Wednesday news:

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

The first Dead Space game is now available for free on Origin for a limited time
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-first-dead-space-game-is-now-available-for-free-on-origin-for-a-limited-time/
Electronic Arts is currently offering for free the first Dead Space game on Origin. This is not a free-to-play offer, meaning that PC gamers can get a free full version of this classic horror game. As such, we strongly suggest downloading it while you still can.
All you have to do is head over to the game’s official Origin page and acquire your free copy.

>>I know it's Origin, but it's free...

Let's go now with a new Humble Bundle: the Humble Hunie Sekai Bundle, full of japanese visual novels and RPGs.

And of course there's the Steam Midweek Madness deals:

• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is 30% off: http://store.steampowered.com/app/647830/LEGO_Marvel_Super_Heroes_2/
• Heat Signature is 33% off: http://store.steampowered.com/app/268130/Heat_Signature/

SOFTWARE

AMD Radeon Adrenalin 18.2.2 driver is optimized for Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Fortnite & PUBG
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/amd-radeon-adrenalin-18-2-2-driver-is-optimized-for-kingdom-come-deliverance-fortnite-pubg/
AMD has released a brand new driver for its graphics cards. According to the release notes, the AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 18.2.2 driver is optimized for Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Fortnite & PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.

>>You can download them from here.

MODS/EMULATORS

First Kingdom Come: Deliverance mod enables unlimited saves, first patch coming in two weeks
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-kingdom-come-deliverance-mod-enables-unlimited-saves-first-patch-coming-in-two-weeks/
Kingdom Come: Deliverance has just been released and its first mod has just surfaced. Created by EddieShoe and Biosmanager, the Unlimited Saves mod will allow you to save anytime the game would normally allow you to save, without using up your Saviour Schnapps.

>>Available from Nexus Mods.

Prey Real Lights plus Ultra Graphics mod adds high-resolution textures & models, improves performance
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/prey-real-lights-plus-ultra-graphics-mod-adds-high-resolution-textures-models-improves-performance/
Our reader ‘jmx777’ has released a brand new version of his Real Lights plus Ultra Graphics mod for PREY. Version 1.0 adds high-resolution textures for doors and sofa chairs, and adds an unused high-polygon model for the good health turret state, as well as an unused high-polygon model and textures for the microscope, and Psicotronics containment door.

>>This mod is also available from Nexus Mods

GAMING NEWS

First trailer released for Devil May Cry HD Collection
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-trailer-released-for-devil-may-cry-hd-collection/
Capcom has just released the first official trailer for Devil May Cry HD Collection. This collection will feature the first three Devil May Cry games and will run at 60fps. Furthermore, the PC version will support 4K resolutions and beyond. Devil May Cry HD Collection releases on March 13th.

Spyro Trilogy reportedly coming to the PC in 2019
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/spyro-trilogy-reportedly-coming-to-the-pc-in-2019/
Kotaku has reported that Spyro Trilogy may find its way to the PC in 2019. According to Kotaku, a Spyro the Dragon Trilogy Remaster is currently under development and will be announced for PS4 in March 2018. However, this will only be timed-exclusive to PS4, meaning that this trilogy will come to other platforms (and most probably to the PC).

New Call of Duty: WWII update adds new Resistance Weapons & Uniforms, brings numerous fixes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-call-of-duty-wwii-update-adds-new-resistance-weapons-uniforms-brings-numerous-fixes/
Sledgehammer has released a brand new update for Call of Duty: WWII. According to the release notes, this new patch adds new Resistance Weapons and Uniforms, adds Logitech LED keyboard functionality, and makes 9MM SAP available to equip in Zombies loadouts.

THQ Nordic has acquired Koch Media
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/thq-nordic-has-acquired-koch-media/
THQ Nordic today entered into an agreement with Koch Media Holding to acquire 100 percent of the share capital in Koch Media. The total consideration amounts to 121 million euros on a cash and debt free basis. As such, the highly anticipated game, Metro: Exodus, will be now published by THQ Nordic.

>>Strangely enough, that means that Volition and Saints Row are back at THQ. By the way, Volition is working on a new game. I hope it's Saints Row 5 and that it's more like the third installment.

Demo for dark psychological thriller, Past Cure, now available on Steam + Official PC Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/demo-for-dark-psychological-thriller-past-cure-now-available-on-steam-official-pc-requirements/
The demo for Phantom 8’s third-person dark psychological thriller, Past Cure, is currently available for download on Steam. Furthermore, the team also revealed the game’s official PC requirements that you can view below.

