Friday news, part two:

Blizzard bans 120K WoW Classic botters and makes it harder to roll Death Knights
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-bans-120k-wow-classic-botters-and-makes-it-harder-to-roll-death-knights/
In a post that practically vibrates with 'this is why we can't have nice things' energy, the studio announced that it has banned 120,000 "malicious accounts" in WoW Classic and is making it harder to create Death Knight characters. The change will kick in next week.

Disco Elysium gets a supercharged photo mode, free for everyone
https://www.pcgamer.com/disco-elysium-gets-a-supercharged-photo-mode-free-for-everyone/
Disco Elysium is known for its "improbable depth," as we said in our glowing 92% review/a>. (...)
It's also oddly beautiful, in a stark, bleak fashion, and if you've ever had the urge to take a break from your busted-psyche detective story so you could just do a little sightseeing, the new Collage Mode/a> added to the game in today's free update is just what you've been waiting for.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin comes to Steam with a discount next month
https://www.pcgamer.com/stranger-of-paradise-final-fantasy-origin-comes-to-steam-with-a-discount-next-month/
Everyone's favourite boys, their vibrating eggs, and their computer-destroying hair will finally cast off their Epic Games Store exclusivity next month. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will hit Steam on April 6, giving everyone who still stubbornly tries to keep their games library on a single digital shelf a shot at killing Chaos. You can see its new celebratory trailer here.

Shroud and Sacriel are making a new survival game with Splash Damage
https://www.pcgamer.com/shroud-and-sacriel-are-making-a-new-survival-game-with-splash-damage/
Twitch streamers Mike "Shroud" Grzesiek and Chris "Sacriel" Ball are partnering with Splash Damage to develop an new open-world survival-shooter that studio CEO Richard Jolly said is "truly different from anything we've done before."

The Future Games Show Spring Showcase airs next week with over 45 games
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-future-games-show-spring-showcase-airs-next-week-with-over-45-games/
Next week, the Future Games Show Spring Showcase livestream will show off a bunch of upcoming games, including zero-gravity shooter Hyenas, which we've been looking forward to (well, mostly, at least).

You can get the most underrated hidden gem of 2022 for just 6 bucks on Steam right now
https://www.pcgamer.com/you-can-get-the-most-underrated-hidden-gem-of-2022-for-just-6-bucks-and-change-on-steam-right-now/
I was absolutely enchanted by last year's DreamWild, a fast-paced, horde mode roguelike with one of my favorite art styles of any game in recent memory: A surreal, vibrant render revival that combines throwback 3D graphics with sprite-ized models and pre-rendered backdrops like a classic RPG. And right now it's the cost of a fancy cup of coffee or a sandwich of indeterminate quality!

Hyper Light Breaker trailer shows off first gameplay in 'infinite open worlds'
https://www.pcgamer.com/hyper-light-breaker-trailer-shows-off-first-gameplay-in-infinite-open-worlds/
Developer Heart Machine has unveiled its first official gameplay trailer for Hyper Light Breaker, a follow-up to 2016's beloved indie Zelda-like Hyper Light Drifter. While Breaker is a huge gameplay departure for the series, its distinctive soundscapes and visual identity seem very much intact.

After 15 years of development, the 'reactive puzzle game' Storyteller is out next week, so here's a launch trailer
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-15-years-of-development-the-reactive-puzzle-game-storyteller-is-out-next-week-so-heres-a-launch-trailer/
15 years after its first appearance, the tale-spinning puzzle game Storyteller is just one week from release. Publisher Annapurna Interactive dropped a new trailer today to tell the world that it's coming to Steam (and the Nintendo Switch, if you're into that) on March 23.

Rust developer cancels community event due to death threats
https://www.pcgamer.com/rust-event-cancelled/
Rust developer Facepunch Studios has canceled a small event that would have taken place at a coffee shop in San Francisco next week, citing "an IRL threat."
The meet and greet was set to take place near the 2023 Game Developers Conference, and was pitched by Facepunch as a chance for conference attendees and fans to meet the Rust team, share their portfolios, and "talk shop."

Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is free to keep on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/tiny-tinas-assault-on-dragon-keep-is-free-to-keep-on-steam/
Borderlands 2 character Tiny Tina proved so popular that eight years later, she received her own spin-off in the form of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. But before that, she was the focus of the Borderlands 2 DLC Assault on Dragon Keep. That expansion was offered as a standalone in 2021, to promote the then-forthcoming Wonderlands. As measly a package as that might seem, it's worth a playthrough: It was the crown jewel of Borderlands 2's expansions (which itself is the best Borderlands game), chiefly because the foul-mouthed, scrap-loving Tina is a great joy to spend time with.
Whatever the case, giving it a go is easier now, because until March 24, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is free on Steam. It's an add-to-your-account-and-keep-forever affair, so even if you don't want to play it now, think of it as an investment in your gaming future.

