The Monday news, the long part two:

Two of the best adventure games of the '90s that you never played are getting remasters
https://www.pcgamer.com/two-of-the-best-adventure-games-of-the-90s-that-you-never-played-are-getting-remasters/
Little Big Adventure, or Relentless: Twinsen's Adventure outside of Europe, blew my tiny freaking mind in 1994. (...)
It was a big deal in Europe, and was followed up by a sequel a few years later, but apparently nobody gave two shits about it across the Atlantic. (...)
This mistake can soon be rectified, thankfully, as both games are getting a remaster makeover courtesy of developer [2.21], which is also working on a third game in the series.

How much sex will you have in Starfield? 'None,' says the Australian government
https://www.pcgamer.com/how-much-sex-will-you-have-in-starfield-none-says-the-australian-government/
In space, no one can hear you scream. And in Starfield, no one can hear you having sex. That's because, according to Australia's' Classification Board—the agency responsible for rating videogames and other entertainment media in the country—there is no sex to be had in that particular dark void of space.

Yu Suzuki wants to sell you Virtua Fighter JPEGs because NFTs refuse to die
https://www.pcgamer.com/yu-suzuki-wants-to-sell-you-virtua-fighter-jpegs-because-nfts-refuse-to-die/
Yu Suzuki, the legendary ex-Sega game designer who has yet to be apprehended for his role in creating the Shenmue series, has gotten a new gig. VGC reports that Suzuki has partnered up with Oasyx, "an NFT project developed on the Oasys gaming blockchain," to produce a series of covetable JPEGs based around the Virtua Fighter series, which he created.
>> Will people still fall for this? Sadly, yes.

Destiny players are gathering in the Tower to pay last respects to Lance Reddick
https://www.pcgamer.com/destiny-players-are-gathering-in-the-tower-to-pay-last-respects-to-lance-reddick/
Actor Lance Reddick had an impressive career in film and television, but to gamers he's likely best known as Commander Zavala, the Titan Vanguard in the Destiny games. It was a role he embraced, and not just within the development studio: He was known for his appreciation of both the game (he played himself) and its fans, and made an awful lot of them very happy in 2021 when they asked him to read Destiny 2 memes in Zavala's voice—and he said "yes."
Reddick's devotion to Destiny 2 and its community made him a fan favorite, and following the report of his death earlier today, players have been gathering in the tower to pay their respects to the man and the character he portrayed: Zavala, the taciturn father figure of the Tower.

First Kerbal Space Program 2 patch fixes a mountain of bugs
https://www.pcgamer.com/first-kerbal-space-program-2-patch-fixes-a-mountain-of-bugs/
In what is perhaps the only situation which you should be excited about the phrase "a mountain of bugs," Intercept Games has released the first big patch for Kerbal Space Program 2. The situation being, of course, that "a mountain of bugs" is prefaced with "fixed."

This upcoming FPS had me at 'fully simulated centrifugal gravity space station level'
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-upcoming-fps-had-me-at-fully-simulated-centrifugal-gravity-space-station-level/
The devs behind Fortune's Run, an upcoming shooter/immersive sim that looks like a grungier The Fifth Element and plays like Jedi Knight at 1.5x speed, just announced a July-September early access release window with a fly-through of one of its early levels. This "ridiculously huge, fully simulated centrifugal gravity space station" features a fully-modeled exterior set against the void of space, and strikes me as a fascinating departure from the game's demo level, Trouble at Club V'heni.

Monster Train dev's unique turn-based action RPG releases this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/monster-train-devs-unique-turn-based-action-rpg-releases-this-week/
The developers of hit deckbuilder Monster Train are gearing up to release their next game: Inkbound, a unique turn-based RPG that's designed to play fluidly either cooperative or solo by using many of the same tricks as action RPGs and MOBAs. Outside of combat players move freely, while inside it they move around and toss out attacks freely on their turn before the enemies take a shot.

