sheer connections that would allow them to pull off just about anything they were interested in. On one hand I want to say "time will tell if they ever decide to release something, together or otherwise, again" but on the other I'm not so sure it will happen all this time later as it is.
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  6. im studying AI in university, and most of the scummy things mentioned in this video are actually being taught by the professors in my classes as the correct way to use AI AI and ML has so much potential, its just being misused and mislabeled right now great video, keep it up
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  7. Thank you sincerely for not adding those final two words to the end of the script
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  8. "In Clean Hit, you're supposed to sneak around outside." I've beaten this game twice and had no idea. Wow. Edit: "The level, Fun and Games, has a liberal amount of windows scattered around, which foreshadows Hotline Miami's sequel." Got a nice belly laugh out of me.
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  9. I think my favorite Rain World experience was when I first killed a king vulture. I was so hyped I told everyone, even the people that didn’t know about the game. That level of genuine excitement is hard to feel in games nowadays (even in some old games).
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  10. we've found him, the man prophesied in history, the one man who could possibly review hellsinker your channel is wonderful, thank you
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  11. Jimmy, your videos have always made an impression on me. I always seem to exit your videos with a viewpoint I wouldn't have considered before. I aspire to be a creative on your level someday. You're an inspiration to me and a lot of other people, knowingly or unknowingly. I look forward to whatever you may accomplish next. Hope youre doing great.
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  12. The final boss being the embodiment of the dynamic lighting engine is a nice touch. They knew how to play to the game's strengths.
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  13. incredible dig into what most people would never consider about ai, thanks for this
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  14. I remember being unable to get into this several years ago between the scarce items + the crafting tree, difficult encounters, and awkward aiming/fighting. Maybe I should revisit it. That research piece you did on Estonia was very well done. I always appreciate how you do your homework on these.
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  15. soon enough chunkopops will be real
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  16. I was just rewatching a bunch of your videos the past two days and I've been eagerly looking forward to the continuation of your masterpiece of a video "Gambling and the Desire Machine." I'm ecstatic to see a new upload from you. Your videos are informative, thought-provoking, excellently paced, excellently written, and thoroughly enjoyable. I sincerely hope your channel takes off; not just because "This man needs internet fame," but because more people need to hear the messages you're delivering to the viewers.
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  17. I think another thing about collectible cards (specifically mtg) is that yes the objects are functional, but there are also artificial distinctions between them. I was upset recently that I opened a card that I wanted, because it was in an art style that I don't like. As a game piece it's the exact same, but my odds of getting the version I want are artificially cut to make me want to invest more in packs/the secondary market
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  18. Nice to see the Adam Curtis in here. I appreciate what you take from his style and what you bring to it. Coziest videos on the site.
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  19. The funny thing about the economic structure of the universe of this game is that even if you (the protagonist) brings back death to humanity and gives life value again, your still just a commodity. Nothing has really changed, while the "hero" has ended the corrupt system of the control of death by the elite everyone in the universe is still judged and valued not by corrupt corporate leaders but higher beings who only see souls as things that can give them something not individuals that have self worth. Even the 2nd ending is just the main character talking to a God being that is encouraging them to continue using others for their own benefit simply due to having more "energy value" then most other humans or general living beings in the universe and to continue living that "CEO mindset" that other characters have been encouraging each other to do for a fair portion of the game. So after mountainous layers of speech like text explaining and declaring the decay of humanity by getting rid of death the protagonist is still doing the same thing in this "golden age" he brings about now just on a seemingly spiritual level. So what is the lesson? That there really is no way out of the system? Humans are doomed to be seen by literally everything in the universe as a living stock to be bought, sold and used regardless of who or what is in control?
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  20. This channel strikes the perfect balance between real-world comparisons and their counterparts in the digital world, a perspective often lacking in many other video essays. Thank you for making such great content! Ban slots.
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  21. 1:02:50 you can actually tell because there's a dark gradient near the bottom of the screen if it will kill you, I think they should have made it more noticeable since new players won't really notice the gradient.
