The millions of copiess that Age of Empires 2 HD sold also helped them notice that there's a clear demand for games of that genre.

No doubt about that. That's certainly what inspired both Activision Blizzard and EA to make remakes of their own RTS series. But without the two aforementioned games I doubt Microsoft would have made that remake in the first place.

Having it on an appropriate platform helps.

If you don't know already, the reviews for the next gen intel cpus are out.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/15785/the-intel-comet-lake-review-skylake-we-go-again

The Wednesday news:

SALES & DEALS

Snowrunner has sold one million copies in three weeks
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/snowrunner-has-sold-one-million-copies-in-three-weeks/
Embracer Group, parent company of Saber Interactive, has announced that SnowRunner has sold one million copies. According to the company, these sales are above its expectations, something that it’s great for all of SnowRunner’s fans.
Moreover, the company claimed that the PC sales are more or less the same with those for PS4 or Xbox One. In other words, the game sold equally on all three platforms.

Get Tekken 7, Tales of Berseria, and Man of Medan in the new Humble Bundle
https://www.pcgamer.com/get-tekken-7-tales-of-berseria-and-man-of-medan-in-the-new-humble-bundle/
Have you got a dollar that you're looking to get rid of in a hurry? Because I've got a new Humble Bundle you can spend it on: The Humble Bandai Namco Bundle 4, which for just that measly single will give you Pac-Man 256, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Premium Edition, and Get Even. But wait!
If you've got more than a dollar—the specific amount varying, because you'll have to beat the average price—you'll also get .hack//G.U. Last Recode (which is a terrible name for a videogame), Katamari Damacy Reroll, and Rad, a 3D action-roguelike in which humanity has suffered two separate Armageddons. That's a rough day by any measure, but you can still save the day by mutating into "something far less than human, but far more powerful."
Drop $15 on the bundle and you'll add Tekken 7 and Tales of Berseria to the package, and the real big spenders who plop at least $25 on it (you can go higher if you want to do an extra solid for charity) will also take home The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, which we described in our 81/100 review as an "unparalleled" co-op horror adventure. (It was also Fraser's personal pick for game of the year in 2019.)

Enter for a chance to win a custom Intel gaming PC like no other
https://www.pcgamer.com/enter-for-a-chance-to-win-a-custom-intel-gaming-pc-like-no-other/
This is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to bag a brand new gaming PC custom-built by a system-modding legend to ensure no other human being on the planet will ever have a machine quite like yours. Thanks to a joint effort between The PC Gaming Show, Intel, and Creative Assembly, we're bringing you the opportunity to win a beautiful 10-core Intel Comet Lake-based machine, with a custom water-cooling loop also chilling the fastest gaming GPU around, the Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti, all backed up by a spectacular 128GB of lightning-fast memory.
>> Check to see if you can take part in it or not. Sadly, I can't , but that means that I'm 100% honest when I wish you good luck.

GOG has two new deals:

• The Midweek Sale contains games about colonists with up to 90% discounts until Saturday: https://www.gog.com/promo/20200520_midweek_sale
• And Northgard launches on the store with up to 50% discount until May 27: https://www.gog.com/promo/20200520_promo_launch_northgard

Steam has two new daily deals and the Midweek Madness deals:

• The first of the daily deals is MY HERO ONE'S JUSTICE, 67% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/748360/MY_HERO_ONES_JUSTICE/
• The second daily deal is Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, 90% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/501590/Bulletstorm_Full_Clip_Edition/
• And these are the Midweek Madness deals:
  • Road Redemption is 60% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/300380/Road_Redemption/
  • The Long Dark gets a 75% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/305620/The_Long_Dark/
  • The Sword Art Online franchise is 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/swordartonline/
  • And publisher PLAYISM celebrates its 9th anniversary with up to 80% discounts until May 26: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/playism_9th

Fanatical has two new sales:

• The new Star Deal is Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - Obsidian Edition, that includes the DLCs, 66% off for the next 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire-obsidian-edition
• That's part of a bigger Versus Evil sale, with up to 90% discounts during the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/versus-evil

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-empty-

MODS/EMULATORS

LittleBigPlanet is now playable on the best Playstation 3 emulator, RPCS3
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/littlebigplanet-is-now-playable-on-the-best-playstation-3-emulator-rpcs3/
The RPCS3 team has announced that LittleBigPlanet is now playable on the best Playstation 3 emulator, RPCS3. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team has released a new video, showing the game running on the emulator.
As the team noted, and while graphics and performance were already great, recent improvements have addressed the physics issues that previously plagued this title.
Furthermore, LittleBigPlanet 2 and 3 are also very close to being playable. Unfortunately, though, these games still suffer for some minor issues that prevent players from finishing them. Still, there are some workarounds that can PC gamers can use to bypass these issues.

