Nvm, looks like a false alarm. Removed until confirmation :P

The news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG's new sale is a Battlestar Galactica Deadock Sale, with up to 80% discounts for the next 6 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20201109_battlestar_galactica_sale

Steam has two new sales and new range of weeklong deals:

• The new daily deal is Beholder, 85% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/475550/Beholder/
• The Danganronpa franchise celebrates its 10th anniversary with up to 66% discounts for the next 6 days: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/danganronpa
• And here are some of the weeklong deals:
  • Return to Shironagasu Island is 30% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1156990/Return_to_Shironagasu_Island/
  • Röki gets a 40% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1067540/Rki/
  • Radio General is half its usual price: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1011610/Radio_General/
  • Project Warlock, that has a demo, gets a 66% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/893680/Project_Warlock/
  • RIDE is 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/345660/RIDE/
  • And Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper gets a 90% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/11190/Sherlock_Holmes_versus_Jack_the_Ripper/

The Humble Store has a new Singles Day Sale with up to 90% discounts during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/singles-day-sale/

Fanatical has two deals:

• The Star Deal... is the same as yesterday? Maybe they didn't sell enough keys and are giving it more time. In any case, you can get Yakuza: Like a Dragon - Day Ichi Edition with a 18% discount for 24 more hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/yakuza-like-a-dragon-day-ichi-edition
• And PC Building Simulator is 50% off for the next 12 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/pc-building-simulator

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready 457.30 WHQL driver optimized for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Godfall & COD: Black Ops Cold War
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nvidia-geforce-game-ready-457-30-whql-driver-optimized-for-assassins-creed-valhalla-godfall-cod-black-ops-cold-war/
NVIDIA has released a brand new driver for its graphics cards. According to the release notes, the NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready 457.30 WHQL driver provides support for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. In addition, this driver provides optimal day-1 support for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Godfall.
Furthermore, this driver resolves an issue that could result in a drop in performance during gameplay in Call of Duty Warzone with the RTX30 series GPUs. It also addresses a black screen issue with the NVIDIA Ampere architecture.
>> Available from here.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Project Diablo 2 mod is a massive rework of the original game
https://www.pcgamer.com/project-diablo-2-mod-is-a-massive-rework-of-the-original-game/
A Diablo 2 official remaster, as much as fans might want it, potentially won't ever exist, so a group of modders took it upon themselves to overhaul Diablo 2 and offer a new and improved gaming experience. The mod, simply called Project Diablo 2, is completely designed by fans, with streamer SenpaiSomething leading development.
It makes a number of improvements, such as reworking the Meteor and Twister spells and rebalancing runes, skills and items. That's not all—on the official website, the team says "Over time we are attempting to take every weak or unuseable skill and allow you to make fully functioning builds around them opening up all kinds of options that didn't exist previously". There are also new endgame challenges, completely new skills and PvP support.
>> Available from its own website.

GAMING NEWS

New update patch for Ori and the Will of the Wisps brings new features and several bug fixes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-update-patch-for-ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-brings-new-features-and-several-bug-fixes/
A new update patch is now available for the follow-up to the 2015 narrative-focused Metroidvania title, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The new update adds some new features, and fixes several bugs.

XIII Remake Day-1 Update Detailed, performance improvements coming in future patches
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/xiii-remake-day-1-update-detailed-performance-improvements-future-patches/
Microids has detailed the Day-1 Update for the upcoming remake of XIII. In addition, the team has revealed some of the improvements that will be coming in future patches, and released a new trailer for the game.

The co-founder of SadSqare talks about the survival horror P.T. inspired game Visage
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-co-founder-of-sadsqare-talks-about-the-survival-horror-p-t-inspired-game-visage/
Visage is a new survival horror title from SadSquare Studio. The game drew inspiration from the cancelled, Silent Hills, playable teaser, also known as P.T. . Visage is considered as a spiritual successor to Hideo Kojima’s P.T. . Which was initially released on PlayStation 4, back in 2014.

