KOTOR, Dragon Age: Origins lead designer will lead a new studio for Wizards of the Coast
https://www.pcgamer.com/kotor-dragon-age-origins-lead-designer-will-lead-a-new-studio-for-wizards-of-the-coast/
Dungeons & Dragons company Wizards of the Coast announced today that it is opening a new studio in Austin, Texas, that will be headed up by former BioWare stalwart James Ohlen. Ohlen left BioWare last year after a 22-year career, during which he amassed design and writing credits including the Baldur's Gate series, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, and Dragon Age: Origins.

Wow, this could be big, depending on how much WotC are willing to invest..proper D&D game is long overdue.

Yeah, I read that.

Technically, the first chips would be in the second quarter of this year with the low power Ice Lake products, followed by Comet Lake in the same quarter of 2020. Still, it's another delay on their 10nm process which will affect them even more.

To be honest, I'm more worried (so to speak) by them "only" adding another pair of cores than the process node. With rumors saying that AMD is going with up to 16 cores with Ryzen, plus the increased IPS and clocks improvements, we could see them obliterating Intel in multi-threaded tasks and giving them a run for their money in single-threaded ones.

Add the fact that next-gen consoles will have an 8-core Zen processor, and soon we may see how PC games start asking for more than 4-cores in their min. req., which would be a bigger problem for Intel than AMD, as they still rely on 4-core parts for their mid-price mainstream products.

Intel's CPUs already seem somewhat... not very eficient compared to AMD's, considering 1) their 14 nm process is actually more than half a node better than AMD's 14 - 12 nm, and 2) their transistor density is already made much lower to improve electron flow. I think their architecture is getting outdated like in their Netburst days, so I'd not be surprised if ARM / AMD processors outperform them with ease in coming years. If Intel does nothing, that is.

Well, Intel is already at it's production limit, doubling the cores would have increased the size of the chips way too much to bear. It would also have killed anything not based on the Extreme Core Count in their Server business, and they can't have that. Plus, the 9900K already runs at way above 95W to even be able to reach those 5Ghz, locked to 95W it's just barely in front of the 2700X.

Netburst was outdated from the start, it was comparable to Bulldozer - they just could afford to throw tons of money on the problem (and bribing the OEMs), which AMD couldn't do.

ARM and AMD will be very hard on them in different sectors:

1. Chromebooks (really anything where a Y series or N series processor is inside),
2. NUCs (due to AMDs GPU power and GU driver support being vastly better than Intels, making them a more complete package)
3. Servers, due to being more efficient, having much more cores and being faster, also possibly PCIe 4.0 support. Here IBM could also possibly be a threat with their upcoming POWER10, though that's less likely.
4. Desktop PC, where AMD is already doing pretty well considering the results of Mindfactory
5. Laptops, since the production limitation has the OEMs to choose not selling laptops and selling AMD laptops instead, greatly helping AMDs visibility to the common public.

Really, the only thing that they will still have going for them are the OEMs for the companies, as these are notoriously slow to change, even slower than Server IT. That, and their huge size, which means a lot of reserves and space o shrink.

Intel has been a MASSIVE failure thus far recently in both core or non-core competencies and that's saying something. Their last negative was Apple dumping their modems for Qualcomm's but just when you think things couldn't get any worse yet they manage to shit the bed once again ... 

It'll be a day of reckoning for them if they have to contemplate manufacturing their CPUs on other foundries like TSMC or Samsung ... 

Intel the new Nokia of the chip world confirmed. Wow...

Friday news:

SALES & DEALS

Farming Simulator 19 has sold over two million copies worldwide
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/farming-simulator-19-has-sold-over-two-million-copies-worldwide/
Focus Home Interactive has announced that it has generated record sales from Farming Simulator 19, which has sold more than two million copies to date and tops best-seller rankings in various countries around the globe.

On the Humble Store, 11bit Studios stars in the new publisher weekly sale, with up to 85% discounts: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/11-bit-studios-publisher-sale/

At Fanatical, there are three new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Tabletop Simulator, 57% off for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/tabletop-simulator
• Alien: Isolation Collection is 78% off for the next 2 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/alien-isolation-collection
• And the something for the weekend bundle is Tycoon Sims Bundle, with 5 games at a 91% discount for the next 14 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/tycoon-sims-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-empty-

MODS/EMULATORS

The Overwatch Workshop has already spawned great mods
https://www.pcgamer.com/best-overwatch-workshop-codes/
Welcome to our list of the best Overwatch Workshop codes. You can use these short passwords to access player-made mods. The Overwatch Workshop has only been available to test for a day and players have already made good use of the tools. They've also found creative solutions to old Overwatch problems, such as people ignoring the payload and nobody ever listening to your excellent suggestions.

This Skyrim mod lets you relax while it plays the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-skyrim-mod-lets-you-relax-while-it-plays-the-game/
Tourism continues to be one of Skyrim's biggest industries, with people visiting the chilly province to enjoy its many towering mountains, primeval forests and dragons that look like wrestlers. The one downside of being a tourist is all that walking. Skyrim's big and you wouldn't want to miss anything by teleporting everywhere. PhysicsFish's SkyTrek mod has the solution.
SkyTrek is a new autopilot mod that lets you set a destination and automatically walk, ride or fly there. Just hop on your dragon or horse and you can enjoy the view while your mount does all the work. You can also open doors, so you won't get stuck when faced with a gate, and you can get into fights, so don't worry about getting murdered by the first wolf that crosses your path.