KOEI Tecmo is currently investigating the PC performance issues of Dynasty Warriors 9
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/koei-tecmo-is-currently-investigating-the-pc-performance-issues-of-dynasty-warriors-9/
As we’ve already reported, Dynasty Warriors 9 suffers from major performance issues on the PC (and according to reports the game under-performs on all platforms). Thankfully, it appears that KOEI Tecmo is currently investigating these PC performance issues.

The Evil Within 2 gets an official first-person gameplay mode
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-evil-within-2-gets-an-official-first-person-gameplay-mode/
Back in October 2017 we informed you about a way via which you could enable first-person mode in The Evil Within 2. And today, Bethesda and Tango Gameworks have released a new patch that officially enables it.

Wednesday news, part two:

QuakeCon 2018 dates announced for August, and the LAN party will double in size
https://www.pcgamer.com/quakecon-2018-dates-announced-for-august-and-the-lan-party-will-double-in-size/
Bethesda has announced the dates for the 23rd Quakecon: it will be held in Dallas, Texas, from August 9-12, and it's returning to the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center where it was held in 2017. Registration isn't available yet, and tickets won't be on sale until April, but in the meantime Bethesda is promising there will be twice the space available for BYOC. That's right, the massive LAN party is getting even bigger.

Crossing Souls' launch trailer is a delightfully lo-fi cartoon
https://www.pcgamer.com/crossing-souls-launch-trailer-is-a-delightfully-lo-fi-cartoon/
Unabashedly '80s adventure game Crossing Souls has been on our radar since it was successfully Kickstarted in 2014, and it's come a long way since. A free demo was released last week, and a behind-the-scenes developer diary the week before that. Yesterday, developer Fourattic dropped the game's long-awaited launch trailer, flaunting the same old-style cartoon funk that first caught our attention.

EVE Online update lets you gatecrash a pirate party and rebalances Citadels
https://www.pcgamer.com/eve-online-update-lets-you-gatecrash-a-pirate-party-and-rebalances-citadels/
EVE Online's February update rolled out today, introducing a new limited time event as well as big balance changes to certain ships and structures. In celebration of Valentine's Day, EVE pilots can gatecrash a pirate party from February 13 to the 27 and earn some sexy ship skins.

Valentine's Day brings the Vapid Hustler to GTA Online
https://www.pcgamer.com/valentines-day-brings-the-vapid-hustler-to-gta-online/
To celebrate the coming of Valentine's Day to Grand Theft Auto Online, Legendary Motorsport is offering a sweet blast from the past called the Vapid Hustler, a little deuce coupe with wide rubber, low-slung running boards. and a fiery paint job that would bring Harrison Ford running from all the way across town.

You're an indigenous shaman in northern Mexico in action platformer Mulaka
https://www.pcgamer.com/youre-an-indigenous-shaman-in-northern-mexico-in-action-platformer-mulaka/
Mulaka is an action platformer starring the Tarahumara, a tribe of indigenous people who live in northern Mexico. You play as a Sukurúame, a Tarahumara shaman, on a quest to cleanse the land of corruption with the aid of godly powers, some good old-fashioned knuckle sandwiches and, critically, peerless endurance.

CD Projekt unveils Gwent Arena, a new draft-based game mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/cd-projekt-unveils-gwent-arena-a-new-draft-based-game-mode/
CD Projekt unveiled a new draft-based Gwent mode today called Gwent Arena that will enable players to build decks with no restrictions on faction, card rarity, or even duplicates, and then try their luck against Gaunter O'Dimm, the Man of Glass.

Roguemance, the romance roguelike about fighting blue balls, is out now
https://www.pcgamer.com/roguemance-the-romance-roguelike-about-fighting-blue-balls-is-out-today/
Flaunting blue balls and 'Heartipelagos' this time last year, Lucas Molina's Roguemance weaved a wonderful innuendo-driven tale of romance, relationships and fighting ex-partners with knives and forks and kisses. Love hurts, indeed.
After launching the game's alpha sign-ups last Valentine's Day, its creator promised to release in full on February 14, 2018. True as Cupid's arrow, Roguemance is out now on Steam.

I've seen a performance review at Guru3D and it doesn't seem to be that bad, but you may be experiencing some troubles that they haven't. Here's the review: http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/kingdom-come-deliverance-pc-graphics-performance-benchmark-review,1.html

What do you expect from todays journalists .