Vermintide 2 is getting another free level
https://www.pcgamer.com/vermintide-2-is-getting-another-free-level/
Fatshark promised to have a team continue working on Vermintide 2 alongside development of Darktide, and has stuck to that promise. In November it added a new level called Trail of Treachery for free alongside a collection of premium cosmetics called Absent Friends, and a patch that addressed a couple of outstanding bugs and brought Vermintide 2's hefty download size down by 25 GB.
The party continues with Tower of Treachery, another free map that will continue the story begun in Trail of Treachery. (...)

Here's a narrative sci-fi adventure about exploring a (literally) broken world
https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-a-narrative-sci-fi-adventure-about-exploring-a-literally-broken-world/
A new narrative sci-fi adventure RPG called Sky of Tides will release later this year, having players explore a world called Numen where a looming war threatens to upend protagonist Rin's life. It's an atmospheric, isometric viewpoint world that seems to rely on both the tropes of classic isometric RPGs and the language of branching visual novels.

Check the demo for towering city builder Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles
https://www.pcgamer.com/check-the-demo-for-towering-city-builder-bulwark-falconeer-chronicles/
Developer Tomas Sala's upcoming Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles has a proof-of-concept demo out now, letting you get a taste of the combination of city-builder and open-world exploration it promises to be. The demo is billed as an "evolving demo", a kind of open development intended to update over time as new features are added to Bulwark during its development.

Total War makers open a third development studio
https://www.pcgamer.com/total-war-makers-open-a-third-development-studio/
Creative Assembly has announced the formation of a new studio based in Newcastle. It will be the Sega-owned Total War and Alien: Isolation developer's third studio after its Sussex, UK and Sofia, Bulgaria locations. The new studio will be called Creative Assembly North, or CA North, and will house a flexible team initially working on an unannounced project alongside the main CA studio in Sussex.

Valve's slow burn trolling of Counter-Strike fans continues with reveal of 'CS2' trademark
https://www.pcgamer.com/valves-slow-burn-trolling-of-counter-strike-fans-continues-with-reveal-of-cs2-trademark/
The Counter-Strike community has, for the last month or so, been convinced that a miracle is on the horizon. Exactly what that miracle will be is not yet clear, but the belief in a new version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive using Valve's current Source 2 engine is strong, and equally so is the belief in a whole new version of the game, Counter-Strike 2. I mean, it would actually be Counter-Strike 5 or 6 depending on how you count them, but let's run with it.

Disco Elysium studio declares 'resolution' of legal battle while two of its ousted founders insist the fight continues: 'they will not silence us'
https://www.pcgamer.com/disco-elysium-studio-declares-resolution-of-legal-battle-while-two-of-its-ousted-founders-insist-the-fight-continues-they-will-not-silence-us/
On March 14, Eurogamer and GamesIndustry.biz reported on a ZA/UM press release that declared the resolution of its legal dispute with founding member and Disco Elysium producer Kaur Kender, while also indicating that Disco Elysium project lead Robert Kurvitz and lead artist Aleksander Rostov's wrongful termination suit was dismissed over lack of evidence. Since then, Kurvitz and "Sander Taal" (GamesIndustry.biz indicates that this is a pseudonym used by Rostov) have responded, stating that they will continue to pursue legal action. Meanwhile, ZA/UM released Disco Elysium's first content update since December 2021's "Jamais Vu" patch.

Disco Elysium fans blast 'absolutely demonic' ZA/UM execs for new photo mode: 'it wasn't enough to rob the creators of their own work, you had to turn it into this meme ridden sludge, too'
https://www.pcgamer.com/disco-elysium-fans-blast-absolutely-demonic-zaum-execs-for-new-photo-mode-it-wasnt-enough-to-rob-the-creators-of-their-own-work-you-had-to-turn-it-into-this-meme-ridden-sludge-too/
Disco Elysium got an unexpected addition last week: A brand-new Collage Mode that lets you arrange the game's characters however you like, add stickers and custom text, and generally build a whole scrapbook of snaps.
But what might initially seem like a novel, harmless add-on has gone down like a lead balloon with a lot of fans, who see it as a hamfisted attempt by ZA/UM to distract players from the ongoing and bitter legal conflict between Disco Elysium's departed lead creatives—Robert Kurvitz, Helen Hindpere, and Alexander Rostov—and the company's current leadership, whom the former lead devs accuse of using funds "stolen" from ZA/UM to actually buy out ZAUM from under them. Company CEO Ilmar Kompus, and others named by the former lead devs, deny the accusations, but plenty of fans back Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere to the hilt.