GAMING NEWS

New gameplay trailer released for RAGE 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-trailer-released-for-rage-2/
Bethesda has released a brand new trailer for RAGE 2. In RAGE 2, players will assume the role of a Walker, the last Ranger of the wasteland, as they will traverse diverse landscapes using an array of powerful weapons and unique Nanotrite abilities to defeat ferocious factions, massive mutants, and the oppressive rule of The Authority.

New gameplay trailer for Square Enix’s action RPG, Oninaki, showcases all of its characters
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-trailer-for-square-enixs-action-rpg-oninaki-showcases-all-of-its-characters/
Square Enix has released a new gameplay trailer and further details on the characters in ONINAKI, the upcoming all-new action-RPG developed by the talented Tokyo RPG Factory team.
ONINAKI will be Tokyo RPG Factory’s third title and promises to continue the studio’s mission to take inspiration from classic Japanese role-playing games to create a brand-new experience on modern platforms following the releases of the critically acclaimed I Am Setsuna and LOST SPHEAR.

Layers of Fear 2 releases on May 28th + official PC system requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/layers-of-fear-2-releases-on-may-28th-official-pc-system-requirements/
Gun Media and Bloober Team have announced that Layers of Fear 2, follow up to the psychological horror title Layers of Fear, will be released on May 28th. In order to celebrate this announcement, the publisher released a new set of screenshots and revealed the game’s official PC system requirements.

Friday news, part two:

BlizzCon 2019 tickets go on sale soon
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzcon-2019-tickets-go-on-sale-soon/
BlizzCon 2019 won't be kicking off until November, but Blizzard will start selling tickets to its annual fan celebration next week. Tickets will go on sale on May 4, but if you miss out, a second wave will be sold on May 9.
>> The cheapest one is $229!

Apex Legends sticks to seasonal updates: 'we don't want to overwork the team'
https://www.pcgamer.com/apex-legends-sticks-to-seasonal-updates-we-dont-want-to-overwork-the-team/
Respawn CEO Vince Zampella discussed Apex Legends' cadence of updates at the GamesBeat Summit this week, noting that the studio's schedule is designed to give the team a strong quality of life. While he didn't mention the competition, this is in contrast to Fortnite, which has more frequent updates but is also facing accusations of brutal crunch.

Apex Legends Season 2 details: new gun, character, and map changes
https://www.pcgamer.com/apex-legends-season-2-details-new-gun-character-and-map-changes/
Respawn's latest Apex Legends update teases big changes and new content coming when the second season arrives, including a new weapon, a new character, and likely changes to the map.

New Titanfall plans are being pushed back so Respawn can focus on Apex Legends
https://www.pcgamer.com/new-titanfall-plans-are-being-pushed-back-so-respawn-can-focus-on-apex-legends/
(...)
"Additionally, in order to fully support Apex Legends, we are pushing out plans for future Titanfall games. No resources from the Apex Legends team are being shifted to other titles in development here at the studio, nor are we pulling resources from the team working on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order."

This new narrative noir adventure stars a 1950s private dick who is also a housecat
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-new-narrative-noir-adventure-stars-a-1950s-private-dick-who-is-also-a-housecat/
Blacksad is an Eisner-winning comic series created by Spanish authors Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido about John Blacksad, a hardboiled 1950s private dick in New York City. He is also a cat—a big, burly Felis catus—who lives in a world populated by other anthropomorphic animals. And in September, he'll be the lead character in a new "investigative narrative game" called Blacksad: Under the Skin.

Report bugs and earn stuff in Rainbow Six Siege’s ‘Bug Hunter’ program
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-bug-hunter/
For those who’ve made extra room on their hard drive for Rainbow Six Siege’s 60GB test server, Ubisoft has launched a new Bug Hunter program aimed at rewarding players that proactively report new Siege bugs in need of squashing.

Fallout 76 is getting backpacks and a new faction soon
https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-is-getting-backpacks-and-a-new-faction-soon/
If you're tired of cramming every bullet, tool and piece of junk you find in Fallout 76 into your impressively spacious pockets, you might be in the market for a backpack. Unfortunately, the only ones you'll find are attached to specific outfits and they're purely decorative. Like glasses with no lenses. But that's changing in May.

Mortal Kombat 11 is getting two patches to help with the grind
https://www.pcgamer.com/mortal-kombat-11-is-getting-two-patches-to-help-with-the-grind/
Unlocking all of Mortal Kombat 11, from fatalities to cosmetics, necessitates a great deal of grinding or a lot of cash. There are four different currencies, a whole mode dedicated to opening loot boxes and progression-halting difficulty. NetherRealm recently acknowledged some of the issues, however, and has announced some changes coming in the next couple of days.