Wccftech has an article based on rumors about AMD's Zen future products and they mention one about the future 7nm part, with a core increase on the CCX "modules":

https://wccftech.com/amd-zeppelin-soc-isscc-detailed-7nm-epyc-64-cores-rumor/

Now on to some interesting bits straight from the rumor mill in China. There are reports about the AMD 7nm EPYC family. Codenamed “Rome”, the upcoming generation of EPYC processors could have up to 64 cores and 128 threads if rumors are to be believed. The rumor alleges that AMD’s 7 nm EPYC chip will actually be based on two different dies.

• Die1: Single CCX 6 core, each Die 12 core, single CPU maximum 48 core
  
• Die2: Single CCX 8 core, each Die 16 core, single CPU maximum 64 core

But that won't arrive until next year with Zen 2

That's good to know! I guess that means that the patch is for the physical or console (if there's such version, I don't know) editions.

I'm not up to date with laptop parts, so take this with a pinch of salt.

The CPU seems a bit old, but it has a good amount of RAM and 512GB of NAND storage is quite a bit. The 1050 isn't too bad for a laptop either. I doubt you'll be able to play your games at max settings, but you should be able to run them just fine.

Rememner a few days ago that I posted a rumor about Nvidia launching a new architecture in April named Ampere? Well, Reuters says that they'll actually reveal one codenamed Turing:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nvidia-results-research/frenzied-demand-for-nvidias-graphic-chips-shoot-prices-through-the-roof-idUSKBN1FT2AW

"Analysts also say Nvidia’s competitive advantage is only likely to increase when it moves its Volta chip architecture, launched last year and only currently present in data-center GPUs, into gaming chips later this year.

The new GPU gaming chip, code named Turing, is expected to be unveiled next month. Even without it, Nvidia’s revenue from gaming rose 29 percent to $1.74 billion in the fourth quarter, accounting for more than half of its total revenue."

Guru3D guesses that this new architecture would be for AI products: "Turing would sound more related and better fitted to AI products (Turing test for artificial intelligence). A Turing machine is a hypothetical machine thought of by the mathematician Alan Turing in 1936. Despite its simplicity, the machine can simulate ANY computer algorithm, no matter how complicated it is! Above is a very simple representation of a Turing machine."

Meanwhile, Wccftech guess that it's the same rumord Ampere architecture with a name change ("NVIDIA decided to ditch the Ampere codename because it’s very similar to another company – an ARM server maker called Ampere -") or a new architecture to cater the crypto craze because: "Since there have been rumors floating of a cryptocurrency focused product from the company soon then it could mean that the Turing GPU is actually the one NVIDIA will market as the mining variant. This makes a semblance of sense, because Alan Turing is well known for his work on cryptography."

I'll leave it up to you to decide which one you believe, or if don't believe in neither.

Thanks for the info

Let's go with the news:

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

Nothing today... but if I were you, I'd keep an eye on Steam, because today was when the rumored Chinese New Year (or however they call it) sale was supposed to begin.

SOFTWARE

Windows 10 UWP protection cracked, Zoo Tycoon Ultimate Animal Collection had five layers of DRM
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/windows-10-uwp-protection-cracked-zoo-tycoon-ultimate-animal-collection-had-five-layers-of-drm/
For months Windows 10 UWP protection seemed like uncrackable. Contrary to Denuvo, Microsoft was able to secure a number of its titles for more than a year. And from the looks of it, things are about to change as the Windows store UWP protection has been cracked.
Scene group CODEX was able to crack Zoo Tycoon Ultimate Animal Collection; a game that was released back in October 2017. What’s really interesting here, though, is that according to CODEX there were five layers of DRM in Zoo Tycoon Ultimate Animal Collection.

Valve removes publisher's games from Steam for manipulating review scores
https://www.pcgamer.com/valve-removes-publishers-games-from-steam-for-manipulating-review-scores/
Following the circulation of an email that appeared to exhort Insel Games employees to purchase copies of its hack-and-slash MMO Wild Buster: Heroes of Titan and review it positively—or else—Valve has announced that all of the publisher's games have been removed from Steam.
The email, sent in mid-December (reportedly by the studio CEO) and posted to Reddit yesterday, pointed out that Wild Buster only had six user reviews on Steam at the time, far fewer than the number of people who work at the studio. Furthermore, some employees had apparently indicated that they weren't actually interested in purchasing or reviewing the game at all.

>>I'm sorry for the employees, but it serves them right.

Devil May Cry is going free for Twitch Prime subscribers
https://www.pcgamer.com/devil-may-cry-is-going-free-for-twitch-prime-subscribers/
Capcom unveiled the Devil May Cry HD Collection in December 2017, bringing an updated collection of DMC 1, 2, and 3 (but not 4 or the DmC reboot) to PC in March. Twitch Prime members will have the opportunity to grab the original DMC sooner than that, however, and more importantly, for free.