The next Meat Boy game parodies a '90s Sonic spinoff
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-next-meat-boy-game-parodies-a-90s-sonic-spinoff/
Everyone loves Meat Boy, though sadly our fleshy friend is now one of those characters that floats free of its creator, Edmund McMillen, who happily signed the rights away to Super Meat Boy co-creator Tommy Refenes. The 2010 platformer was almost universally praised and became a breakout hit, though the sequel Super Meat Boy Forever wouldn't appear until 2020 and… well, it just didn't quite have the joy.
If the games showed us anything though, it's that Meat Boy takes a pounding (and a slicing and a burning) and comes bouncing right back. The new game Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine, however, is moving away from the platforming and is basically parodying a Sonic spinoff from the 90s. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine was itself a re-jigged version of the classic Puyo Puyo, and this basically looks like a contemporary version of those puzzling mechanics with lots of drills, saws, and various other implements messing around in the playing area.

One year on, there have been more deaths in Elden Ring than there are people living on Earth
https://www.pcgamer.com/one-year-on-there-have-been-more-deaths-in-elden-ring-than-there-are-people-living-on-earth/
Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco has released a bunch of stats to celebrate the game's first anniversary and, presumably, to taunt us all about how bad we are at it. There have been more deaths thanks to the game's myriad hazards than there are people currently alive on Earth, which seems like a not-great record, and nearly six billion attempts to take down its various bosses, most of which failed miserably.

Here are some hardware news (some but not many. I'm lazy today)

AMD officially delays Ryzen 7040HS “Phoenix” laptops until April
https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-officially-delays-ryzen-7040hs-phoenix-laptops-until-april

That's bad, but we have leaks:

AMD Ryzen 7 7840U low-power Phoenix APU spotted, could be faster than last-gen 6900HX
https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-7-7840u-low-power-phoenix-apu-spotted-could-be-faster-than-last-gen-6900hx
>> At least in Cinebench R23.

ASUS releases early AMD X670/B650 BIOS updates with 24/48 GB DDR5 memory support
https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-releases-early-amd-x670-b650-bios-updates-with-24-48-gb-ddr5-memory-support
>> AMD goes back on par with Intel's 13th Gen (I'm not sure if the 12th Gen CPUs can deal with this configuration)

Gigabyte confirms GeForce RTX 4070 with 12GB memory and RTX 4060 featuring 8GB
https://videocardz.com/newz/gigabyte-confirms-geforce-rtx-4070-with-12gb-memory-and-rtx-4060-featuring-8gb

>> 12 and 8GB. It's one step forward and one step back.

And Linus has tested one of the new Gen5 SSD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnMMtbVP0ps

Awesome sequential results, but the random ones are almost the same as the ones you'll get from a good Gen4 drive.

These hybrid chips will probably come for the ultra-low power chips, as in, below 15W TDP. AMD is still using Zen1 chips here, only late last year did Mendocino (Athlon 7120U 2c/2t & 7220U 2c/4t) come out, which brought Zen 2 into that domain. Unaltered, Zen3 and 4 have too many cores for those low power figures, so this is probably their way forward for that segment.

The Tuesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

15 hidden gems to grab before the end of the Steam Spring Sale
https://www.pcgamer.com/steam-spring-sale-2023-hidden-gems/
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in! Barely three months after my winter sale roundup, they start slashing prices again. Good thing there’s a seemingly boundless well of cool and obscure games from the past year just waiting to be featured, and I’m just the man to find them.
The rest of the PC Gamer crew got together like some kind of bargain-hunting Voltron to assemble this list of the big must-haves and better-known indies from the current Spring sale. For those looking for something a little weirder and wilder, here’s 15 that you’ve probably never heard of but are no less worthy of your time, attention and money. All of the below games are undersold and were released in the past year. Most are on the shorter side, but boundless and overstuffed open worlds are what AAA is for, right?
>> Who knows, you may find a game you didn't know about that you may like.