Someone has recreated the intro from Half-Life: Alyx in Far Cry 5, and you can download it now
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/someone-has-recreated-the-intro-from-half-life-alyx-in-far-cry-5-and-you-can-download-it-now/
Half-Life and Far Cry fans, here is something really interesting for you today. Modder ‘SanktPerkele’ has recreated the intro sequence from Half-Life: Alyx in Far Cry 5. Not only that, but this custom map is currently available for download.
This custom map mixes Half-Life: Alyx with Far Cry 5. As such, you’ll explore a part of City 17, and fight enemies from Far Cry 5. Naturally, you’ll also have access to Far Cry 5 weapons. It’s a pretty cool but simple concept, that most Half-Life fans will find interesting. I mean, those that don’t have a VR headset and cannot play the original version of Half-Life Alyx.
>> I have no idea of where we can download this demo.

GAMING NEWS

Phantasy Star Online 2 is coming to the PC on May 27th, will be free to play
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/phantasy-star-online-2-is-coming-to-the-pc-on-may-27th-will-be-free-to-play/
SEGA announced today that its massively online action RPG, Phantasy Star Online 2, is coming to PC on May 27th. The game will be available for free on Windows Store, and will support cross-play.

Marvel Games’ VP Bill Rosemann debunks recent rumors about a new Daredevil game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/marvel-games-vp-bill-rosemann-debunks-recent-rumors-about-a-new-daredevil-game/
A rumor surfaced yesterday, suggesting that a new Marvel Daredevil game may be under development. However, Marvel’s VP Bill Rosemann has debunked that rumor, stating that there isn’t currently any Daredevil game in development.
>> Now it's up to you to believe him or not.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s creative director talks about progression, NPCs, quest structure and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/assassins-creed-valhallas-creative-director-talks-about-progression-npcs-quest-structure-and-more/
The creative director of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has recently given an interview to Kotaku. This is the twelfth big title in the series, and the third game since Assassin’s Creed adapted heavy RPG mechanics, like most of Ubisoft’s games.

inXile Entertainment confirms that its next-gen RPG will be using Unreal Engine 5
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/inxile-entertainment-confirms-that-its-next-gen-rpg-will-be-using-unreal-engine-5/
inXile Entertainment has confirmed that its next-gen RPG will be using Unreal Engine 5. Unfortunately, the team has not revealed any additional details as it’s currently committed to Wasteland 3.

Devolver and Croteam will share Serious Sam news tomorrow, most likely about Serious Sam 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/devolver-and-croteam-will-share-serious-sam-news-tomorrow-most-likely-about-serious-sam-4/
It’s been two years since the last time we heard anything about Serious Sam 4. In June 2018, Croteam released some pre-alpha screenshots. Thus, we are happy to report that Croteam and Devolver will share some Serious Sam news tomorrow. And, if we were to guess, the teams will re-reveal Serious Sam 4.
>> This is one of those rare cases where tomorrow is actually tomorrow.

Mafia Remake officially releases on August 28th, gets official teaser trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mafia-remake-officially-releases-on-august-28th-gets-official-teaser-trailer/
2K Games has officially announced that the Mafia Remake, Mafia: Definitive Edition, will release on August 28th. Mafia: Definitive Edition will be a full remake of the first Mafia in the Mafia 3 Engine. Moreover, the publisher has released an official teaser trailer that you can find below.

Mafia Definitive Edition will have an expanded story, a larger Lost Heaven, motorcycles & more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mafia-definitive-edition-will-have-an-expanded-story-a-larger-lost-heaven-motorcycles-more/
2K Games has revealed some additional details about the upcoming Mafia Remake, Mafia: Definitive Edition. According to the publisher, this Mafia Remake will expand its story to give insights into characters we only got to glimpse in the original game.

The Shore is a new Lovecraftian horror game, powered by Unreal Engine
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/the-shore-is-a-new-lovecraftian-horror-game-powered-by-unreal-engine/
Ares Dragonis has shared a new trailer for the upcoming Lovecraftian horror game, The Shore. The Shore is a game that focuses on the mystery of the unknown with horror elements on a forbidden island.

Wednesday news, part two:

Mafia 2 and 3 Definitive Editions are out now, free for owners of the originals
https://www.pcgamer.com/mafia-2-definitive-edition-and-its-sequel-are-out-now-free-for-owners-of-the-originals/
Mafia Trilogy, revealed last last week, is available on Steam now, or at least two-thirds of it. The Trilogy bundles together all three Mafia games, but you'll need to wait until August to get your hands on the first one. In case you missed the Microsoft Store leak, that's because it's getting the full remake treatment, with a new engine, updated script and more additions.

Sims rival Paralives shows off new character creator as Patreon support surges
https://www.pcgamer.com/sims-rival-paralives-shows-off-new-character-creator-as-patreon-support-surges/
The Sims has been a PC gaming juggernaut ever since it first released back in 2000. There have been other takes on life management sims, but nothing has been able to dethrone EA's dominant life simulation series. However, there's one game in the works that might have the potential to at least challenge The Sims: Paralives is an upcoming life simulation game created by Alex Massé and is shaping up to be The Sims' first major rival.

