That's what a lot of news sites are reporting it as, but that's not what it does. It simply doesn't allow Apple/Google to mandate the use of their payment processing. Which in practice would mean that they would now have to collect their cut from the publishers.

This could lead to Apple/Google having to audit those who would use an alternate payment processor to make sure they aren't being swindled.

Here's a lawyer going over the proposed law.

And here's an article where Tim Cook stated they would have to find new ways to collect their commision.

https://www.imore.com/tim-cook-says-apple-would-still-collect-commission-alternative-app-store-payments

The Thursday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

With the Games Festival over, GOG goes back to its usual business with two new sales and a new release:

• 505 Games puts its titles up to 80% off during the next 7 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/505_games_15th_anniversary
• The RPG Months kicks into gear with a Special Fantasy RPG Sale, featuring up to 90% discounts during the next 8 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/rpg_month_fantasy
• And the game Kitaria Fables launches with a 20% discount until September 16: https://www.gog.com/game/kitaria_fables

Steam has two new deals:

• The new daily deal is SD GUNDAM G GENERATION CROSS RAYS, 60% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/728530/SD_GUNDAM_G_GENERATION_CROSS_RAYS/
• And the newly released Cloud Gardens will be 10% off until September 8: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1372320/Cloud_Gardens/

Fanatical has two new sales:

• Jackbox Games Inc. puts its games up to 55% off during the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/jackbox-games-inc.
• And the 505 Games Sale brings up to 91% discounts: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/505-games

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Aliens Fireteam Elite mods add Subsurface Scattering, HBAO, FOV and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/aliens-fireteam-elite-mods-add-subsurface-scattering-hbao-fov-and-more/
Focus Home Interactive recently released Cold Iron’s Aliens Fireteam Elite, and the first mods for it have appeared online. So, today we present you two mods that add Subsurface Scattering, HBAO, better Volumetric Fog, “Whole Screen Shadows” and a FOV.
The first graphical mod comes from ‘Xayjyn’ and introduces numerous new graphics effects. This appears to be a must-have mod as it will noticeably improve the game’s visuals. At the end of the article you can find some screenshots from it.
(...)
The second mod comes from ‘gladias9’ and introduces Smart Human Companions, Extended Camera FOV, New Class Loadouts and Increased Corpse Limits.
>> Check the article for the links to those mods, both from Nexus Mods.

GAMING NEWS

Lost Ark has been delayed until 2022, Closed Beta launches on November 4th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/lost-ark-has-been-delayed-until-2022-closed-beta-launches-on-november-4th/
Smilegate RPG has just announced that Lost Ark has been delayed until 2022. According to the team, and after its Technical Alpha Testing, the game needs a lot more work so that it can launch at the high-quality bar its players deserve.

Early gameplay footage revealed for Marvel’s Midnight Suns
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/early-gameplay-footage-revealed-for-marvels-midnight-suns/
IGN has shared two trailers, showcasing some early gameplay footage from Firaxis’ upcoming tactical RPG, Marvel’s Midnight Suns. The first trailer is the game’s official gameplay reveal trailer that packs some gameplay footage and in-engine cinematics. On the other hand, the second trailer packs six minutes of narrated gameplay walkthrough.

Watch Dogs Legion will be free to play between September 3rd-5th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/watch-dogs-legion-will-be-free-to-play-between-september-3rd-5th/
Ubisoft has announced that Watch Dogs Legion will be free to play this weekend. From September 3rd and until September 5th, players will be able to play this game for free. In addition, new players can pre-load today via UPLAY or Epic Games Store.

Vigilance 2099 will be now using Unreal Engine 5, gets second teaser trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/vigilance-2099-will-be-now-using-unreal-engine-5-gets-second-teaser-trailer/
Vigilance 2099 is an indie game that I’m really looking forward to. This third-person game is heavily inspired by both Blade Runner and the cancelled PREY 2 game, and its team has just revealed that it will be now using Unreal Engine 5. Moreover, a second teaser trailer has been released, showcasing its WIP graphics and art style.