Sam & Max Save the World Remastered coming to the PC on December 2nd
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sam-max-save-the-world-remastered-coming-to-the-pc-on-december-2nd/
Skunkape Games, a small indie developer made up of former Telltale Games employees, has announced that a remastered version of Telltale’s first episodic series, Sam & Max Save the World, is coming to the PC on December 2nd.

STASIS: BONE TOTEM is a new 2D isometric adventure game, coming to PC in Q1 2022, demo released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/stasis-bone-totem-is-a-new-2d-isometric-adventure-game-coming-to-pc-in-q1-2022-demo-released/
The Brotherhood has announced its next 2D isometric adventure game, STASIS: BONE TOTEM. Alongside this announcement, the team released the game’s announcement trailer, as well as a PC demo.

The news, part two:

Ubisoft accidentally grants Norwegian buyers their very own Viking discount for Assassin's Creed Valhalla
https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-accidentally-grants-norwegian-buyers-their-very-own-viking-discount-for-assassins-creed-valhalla/
A resourceful redditor over on r/pcgaming noticed what seems to be substantial pricing error for the Assassin's Creed Valhalla Ultimate Edition in the Norwegian version of Ubisoft's official store. As you can see in the below screenshot, the original price of kr 1,199 (approx. $130/£100), was briefly reduced to kr 109,99 (approx. $12/£9). Another user suggested the price drop was a "special discount for inspiring the game"—if there's one region that certainly deserves its own special discount for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, it's got to be the birthplace of the Vikings. In that case, the rest of Scandinavia should really profit as well, or possibly England, as it provides the setting—and not because I'd really love me Assassin's Creed for a tenner.
>> If there's an occasion to buy a game from the Ubi Store, this is the one.

Genshin Impact appears to be exposing some players' mobile numbers
https://www.pcgamer.com/genshin-impact-appears-to-be-exposing-some-players-mobile-numbers/
Genshin Impact players on Reddit are reporting what could be a fairly major potential privacy breach on the MiHoYo website. The site's forgotten password page offers an option to send a recovery code to linked mobile phone numbers, and in some cases it's apparently displaying those numbers in full rather than partially censoring them.

The ultra-violent retro-shooter Prodeus is now available on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-ultra-violent-retro-shooter-prodeus-is-now-available-on-steam/
Prodeus, the hyper-violent retro-FPS that we first clapped eyes on back in 2018, is now available on Steam Early Access. The initial release of the game offers a singleplayer campaign estimated to run about 3-5 hours, with "a large variety of weapons and monsters to blow up," plus a level editor and community workshop.

Unexplored 2, the procedurally-generated open world roguelike, is now taking beta signups
https://www.pcgamer.com/unexplored-2-the-procedurally-generated-open-world-roguelike-is-now-taking-beta-signups/
The original Unexplored, released in 2017, was something of a technological proof-of-concept: It's a fairly conventional roguelike that employs subtle procedural generation to elevate its 20-floor Dungeons of Doom to something that feels more handcrafted than most comparable games. (...)
The sequel, Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer's Legacy, builds upon that technology, but trades the confines of the Dungeons of Doom for big, open spaces, and "a much richer, more immersive, and even more expansive experience," the Steam listing says. "We want players to escape into a world that has a real sense of exploration and wonder, with captivating stories and adventures unique to every different hero."

Destiny 2 Beyond Light's pre-load requires 186GB hard drive space, but shrinks in size
https://www.pcgamer.com/destiny-2-beyond-lights-pre-load-will-be-a-186gb-download-but-shrinks-in-size/
As always happens with a big Destiny expansion, Bungie will be taking down the game's servers in preparation for the launch of Beyond Light. They'll be switching off at 7pm PST today, which is 3am Tuesday morning for UK readers. The servers are scheduled to go back up at midday PST (8:00pm GMT) on Tuesday November 10, but any Destiny veteran will tell you to take that with a pinch of salt: the smooth Destiny updates are the exception, and Beyond Light is perhaps the biggest overhaul the game has ever seen.
After the servers go down, Steam players can begin pre-loading Beyond Light at 9pm PST (5am GMT), though thanks to an unusual installation process you'll need much more free space than the game's eventual requirements: a whopping 186GB. Following the installation, the game will reduce to around a third of that size.