MODS/EMULATORS

-empty-

GAMING NEWS

Extinction Official PC System Requirements + New Showcase Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/extinction-official-pc-system-requirements-new-showcase-trailer/
Maximum Games and Iron Galaxy have revealed the official PC system requirements for their upcoming Attack on Titan-inspired game, Extinction. According to the PC specs, PC gamers will need at least an Intel Core i5-760 or an AMD Athlon X4 740 with 8GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX660 or an AMD Radeon HD 7870.

First gameplay footage surfaces for Call of Cthulhu
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-footage-surfaces-for-call-of-cthulhu/
YouTube’s ‘Gamesworld Gameplay’ has shared a video, showing five minutes of gameplay footage from Cyanide’s Call of Cthulhu. Call of Cthulhu is described as an RPG-Investigation game with psychological horror and stealth mechanics, set in a deeply immersive world.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 releases on March 8th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/warhammer-vermintide-2-releases-on-march-8th/
Fatshark has announced that Warhammer: Vermintide 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the multi-million selling game Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide, will be available on PC on March 8th. Vermintide 2 is described as a visually stunning and groundbreaking melee action game pushing the boundaries of the first person co-op genre.

New Vampyr video shows 6 minutes of brand new gameplay footage
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-vampyr-video-shows-6-minutes-of-brand-new-gameplay-footage/
YouTube’s ‘Gamesworld Gameplay’ has also shared a video, showing six minutes of new gameplay footage for DONTNOD’s Vampyr. Vampyr is powered by Unreal Engine 4, and will come with a non-linear skill tree, a deep crafting system and a combat difficulty that can be affected by player actions out of combat.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 – Data Pack 3.0 is now available to everyone
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pro-evolution-soccer-2018-data-pack-3-0-is-now-available-to-everyone/
Konami has announced today that its Data Pack 3.0 for PES 2018 is now available to download for free on all platforms. The new update to the game has seen the addition of 11 new national team kits, including: Germany, Japan, Belgium, Columbia, Uruguay, Spain, Italy, Northern Ireland, Argentina, Wales and the Czech Republic.

Fortnite patch 2.5.0 is now available, introduces new grenade, Shrines, weapon balance and bug fixes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/fortnite-patch-2-5-0-is-now-available-introduces-new-grenade-shrines-weapon-balance-and-bug-fixes/
Epic Games has released a brand new update for Fortnite that introduces a new grenade and Shrines in Battle Royale, as well as a new Valentine’s Questline, Lunar New Year Heroes and Dragon Weapons in Save the World.

Farming Simulator 19 to be released at the end of 2018, will feature an overhauled graphics engine
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/farming-simulator-19-announced-to-be-release-at-the-end-of-2018/
GIANTS Software and Focus Home Interactive have announced that Farming Simulator 19 is under development and will be released at the end of 2018. This new part in the Farming Simulator series will come with a complete overhaul of its graphics engine, promising to offer the most striking and immersive visuals and effects to date, along with the deepest and most complete farming experience ever.

Launch trailer & screenshots released for Secret of Mana
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/launch-trailer-screenshots-released-for-secret-of-mana/
Square Enix has announced that its Secret of Mana remake will release in a couple of hours. In order to celebrate this announcement, the publisher has revealed the game’s launch screenshots and trailer.

First gameplay footage surfaces for new adventure/stealth title, A Plague Tale: Innocence
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-footage-surfaces-for-new-adventure-stealth-title-a-plague-tale-innocence/
YouTube’s ‘Gamesworld Gameplay’ has shared a new video, showing four minutes of gameplay footage for the new adventure/stealth title, A Plague Tale: Innocence. A Plague Tale: Innocence promises to offer an adventure supported by an original scenario, with gameplay that blends action, adventure and stealth phases.

Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn releases this Spring on the PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/shaq-fu-a-legend-reborn-releases-this-spring-on-the-pc/
Saber Interactive and Wired Production announced that Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is coming to the PC this Spring. Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is described as a fast-paced, dynamic beat-’em-up combining modern and classic approaches to the genre.

Dynasty Warriors 9 – First PC patch released, does not improve performance
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dynasty-warriors-9-first-pc-patch-released-does-not-improve-performance/
KOEI Tecmo has released the first PC patch for Dynasty Warriors 9. According to the release notes, this patch does not improve the game’s mediocre performance. Instead, it fixes an issue that incorrectly allowed unsupported languages to be selected by performing a specific method and implements corrections that prevented an issue in which the ending movie would not be played and clearing the game was impossible during the endings for some officers.

