Here are the Monday news... without actual news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam's Top 10

There was only one person in the world playing Babylon's Fall on PC earlier this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/there-was-only-one-person-in-the-world-playing-babylons-fall-on-pc-earlier-this-week/
First noticed by VGC News, SteamCharts shows that the worldwide concurrent player count on PC for Babylon's Fall, the embattled live service game by Square Enix and Platinum Games, fell to just one player on Tuesday night, before stabilizing to its more typical but still anemic 20-50 concurrent players.
Player counts are not the end-all be-all of a game's health. They ebb and flow, with inevitable peaks at launch or the release of an expansion and contractions during dry spells of new content. That being said, it's alarming to see a live service game by a long-established publisher and well-liked developer reach such a critical level just two months after launch.

GOG has three new flash deals, a new Weekly Sale and wto returning sales:

• The first flash deal is the Shadowrun Trilogy, 80% off during 46 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/shadowrun_trilogy
• The second flash deal is EVERSPACE, 85% off until Wednesday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/everspace
• The third flash deal is Deus Ex GOTY Edition, 86% off until May 11: https://www.gog.com/en/game/deus_ex
• The Worms franchise sale, with up to 80% discounts, will last another 4 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20220506_worms
• The Focus Home Interactive Sale will last another 6 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/202205_focus_entertainment
• And the new Weekly Sale features games about Zombies and other monsters up to 90% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20220509_weekly_sale

Steam has two new deals:

• The new daily deal is Late Shift, 55% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/584980/Late_Shift/
• And Hydroneer will be 30% off until May 15: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1106840/Hydroneer/

We can find three deals at Humble:

• Humble Bundle has a new Best of Kalypso Bundle, featuring up to 12 games to get during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/kalypso-hits
• And at the Humble Store we find two new deals:
  • The Spring Sale has begun! Check it out to find deals from lots of publishers up to 90% off during a couple of weeks: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/spring-sale-2022/
  • And there's a flash deal featuring Crusader Kings 3 with a 45% discount during 26 hours: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/crusader-kings-3-spring-sale-flash-storm/

And at Fanatical, we find two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Complete Edition, 58% off during the next 24 hours. The keys are, of course, for Steam: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/assassin-s-creed-valhalla-complete-edition
• The May Madness Event is now live! Check the deals from here
• And, as with all their Sales/events, there's a new way to earn rewards or prizes, including a free Elden Ring copy. Learn more from here: https://www.fanatical.com/en/blog/learn-more-about-the-may-madness-bonus-scratchcard

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Someone is remaking Need for Speed Underground 2 in Unreal Engine 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/someone-is-remaking-need-for-speed-underground-2-in-unreal-engine-4/
Need for Speed fans, here is something special for you today. YouTube’s ‘Ivan Novozhilov’ is currently remaking Need for Speed Underground 2 in Unreal Engine 4, and below you can find a video featuring 10 minutes of gameplay footage from it.
Contrary to most of the other Unreal Engine remakes we’ve shared, this one actually feels like a proper remake. In other words, it features proper gameplay mechanics. Players can drive cars, power slide, and destroy various objects. Hell, there is also a weather system, as well as music from both the Underground games.
Unfortunately, there isn’t currently any way to download this NFSU2 Remake. And, given how good this already looks, we are afraid that EA will immediately shut it down.
>> Let's hope EA doesn't kill it, because it looks very good.

Super Mario 64 gets closer to the looks of its 90s CG artworks on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/super-mario-64-gets-closer-to-the-looks-of-its-90s-cg-artworks-on-pc/
The Render96 team has shared a trailer, showcasing a new mod that attempts to make the unofficial PC port of Super Mario 64 look like its 90s CG artworks. This mod will transform the looks of the game, and consider a must-have for everyone that has already played the SM64.
Going into more details, Render96 is a free-to-play fan modification for Super Mario 64. The goal of this project is to match the game’s promotional artwork during the late 1990s. The team has recreated every model and asset was using images found online from the Nintendo 64 era.

