Changes you hate to see

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

It's been mentioned already, but I don't enjoy the upselling strategy used on video games these days. Having to pay for a monthly subscription to play online, DLC packs, and "Deluxe" editions of the game are really causing me to dislike the current game industry.

As a guy in my 30's, I want to just pick up a game when I have time and play the #### out of it, and not have to worry about whether it's updated and has the required content or not. I'll break out my old NES any day of the week.

Any company that can do a "one-and-done" business model around casual games - on a console or not - will cater to a growing audience of older and/or increasingly frustrated gamers that has money to spend.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamen

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

It's been mentioned already, but I don't enjoy the upselling strategy used on video games these days. Having to pay for a monthly subscription to play online, DLC packs, and "Deluxe" editions of the game are really causing me to dislike the current game industry.

As a guy in my 30's, I want to just pick up a game when I have time and play the #### out of it, and not have to worry about whether it's updated and has the required content or not. I'll break out my old NES any day of the week.

Any company that can do a "one-and-done" business model around casual games - on a console or not - will cater to a growing audience of older and/or increasingly frustrated gamers that has money to spend.

to add to that, the whole pay to win model ala clash of clans or mobile strike. Free to play as long as you don't want to ever have access to the upper reaches of the game and be so far behind those who shell out literally thousands of dollars you never have a chance to battle on a level playing field.

I understand why they do it, because of those big spenders but damn it's frustrating as a casual gamer.

[calgaryblood]

It's amazing how much some people will spend on games. My buddy used to go to Western Union for 6 months straight every day selling his chips off pokerist. He made $50,000 until they cracked down.

[Fuzz]

I miss the days when their were fewer people going to the mountains. I miss my small hometown of Canmore when their were more locals than tourists. Weekdays are now busier than weekends used to be. The highway is a dangerous mess, and I refuse to even go on long weekends. Not worth the stress. Some people are happy about Calgary growing and growing, not me. Roll us back to 800 000 and I'd be a happy camper.

[Fuzz]

From the "old man yelling at clouds" dept.

The original Greek Olympics had a rationale: in a warrior society, throwing the meanest rock or spear was a matter of national survival against the Persians. Now we have athletes coasting down what looks like a fairground magic carpet ride on toy bicycles.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/olym...726383?cmp=rss

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I miss the days when their were fewer people going to the mountains. I miss my small hometown of Canmore when their were more locals than tourists.

A couple buddies of mine moved out to Canmore straight from high school in '87. Rented a cheap house a block off main street with a bunch of other outdoors enthusiasts/pot-heads and went climbing, hiking, and mountain-biking all the time. I'd visit them on weekends. Get hammered at one of the two bars in town, wake up in the morning in the sleepy town with hardly a car in sight, and have a hangover breakfast at the Canmore Hotel before setting off on a backpack. The locals spoke contemptuously of how crowded and touristy Banff was. If only they knew then...

And you could book any back-country campsite two days before you went and get a spot.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

With the exception of furniture, is that even true?

Yes. They literally teach that stuff in many business schools. (Typically in somewhat clouded language of course.) Impossible to say how common it is in practice (after all, theory is theory...) but it's still absolutely a thing.

Honestly, what incentive does a company competing with many others have to make an inferior product?

Lasting machines isn't much of a selling point, and many fields are dominated by a very few manufacturers today. (And in many cases different manufacturers use parts from same factories.)

And what appliances today last less than before?

Dishwashers and washing machines are I'd say the most frustrating. None of my friends have a washing machine over 10 years old, and most have changed their machines many times during that period. In comparison, many of our parents still have the same washing machines they had when we were kids. My mom bought her 2nd ever washing machine last year. When my grandmother died, she still used the first washing machine she ever bought.

(When you have small kids it can be an incredible hassle when you have to go even a couple of days without one, so this used to be a big talking point a few years back.)

[CliffFletcher]

The price of live entertainment has escalated to the point where it's usually not worth it to me. The first premier live show I saw was Rod Stewart when I was a teenager. It was $30 for floor seats at the newly-opened Saddledome - a big chunk of change to my 14-year-old self. Still, that's only $65 in today's dollars. What do floor tickets to a major concert cost today? $300?

As the cost of stuff has decreased (everything from electronics to clothes to pretty anything you can buy at WalMart is far cheaper than real dollars), and two-income households have become the norm, the cost of 'experiences' like live shows has skyrocketed. How many 14 or even 18 year olds today could afford to go to a big Saddledome show with money they earned themselves? Young and poor fans are left out in the cold.

And fans could guarantee tickets by lining up early for tickets to a show that was going to sell out. I camped out overnight for Dylan tickets in '87. Got floor seats. Can't trade time for money anymore - the tickets will go to whoever has the deepest pockets.

[Fuzz]

Yup, I remember some Saturday nights at 10pm, you could walk from one end of mainstreet to the other and not see a car. So we would walk down the middle of the road. Those cheap rentals don't exist anymore, which is a real shame. A few buddies rented a place that turned into our house of shenanigans, and headquarters for planning rides, races(we organized a few at the Nordic Centre) and community disruptions. To bad their is no opportunity like that for youths these days.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Itse

Yes. They literally teach that stuff in many business schools. (Typically in somewhat clouded language of course.) Impossible to say how common it is in practice (after all, theory is theory...) but it's still absolutely a thing.