Tech Support: Error Unknown releases in Q4 2018, lets you become a Tech Support specialist
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/tech-support-error-unknown-releases-in-q4-2018-lets-you-become-a-tech-support-specialist/
Dragon Slumber has announced that Tech Support: Error Unknown is launching on Steam in Q4 2018. In order to celebrate, the company released a teaser trailer that you can view below.

>>There are games about everything...

Part two of the news:

Tech-noir tactics game All Walls Must Fall leaves Early Access this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/tech-noir-tactics-game-all-walls-must-fall-leaves-early-access-this-month/
It's been a good week for videogame descriptions. Berlin-based developer Inbetweengames describes turn-based tech-noir tactics game All Walls Must Fall as "very gay, very Berlin" and "taking place almost entirely in techno clubs." The studio also dropped a big new descriptor today: after a successful Kickstarter and a six-month stay in Steam Early Access, All Walls Must Fall will officially launch on Steam on Friday, February 23.

Dust: An Elysian Tail dev bringing stealth action game Never Stop Sneakin' to PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/dust-an-elysian-tail-dev-bringing-stealth-action-game-never-stop-sneakin-to-pc/
Lots of PC indie games have been ported to the Nintendo Switch lately, so it's nice to see the trade reversed for once: Never Stop Sneakin', the next game from Dust: An Elysian Tail creator Dean Dodrill (aka Humble Hearts), is coming to PC judging from its newly minted Steam page.

Sombra, Mei, and Doomfist changes being tested on the Overwatch PTR
https://www.pcgamer.com/sombra-mei-and-doomfist-changes-being-tested-on-the-overwatch-ptr/
In a developer update today, Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan detailed some hero balance changes coming to the Overwatch PTR soon.
(...)
These changes are now available for testing on the Overwatch PTR. As always, PTR balance updates are subject to change.

Rocket League Tournaments beta coming next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/rocket-league-tournaments-beta-coming-next-week/
Rocket League's Tournaments mode, which will allow players to create and join bracketed, single elimination tournaments, will be available next week for a brief beta test. Starting on Wednesday, February 21 at 10 am PST, players can opt in to the Tournaments beta branch on Steam and test it out until Friday, February 23 at 5 pm PST.

Pendula Swing is an adventure game set in a fantasy version of the Roaring '20s
https://www.pcgamer.com/pendula-swing-is-an-adventure-game-set-in-a-fantasy-version-of-the-roaring-20s/
Between prohibition, women's suffrage, the dawn of the automobile, and the rise of jazz, America's Roaring '20s were a time of great change. They were also a time of great prejudice. Adventure game Pendula Swing taps into this tumultuous environment and reframes it using fantasy races like goblins, elves, orcs, dwarves, and humans.

US senator calls on ESRB to take action on loot boxes, suggests FTC could get involved
https://www.pcgamer.com/us-senator-calls-on-esrb-to-take-action-on-loot-boxes-suggests-ftc-could-get-involved/
A letter sent to ESRB president Patricia Vance by United States senator Maggie Hassan calls on the rating agency to take steps to analyze and curb the proliferation of loot boxes in videogames. In a separate Q&A session with FTC commissioner nominees, the senator also suggested that if the ESRB fails to take action, the government could become directly involved.

American folklore road trip Where The Water Tastes Like Wine setting out this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/american-folklore-road-trip-where-the-water-tastes-like-wine-setting-out-this-month/
Where The Water Tastes Like Wine is a mouthful of a title. It's also a promising adventure game set in the US during the Great Depression. More specifically, it's a narrative-focused game about collecting experiences which is inspired by the likes of Kentucky Route Zero and Sunless Sea as well as iconic stories like Huckleberry Finn and On the Road. And it's coming out at the end of this month on Wednesday, February 28.

The Sea of Thieves beta returns this weekend for server 'scale testing'
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-sea-of-thieves-beta-returns-this-weekend-for-server-scale-testing/
The Sea of Thieves closed beta left a lot of players hankering for more open world pirate adventures, so it will come as good news that the beta is making a return this weekend in the form of a server "scale test." Developer Rare is hoping to cram lots of players into their game "to test a lot of the work we’ve done since the Closed Beta, and to try and hit a higher concurrent players number than we’ve ever seen before."

