Thursday news

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

Scum sells 700,000 copies in a week, wipes all servers with new patch
https://www.pcgamer.com/scum-sells-700000-copies-in-a-week-wipes-all-servers-with-new-patch/
Survival game Scum has had an eventful first week in Early Access: leaping into the top ten games by playercount on Steam, including and then quickly removing some Nazi tattoos, and now, wiping out everyone's online characters in the latest patch. Along the way, according to Scum's twitter feed, it's sold 700,000 copies. That's... quite a week.

Steam's daily deal is a Neptunia franchise sale, with up to 85% discounts that will last for a week: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/neptunia-franchise/

On the Humble Store, Kalypso Media is also having a sale that will last another 6 days and features up to 90% discounts: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/kalypso-media-digital

SOFTWARE

Valve is changing the way games with nudity, violence, and sexual content are presented on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/valve-is-changing-the-way-games-with-nudity-violence-and-sexual-content-are-presented-on-steam/
Valve has outlined a series of imminent changes to Steam, designed to help more effectively filter violent and sexual content on the platform. While the announcement doesn't contain a verdict on whether previously banned sexual content will soon be re-introduced to the storefront, it does show how Valve intends to deal with similar software into the future.
Possibly the most significant change is that Steam will now require developers to describe whatever violent or sexual content appears in games. The screenshot above provides an example. " We think the context of how content is presented is important and giving a developer a place to describe and explain what's in their game gives you even more information when browsing and considering a purchase," the blogpost reads. "When you're looking at the store page of a game with mature content, we'll display that developer-written description to you."
Valve has said that every developer responsible for games with mature content will be "encouraged" to add these new descriptions to existing titles. Meanwhile, Valve will task moderators with ensuring applicable games are complying with the new rules.

MODS/EMULATORS

New version of ALOT mod for Mass Effect 2 adds/improves more than 100 high-quality textures
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-version-of-alot-mod-for-mass-effect-2-adds-improves-more-than-100-high-quality-textures/
The team behind the incredible ALOT (A Lot Of Textures) mod for the Mass Effect series has released a brand new version of it for Mass Effect 2. ALOT is a mod that all PC fans of the Mass Effect games should be using, and its latest version adds/improves more than 100 textures in Mass Effect 2.
Going into more details, this new version of ALOT for Mass Effect 2 adds or improves more than 100 textures, updates DeadMeat’s textures with his newly improved reuploads on Nexus, re-adds some mistakenly removed textures by JeanLuc761, adds many textures by Mellin (ported from ME3), adds shifty cow textures by CreeperLava and adds medic outfit texture.

>>Available from Nexus Mods.

GAMING NEWS

This is the battle royale map for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-is-the-battle-royale-map-for-call-of-duty-black-ops-4-blackout/
Activision and Treyarch have released a screenshot, showing the battle royale map that will be featured in Call of Duty Black Ops 4. This image shows the full layout and the different locations that this huge map will feature (Activision also claimed that this mode will support up to 80 players).

R-Type Dimensions is coming to the PC in late 2018
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/r-type-dimensions-is-coming-to-the-pc-in-late-2018/
Tozai Games announced today that R-Type Dimensions will be launching worldwide on Steam in late 2018. R-Type Dimensions includes both acclaimed arcade classics initially published by Irem, R-Type and R-Type II. Each title can be played in classic mode with the original 2D graphics and retro music or with hi-res 3D graphics and remastered audio.

Battlerite Royale releases on September 26th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/battlerite-royale-releases-on-september-26th/
Stunlock Studios has announced that its highly anticipated standalone Battlerite spin-off Battlerite Royale is slated to launch on Steam Early Access on September 26 with a $19.99/19.99€ price tag. Battlerite Royale will be one of the first top-down action MOBA battle royale games released on Steam, and can be played solo or with a friend.

New Hitman 2 video shows how players can think like an assassin
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-hitman-2-video-shows-how-players-can-think-like-an-assassin/
Warner Bros and IO Interactive today released the second installment in the HITMAN 2 – How to Hitman video series, Assassin’s Mindset. This latest video shows players how to think like an assassin by mastering the art of stealth and avoiding detection in HITMAN 2.