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  22. Dropping everything. Jimmy McGee episode
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  23. Awesome video, and awesome series. I really think educating people about this is super important. Two things that have been on my mind I really hope you eventually mention: 1. Mobile game design, with their multiple currencies and wait timers to ingrain themselves in your daily schedule to maximize the sunk cost fallacy and so on (see: "Let's Go Whaling," game design conference talk in 2016 by Tribeflame CEO Torulf Jernström) 2. The modern trend of Japanese Gacha games, which have combined slot machines with a desperate desire for physical and emotional intimacy (going so far as to allow players to "marry" hyper-sexualized girls they get out of loot boxes)
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  24. Publishers finding new ways to make things simultaneously harder to acquire and pay their artists/authors even less than they were previously is a disappointing, but ultimately, predictable outcome. Love your content as always! A surprise to see two uploads from you in quick succession, but a welcome one.
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  25. One of my favorite moments in Rain World, whether it was intentional by the devs or not: The early game teaches you to do anything to get food and survive, so you try so put anything in your mouth just to get enough food. Because of that, once you get to Moon your first instinct is to grab those flying neurons and try to eat them. The first time I got there I did exactly just that, I didn't even realize Moon's attempt at communicating with body language and I just swallowed them like they were the most delicious thing in the universe and I walked away, I acted like a beast with no intelligence because I was a beast with no intelligence, the only thing on my mind was food. When I got to 5 pebbles, I realized I fucked up after getting the mark of communication. I wasn't just a beast anymore, I suddenly had a purpose greater than just shoving anything in my mouth
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  26. bought the album, thanks for the great stuff:yougotthis:
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  27. 14:50 S-tier edit
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  28. it's 2024 (still), you really need to bring something new to the table to make me watch another video about super mario bros. ...you did it, well done lol Your gambling research really shines through in the section where you describe the moment to moment gameplay, in a way that I didn't expect.
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  29. "there is no way to discern from a safe or unsafe fall" that actually isn't true! you can tell which falls are death pits based on whether or not there's a black fade at the bottom of the screen. at 1:03:04, you can see the screen has a slight black fade at the bottom, indicating a death pit. it's a very minute detail though, so newer players wouldn't recognize them as easily as an experienced or veteran player. another way to recognize a death pit from a regular fall is if there's an actual way to get down there other than taking a pipe. if there's no poles or vents leading downward, then it's most likely a death pit. in rooms such as the one at 1:03:13, you can see poles and vents that would bring you downward, and no black fade. falling is still death though, there's no floor at the bottom of this room. SLIGHT ENDGAME SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT! one outlier is the pitfall right before the entrance to the depths, there's no vents, pipes, or poles leading downward, however it isn't a death pit. it's just a long fall, but the fall damage does insta kill you because it's such a long fall. you have to cling to the side of the pit to make it down safely.
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  30. I think living here in Germany it's a great "what if" for game arcades since arcade games were quickly deemed exploitative towards adolescents and as such not free for anyone under 18 to peruse, hence why you don't have any arcades at all here. I play a lot of fighting games and one interesting resulting tidbit is the amount of usage the arcade stick sees compared to the US. Even today I'd argue that while fighting games obviously had their origin in the arcade, a lot nowadays really didn't grow up with it anymore, so the arcade stick is a weird "vanity relic" which technically offers a lot of disadvantages even to currently popular input devices (not to mention costing ludicrous amounts of money). So obviously here with no one growing up in the arcades the effects on gaming culture in general are really interesting to see. Great video as always.
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  31. 36:00 “Cause when you lose your world, there’s no way of getting out of it.” Damn.
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  32. This is EXACTLY what I needed after an eight hour shift. Been wondering when the next part of this project would drop.
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  33. This was very educational and thought provoking, thank you. Stellar presentation as always. Someone very close in my family has a gambling addiction that also affects me, so this stuff sickens me and elicits quite personal reactions- I live in Illinois and there are slot machines in gas stations, restaurants, and even some popping up in shops. It's gross how accessible and inescapable they are, even internet gambling aside. Thanks for teaching the history and how they function. Looking forward to future videos in this series.