On the eve of Destiny 2: Beyond Light, something is happening to the Traveler
https://www.pcgamer.com/on-the-eve-of-destiny-2-beyond-light-something-is-happening-to-the-traveler/
Ahead of the launch of Destiny 2: Beyond Light tomorrow, players are flocking to the Tower to witness the closing of the Season of Arrivals. The promised event, which community manager DMG04 said will be "small", is already underway: something is happening to the Traveler.
Update: The event is now over, and it ended up being more substantial than just the Traveler distantly revitalising. For those who managed to make it into the Tower, a new mission located on The Last City became available. Once reached, the player was tasked with "investigating the disturbance."

Take-Two has reached an acquisition agreement with Codemasters
https://www.pcgamer.com/take-two-interactive-is-in-talks-to-acquire-codemasters-for-nearly-dollar1-billion/
Update: According to a report by VGC, Codemasters and Take-Two announced they reached an acquisition agreement for the previously reported sum of roughly $980 million. Both companies have made investors aware of the agreement in a note sent out on Tuesday, November 10. Given shareholder approval in an upcoming general meeting, the sale could be finalised by Q1 2021, until then the agreement is formal. In a new public statement, Take-Two once again reaffirmed its satisfaction with the deal.

SnowRunner gets two big Canadian maps and a massive trailer on November 16
https://www.pcgamer.com/snowrunner-gets-two-big-canadian-maps-and-a-massive-trailer-on-november-16/
The SnowRunner Season Pass keeps on giving with Explore & Expand, out November 16. The second out of four planned phases, or seasons, once again adds quite a lot of content to the game, following the first season's Russian map. Explore & Expand comes with two large new maps, both set in Canada's Yukon region.

A Call of Duty player accidentally found a third-person mode that's too cool to not come true
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-call-of-duty-player-accidentally-found-a-third-person-mode-thats-too-cool-to-not-come-true/
In a weird twist of FPS fate, one Call of Duty: Modern Warfare player accidentally discovered a third-person mode during a match of Spec Ops. Reddit user lIllIlIIlIIl posted their discovery to the Call of Duty: Warzone subreddit on Friday in a short clip demonstrating the strangely functional third-person camera.

Call of Duty Warzone gets private matches, and introduces texture streaming on PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-warzone-gets-private-matches-and-introduces-texture-streaming-on-pc/
A new patch for Call of Duty: Warzone is available and, as well as fixing "a bug where helicopters could spin and float in the air after progressing in Survival", introduces the option to host private matches. Those of us on PC now also have a rather surprising new feature, which is texture streaming. That is, from now on Warzone will have a smaller install size, but pull-in high-res operator and weapon skins when required.

Fortnite's asking players if they'd pay a monthly subscription
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnites-asking-players-if-theyd-pay-a-monthly-subscription/
Epic has been surveying Fortnite players in some detail about a subscription model that looks more-or-less ready to roll. The below image first appeared on reddit and details the offer to players.

Blood Bowl 3 adds new teams and cards that let you assassinate the competition
https://www.pcgamer.com/blood-bowl-3-adds-new-teams-and-cards-that-let-you-assassinate-the-competition/
Back in August, after a period of silence lasting for almost a year, Blood Bowl 3, the round-based mix of fantasy football and fantasy warfare, got delayed to early 2021, like just about everything this year. During the recent Games Made in France streaming event, which usually takes the form of a number of booths during Paris Games Week, developer Cyanide Studio offered a few new crumbs of info on what to look forward to in your next outing as coach.