GOG has decided to play with us and has added three more Deals of the Day. They will end tomorrow, like the other 9 that launched yesterday:

• Demons Roots is 15% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/demons_roots
• Sensible World of Soccer 96/97 gets a 79% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/sensible_world_of_soccer_9697
• And the deal for Alien: Isolation is 82%: https://www.gog.com/en/game/alien_isolation

The Humble Store has a new Story Rich Sale, with up to 90% discounts. Most deals will last 6 days, but others will end sooner than that. There are keys for Steam, GOG and EGS (2): https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/story-rich-sale/.

Fanatical has launched the LAST 24 hours Flash Deals and a new bundle. Check them out:

• The first flash deal is UNCHARTED™: Legacy of Thieves Collection, 42% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection
• King Arthur: Knight's Tale gets a 50% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/king-arthur-knights-tale
• Sniper Elite 5 - Deluxe Edition is also 50% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/sniper-elite-5-deluxe-edition
• The fourth, and last, flash deal is Chernobylite Enhanced Edition, with a 62% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/chernobylite-enhanced-edition
• The new bundle is the No Mercy Bundle, with 5 games and a 93% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/no-mercy-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Fallout London, Fallout 4’s DLC-sized Mod, gets a new development video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/fallout-london-fallout-4s-dlc-sized-mod-gets-a-new-development-video/
Team FOLON has released the first 2023 development video for its upcoming DLC-sized mod for Fallout 4, Fallout London. This video showcases a couple of new weapons, new art assets, new vehicles, and some new locations.
Fallout: London is an ambitious DLC-sized mod that brings the player into the nuclear apocalypse all the way to the doorsteps of Parliament. This is a Total Conversion mod that aims to encapsulate the gritty, adventurous nature of the Fallout games with a new world, factions, storylines, NPCs, weapons, creatures, and much more.
>> It's a 12 minutes long video.

Modder creates tribute to their Elder Scrolls-loving mum so 'she can live on in every adventure I take in Tamriel'
https://www.pcgamer.com/modder-creates-tribute-to-their-elder-scrolls-loving-mum-so-she-can-live-on-in-every-adventure-i-take-in-tamriel/
A modder named VIIVII has created a trio of mods in tribute to their departed, Elder Scrolls-loving mum. The In Memory of my Mom mods for Skyrim, Oblivion, and Morrowind add protective shrines to each game that confer a few buffs to your health, magicka, stamina, or stats. They are very slight things indeed, but I'm afraid to say their emotional impact on me specifically is pretty much equivalent to a meteor strike.
"My mom Teneele passed away in January," reads the description on all three mod pages, "She was only 46 and in that time I have been trying to cope with the fact she is gone". They decided that one way to do that would be to honour her memory in some of "the games she introduced me to."
VIIVII has made a few mods before, but enlisted help from Elder Scrolls modding forums to figure out how to do what they wanted to do properly. Once they'd figured it out, they added a set of shrines to the games' starting areas, each one accompanied by a tablet that "just says she can live on in every adventure I take in Tamriel." The shrines' placement is very deliberate: VIIVII says that "Since my Mom always suffered from a severe case of restartitis," they placed the shrines close to each game's beginning.

GAMING NEWS

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor gets an official story trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/star-wars-jedi-survivor-gets-an-official-story-trailer/
Electronic Arts has released the official story trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. This trailer also packs some in-engine sequences, so it can give you a glimpse at the game’s graphics.

Here are all the tweaks and fixes for Dying Light 2’s March 20th Patch
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/here-are-all-the-tweaks-and-fixes-for-dying-light-2s-march-20th-patch/
Techland has just released a new small update for Dying Light 2: Stay Human on PC. This patch will update your game version to 1.9.4, and you can find below all of its changes, tweaks and fixes.