Pearl Abyss, developers of Black Desert Online, will acquire CCP Games, creator of EVE Online
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pearl-abyss-developers-of-black-desert-online-will-acquire-ccp-games-creator-of-eve-online/
Pearl Abyss has announced that it will acquire CCP Games, the creators of popular spaceship MMORPG EVE Online. The deal outlines that CCP Games will continue to operate independently as a developer with studios in Reykjavik, London and Shanghai, while integrating the company’s extensive development and publishing expertise into Pearl Abyss’ operations for all current and future projects.

505 Games to publish the first game from ex-devs of Batman: Arkham, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Far Cry 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/505-games-to-publish-the-first-game-from-ex-devs-of-batman-arkham-deus-ex-mankind-divided-and-far-cry-4/
Game industry veterans Alex Hutchinson, Yassine Riahi and Reid Schneider’s new Montreal-based development studio, Typhoon Studios, has partnered with publisher 505 Games on an unannounced multiplatform project. 505 Games joins partners including MAKERS Fund and Epic, creators of the Unreal Engine, to bring the first game from the offbeat Canadian studio to life.

Launch trailer released for V-Rally 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/launch-trailer-released-for-v-rally-4/
Bigben Interactive has released the launch trailer for V-Rally 4. V-Rally will feature a Career mode that will represent the heart of the racing experience, as well as a Quick Race mode. The game will also feature a multiplayer mode with support of up to 8 players.

New Monster Hunter World patch adds monster Deviljho, fixes framerate issues and remaining connection issues
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-monster-hunter-world-patch-adds-monster-deviljho-fixes-framerate-issues-and-remaining-connection-issues/
Capcom has released a new major update for Monster Hunter World. According to the release notes, this patch adds a new monster, Deviljho, a new specialized tool, Dragonproof Mantle, and a new costume for The Handler.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 gets a PC trailer, showcasing its key features
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/valkyria-chronicles-4-gets-a-pc-trailer-showcasing-its-key-features/
SEGA has released a PC trailer for Valkyria Chronicles 4 that showcases the game’s key features. In Valkyria Chronicles 4, players will fight their way through the diverse environments of Europa by taking command of the explosive Grenadier class and blasting away their enemies.

Thursday news, part two:

Fortnite adds Grappler, High Stakes event, Getaway LTM in update v5.40
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-adds-grappler-high-stakes-event-getaway-ltm-in-update-v540/
Fortnite's 'High Stakes' event was detailed this week, wherein its Getaway LTM has squads fighting over four safes dropped at random across the map. Crack the vaults, steal the jewels and secure the loot to win. It's live now, as part of the battle royale's update v5.40—as is its new Grappler item.

Nighthawks, the urban vampire RPG from Sunless Sea and Blackwell folk, has a Kickstarter (Updated)
https://www.pcgamer.com/sunless-sea-writer-and-blackwell-developer-team-up-for-urban-vampire-rpg-nighthawks/
Sunless Sea writer Richard Cobbett—who occasionally writes for PC Gamer—and Blackwell developer Wadjet Eye jointly announced a new game today: Nighthawks, an "urban fantasy RPG" about living as an outcast vampire in a grim society.
Update: As detailed in our original story below, Nighthawks—The Vampire RPG is a fantasy roleplayer that pulls from Sunless Sea's narrative style and Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines' dark atmosphere. It's the work of Wadjet Eye's Dave Gilbert and narrative designer (and sometimes PC Gamer writer) Richard Cobbett. And it's now got a Kickstarter.

>>Here's the link to the Kickstarter page.

The Division is free to try this weekend, 70 percent off for a limited time
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-division-is-free-to-try-this-weekend-70-percent-off-for-a-limited-time/
Everything we know about The Division 2 points to bigger, bolder and louder online action RPG over its forerunner. But if you're yet to get into the first game, know that it's free to try on Ubisoft's U-Play this weekend. If you like what you see, it's also subject to a 70 percent discount till Tuesday, September 11.