Dying Light studio remembers it's working on an 'exotic open world' fantasy RPG a mere 7 years after announcing it
https://www.pcgamer.com/dying-light-2-studio-remembers-its-working-on-an-exotic-open-world-fantasy-rpg-a-mere-7-years-after-announcing-it/
Hey, remember how Techland is working on a new fantasy RPG? No? Me neither! Probably because it was announced literally seven years ago at the same time as Dying Light 2, which got much more attention both from audiences and Techland itself. But I guess the company is ready to focus on the game it's had in the oven for the last near-decade.

These are the GOG and Steam deals for the weekend:
+GOG

• The first Deal of the Day is Concordia: Digital Edition, 30% off until Monday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/concordia_digital_edition
• The other 7 Deals of the Day are Syberia games/DLCs, and all will last another 70 hours:
  • Syberia is 90% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/syberia
  • Syberia II is also 90% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/syberia_2
  • Syberia 3: The Complete Journey also gets a 90% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/syberia_3_the_complete_journey
  • Syberia: The World Before gets a 60% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/syberia_the_world_before
  • The Syberia: The World Before - Deluxe Edition Upgrade add-on is 60% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/syberia_the_world_before_deluxe_edition_upgrade
  • Syberia: The World Before - Digital Deluxe Edition is also 60% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/syberia_the_world_before_digital_deluxe_edition
  • And the Syberia Anniversary Collection, with the four games, gets a 77% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/syberia_anniversary_collection
• And the Weekend Sale features up to 90% discounts during the next 3 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20220317_weekend_sale

+Steam

• Well, not much to say, is it? The Spring Sale is live and will last one week, until next Thursday, March 23rd.

And that's all folks! Until next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

Ok, here are a few hardware news to keep you entertained:

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D already listed in Europe for at least 530 euro
https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-already-listed-in-europe-for-at-least-530-euro

Intel’s 2024 Arrow Lake-S desktop CPUs to feature up to 24 cores and support DDR5-6400 memory
https://videocardz.com/newz/intels-2024-arrow-lake-s-desktop-cpus-to-feature-up-to-24-cores-and-support-ddr5-6400-memory
A rumor alleges that Intel might have changed its plans for the Meteor Lake-S CPU architecture. The product which was expected between late 2023 and early 2024 is now said to be replaced by Arrow Lake-S. (...)
What is said, however is that a 6P+16E configuration of Meteor Lake-S might indeed be canceled. The company is allegedly planning Arrow Lake-S with 8P+16E config for the new series instead, which is to launch alongside Intel’s new 800-series chipsets.

NVIDIA to release DLSS 3 Unreal Engine 5.2 plugin soon
https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-to-release-dlss-3-unreal-engine-5-2-plugin-soon
NVIDIA revealed its plans to release a Frame Generation plugin for game developers that would like to implement this technology into their software. It will be available through “NVIDIA Streamline”, which is a cross-vendor and open-source framework for integration of such technologies.
Alternatively, developers will be provided access to the Unreal Engine 5.2 DLSS3 plugin, which will be released ‘very soon’. This means that the DLSS3 plugin will arrive more than 2 years since the DLSS2 UE plugin was released.

Just when you thought PC HDR gaming couldn't possibly get more awkward this happens
https://www.pcgamer.com/just-when-you-thought-pc-hdr-gaming-couldnt-possibly-get-more-awkward-this-happens/
Are you ready for yet another battlefield in the war between AMD and Nvidia? Well, it turns out you can get very different results when driving certain HDR monitors depending on whether you are using AMD or Nvidia graphics hardware.
>> Of course! There always has to be something to make things more complicated than they should.

Samsung Preps Mass Production of Third-Generation 4 nm Chipsets, Start Date Expected Mid-2023
https://www.techpowerup.com/305916/samsung-preps-mass-production-of-third-generation-4-nm-chipsets-start-date-expected-mid-2023
In a Samsung Electronics business report released on March 12, it was revealed that the giant electronics manufacturer will begin mass production of new chips through a 4 nm 2.3-generation process. The newly established manufacturing process is set to start by the end of H1 2023, which means that mid-June would be the expected commencement date. Samsung Semiconductor has managed to produce a satisfactory yield of wafers with the new generation chipsets.
>> More competition to TSMC is better.

PC Monitor Shipments Hit Record Low in Q4 2022, But Recovery Expected in 2024, According to IDC Tracker
https://www.techpowerup.com/306058/pc-monitor-shipments-hit-record-low-in-q4-2022-but-recovery-expected-in-2024-according-to-idc-tracker
Along with the struggling PC market, PC monitor shipments contracted 18.3% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2022 (4Q22) leading to an annual decline of 5.9% for the full year 2022, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Monitor Tracker. At just over 30.5 million units, the 4Q22 results marked the lowest fourth quarter volume since IDC began tracking the market in 2008. However, the setback was expected due to the challenging macro environment, which hit both consumer and commercial demand, and the results hewed close to the forecast of a 16.2% decline in fourth quarter shipments.