Duke Nukem Forever 2001 build may be leaked in June
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/duke-nukem-forever-2001-build-may-be-leaked-in-june/
It appears that some people have gotten their hands on the 2001 build of Duke Nukem Forever and may release it in June. According to a 4chan leak, we can expect to be playing this canceled version of Duke Nukem Forever next month.
As you know, we rarely cover leaks originating from 4chan. This time, though, the leaker provided a lot of very convincing information, screenshots and a video. Thus, this appears to be a legit leak.

Modders are turning Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord into an RTS
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/modders-are-turning-mount-and-blade-2-bannerlord-into-an-rts/
A work in progress mod called Age of Bannerlords is ambitious, to say the least, turning Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord into a full-featured RTS complete with base building, unit production, and resource gathering. At the same time, it retains Bannerlord's bones, so you can jump into combat at the ground level and control your units in a third-person melee.
Modder Bloc has been working on the mod on and off in their free team, and the building models are by modder modeleers FoozleMcDoozle and Errayn. "All the buildings are created by these two talented lads," said Bloc.

Finally, keyhole-peeping comes to Skyrim
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/finally-keyhole-peeping-comes-to-skyrim/
There was a time, back in the early 2000s, where it felt like I spent a good chunk of my gaming time sticking my face onto oversized keyholes and snooping on whatever was on the other side. In stealth-focused games like Hitman and Splinter Cell, there was something wonderfully clandestine about monitoring enemy patrols or eavesdropping on conversations on the other side of a door. Outside of the occasional moment where an enemy would open the door right as I bent down to look through, keyhole-peeping was a slick if small booster of stealth immersion.
Now, finally, the venerable stealth mechanic has arrived in Skyrim, courtesy of the Take a Peek mod by JaySerpa. It works much like you'd expect it to, creating an animation for your character crouching in front of a door before the camera fades into a keyhole-framed view of what's on the other side. Your camera movement and field of view will of course be limited, though you can adjust these in the mod configuration menu.

The Monday gaming news:

GAMING NEWS

CCP is still trying to make the EVE Online FPS happen
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ccp-is-still-trying-to-make-the-eve-online-fps-happen/
It is 2013, and CCP is trying to make the EVE Online FPS. It is 2018, and CCP is trying to make the EVE Online FPS. It is now 2022, and CCP is still, stubbornly, trying to make the EVE Online FPS.

Former Blizzard and Riot developers tease 'whimsical, pop-apocalyptic fantasy' MOBA
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/former-blizzard-and-riot-developers-tease-whimsical-pop-apocalyptic-fantasy-moba/
Theorycraft Games, a studio made up of many developers who previously worked on games like League of Legends, Valorant, Destiny, and Overwatch, has dropped the first concept art for its new MOBA-inspired, team-based, competitive game codenamed Loki.

Sony says it won't make Bungie games exclusive, but the FTC may not be convinced
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/sony-says-it-wont-make-bungie-games-exclusive-but-the-ftc-may-not-be-convinced/
Sony's acquisition of Destiny 2 studio Bungie may have hit a speedbump, as The Information reports that the US Federal Trade Commission has launched an "in-depth investigation" of the deal.

WWE is working on something 'in the roleplaying game space'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/wwe-is-working-on-something-in-the-roleplaying-game-space/
On a WWE earnings call this week, chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon expressed the company's commitment to videogames, including its pursuit of a project "in the roleplaying game space."

Double Fine joins Bungie in standing up for women's healthcare rights, calls for donations to pro-choice orgs
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/double-fine-joins-bungie-in-standing-up-for-womens-healthcare-rights/
Psychonauts studio Double Fine Productions has joined Bungie in expressing support for "essential healthcare rights" for women following the leak of a drafting ruling earlier this week that revealed US Supreme Court plans to overturn Roe v Wade later this year.