Stardew Valley multiplayer update is in QA, beta expected in spring
https://www.pcgamer.com/stardew-valley-multiplayer-update-is-in-qa-beta-expected-in-spring/
Stardew Valley update 1.3 is the big one, ie, the one that will introduce (official) multiplayer functionality. And according to creator 'ConcernedApe' the functionality has been completed, thanks to the work of Chucklefish's Tom Coxon, who has "done all the network coding to turn Stardew Valley into a multiplayer game."

CD Projekt Red responds to loot box controversy
https://www.pcgamer.com/cd-projekt-red-responds-to-loot-box-controversy/
In November, CD Projekt Red CEO Adam Kiciński proposed its long-awaited Cyberpunk 2077 will include online elements to ensure its long-term success. With this in mind, I ask the developer's co-founder Marcin Iwiński where he and his team stand with loot boxes—suggesting the controversial mechanic has dominated the conversation around single-versus-multiplayer games in the last 12 months.

>>I thought they were already asked about this, giving an expected answer.

Doesn't Gwent contain lootboxes? Also they have a full store of DLC.

We've reached Friday! Let's go then by the last round of news of the week:

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 has sold one million units worldwide
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sniper-ghost-warrior-3-has-sold-one-million-units-worldwide/
CI Games announced today that Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, its major first-person shooter released in April 2017, has sold more than 1 million units globally across physical and digital formats. The company also announced its financial forecast for the fiscal year 2017, as well as a significant, strategic restructuring and refocusing of its internal development team.

The Steam Lunar New Year Sale has begun
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-steam-lunar-new-year-sale-has-begun/
As predicted in January, the Steam Lunar New Year Sale has begun! This sale will be a slightly shorter sale than some, running over what is basically an extended weekend and coming to an end on February 19.

And for the fans of fighting games, there's a Fighter Sale on the Humble Store.

SOFTWARE

Steam's wishlist tool has had an overhaul
https://www.pcgamer.com/steams-wishlist-tool-has-had-an-overhaul/
Valve rolled out a new update to Steam's wishlist functionality today, adding a bunch of new ways to advise the UI what you want to see. First of all, various statuses will be displayed in the root wishlist list, including whether the game is in Early Access, what it's score rating is, and you'll be able to purchase without clicking through to the game page, too.

>>I've seen a lot of people complaining about it. I'm pretty much indifferent about it, with my biggest complaint being that it's on a page on its own and you can't scroll between "my wishlist", "my games" and the games I follow with just one click like before.

MODS/EMULATORS

Star Wars Battlefront 2 mod removes the annoying Chromatic Aberration effect
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/star-wars-battlefront-2-mod-removes-the-annoying-chromatic-aberration-effect/
Modder ‘RGF_Lamestreamer’ has released an interesting mod for Star Wars Battlefront 2. The Full Filmic FX Remover mod removes the Lens Flare, Chromatic Aberation, Film Grain, Vignette, Radial Blur, Motion Blur and Lens Distortion effects from DICE’s latest Star Wars title.

>>You can get the mod from Nexus Mods, but you'll need the Frosty mod manager, available from here.

The Winner of ModDB's Endless Space 2 contest adds romanceable characters, 19 new endings
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-winner-of-moddbs-endless-space-2-contest-adds-romanceable-characters-19-new-endings/
As we reported last month, turn-based 4X 'em up Endless Space 2 recently launched a mod competition in collaboration with ModDB. The winners are now in, and lilyophelia's Endless Romance has secured first place. 'Tis Valentine's season after all.

>>Go know more about the mod, you'll have to (obviously) go to Moddb.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance tweaks improve texture streaming, enable Volumetric Fog
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/kingdom-come-deliverance-tweaks-improve-texture-streaming-enable-volumetric-fog/
Nexusmods’ users ‘Artins90’ and ‘Moosan82’ have shared some interesting tweaks for Kingdom Come: Deliverance. These tweaks will improve texture streaming, may reduce stuttering, may improve performance on HDD disks and will enable Volumetric Fog.

>>Check the article to see what is necessary to do.

GAMING NEWS

New CODE VEIN screenshots showcase multiplayer and new characters
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/new-code-vein-screenshots-showcase-multiplayer-and-new-characters/
Bandai Namco has released new screenshots for its upcoming action RPG title CODE VEIN. According to the press release, the new screens show a first look at the game’s online multiplayer mode as well as two new characters.

The Bard’s Tale IV will release in Q3 2018
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-bards-tale-iv-will-release-in-q3-2018/
InXile Entertainment has announced that The Bard’s Tale IV is currently scheduled for a Q3 2018 release. The team will also launch an alpha testing really soon, as well as a beta phase for all backers later this year.