SteamOS 3.5 is almost here, includes a fix for the Steam Deck's sneakiest performance bug
https://www.pcgamer.com/steamos-35-is-almost-here-includes-a-fix-for-the-steam-decks-sneakiest-performance-bug/
When a new Windows Update arrives, we tend to groan. Really, right now, Windows? What's this one going to break? Do I really need it? "Remind me later." A new version of the Linux kernel, on the other hand, always seems like a mini event in the open source community, promising exciting new features and performance improvements for the many, many devices that run Linux. The kernel is the foundational building block of Linux that the many distros like Ubuntu and Arch (which Valve's SteamOS is based on) turn into fully fledged operating systems.
The Steam Deck will soon get to share in that "new kernel day" excitement, as Valve's next big update, SteamOS 3.5, will be the first to upgrade the Linux kernel since launch. That means a bevy of good things for Steam Deck owners, though most of them you likely won't even notice.

Ok, one extra piece of hardware news that may be worth mentioning:

AMD’s Hybrid Phoenix 2 “Little Phoenix” APU With 2+4 Core Configuration Spotted
https://wccftech.com/amd-hybrid-phoenix-2-little-phoenix-apu-with-24-core-configuration-spotted/
AMD is working on its own hybrid BIG.little project which is expected to launch as the Phoenix 2 APU lineup for low-power platforms. One such configuration seems to have been spotted within the MilkyWay@Home database.

The latest SKU was spotted by @InstLatX64 within the MilkyWay@Home database. Although the APU has no name or SKU branding mentioned, it is stated that the "A70F80" CPUID belongs to a range of upcoming APUs that will be part of the Phoenix 2 family. The particular SKU features 12 threads and InstLatX64 states that this is a hybrid configuration comprising 2+4 cores. The CPU is equipped with 1 MB of cache and was tested with 16 GB of memory.

As for what AMD's Phoenix 2 project is, the upcoming hybrid design is said to feature 2 standard Zen 4 cores and at least 4 clock/power-optimized Zen 4 cores. The Zen 4 cores are essentially the same architecture but the way power is managed across them is very different. It is not like Intel's hybrid approach where the P-Core and E-Cores utilize vastly different architectures.

I'm surprised AMD has kept the multithread capabilities for the "little" cores. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

I wonder, was there a heterogeneous computing solution in the CPU space predating the Cell Broadband Engine in the PS3? Talking about a pure CPU solution only here, so not counting integrated graphics or dedicated hardware. I know it came six years before ARM came up with big.LITTLE.

As for the Arrow Lake rumors, since there's about a one percent chance Intel will get 2 nm ready in 2024, I think it's far more Meteor Lake will still release by that timeframe even if some products were canceled. Unless, of course, AL-S moved to 4 nm, or 4 nm has huge issues at HP like dismal clocks that makes them just release mobile and ditch ML-S altogether...

I didn't even know that the Cell could be described as a heterogeneous CPU.

As for Intel and its Arrow & Meteor Lake chips, well, it's up to anyone's guess if they'll be able to deliver or not. Sadly, their track record isn't very good as of late, so we can't take their announcements as statements, but rather estimates.

For what's worth, they announced that they had tapped out their 1.8 and 2nm processes a few days ago, althought development is still necessary: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-completes-development-of-18a-20a-nodes

By the way, I didn't see it yesterday and, therefore, didn't put it in the news, but Fanatical gives away the game Chenso Club if you join their newsletter: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/chenso-club

Not a chance things go back the easy way, especially since it's money we're talking about. Whenever there are money problems high enough up the chain, they'll always get covered up and patched for the time being, only to get patched later again, unless someone rich screwed someone else rich over, then they might make an example of them and ruin them.

There's only the hard way now. Whether consumers fix it by purposely standing together and refusing to buy, leading to big enough losses that shareholders bail out in droves, at least the worst short game holders, which forces the company to smarten up, for a time, or whether things have to actually crash, hurting the (stock) markets bad enough that they finally are forced to change for the better, the hard way is the way it get's fixed.

That or pray for a true revolution when it comes to GPU chip design and manufacturing, and pray hard.

I suppose it's possible these nodes are just a refined Intel 4 in GAAFET, which would make them a lot like Samsung's 3 nm (and place TSMC/Samsung's 2 nm actually half a node ahead of Intel's 20/18A).

Still, that's one hell of a tight timeline, especially for HP. If this is an early tape out design as the article suggests then it could be in risk production for a while.

Cydra-5? Was basically VLIW.
Done in the 80s.

Here the problem, every single gamer could decide to stop buying Nvidia GPUs today and they still have a decent chance to have record profits over the next couple years.  With all the Hype around ChatGPT 4 and the many start up we starting to see with tons of money to spend that entire business model relies on licensing the use of ChatGPT and other AI models, the demand for NVidia expensive AI focus GPUs going to sky rocket.

All signs pointing to over the next couple years AI going to become a much bigger way of how businesses' operate.  Some of the recent Microsoft Copilot demos been impressive and it only going to get better and NVidia is in the best position to provide the GPU to run these AI models.

Just look at articles like

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/microsoft-explains-thousands-nvidia-gpus-built-chatgpt/

This looking to be even more profitable and more sustainable for NVidia then the mining boom.