Star Citizen is doing 'bedsheet deformation' physics now, because of course it is
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/star-citizen-is-doing-bedsheet-deformation-physics-now-because-of-course-it-is/
Star Citizen has been in development for well over a decade now, during which time it has raised more than $450 million in crowdfunding, and if you're wondering why it's still in an alpha state after all that time and money, the latest update from developer Cloud Imperium Games might hold a clue.

Brutal survival RPG Outward has a definitive edition this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/brutal-survival-rpg-outward-has-a-definitive-edition-this-month/
Surprising and unique 2019 survival RPG Outward has a definitive edition coming, complete with a few upgrades. Outward: Definitive Edition will release on May 17, 2022, and will include DLCs The Soroboreans and The Three Brothers as well as "completely new additions."

Indie roguelike Shotgun King takes chess and adds hot lead and a grudge
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/indie-roguelike-shotgun-king-takes-chess-and-adds-hot-lead-and-a-grudge/
Shotgun King seems deceptively simple and silly on the surface: take the king from the so-called game of kings and replace his armies with a boomstick. The funny premise belies a supremely addictive turn-based roguelike, one of the best to come around in a while.

Lost Ark is getting its first legion raid and more modern clothes this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/lost-ark-is-getting-its-first-legion-raid-and-more-modern-clothes-this-month/
Fashion-forward Korean MMO Lost Ark is infamous for its legion raids, endgame activities in which teams of players have to work together through complicated multi-phase boss fights. April's roadmap suggested a "tentative" May release for the first Legion Raid, against the demon commander Valtan, which has now been confirmed by Amazon Games.

D&D board game Tomb of Annihilation is being pulled from Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/dandd-board-game-tomb-of-annihilation-is-being-pulled-from-steam/
From 2010 through to 2019, Wizards of the Coast published a string of co-op board games using rules called the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure System. Each was essentially a stripped-down D&D adventure you could finish in a couple of hours. Most were based on existing D&D modules both old and new, like Castle Ravenloft, Temple of Elemental Evil, and Tomb of Annihilation. That last one was adapted into the videogame Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation by BKOM Studios and released on Steam in 2017.
Unfortunately, licencing agreements being what they are, BKOM Studios has announced that Tomb of Annihilation will be delisted from Steam on May 20. "While it will no longer be possible to acquire the game or any of the additional content on that date," the developer explains, "players who have the game in their Steam library will still be able to play it and enjoy all of its content."

Vampire Survivors gets heavy metal in 0.5.2 update
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/vampire-survivors-gets-heavy-metal-in-052-update/
Vampire Survivors developer poncle has continued its tradition of dropping updates on a Sunday, with version 0.5.2 coming today and adding a a few new toys and treasures to futz with in your journey to eat chicken off the floor and maybe one day find an actual vampire.

Mining sandbox Hydroneer now has multiplayer, vehicles, and an optimized code rework
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/mining-sandbox-hydroneer-now-has-multiplayer-vehicles-and-an-optimized-code-rework/
Big ol' mining sandbox Hydroneer has gotten... significantly bigger. The release of the 2.0 updated today, Sunday May 8th 2022, adds split-screen coop, Steam Remote Play, hundreds of new items, and a wholly new vehicle system. it also adds two new areas to the world. Perhaps most impressive, the update is a complete rework of Hydroneer's underlying code, putting it on steadier ground for further optimization, new gameplay features, and multiplayer.

Neon boomer shooter Reaver lets you sail through the air with weapon recoil
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/neon-boomer-shooter-reaver-lets-you-sail-through-the-air-with-weapon-recoil/
I had plenty of fun with the demo for the indie shooter, Reaver, but I knew it was special when I tried to load up Ghostwire: Tokyo immediately afterward and found it painfully, glacially slow. Speed isn't everything, but I found myself craving the unlimited wall jumps and recoil-fueled propulsion of this neon shooter.

Apex PC cheaters are somehow getting into console lobbies and wrecking face
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/apex-pc-cheaters-are-somehow-getting-into-console-lobbies-and-wrecking-face/
FNATIC player Revengeful was recently streaming Apex Legends when his squad came across a cheater who had clearly forked-out for the premium package. Most remarkably, Revengeful was playing on console and the cheater was playing on PC (you can tell platform in Apex from a little icon on the death screen.)