THQ Nordic buys Kingdoms of Amalur license from 38 Studios
https://www.pcgamer.com/thq-nordic-buys-kingdoms-of-amalur-license-from-38-studios/
THQ Nordic has acquired Kingdoms of Amalur, as well as a number of other assets from developer 38 Studios.
Kingdoms of Amalur, for those unaware, is an action role-player that Tom scored 74 back in 2012. Under 38 Studios' guidance, it went on to launch a handful of DLC packs before the developer itself was derailed by legal problems. In late 2016, company founder Curt Schilling agreed a $2.5 million settlement with Rhode Island state, following the bankruptcy of the dev years earlier.

I think I'll give some credency to the conspiracy theorists and say the Kepler cards were pretty much thrown in the fire. Laughable driver performance after Maxwell, even in games there were no obvious memory / bandwidth bottleneck.

Otherwise performance seems consistently around 60 - 80% of the expected performance increase if you merely look at their technical specs, except for the embarassing Fiji and its spawn, Vega.

Yay! Friday's here, and with it, the last news of the week:

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

Black Desert Online is free to play this weekend on Steam, can be downloaded right now
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/black-desert-online-is-free-to-play-this-weekend-on-steam-can-be-downloaded-right-now/
Pearl Abyss and Kakao Games have announced today that Black Desert Online will be part of this week’s Steam Free Weekend. From the 6th of September up until the 9th of September players around the world can freely explore the rich and vibrant world that is Black Desert Online.
Recently the game received a major upgrade both in terms of graphics as well as in audio with Black Desert Online Remastered. It has never been a better time for adventurer’s to step in as the game will soon receive exciting new contents such as the upcoming Drieghan Expansion that will feature more than 300 new quests and a new dragon world boss.

>>And the game is 50% off in case you want to keep playing it.

At Fanatical, there are twoo deals to talk about:

• The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Video Game is 75% off for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/lego-ninjago-movie-video-game
• Rise of Industry, an Early Access title, is 30% off for the next 5 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/rise-of-industry

SOFTWARE

NBA 2K19 has been cracked five days prior to its official release
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nba-2k19-has-been-cracked-five-days-prior-to-its-official-release/
NBA 2K19 will come out on September 11th and it appears that the game has already been cracked, five whole days prior to its official release. A cracking group has already cracked the game which appears to be using the Steam DRM.
This is a rare situation as most games that are protected by the Steam DRM are safe until the moment they are released. Moreover, NBA 2K19 has caused major issues to 2K Games with the inclusion of loot boxes.

MODS/EMULATORS

Latest version of ALOT mod for Mass Effect 3 adds/improves more than 200 high-quality textures
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/latest-version-of-alot-mod-for-mass-effect-3-adds-improves-more-than-200-high-quality-textures/
Yesterday, we informed you about a new version of the ALOT (A Lot Of Textures) mod for Mass Effect 2 that added/improved 100 textures. And today, we are happy to report that the team has released a new version of this mod for Mass Effect 3.
According to the release notes, the latest version of the ALOT mod for Mass Effect 3 adds/improves 200 textures, updates DeadMeat’s textures with his newly improved reuploads on Nexus, replaces JeanLuc761’s texture of Miranda with JimbobJeffers’, adds a dozen new 4K textures by CreeperLava for the Holograms in the Omega DLC and elsewhere, improves the textures of Aria’s outfit and adds 65 new textures by Mellin that were made exclusively for the upcoming Priority Earth Overhaul Mod.

>>Sadly, they don't provide the link to the mod, and I haven't been able to found it.

Co-op mod released for Turok 2: Seeds of Evil Remaster
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/co-op-mod-released-for-turok-2-seeds-of-evil-remaster/
Modder ‘BehemothProgrammer’ has released a co-op mod for the remastered version of Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. Furthermore, this mod contains tons of fixes to the remaster and lots of additions that – according to its author – aim to keep the experience new and challenging for even the seasoned players.
The latest version of this co-op mod that is currently available, version 0.8.11 adds difficulty settings for maps: Marsh 3-8, Blind Lair 1-9, displays correctly the number of found secrets for clients in the progress menu. disabled AI Head tracking, adds a melee attack for the Araissi Soldier and more.

>>Get the mod from ModDB.

GAMING NEWS

First official details revealed for Battlefield 5’s battle royale mode, Firestorm
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-official-details-revealed-for-battlefield-5-battle-royale-mode-firestorm/
Electronic Arts, Criterion Games and DICE have revealed the first official details about Battlefield 5’s upcoming battle royale mode, Firestorm. Firestorm promises to elevate battle royale by bringing in the best of what Battlefield is known for as it will mix a shrinking playing field with trademark Battlefield elements such as team play, powerful vehicles, and destruction.