AMD did a new interview in regards to Ray Tracing and FidelityFX Super Resolution.

TLDR: RT target is 1440p and FSR is targeting sometime next year. It also wont be proprietary.

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-radeon-rx-6000-ray-tracing-performance-goal-is-1440p-resolution

I wonder if that 1440p target is for the 6900XT or the 6800XT. Hopefully it's the later and the performance (image quality, fps) is acceptable. The fact that it will be easy to implement on PC if it's already on console games is a plus, and one of the benefits of powering consoles.

FidelityX Super Resolution... that X makes it a silly name, but we'll se if it works once they launch it.

The prospect of another 50% imporvement in performance per watt next gen is enticing, but that's just their target and it's too early to say if they'll achieve it or not.

By the way, a couple new leaks/rumors:

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 expected to feature 2304 CUDA cores
https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3050-expected-to-feature-2304-cuda-cores
Kopite7kimi brings another set of rumors about the GeForce RTX 30 series.

The RTX 3050 is expected to feature GA107-300 GPU with 2304 CUDA cores. Such a number of cores would be a significant upgrade over GeForce RTX 1650 (896 CUDAs) and GTX 1650 SUPER (1280 CUDAs). However, it is important to note that NVIDIA doubled the number of cores per Streaming Multiprocessors, not necessarily doubling the performance in the process.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti to launch in January 2021
https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3080-ti-to-launch-in-january-2021
According to the new report from HKEPC, NVIDIA will launch its new high-end GPU in January. The next SKU in the GeForce RTX 30 pipeline is the RTX 3080 Ti, according to the article. This particular model had, in fact, just appeared in the rumor last week when kopite7kimi provided the initial specs of the graphics card. Most of these specs have been confirmed by HKEPC.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will be equipped with GA102-250-KD-A1 GPU. The website reports on the 10496 CUDA core count (we were unable to confirm this part of the leak yet). The graphics card would also feature 20GB of GDDR6X memory (the memory speed is currently unknown) across a 320-bit interface. The TGP of the RTX 3080 Ti is estimated at 320W, which is the same value as for RTX 3080 non-Ti. The site reports that 3080 Ti will lack the NVLINK connector. The board number of the RTX 3080 Ti is PG133 SKU 15 (RTX 3080 uses the same board design).

We have been able to partially confirm this rumor just today. Such SKU does exist on the most recent roadmap. However, please do note the roadmaps do change when manufacturers adjust their plans to better target competitor’s offers. We have already seen such an adjustment with RTX 3080 20GB graphics card, which was eventually scrapped.

At the rate things are going, some of the ones waiting to buy a 3080 may be able to get a 3080Ti instead.

I was watching Apple's press event regarding their new Apple M1 chip that they are putting into the PCs/Laptops. God the entire presentation was one big trigger. Imagine having a consumer base that doesn't care about proper comparisons and will just buy whatever is next. Funny af. Look at these slides:





Throughout the entire press event, there was zero indication of what they were comparing their numbers to... Very Cool Apple. Also Jesus the Macbooks have ugly bezels these days.

when have they ever?

Apple could sell a polished turd and people would still buy it, because Apple is cool (or whatever term you want to use) and if you don't have it you're no one.

I wonder if that M1 chip is using A14 cores or bigger designed cores. The charts are probably accurate, A14 has about 1.6x higher ipc than zen3. But only 18-20 hours battery time? I was expecting more. And for Gpu, amd still using vega as igpu and intel igpu is still bad.

The new Yakuza runs a bit like crap. At 1440p it can't even hit stable 60fps on my 1080. Turned it down to 1080p and still can't get it to run smoothly at 120fps. I may need to buy a GPU RIGHT NOW or else I'm not gonna be able to enjoy it. I compromised now on locked 1440p60. Can't play unlocked without g-sync. Feels very sad to play like that.

Yakuza 0 does not look really worse but runs smoothly at 1440p120 Ultra.