Intel Arc A370M has been tested by PCWorld, small ‘Alchemist’ with GeForce RTX 3050 performance

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-arc-a370m-has-been-tested-by-pcworld-small-alchemist-with-geforce-rtx-3050-performance

Now take these results with a grain of salt because: "These tests were performed on Intel Arc A370M reference laptops located at Intel’s Jones Farm campus. The Intel reference platforms and HP Spectre x360 16 were set to “performance” power management, while the Acer Nitro 5 was at its default setting."

But overall, it is about where I was thinking it should be if Intel wants to compete with Nvidia/AMD's current crop of GPUs. Hell it's even performing competitively in Metro Exodus Enhanced which is a Ray Tracing title.

AMD Phoenix RDNA3 iGPU could be as fast as the slowest GeForce RTX 3060 mobile GPU

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-phoenix-rdna3-igpu-could-be-as-fast-as-the-slowest-geforce-rtx-3060-mobile-gpu#disqus_thread

NVIDIA & AMD GPU Pricing Update For May 2022: GeForce Graphics Cards Now 14% Over MSRP, Radeon at Just 6% Over MSRP

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-amd-gpu-pricing-update-for-may-2022-geforce-graphics-cards-now-14-over-msrp-radeon-at-just-6-over-msrp/

Personally speaking, I have seen the top end Nvidia and AMD GPUs even going on sale below MSRP.

https://www.reddit.com/r/bapcsalescanada/comments/uftoh3/gigabyte_geforce_rtx_3080_ti_gaming_oc_12g/

Steam Deck Gets Even Better: 40-60Hz Support, VRS, Refined Acoustics - Tested!

The fan noise improvements is actually insane. You can play Crysis with a 30 fps cap and the Steam Deck will be silent. The only time fan now ramps up is if it really needs it. The thermals obviously take a hit but it is still with in the thermal headroom of the SoC. The 40hz refresh rate is also interesting as Insomniac also added this feature into their PS5 games. I think other than the issues I had with emulation and audio crackling issues, Valve has managed to fix all of my complaints in about 2 months. Pretty impressive how they listened to their customers and provided fast software updates.

The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth Goes Official

https://wccftech.com/the-lord-of-the-rings-heroes-of-middle-earth-goes-official/

"The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth is a Turn-Based RPG Coming to Mobile Devices"

Because S-E didn't have enough with one, here's another:

I think we have to talk about this $730 twerking Tifa statue
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/tifa-jack-o-statue-final-fantasy-7/

It's Friday afternoon, which means I was so close to ending the week without seeing a horny statue of Final Fantasy 7's Tifa Lockhart on the internet. But thanks to a viral tweet from VTuber D Piddy, I have now seen a horny statue of Final Fantasy 7's Tifa Lockhart—from several angles—and it's so absurd I have to share this cursed knowledge with the world before it fully consumes me. 

(...)

If you want to ponder Final Fantasy lore for a moment, consider whether Tifa is in fact twerking on Zack's grave. We all grieve in our own ways.

Damn figures are getting detailed these days. $730 though!

I would have liked to see what the Nude option looked like but alas, they don't show it.

Too pricey for my pp.

Shot on iPho - WAIT WHAT?!

There's an Ultimate Edition which err shows off more skin, not quite nude but close enough xD But yeah super pricey.. I'd expect like a 1:5 at $700, though I wouldn't think to get one lol.

NSFW - https://www.neogaf.com/threads/whoever-made-this-tifa-ff7r-statue-only-have-one-thing-in-mind.1636222/page-6#post-266145226

Edit: Good lord. There is a nude version - https://www.reddit.com/r/animeGK/comments/ujc6qu/nsfw_confusing_ea_studio_14_ff7_jacko_tifa/

Wow Tifa's face is a lot better in the Ultimate version. I am assuming that's the advanced version then right? It's so annoying how the site doesn't show what you get with each version. Like come on...