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  34. Crypto "play to earn" games sound like games from people who pretend that they care about gameplay/art side of videogames for people who pretend hat they care about gameplay/art side of videogames. In the same way like NFT holders will say that "I just like the art", those people will say "i just like the game". And they will say that not because it's true, but because they hope to bring more people in - but the only people who's in is the same kind of people - pretending they're for something more then just making money, it's same pyramid sht as allways
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  35. There’s just something so satisfying about diving into the intricacies of video games. I don’t know why but hyper-analyses of video game mechanics and stories are some of the most entertaining watches on YouTube, and you’re definitely the best at it!
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  36. Quality video and coverage as always Jimmy. Recent events/threats to the internet are disconcerting to say the least, another effort in the long string of attempts to stifle/censor the medium. I guess this is something we'll just have to deal with every four or five years where these internet illiterate politicians actively try and make the world more bleak and disappointing. Also Super Monkey Ball 2 music good.
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  37. Another very good video... You have a very evocative writing style. "A world for money to live in or a world for people to live in" is a line that I think will stick with me for a while.
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  38. I wish video games were real
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  39. 18:10 I really despise how the "Flow State" as a model has been effectively delegated to a tagline for nootropic shills and clickbait youtubers. The original book and research by Csíkszentmihályi contain very interesting and holistic interpretations of motivation that could be extremely beneficial to a lot of us if we would just stop bastardizing the theory. The whole point was to research an internalized form of motivation in substitute of external rewards to progress society away from their dependence on symbolic factors of motivation (eg. Money), something that becomes extremely moot when paired with the average "Grindset" channel mentality. Eitherway, great video. I completely relate with your apprehension for the term.
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  40. oh my god your lucky slugcat slot machine is beautiful, if i saw THAT machine specifically at a casino i'd have to gamble. wait shit that's how they get u. with the slonkcat
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  41. Really glad to see this come out, your initial Rain World video was what tempted me to give the game a second, third, and eventually fourth chance. Each time I quit the game, I eventually made it back to your video and would always pause right as you reached Moon. Somehow that moment kept convincing me the effort would be worth it, and evidently it was. The entirety of Five Pebbles as a region was something to behold unspoiled. So thanks for that man, I mean it. For Downpour though, it's pretty vindicating to know I wasn't alone in my criticisms of it. This is obviously a consequence of the extra Slugcats being made by different devs, but the entire design of Downpour feels much more "Video Gamey". That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it was something I kept feeling now and then while playing, and that feeling never fully went away. That being said, The Saint really was the closest I'd gotten to re-experiencing Rain World again. Putting aside how much the whole world you explore had changed, the entire ending sequence managed to give me the same confusion and awe as the initial Survivor ending, except with an even stronger sense of finality. It's honestly an excellent example of how important it is to stick the landing to a story. Without it, I might have had a much more middling opinion of the whole DLC.
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  42. Any day you upload a new video is a good day. Thanks Jimmy, I know it doesn't mean much but I had an awful month this June, and ending with a new video is just about one of those things you don't believe could happen in such an annoying streak of bad luck. Have a good day and keep giving it your all!
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  43. I am drunk as fuck and have zero interest in Dark Souls and Elden Tree or whatever, but Jimmy tho so we there for it
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  44. You have an amazing voice to listen to! Its very relaxing to watch your videos, im super grateful to have watched your rainworld one :D
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  45. just finished. i dont understand how you consistently get better everytime. some of the most unique stuff in this format. bravo for all of part 6
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  46. I actually loved Gourmand. To me food bar was his scouting mission for his kids back home. As he is trying to find a new home for everyone, so he is going around trying to eat everything to see if it is edible. He also unlocks slug pups so I love him. Although maybe cause I'm a bit of a sap for parents. Artificer made me cry for that same reason.
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  47. Gotta say, that transition at 14:50 was so clean I thought it was the same boss
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  48. I put Rain World on my wishlist and try to return to this video once I experienced it. People love it so much, now I want to play it myself.
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  49. Your sentiment that this is all a response to a disenfranchised populace is interesting. I buy it.
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  50. I love the style of this game in a way I can't really explain. I'd like to imagine a character from the game's universe being utterly confused if they saw a game more reminiscent of our universe, something pleasing to our eyes but harsh and grating to theirs.
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