Latest Forza Motorsport 7 patch adds Spectate & Seed the Grid, packs PC-specific fixes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/latest-forza-motorsport-7-patch-adds-spectate-seed-the-grid-packs-pc-specific-fixes/
Turn10 has released a brand new update for Forza Motorsport 7, adding a Spectate mode and a Seed the Grid feature. With Spectate, players can hop into public and private lobbies and view the races as they happen. On the other hand, with the Seed the Grid feature, lobby hosts now have the option to set the race grid as they see fit.

First YumeNikki -Dream Diary- gameplay footage surfaces
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-yumenikki-dream-diary-gameplay-footage-surfaces/
YumeNikki -Dream Diary- releases next week and YouTube’s ‘ebtvjp’ has shared a video with the first gameplay footage from this upcoming title. YumeNikki -Dream Diary- is described as a collaborative show of the utmost respect for auteur Kikiyama’s seminal release, and these screenshots show the game’s new 3D visuals.

Metal Gear Survive Beta 4K Screenshots
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/metal-gear-survive-beta-4k-screenshots/
The open beta phase for Metal Gear Survive is currently underway and below you can find some 4K screenshots from it. For this gallery we used the Extra High settings and kept our MSI Afterburner active in order to give you an idea of how the beta runs in 4K on a single GTX980Ti.

Friday news, part two:

Ultima spiritual successor Shroud of the Avatar has a release date
https://www.pcgamer.com/ultima-spiritual-successor-shroud-of-the-avatar-has-a-release-date/
Following three and a bit years of Early Access development, Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues will launch in full next month.
After promising a sprawling fantasy RPG that closely reflected the Ultima series, the Richard Garriott-led Portalarium successfully crowdfunded its debut venture to the tune of £1.9 million in April, 2013—accruing almost double its original ask.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance devs working on better lockpicking and mulling a 'save on quit' option
https://www.pcgamer.com/kingdom-come-deliverance-devs-working-on-better-lockpicking-and-mulling-a-save-on-quit-option/
Sprawling open world RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance landed this week to much ballyhoo: you can check out Andy's review, in which he calls it "a seriously satisfying role-playing experience", and you can also see how well it runs in Jarred's performance preview. If you're already playing, you've undoubtedly formed your own opinions, and according to a news post on the Steam forums, Developer Warhorse Studios is listening to them.

Orwell: Ignorance is Strength release date set
https://www.pcgamer.com/orwell-ignorance-is-strength-release-date-set/
Osmotic Studios and Surprise Attack Games' 2016 "surveillance thriller" Orwell took an interesting if novel look at totalitarian observation. Openly inspired by the current fake news phenomenon and social media echo chambers, its second chapter—named Ignorance is Strength—aims to go deeper than before. It's also got a launch date: February 22.

Once Upon A Coma is a side-scrolling sequel to a Flash era great
https://www.pcgamer.com/once-upon-a-coma-is-a-side-scrolling-sequel-to-a-flash-era-great/
Thomas Brush, creator of beloved Flash game Coma, is back with a sequel eight years in the making: Once Upon A Coma, the story of protagonist Pete and his waking nightmare. Its Kickstarter campaign just launched, with Brush asking for $28,000 to wake Pete up. At the time of writing, it's raised $16,405 and will run for another 29 days.

Monster Prom is a competitive dating sim in which you hook up with sexy freaks
https://www.pcgamer.com/monster-prom-is-a-competitive-dating-sim-in-which-you-hook-up-with-sexy-freaks/
"There's only three weeks left before prom and you haven't got a date yet." Such is the terrfiying premise of Monster Prom, an upcoming multiplayer dating sim about romancing the students of a very spooky high school.

Hunt: Showdown alpha update improves performance and matchmaking (Updated)
https://www.pcgamer.com/hunt-showdown-alpha-update-improves-performance-and-matchmaking/
Two weeks into Hunt: Showdown's closed alpha and the general consensus seems to be that the concept is great (and we agree), but the performance is rougher than a ride into town on a horse-drawn buggy during winter. See, the dirt freezes and wooden wheels don't have great shock abso—nevermind. Point is, a big patch dropped today that brings performance improvements and adds a few graphics settings, among a couple dozen other changes, thank goodness.
Update: According to a series of tweets from the Hunt: Showdown account, there appear to be issues with intermittent crashing and high memory usage, likely due to changes made in today's update. Hotfixes are on the way, but servers will stay up for 12 hours to collect data about the problems. That's what alphas are for, after all.