The Overwatch 2020 Anniversary event features a trio of new epic skins
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-anniversary-skins-2020/
Blizzard is celebrating four years of Overwatch with a new anniversary event, live now and running until June 9, which brings back all previous seasonal brawls and cosmetics. Naturally, new cosmetics will be added to the mix too, including a trio of epic skins for Sigma, Widowmaker, and McCree that can be unlocked by completing weekly challenges.

Kerbal Space Program joins with the European Space Agency for new missions and more
https://www.pcgamer.com/kerbal-space-program-joins-with-the-european-space-agency-for-new-missions-and-more/
Last week, Kerbal Space Program publisher Private Division challenged players to recreate the upcoming SpaceX mission to the International Space Station in the game, a challenge endorsed by US space agency NASA. This week it's the European Space Agency's turn, as Private Division has announced that a new free update called Shared Horizons will add two new "cornerstone missions" to the game based on the ESA's BepiColombo and Rosetta missions.

Henry Cavill is in the new Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/henry-cavill-is-in-the-new-total-war-warhammer-2-dlc/
In April, we learned that Henry Cavill, who alternates his time between being a Hollywood hunk and an inveterate nerd, was spending his COVID-19 quarantine time painting Warhammer miniatures—a natural pastime, given his previously professed love for Total War: Warhammer 2.
His fandom has apparently not gone unnoticed by Creative Assembly. The studio is releasing new Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC later this week called The Warden and the Paunch, an epic tale of war between the High Elves and the Greenskins, and it turns out that Cavill is in it—sort of.

Your Fallout 76 allies will now wear your spare clothes, if you let them
https://www.pcgamer.com/your-fallout-76-allies-will-now-wear-your-spare-clothes-if-you-let-them/
The Fallout 76 Wastelanders update added, among a number of other things, "allies," which are basically limited versions of the companions from previous Fallout games. They'll open the door to new questlines, offer daily quests, add new amenities to your base, and might even be up for a bit of romance. They won't even complain about the state of your crappy-ass camp. One thing they haven't been able to do, however, is dress themselves decently.
That's no longer a problem, though, thanks to today's release of update 19, which adds an ally customization option that enables players to share their wardrobes with their digital pals. Everything but power armor and weapons can be applied to allies through a new "customize" option that will now appear when interacting with them. It's strictly cosmetic, so no bonuses or buffs will be conferred, and if you scrap your ally station they'll revert to their default outfits. They'll also be wearing their default duds in any instances they appear in with you.

World of Warships is colliding with Warhammer 40K
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warships-is-colliding-with-warhammer-40k/
Warhammer sure gets around, infiltrating most video game genres. Heck, it's even spawned some kids' books. A collaboration with World of Warships, then, is not a huge surprise. What are boats if not massive space cathedrals that simply forgot how to fly?

Microsoft Flight Simulator closed beta is taking off in July
https://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-closed-beta-is-taking-off-in-july/
Microsoft Flight Simulator is poised to leave alpha behind and fly over to closed beta soon. Microsoft and Asobo snuck the roadmap update into a development post last week (cheers, ResetEra) but didn't include a specific date. It's due to appear in mid-July.

Call of Duty is heading to the Cold War next, according to a leak
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-is-heading-to-the-cold-war-next-according-to-a-leak/
Call of Duty's next destination is allegedly the Cold War, according to CoD leaker Okami. They teased the name, Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War, by slapping the subtitle over some old Black Ops box art, but it does line up with other rumours and hints from Warzone.

Embracer Group, formerly THQ Nordic AB, has 118 games in development
https://www.pcgamer.com/embracer-group-formerly-thq-nordic-ab-has-118-games-in-development/
Embracer Group, formerly THQ Nordic AB, and before that Nordic Games, has grown vast over the last four years. According to its latest annual report, it's got a whopping 118 games in development, 69 of which are yet to be announced.
>> I don't remember them changing their name again. In any case, that's a lot of games.

For those that prefer other sources, here's a review round-up:

https://videocardz.com/87503/intel-10th-gen-core-comet-lake-s-review-roundup

I haven't had time to read any review yet, but I'll do it later.

Looks like it's still definitely better to get a 10900k instead of a 9900KS. Interestingly it doesn't run as hot as the 9900KS despite drawing more power thanks to the bigger die size.

Looks like that's gonna be my new CPU.

While it is a much better cpu with much better pricing than their last gen... I'd still wait till Zen 3 before pulling the trigger as Intel still doesn't have PCI-E 4.0 which means you won't get the fap worthy speeds of the new SSDs. Whether or not that matters is up for debate but it is kinda annoying that a new cpu still doesn't have this which could be important going forward. Not to mention performance improvements and whatever pricing adjustments AMD might have as a response.

Tfw your 10 core cpu overclocked requires more power than your competitor's 32 core cpu at stock...