Official gameplay trailer released for Call of Duty Black Ops 4’s battle royale mode, Blackout
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/official-gameplay-trailer-released-for-call-of-duty-black-ops-4-battle-royale-mode-blackout/
Man, Activision is surely doing its best to steal Battlefield 4’s thunder. Prior to the open beta phase for Battlefield 4, Activision revealed the full map for Call of Duty Black Ops 4’s battle royale mode. And today, just a few hours after EA publishing the first details for Firestorm, Activision released a new trailer for Blackout.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider gets a new trailer, detailing the story from the previous two Tomb Raider games
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-gets-a-new-trailer-detailing-the-story-from-the-previous-two-tomb-raider-games/
Square Enix has released a new trailer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider that details the story from the previous Tomb Raider games. This trailer is essential for all those that haven’t played the previous games of this trilogy and want to jump in to this latest instalment.

New video shows 26 minutes of gameplay footage from Overkill’s The Walking Dead
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-video-shows-26-minutes-of-gameplay-footage-from-overkills-the-walking-dead/
YouTube’s ‘Punish – Latest Gameplay Trailers!’ has shared a video, showing 26 minutes of gameplay footage from Overkill’s The Walking Dead. According to the developers, the game’s missions are built in a way that players can approach the way they want. As such, you can either sneak your way through go in all guns blazing.

Mega Man 11 Official PC System Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mega-man-11-official-pc-system-requirements/
Capcom has revealed the official PC system requirements for Mega Man 11 via its Steam store page. According to the specs, PC gamers will at least need a Intel Core i5-3470 with 4GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 for gaming at 1080p/60fps without anti-aliasing.

Immortal: Unchained leaves Early Access and has been fully released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/immortal-unchained-leaves-early-access-and-has-been-fully-released/
Immortal: Unchained, Toadman’s hardcore action RPG sci-fi Souls-like game with guns, has left Early Access and has been fully released on Steam. In Immortal Unchained, players will experience fast-paced tactical combat that combines ruthless gunplay with brutal melee combat, will explore new sci-fi worlds and defeat bosses to acquire powerful weapons and delve into a vast array of weapon choices and builds.

Those Who Remain is a new psychological thriller game coming to PC in 2019, first gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/those-who-remain-is-a-new-psychological-thriller-game-coming-to-pc-in-2019-first-gameplay-trailer/
Camel 101 is currently working on a psychological thriller, called Those Who Remain. Those Who Remain takes place in Dormont, a small town in the US that is cursed by a demon who shrouded everything in darkness.

First gameplay trailer for Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-trailer-for-leisure-suit-larry-wet-dreams-dont-dry/
Assemble Entertainment today released the first gameplay trailer for the point & click adventure game Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry. As a direct sequel to the first Leisure Suit Larry game, Wet Dreams Don’t Dry tells the tragic story of Larry, who is thrown straight from 1987 into the present day.

>>La-Larry? What did they do to you!

Friday news, part two:

Rainbow Six Siege director talks combat style for new operators Clash and Maverick
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-director-talks-combat-style-for-new-operators-clash-and-maverick/
Rainbow Six Siege's latest defender is a Scotland Yard officer named Clash. She's also a total badass that hulks around a near impenetrable electro-charged shield. After sampling the new operator at the squad shooter's Paris Major last month, I suggest to game director Leroy Athanassoff that Clash's safeguard might make her a good pick for cautious newcomers.

>>And he also talked about Castle and Thatcher balance reworks.

Pillars of Eternity 2 DLC Seeker, Slayer, Survivor will be out on September 25
https://www.pcgamer.com/pillars-of-eternity-2-dlc-seeker-slayer-survivor-will-be-out-on-september-20/
Seeker, Slayer, Survivor, the second major DLC release for Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, will be out on September 25, Obsidian announced today. The expansion will present players with challenges based on three distinct "pillars of combat": As the Seeker, who must find unique solutions to take down enemies; the Slayer, who will take on "truly fearsome creatures"; and the Survivor, who must lead their party in a stand against multiple waves of enemies.