Halo Infinite’s latest patch prevents owners of GPUs with less than 4GB of VRAM to play the game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/halo-infinites-latest-patch-prevents-owners-of-gpus-with-less-than-4gb-of-vram-to-play-the-game/
343 Industries has recently released a new patch for Halo: Infinite that prevents PC gamers of specific GPUs to launch it. So, if you have a GPU that has less than 4GB of VRAM, you should know that you can no longer play the game. Yes, even if previously you were able to, the game’s latest update will prevent you from even starting it.

The second part of the Tuesday news:

Life By You aims to be 'one of the most moddable and open life-simulation games' ever made
https://www.pcgamer.com/life-by-you-aims-to-be-one-of-the-most-moddable-and-open-life-simulation-games-ever-made/
Paradox Interactive teased a new open-world Sims-alike called Life By You earlier this month, with the promise of a fuller reveal set for a livestream on March 20. Today is the day, and we've now got a clearer picture of what's in store: Paradox says that Life By You will be "one of the most moddable and open life-simulation games" ever made.

How deep was Deus Ex's simulation? A literal piece of paper could set off a laser trap
https://www.pcgamer.com/how-deep-was-deus-exs-simulation-a-literal-piece-of-paper-could-set-off-a-laser-trap/
Deus Ex, there's a reason we all still bang on about it after all these years. I love you Adam Jensen, and I'm sorry your girlfriend did human experiments on you and gave you robot arms, but you just can't compare to my man JC. Case and point: an absolutely ludicrous bit of simulationist detail shared on Twitter by streamer StickmanSham.

Diablo 4 players react to the beta test: 'Seems to be Blizzard back in their old form'
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4-players-react-to-the-beta-test-seems-to-be-blizzard-back-in-their-old-form/
The Diablo 4 early access beta that ran this weekend got off to an entirely predictable rough start (...) But even more important than basic functionality, the general feeling seems to be that the beta was good. Like, really good. Diablo 3 took a lot of heat for its auction house, but it also faced pointed and persistent criticism for its bright, colorful visual style, which stood in sharp contrast to the shadowy bleakness of the first two games. Diablo 3 lead producer Keith Lee told MTV in 2008 that the "stylized" new look was "sort of a Blizzard philosophy," and "pushing the envelope in terms of the visuals so that everyone is excited about how everything looks." It was definitely a bold move, but it didn't look much like Diablo, and that left a lot of fans cold.

Over a million Diablo 4 players picked up a puppy last weekend, and you've still got one more shot
https://www.pcgamer.com/over-a-million-diablo-4-players-picked-up-a-puppy-last-weekend-and-youve-still-got-one-more-shot/
At what point does a closed beta stop being 'closed'? Because I think Diablo 4 might have crossed that line, given that a million people managed to hit level 20 or higher over the course of last weekend's beta test, unlocking the Early Voyager title and—more importantly—an adorable wolf puppy backpack. I guess we've figured out why those queues were so long.

Diablo 4 makes me feel guilty as hell
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4-makes-me-feel-guilty-as-hell/
With the dust now settled on the first weekend of the Diablo 4 beta, the word on the street is that it is a return to form for Blizzard and the series, with the game delivering previously unseen layers of gameplay and mechanics that have gone down really well.
But, in my mind, the game’s biggest success is how it delivers a tone and atmosphere that is so pervasively religious that it resonated with me as someone who, despite being an atheist since my teenage years, was taken to church as a child. And, boy, does Diablo 4 tap into the feelings of inadequacy, guilt and belonging that I feel Christianity can culture within its congregations.

Respawn reckons Apex Legends will be around for '10, 15 years or more' and it's opened a new studio to make it happen
https://www.pcgamer.com/respawn-reckons-apex-legends-will-be-around-for-10-15-years-or-more-and-its-opened-a-new-studio-to-make-it-happen/
Apex Legends is in it for the long haul. The game's developer, Respawn Entertainment, just opened a new studio in Madison, Wisconsin, with an eye to keeping the Apex series going for another "10 to 15 years," according to game director Steven Ferreira. As someone who has never been able to answer the question 'where do you see yourself in five years?' I guess I admire his foresightedness.
>> We'll see if the game lasts that long but, by then, we'll have forgotten this article and statement.