Here are 30 minutes of new PC gameplay footage from Far Cry 6
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-30-minutes-of-new-pc-gameplay-footage-from-far-cry-6/
Ubisoft has lifted the embargo for the final previews of Far Cry 6, and below you can find a video showing 30 minutes of new gameplay footage from its PC version. This video, while still compressed, is better than the previous leaked PC gameplay video we shared a couple of days ago.

eFootball 2022 releases on September 30th, first post-launch update detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/efootball-2022-releases-on-september-30th-first-post-launch-update-detailed/
Konami has announced that eFootball 2022 will be the official title for its platform’s first season, and will release on September 30th. In addition, Konami detailed its first post-launch update which will release this Autumn.

The second part of the Thursday news

Golf Club Wasteland turns a ruined Earth into a golf course for the ultra-rich
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/golf-club-wasteland-turns-a-ruined-earth-into-a-golf-course-for-the-ultra-rich/
At some point in the not-too-distant future, a global ecological catastrophe renders Earth uninhabitable. Most of humanity is wiped out; the ultra-rich manage to pack up and move to Mars. And then, after taking time to settle in, they do what comes naturally: Turn the shattered ruins of human civilization into an exclusive golf course.

Valorant's new map aims to 'rethink some entrenched design ideas' about competitive shooters
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/valorants-new-map-aims-to-rethink-some-entrenched-design-ideas-about-competitive-shooters/
Valorant has shown off a new map ahead of Episode 3 Act 2, one that hopes to fundamentally reimagine established ideas on the game's arena design.
Split between an overgrown jungle and a dusty desert, Fracture is set in Valorant's "mirror verse" which, if Star Trek has taught me anything, is a much hornier realm where all the evil versions of the game's Agents come from. The H-shaped arena starts defenders bang in the center, between two bomb sites, with attackers able to approach from either side—crossing the map quickly using rapid ziplines.

Why did no-one make a golfing roguelike set in purgatory till now?
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/why-did-no-one-make-a-golfing-roguelike-set-in-purgatory-till-now/
Chuhai Labs has announced the upcoming Cursed to Golf, and it has one of the most winningly enthusiastic trailers I've seen in a while. This is a game where the concept lands instantly. Get a load of the setup: you're a golfer killed in a freak accident just as you were about to take the winning shot in a tournament, and now have to play your way out of golfing purgatory to return to the land of the living and win that trophy. It had me at golfer tbh.

Anno 1800 kicks off a free week to mark the arrival of skyscrapers
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/anno-1800-kicks-off-a-free-week-to-mark-the-arrival-of-skyscrapers/
Anno 1800 is really good: "A compelling, if someone idiosyncratic city-builder," we called it in our 84% review. The AI players talk too much and their barks "are often totally inane," but that's only an issue because the rest of the game is so good: "A rich and sumptuous city-builder, easily the grandest and deepest Anno to date."
If that's not sufficiently convincing, you can now blow the balance of the week, and the Labor Day weekend, playing it yourself for free. Until 4 pm local time on September 6, the base game is fully free to play on Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Store, and any progress you earn will carry over to the full game if you decide to spring for it.
>> And it's 60% off to sweeten the deal.

To the Moon 3 is a tentacled time loop murder mystery, releases this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/to-the-moon-3-release-date-impostor-factory/
After being announced back in Ye Olde 2019, To the Moon 3 finally has a release date. The third game in the cult hit adventure series releases on September 30, 2021.

Paradox Interactive CEO steps down over 'differing views on the company's strategy'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/paradox-interactive-ceo-steps-down-over-differing-views-on-the-companys-strategy/
Paradox Interactive CEO Ebba Ljungerud has stepped down "due to differing views on the company's strategy going forward," the company announced today. Ljungerud's resignation will take effect immediately, although she has agreed to stay on for an unspecified period "to ensure a good handover."

This cool post-apocalyptic gardening sim is out now
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/cloud-gardens-full-release/
Whether it's in movies or the real world, there's something fascinating about man-made structures being reclaimed by nature. (...)
Cloud Gardens is a game that's all about this fascination with nature's persistence, letting you reclaim the planet one vine at a time. Even better, Cloud Gardens is also leaving Early Access with the launch of its 1.0 update today, which includes a ton of new features and levels to shrub up.