The Inner Friend is a first-person horror game about childhood fears
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-inner-friend-is-a-first-person-horror-game-about-childhood-fears/
Memories of childhood are, ideally, pleasant things: Recollections of a happy, innocent time, when responsibilities were someone else's problem. But not always. Childhood is also a time of life filled with fears and traumas that can leave lasting imprints on the subconscious mind. That, very generally, is the setting for The Inner Friend, a strange first-person horror game that debuted today on Steam.

The mechs of Scythe: Digital Edition stomp out of Early Access
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-mechs-of-scythe-digital-edition-stomp-out-of-early-access/
The digital port of mechs and economics 4x Scythe is now out of Steam Early Access and into a proper release. The full version of the game has a number of improvements, including a Hard difficulty setting for the game’s AI. We took a look at the game on its early access launch and called it slick and sharp—it’s a distillation of the 4x that many strategy fans are going to enjoy.

Wildstar, and developer Carbine Studios, are shutting down
https://www.pcgamer.com/wildstar-and-developer-carbine-studios-are-shutting-down/
Carbine Studios, the maker of the free-to-play sci-fi MMO Wildstar, is being shut down. The closure, reported by Kotaku, will also bring about the end of Wildstar itself.
"Today, we are closing Carbine Studios and will begin the process of winding WildStar down to ultimately shutter the game,” Wildstar parent NCsoft said in a statement.

PUBG adds training mode, MK47 Mutant rifle, Tukshai vehicle in hefty update
https://www.pcgamer.com/pubg-adds-training-mode-mk47-mutant-rifle-tukshai-vehicle-in-hefty-update/
As promised at Gamescom, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' training mode has arrived. Courtesy of its substantial PC 1.0 Update #21, the latest offering also brings a new weapon and a new vehicle—the MK47 Mutant and the Tukshai.

>>And they've also revealed the new event mode.

Time to check the weekend deals from GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• Not much to say. GOG is running the Back to School sale that's going to finish soon, so you better don't waste more time gog.com

+Steam

• The daily deal is Wizard of Legend, 20% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/445980/Wizard_of_Legend/
• Besides Black Desert Online, there are other games that are free to try this weekend. The first one is The Division, that's also 70% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/365590/Tom_Clancys_The_Division/
• Call of Duty: WWII is also free to try, at least the multiplayer, and 40% off if you want to keep playing: https://store.steampowered.com/app/476600/Call_of_Duty_WWII/
• Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is not free to try, but it's 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/414340/Hellblade_Senuas_Sacrifice/
• Paradox is the star of the weekend publisher sale, with discounts of up to 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/paradox/
• And of course, there's the weeklong deals.

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

I have to agree with you, AMD's improvement has been... disappointing to say the least.

ComputerBase has a similar series of articles, but with more generations:

GTX 480, 580, 680, 780, 980, 1080: https://www.computerbase.de/2018-09/geforce-480-580-680-780-980-1080-vergleich/2/#diagramm-the-witcher-3-1920-1080

Radeon 5870, 6970, 7970, 290X, Fury, Vega 64: https://www.computerbase.de/2018-08/radeon-5870-6970-7970-290x-fury-x-vega-64-vergleich/2/#diagramm-the-witcher-3-1920-1080

GTX 460, 560, 660, 760, 960, 1060: https://www.computerbase.de/2018-08/geforce-gtx-460-560-660-760-960-1060-vergleich/2/#diagramm-overwatch-1920-1080

Radeon 5770, 6870, 7870, 270X, 380, 480, 580: https://www.computerbase.de/2018-08/radeon-5770-6870-7870-270x-380-480-580-vergleich/2/#diagramm-overwatch-1920-1080

Oh, and Overwatch is in the current Humble Monthly Bundle as early unlock: https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly

Nice! Thanks for sharing.

Too bad for some of us it's difficult to read the articles, with them being in German and such.

Google Translate is your friend:

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.computerbase.de%2F2018-09%2Fgeforce-480-580-680-780-980-1080-vergleich%2F2%2F%23diagramm-the-witcher-3-1920-1080&edit-text=

If it works as well as the Spanish-English version, you'll still have to use your imagination to fully understand it.