I've seen it pitched as the rumored APU powering the Steam Deck 2 but, given that Valve has said that it will be a while before the next one, I don't think it will be the case.

I reckon that's enough for games to load maybe a whole second faster than before :D

Quite a few things happened today so here's another round of hardware news for you to read... if you pass the warning of your browser because someone forgot to renew some validation or whatever (this things happen too often):

Watch Nvidia's GTC 2023 keynote right here today
https://www.pcgamer.com/watch-nvidias-gtc-2023-keynote-right-here-today/

NVIDIA Grace CPU Delivers Up To 30% Higher Performance At 70% Better Efficiency Versus Latest x86 Data Center Chips
https://wccftech.com/nvidia-grace-cpu-delivers-up-to-30-higher-performance-at-70-better-efficiency-versus-latest-x86-data-center-chips/

NVIDIA, ASML, TSMC and Synopsys Set Foundation for Next-Generation Chip Manufacturing
https://www.techpowerup.com/306211/nvidia-asml-tsmc-and-synopsys-set-foundation-for-next-generation-chip-manufacturing
NVIDIA today announced a breakthrough that brings accelerated computing to the field of computational lithography, enabling semiconductor leaders like ASML, TSMC and Synopsys to accelerate the design and manufacturing of next-generation chips, just as current production processes are nearing the limits of what physics makes possible.

NVIDIA Releases DLSS Super Resolution SDK Update, Shows 42% GPU Time Improvement in CP 2077 Overdrive with SER
https://wccftech.com/nvidia-releases-dlss-super-resolution-sdk-update-shows-42-gpu-time-improvement-in-cp-2077-overdrive-with-ser/
A few hours ago, NVIDIA released a new D

NVIDIA releases Path Tracing SDK for game developers
https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-releases-path-tracing-sdk-for-game-developers
At this year’s GDC (Game Developer Conference) NVIDIA is focusing on two technologies: path tracing and frame generation. The latter should already be well known to gamers on RTX 40 series, but the former technology is still not commonly used in games. In an effort to change this, today NVIDIA released its first SDK (Software Development Kit) for Path Tracing, as part of their RTX toolkit.
>> Remember Portal RTX and how even the 4090 couldn't deliver 60fps at 1440p without DLSS3 on a prettier game from 2007? Nvidia wants devs to use that in new games...

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPUs to feature either 16-pin or 8-pin power connectors
https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4070-gpus-to-feature-either-16-pin-or-8-pin-power-connectors
>> This was a rumor until:

Inno3D GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card to feature one 8-pin power connector
https://videocardz.com/newz/inno3d-geforce-rtx-4070-graphics-card-to-feature-one-8-pin-power-connector
The Inno3D RTX 4070 non-Ti graphics card will indeed have an 8-pin power connector. This is a confirmation of a 1-day-old rumor that some RTX 4070 cards may appear without the new 16-pin (12VHPWR connector). The packaging that was pictured and shared on Chinese social platform clearly mentions the standard 8-pin connector for this card.

Raja Koduri is leaving Intel
https://videocardz.com/newz/raja-koduri-is-leaving-intel
As part of the company’s reorganization, Intel has decided to part ways with Raja Koduri who was Executive Vice President and Chief Architect. According to Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger, Koduri will leave Intel by the end of this month.
>> On one hand, this made me chucke. On the other one, this isn't good news for the future of Intel's GPUs.

The Wednesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has 9 new Deals of the Day and a new sale:

• These are the Deals of the Day, that will last 46 hours:
  • The Atari Recharged Bundle is 15% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/atari_recharged_bundle
  • Explorer of Yggdrasil gets a 20% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/explorer_of_yggdrasil
  • SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI VERSUS is 55% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/senran_kagura_shinovi_versus
  • Sudden Strike 4: Complete Collection also sports a 55% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/sudden_strike_4_complete_collection
  • Wigmund is 60% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/wigmund
  • Atlantis Evolution has an 80% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/atlantis_evolution
  • SPACE ACCIDENT is 85% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/space_accident
  • Windbound gets an 85% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/windbound
  • And We are the Dwarves is a massive 95% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/we_are_the_dwarves
• The Game Developers Conference Nominees Sale features up to 75% discounts during... well, the front page says 3 days but the page of the sale says 12. Anyway, check them out here: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_spring_sale_gdc_nominees

Well, looks like I was wrong and Fanatical still had another set of 24 hours Flash Deals for us:

• Thymesia is 34% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/thymesia
• WRC Generations gets a 45% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/wrc-generations
• Total War: WARHAMMER III is 48% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/total-war-warhammer-iii
• And Ghostwire: Tokyo features a 66% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/ghostwire-tokyo

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

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GAMING NEWS

Microsoft Flight Simulator Sim Update 12 released and here are all of its changes, tweaks & fixes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/microsoft-flight-simulator-sim-update-12-released-and-here-are-all-of-its-changes-tweaks-fixes/
Microsoft and Asobo have released a brand new update for Microsoft Flight Simulator. According to the release notes, Sim Update 12 optimizes the “Checking for updates” phase to reduce the booting time of the simulator. This will improve the download speed in the installation manager, and improve loading time before booting to the main menu.

Ubisoft is one of the first developers to be using AI tools for its games
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ubisoft-is-one-of-the-first-developers-to-be-using-ai-tools-for-its-games/
Since the rise of the latest AI tools, particularly used in generating new images and screenshots, a lot have been wondering whether game developers would take advantage of them. And, it appears that one of the first ones that will do just that will be Ubisoft.
>> Well, given how many troubles does Ubisoft have at the moment developing its games, they need every help they can get.

11 minutes of PC gameplay footage from the Souls-like “Pinocchio” game, Lies of P
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/11-minutes-of-pc-gameplay-footage-from-the-souls-like-pinocchio-game-lies-of-p/
Gamespot has shared a new video, showcasing 11 minutes of new gameplay footage from the PC version of Lies of P. This video packs gameplay footage from the game’s GDC 2023 version, meaning that it does not represent the quality of the final game. Still, it can give you an idea of what you can expect from it.

Aliens: Dark Descent will officially release on June 20th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/aliens-dark-descent-will-officially-release-on-june-20th/
Focus Entertainment has announced that its upcoming real-time tactical action Aliens game, Aliens: Dark Descent, will release on June 20th. In order to celebrate this announcement, the publisher released new trailer that you can find below.

First screenshots and details leaked for LEGO 2K Drive
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-screenshots-and-details-leaked-for-lego-2k-drive/
It appears that IGN has leaked the first details and screenshots for a new LEGO game, LEGO 2K Drive. LEGO 2K Drive is an open-world game with single and multiplayer that lets players build any vehicle they like.

The news, the sequel:

Diablo 4's Barbarian is due for a buff, but you might want to enjoy your OP frost Sorcerer while you can
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4s-barbarian-is-due-for-a-buff-but-you-might-want-to-enjoy-your-op-frost-sorcerer-while-you-can/
Being a truly insufferable dweeb, I immediately gravitated towards the Sorcerer class in Diablo 4, and had a pretty good time turning the legions of hell into sparking pools of electrified sludge. But it seems not everyone had quite the same power fantasy. People who elected to play as the closed beta's rippling, musclebound Barbarian have been lamenting that the class feels weirdly weak, unable to weather the blows that its up-close-and-personal, melee-focused combat style exposes it to.

Blizzard addresses Diablo 4 beta test complaints: This was not a 'marketing beta'
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-addresses-diablo-4-beta-test-complaints-this-was-not-a-marketing-beta/
The Diablo 4 beta that ran over the weekend was really good—a return to form for Blizzard in the eyes of many fans, myself included. But it was also rough around the edges in a number of notable ways. The reason, Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson told Eurogamer, is simple: It was a real, actual beta test.