The Sable demo is back for a limited time
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-sable-demo-is-back-for-a-limited-time/
Sable is a gorgeous open world adventure game that marries the exploration of Breath of the Wild with vivid Moebius-inspired art. It received a demo back in June which Malindy loved, but if you missed it the first time around, the demo is back again.

Cookie Clicker is now on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/cookie-clicker-is-now-on-steam/
Notorious time-waster Cookie Clicker has finally arrived on Steam, threatening to immortalise how much of your fleeting time on Earth you've expended clicking virtual biscuits with Steam's time played tracker.

New Zealanders aren't happy with Call of Duty: Vanguard turning a national hero Aussie
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/new-zealanders-arent-happy-with-call-of-duty-vanguard-turning-a-national-hero-aussie/
The four heroes of Call of Duty: Vanguard's upcoming return to WW2 may not explicitly be real people. But they're pretty closely based on real people, tracking as closely as possible to the famous fighters they draw inspiration from.
Which is why it's somewhat baffling that New Zealander Charles Upham, the only man to ever be awarded two Victoria crosses, has been turned Australian in his reimagination as Vanguard's Lucas Riggs.

'Cappuccinopunk' barista sim Coffee Talk gets a standalone expansion next year
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/cappuccinopunk-barista-sim-coffee-talk-gets-a-standalone-expansion-next-year/
Fancy a cuppa, anyone? Last year's fantasy barista story Coffee Talk is returning with a new episode next year (thanks, RPS), letting you get back to serving brews to the troubled people, elves and orcs of Seattle.

New cheat device for consoles is nuts

A lot of console users have this opinion that crossplay with PC is bad because of all the cheaters in the PC space. Well all you gotta do is show them this video to show how easy it is for cheaters to cheat in the console space.

NVIDIA 510.06 WSL driver released with no GeForce GTX 700 “Kepler” support, features next-gen compiler for Ada Lovelace?

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-510-06-wsl-driver-released-with-no-geforce-gtx-700-kepler-support-features-next-gen-compiler-for-ada-lovelace

Out with the old and in with the new

Alleged European pricing of Intel 12th Gen Core “Alder Lake-S” series leaks out

https://videocardz.com/newz/alleged-european-pricing-of-intel-12th-gen-core-alder-lake-s-series-leaks-out

As usual, the gap between i7 and i9 is crazy. Most likely, "without VAT" will be the retail pricing in the US. It will be interesting to see the performance but with PCI-E 5 and DDR5, I am excited!

EVGA says it was bad soldering that killed RTX 3090 cards during Amazon’s New World gameplay

https://videocardz.com/newz/evga-says-it-was-bad-soldering-that-killed-rtx-3090-cards-during-amazons-new-world-gameplay

Nice quality control you got there Evga... On $1500+ cards! Least they are open about it and their warranty continues to be excellent. But I think Asus won this generation in terms of quality.

JPR: Graphics cards AIB market hits 11.8B USD in Q2 2021, down -2.9% from previous quarter

https://videocardz.com/press-release/jpr-graphics-cards-aib-market-hits-11-8b-usd-in-q2-2021-down-2-9-from-previous-quarter

Key word is AIB

Thanks for info. Good to know. 

You kinda have to applaud ingenuity for people who make cheats and what they come up with is insane (still can't stand cheaters though!). The hardware ones lie this especially. Like a mini PC on its own with options lol.

And Intel going for Zen 3 prices interesting and shows they have confidence in their product. Those i9 prices though...

Edit: I was looking at non VAT prices. Wth these are pricey!

Yea pretty much. I think there needs to be some sort of an authenticity check or something for consoles cause there's no way to block something like this unless Sony/MS/Nintendo can come up with a way to check for it. At best, people would need to report via kill cam but because consoles are a closed space, many may think the person is just that good when in reality, they could be using a cheat device.

Dutch prices nothing new there

Yeah a USB check or regular updates to stop devices like this since cheats like this are hard to spot even on PC. Think publishers will need to keep being proactive against cheaters including consoles. Like Activision banned over 500,00 cheaters in Warzone.

Meanwhile on CS Go its FFA for cheaters. Makes things worse when a lot of games now are F2P and cheaters can just make new accounts to play on.

Crysis Trilogy going EGS exclusive, wow what a surprise...I totally didn't see that coming.

Seeya never I guess, Crytek?.