Spinch is a psychedelic 2D platformer inspired by indie comics
https://www.pcgamer.com/spinch-is-a-psychedelic-2d-platformer-inspired-by-indie-comics/
Spinch is, I imagine, how a drunk Popeye the Sailor would pronounce spinach. It's also a promising psychedelic 2D platformer from Canadian developer Queen Bee Games and artist Jesse Jacobs. Jacobs is best known for his wonderfully bizarre illustrations and comics (which you can sample on his Tumblr), and has also worked on animated series like Adventure Time.

Ubisoft unveils Rainbow Six Siege's newest Operators, Finka and Lion
https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-unveils-rainbow-six-sieges-newest-operators-finka-and-lion/
Earlier this week, Ubisoft gave us an up-close look at the five alien enemies who will be stirring up grief in New Mexico in the upcoming Rainbow Six Siege co-op event Outbreak. Now, finally, it's time to get the lowdown on the two new Operators being brought in to help deal with them, Finka and Lion.

Mafia 3 developer Hangar 13 suffers layoffs
https://www.pcgamer.com/mafia-3-developer-hangar-13-suffers-layoffs/
2K Games has confirmed with Kotaku that Mafia 3 studio Hangar 13 has laid off a portion of its staff. Numbers weren't revealed, but the Kotaku report describes the cuts as "significant."

>>Sad. Let's hope they find a new job soon.

A new Extinction trailer showcases the last of the Sentinels and the world you'll (maybe) save
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-new-extinction-trailer-showcases-the-last-of-the-sentinels-and-the-world-youll-maybe-save/
We know that Extinction is a game about fighting 150-foot-tall ogres, who are trying to stomp people and villages into mush. We even got some hands-on time with it last summer. But what's it really about? A new "features" trailer aims to clarify matters by providing a look at the story, combat mechanics, and some of the other things you'll be doing while single-handledly saving the world.

Bungie discusses plan to buff Destiny 2's least loved Exotics
https://www.pcgamer.com/bungie-discusses-plan-to-buff-destiny-2s-least-loved-exotics/
According to the latest This Week at Bungie update, the operation to buff Destiny 2's under-performing Exotic weapons and armor is going well. Sandbox senior designer Jon Weisnewski said that there are three main goals of the Exotic balance pass.

Deadly Premonition director Swery making a new game called The Missing for 2018
https://www.pcgamer.com/deadly-premonition-director-swery-making-a-new-game-called-the-missing-for-2018/
It's going to be a big year for Hidetaka "Swery" Suehiro, the director behind cult favorite Deadly Premonition. After a failed Fig crowdfunding campaign last fall, his RPG about a strange English town and cats is headed to Kickstarter in March to try again. And now there's another project: Swery is directing The Missing, to be developed by his studio White Owls and published by Arc System Works.

Meet the Calradic Empire, one of Mount & Blade 2's most important factions
https://www.pcgamer.com/meet-the-calradic-empire-one-of-mount-blade-2s-most-important-factions/
Hot on the heels of the Vlandians and Aserai, Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord has unveiled the Calradic Empire—one of the medieval action role-player's most important factions, which Taleworlds describes as "in some ways the centre of gravity of the game."

Stellaris details its Apocalypse expansion ahead of launch next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/stellaris-details-its-apocalypse-expansion-ahead-of-launch-next-week/
For every action there's a reaction. And for every planet-shielding impenetrable barrier, there's a globe-shattering world cracker. At least that's the case in Stellaris' incoming Apocalypse expansion, which caters to both aggressive and pacifist playstyles.

Get $250,000 of free GTA Online money by signing in this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/get-250000-of-free-gta-online-money-by-signing-in-this-week/
Tax man taken all your dough? Stress not on this sunny Los Santos afternoon, as the San Andreas Treasury Department is treating GTA Online players to $250,000-worth of free cash.
To secure your share, simply sign into the game from today through February 26 (one week from Monday). Better still, all in-game money spent during this time is subject to a ten percent rebate on every dollar—with up to $1 million-worth in cash back.

It's time now to take a look at GOG and Steam deals for the weekend, but we know that there's not much to say.

+GOG

• GOG is running its Chinese New Year Sale until Feb 20. And remember that they have introduced Flash sales too!
• GOG is giving away another free game! Visit the site go grab Dungeons 2 for free.

+Steam

• Steam is running their own sale, the Lunar New Year Sale until Feb 19.
• And don't forget that you'll be able to play Rainbow Six Siege for free this weekend.

And that's all. I hope you have a happy and gaming weekend... and that you find a great deals to expand you ever increasing backlog! .