Blizzard says Diablo 4's repetitive dungeon designs are intentional
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-says-diablo-4s-repetitive-dungeon-designs-are-intentional/
Criticisms over the Diablo 4 beta's lack of dungeon variety is strictly a beta problem, according to the game's lead developers.
(...)
According to game director Joe Shely in an interview with NME, the repetitive dungeon design is because the beta is limited to one area in the open world game.

Mask of the Rose, my most-anticipated game of 2023, just got delayed
https://www.pcgamer.com/mask-of-the-rose-my-most-anticipated-game-of-2023-just-got-delayed/
Mask of the Rose, Failbetter Games' eldritch dating sim and my most-anticipated game of 2023, has been hit by another delay. Originally intended for an autumn release last year, it got punted to this April after the studio noticed how much stress its devs were under, and now it's scooted back a little further to June 8 this year.

Three Battlefield games—but not Mirror's Edge!—are being removed from sale forever
https://www.pcgamer.com/mirrors-edge-and-bad-company-2-are-being-removed-from-sale-forever/
Battlefield: Bad Company 1 and 2 and Battlefield 1943 are going away forever: Electronic Arts has announced that their online services are being shut down in December, and as a result they will be removed from sale from all digital storefronts on April 28.
>> The original EA announcement also included Mirror's Edge, but it was a mistake.

Good news, edgelords! Destiny just dropped an (almost) all-black shader for everyone
https://www.pcgamer.com/good-news-edgelords-destiny-just-dropped-an-almost-all-black-shader-for-everyone/
Why doesn't Bungie just make an all-black shader? It's a question that has puzzled and infuriated Destiny players since pretty much the game's inception. It was almost two years after the original game's launch before the studio finally added the Super Black shader, and despite the name even that still had some shades of grey in it.

It's Morbin' Time again, thanks to the new Marvel's Midnight Suns DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/its-morbin-time-again-thanks-to-the-new-marvels-midnight-suns-dlc/
Morbin' Time has come to Marvel's Midnight Suns in The Hunger, a new DLC release that sees Dr. Michael Morbius help the team battle an outbreak of vampyres (which are spelled that way because they're not exactly vampires) in New York City, just as Hydra starts pumping undead DNA into its best troops to create a new army of "transformed supersoldiers."

EVE Online studio CCP Games is making a blockchain game
https://www.pcgamer.com/eve-online-studio-ccp-games-is-making-a-blockchain-game/
EVE Online studio CCP Games has announced that it is working on a new triple-A game set in the EVE universe, and I am very sorry to say that it is a blockchain game.

EVE players are in revolt over CCP's blockchain plans—'If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again to chase your player base away with crypto'
https://www.pcgamer.com/eve-players-are-in-revolt-over-ccps-blockchain-plansif-at-first-you-dont-succeed-try-try-try-again-to-chase-your-player-base-away-with-crypto/
EVE Online maker CCP Games announced Project Awakening yesterday, a new game set in the EVE universe that threatens to "combine CCP’s 25 years of game design experience with the latest in blockchain technology." And while the reaction from various crypto pundits and people with ".eth" in their Twitter usernames was predictably bullish, swathes of the EVE Online community have responded with, well, scorn. Just pure, unbridled scorn.

XCOM designer Jake Solomon is done with turn-based strategy for now: 'I felt like I didn't have anything more to say'
https://www.pcgamer.com/xcom-designer-jake-solomon-is-done-with-turn-based-strategy-for-now-i-felt-like-i-didnt-have-anything-more-to-say/
Jake Solomon is a name synonymous with turn-based strategy. As a graphics programmer at Firaxis, it was Solomon who first pitched XCOM, which years later, when it launched in 2012, sparked a renaissance in squad-based tactics. Last month, following news that the superb Midnight Suns had not been the hit publisher 2K was hoping for, Solomon announced he was leaving the company where he'd worked for over two decades.