Lasting machines isn't much of a selling point, and many fields are dominated by a very few manufacturers today. (And in many cases different manufacturers use parts from same factories.)

Dishwashers and washing machines are I'd say the most frustrating. None of my friends have a washing machine over 10 years old, and most have changed their machines many times during that period. In comparison, many of our parents still have the same washing machines they had when we were kids. My mom bought her 2nd ever washing machine last year. When my grandmother died, she still used the first washing machine she ever bought.

(When you have small kids it can be an incredible hassle when you have to go even a couple of days without one, so this used to be a big talking point a few years back.)

After seeing repair costs and how they are usually 50% of the replacement cost, I've learned to do my own minor diagnostic and repair. Fortunately you can find most of the info you need on the internet and parts are cheap and easy to come by. I've repaired a microwave, my oven, a couple dishwashers and my washing machine. It's partially because I'm cheap, but I also can't stand to throw out something that works fine, except for having one broken $50 piece. Plus it is usually less hassle to repair than go shopping for a new one. I hate shopping. Especially for appliances.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The price of live entertainment has escalated to the point where it's usually not worth it to me. The first premier live show I saw was Rod Stewart when I was a teenager. It was $30 for floor seats at the newly-opened Saddledome - a big chunk of change to my 14-year-old self. Still, that's only $65 in today's dollars. What do floor tickets to a major concert cost today? $300?

Your generation is mostly to blame you know.

Back in the good old days the midde-aged geezers with their real-job salaries were not competing for those same tickets. (At least not very commonly.)

If you go watch some up and coming act that only the kids will know about, it's still pretty cheap.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

We were recently down east in PEI and the area we were in had an arcade at the board walk. A weird collection of old and new - but my daughter loved it.

I also think a bar-cade would do really well in Calgary.

Sounds like someone needs investors..

[JohnnyB]

Well, my body ain't what it used to be. Getting old... just getting old...

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I miss the days when their were fewer people going to the mountains. I miss my small hometown of Canmore when their were more locals than tourists. Weekdays are now busier than weekends used to be. The highway is a dangerous mess, and I refuse to even go on long weekends. Not worth the stress. Some people are happy about Calgary growing and growing, not me. Roll us back to 800 000 and I'd be a happy camper.

I don't think I need to go to the mountains anymore. All I see every Monday and Tuesday are pictures of literally everyone hiking or doing something in the mountains, and showcasing the crap out of it. I feel like an experienced Albertan mountain guide simply by seeing pictures. So many pictures. All now looking the same.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I miss the days when their were fewer people going to the mountains. I miss my small hometown of Canmore when their were more locals than tourists. Weekdays are now busier than weekends used to be. The highway is a dangerous mess, and I refuse to even go on long weekends. Not worth the stress. Some people are happy about Calgary growing and growing, not me. Roll us back to 800 000 and I'd be a happy camper.

You need to go longer and further out to escape. If you want solitude you need to leave the trail.

[normtwofinger]

Bob Cole and Harry Neal in their prime. Also Don Wittman.

[V]

Originally Posted by Muta

I don't think I need to go to the mountains anymore. All I see every Monday and Tuesday are pictures of literally everyone hiking or doing something in the mountains, and showcasing the crap out of it. I feel like an experienced Albertan mountain guide simply by seeing pictures. So many pictures. All now looking the same.

Is this new? I haven't lived in Calgary for 6 years now, but when I lived there I felt like I was the only person I knew who ever went to the mountains. It always seemed like such a wasted resource on Calgarians. I guess in one way I'm happy that people are figuring it out, but if I was still regularly going to Kananaskis I'd be pretty annoyed with all the people too.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I miss the days when their were fewer people going to the mountains. I miss my small hometown of Canmore when their were more locals than tourists. Weekdays are now busier than weekends used to be. The highway is a dangerous mess, and I refuse to even go on long weekends. Not worth the stress. Some people are happy about Calgary growing and growing, not me. Roll us back to 800 000 and I'd be a happy camper.

Yeah, we need to start developing another town in the mountains. Banff, Canmore and Lake Louise are not enough. It'd be awesome to start building another town a mountain range or two over from Banff.

[Kswiss]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I miss the days when their were fewer people going to the mountains. I miss my small hometown of Canmore when their were more locals than tourists. Weekdays are now busier than weekends used to be. The highway is a dangerous mess, and I refuse to even go on long weekends. Not worth the stress. Some people are happy about Calgary growing and growing, not me. Roll us back to 800 000 and I'd be a happy camper.

It is brutal. I made the mistake of going on hot weekend to Lake Louise last year and had to park on the side down the hill! WTF! But like someone said, I am happy I got to see the heck out of the mountains so many times before.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah, we need to start developing another town in the mountains. Banff, Canmore and Lake Louise are not enough. It'd be awesome to start building another town a mountain range or two over from Banff.

It would be wise to start buying up properties in the Crowsnest Pass.