Monkey Ball meets Metal Gear in this free stealth game
https://www.pcgamer.com/monkey-ball-meets-metal-gear-in-this-free-stealth-game/
Beep reminds me of a few things, notably those two games in the headline, but the main thing that came to me was that episode of Futurama where Fry and Leela pretend to be robots on a robot planet. You know, to fit in. And to not be killed. Small, slightly rough-around-the-edges stealth game Beep is a lot like that episode. But rather than a human pretending to be mechanical, you're a ball pretending to be cuboid, on a planet filled with evil cuboid grunts.

Battle a dastardly animator in free, painterly shoot-'em-up Zoe
https://www.pcgamer.com/battle-a-dastardly-animator-in-free-painterly-shoot-em-up-zoe/
The animator is your enemy in painterly shoot-'em-up Zoe, as the brush-wielding maniac is intent on creating enemies and bullets to destroy you (you being a gun-toting triangle-thing). As a floating paintbrush peppers the screen with splodgy bullets, you have to run and jump and fly around the screen, taking out as many as you can, to score as many points as possible before the persistent painter finally does you in.

A Plague Tale: Innocence shows off 8 minutes of screaming rats
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-plague-tale-innocence-shows-off-8-minutes-of-screaming-rats/
The terrible cacophony produced by the rats in the A Plague Tale: Innocence footage above is enough to put me off animals and videogames forever. They make an unearthly, ear-piercing racket, presumably screaming for their dinner. They're so hungry they'll happily devour a human in seconds.

Time now to check the deals GOG and Steam have for us this weekend:

+GOG

• First comes the weekly sale, with up to 90% discounts on indie games: https://www.gog.com/promo/indie_week
• Next comes the Midweek sale, with up to 75% deals on strategy games: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190424_midweek_sale
• The Mafia franchise is on sale, up to 80% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190422_weekly_sale_mafia
• And last there's the weekend sale, with discounts that all the way to 80%: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190426_weekend_sale

+Steam

• I'd start with the two daily deals, but since they'll last for 3 days, they can be seen as weekend deals. The first one is a Microids sale, with up to 80% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33126618
• The other one is Sword Art Online: Lost Song, also 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/840720/Sword_Art_Online_Lost_Song/
• The first of the properly weekend deals is the Early Access titles SCUM, 33% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/513710/SCUM/
• JUMP FORCE gets a 40% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/816020/JUMP_FORCE/
• The Crew 2 is free to try this weekend, and also 70% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/646910/The_Crew_2/
• Capcom is the star of the weekend publisher sale: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/capcom
• And, of course, the hundreds of weeklong deals.

That's all folks. Have a happy and gaming weekend.

There's a reason why Intel has hired Jim Keller.

He no longer has to save AMD from time to time, now he has to do the same with Intel.

It's all due to Krzanich tenure as the boss of Intel.

He constantly reduced all R&D budgets, thinking AMD and IBM could never catch up anymore, jacked up the prices for obscene margins (and still have the prices right up there, like the Xeon Platinum 8180M and it's $13011 pricetag - and that's before the Two-8000-series-chips-glued-together 9000 series, which don't have a pricetag yet) blew their money on pointless aquisitions, fired and drew away all good talent that they had to avoid competition at the top... and then came AMD with Ryzen and Intel had nothing to counter anymore. Being not an engineer and at the same time a total meeting room tyrant meant that nothing innovative could come through to Krzanich unless it meant immediate income or was about some perceived growth market (like smartphones, IoT, you name it), and CPU development grinded pretty much to a halt. Broadwell was already developed by his predecessor, but only came on the market under Krzanich - and being an expensive chip, it only got a limited release, banking an the cheaper Skylake.

The way Krzanich led the company meant massive earnings due to cutting costs everywhere and rising prices sky high, and thus Investors were enamored into his leadership. But by doing so, they mentally bankruted the company, and are now paying the price for dillydallying for 6 years under his leadership. Seriously, what he will have cost the company on the long run will certainly be several times more than what he made the company and the shareholders earn together in that period.

They did ramp up the core count, but on a side note, I don't think AMD is really responsible for that. Intel always touted themselves as bringing a 20% performance increase gen over gen, and the only way they could do that after Kaby lake really was by increasing the core count, as they reached the limit of what was feasible with clock alone. I think that's also the reason who they added 2 cores each year since, that made the 20% increase more feasible on the long run.

When they had to counter Ryzen as it became even more dangerous to them than anticipated, they didn't have much possibilities. They had the gaming market in their hand because Ryzen couldn't reach higher clock speeds, but servers and especially workstations were at risk with Epyc and the Threadripper reveal. They did counter by bringing some workstation and server chips to the desktop to match the core count, and jacked up the wattage to surpass AMD in clock speed again. But the 9900K and the Skylake-X chips showed that this could only bring them so far, now it's the end of the line. Unless they find a way to press some more ipc out of the aging core architecture, then AMD has carte blanche starting Zen 2/Ryzen 3xxx until at least 2023, as no successor is on sight earlier then that. All because Krzanich grinded development to a halt. I hope Lisa Su sends you a big check every Christmas Krzanich, because you couldn't have made her a better gift if you tried.