The Thursday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Epic Store has launched its MEGA Sale, and is giving away DEATH STRANDING ( be warned, the link doesn't work right now): https://www.epicgames.com/site/es-ES/p/death-stranding/.
The free game for next week is unknown.

Last week, GOG gave me a break on Thursday, but this week they're at it again with five new Deals of the Day and two sales:

• These are the DotD, that will last 70 hours:
  • The first one is Dishonored - Definitive Edition, 75% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/dishonored_definitive_edition
  • Next is Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition, also 75% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/fallout_3_game_of_the_year_edition
  • The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition has another 75% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_elder_scrolls_iii_morrowind_goty_edition
  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition Deluxe is, yet again, 75% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/elder_scrolls_iv_oblivion_game_of_the_year_edition_deluxe_the
  • And Prey: Digital Deluxe Edition gets an 80% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/prey_digital_deluxe_edition
• The first sale is related to the new DotD: Bethesda puts its games on sale with up to 80% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_bethesda_may
• The second sale is a Point & Click Sale, with up to 90% discounts until the 25th of May: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_point_n_click

Steam has two deals:

• Forts is going to be 40% off until May, 24th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/410900/Forts/
• And Diplomacy is Not an Option, still in Early Access, gets a 20% discount until the 31st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272320/Diplomacy_is_Not_an_Option/

There are two new deals at Humble:

• At Humble Bundle we find the May Multiplayer Madness Bundle, with up to 7 games to get during the next 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/may-multiplayer-madness
• And at the Humble Store there's a new Flash Deal, with the Fallout Franchise Bundle, featuring all the games in the series, being 75% off during 26 hours: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/fallout-franchise-bundle

And Fanatical has two new bundles:

• The first one is the BYO Breakout Bundle, with 20 titles to choose from for your 3, 5 or 8 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-breakout-bundle
• The Mystery on the Move Bundle has three unknown games: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/mystery-on-the-move-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Also Empty-

GAMING NEWS

Star Wars Jedi Survivor Update 5 released, is 3.2GB in size, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/star-wars-jedi-survivor-update-5-released-is-3-2gb-in-size-full-patch-notes/
Respawn has just released the fifth major update for Star Wars Jedi Survivor. According to the release notes, Patch 5 promises to improve content caching to reduce hitching, as well as to improve thread handling when raytracing is turned off.

Diablo 4 gets a gameplay launch trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/diablo-4-gets-a-gameplay-launch-trailer/
Blizzard has released the gameplay launch trailer for Diablo 4. Diablo 4 will release on June 6th, and this gameplay trailer can give you a taste of what you can expect from it.

Post-apocalyptic shooter MMORPG, Ashfall, gets a game overview trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/post-apocalyptic-shooter-mmorpg-ashfall-gets-a-game-overview-trailer/
NetEase Games has released a game overview trailer for its upcoming Fallout-inspired post-apocalyptic shooter MMORPG, Ashfall.

Jagged Alliance 3 will release on July 14th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/jagged-alliance-3-will-release-on-july-14th/
THQ Nordic has announced that Jagged Alliance 3 will release on July 14th. In order to celebrate this announcement, the publisher has also shared a new trailer that highlights the game’s key features.

This new bodycam horror game shows why Unreal Engine 5’s Unrecord is in a league of its own
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-new-bodycam-horror-game-shows-why-unreal-engine-5s-unrecord-is-in-a-league-of-its-own/
Last month, developer DRAMA shocked the world with its ultra-realistic bodycam game, Unrecord. Using Unreal Engine 5, the game’s debut gameplay trailer turned everyone’s head with its incredible graphics. And, as you may have guessed, a lot of indie devs immediately jumped on the “bodycam” bandwagon.
So, Deppart is the latest “bodycam” game. Created by N4bA, this is a new horror game, and you can download a playable alpha version of it.

Leaked trailer for Unreal Engine 5-powered Lords of the Fallen reveals its release date
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/leaked-trailer-for-unreal-engine-5-powered-lords-of-the-fallen-reveals-its-release-date/
A brand new trailer for the Unreal Engine 5-powered Souls-like game, Lords of the Fallen, has been leaked online. This trailer packs 30 seconds of gameplay footage and reveals the game’s official release date.

Mortal Kombat 1 is official, releases on September 19th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mortal-kombat-1-is-official-releases-on-september-19th/
The official website for the next Mortal Kombat game went live, revealing its release date and its debut trailer. This new MK game will be called Mortal Kombat 1, and will be only coming on current-gen platforms.

Thursday news, part two:

Nicolas Cage is coming to Dead by Daylight, don't ask why
https://www.pcgamer.com/nicolas-cage-is-coming-to-dead-by-daylight-dont-ask-why/
Hollywood megastar and extremely intense individual Nicolas Cage is coming to Dead by Daylight. Up until now the game has regularly added famous movie killers and various characters from other games, but I think this is the first time it's added a real person. The announcement comes with a short trailer which gives a look at his in-game character model. Which looks a lot like Nicolas Cage.

Here's how to catch all the reveals at this June's PC Gaming Show
https://www.pcgamer.com/pc-gaming-show-2023-how-to-watch/
The PC Gaming Show returns on June 11 with a hot summer showcase of new game announcements and juicy updates. Hosted by the inimitable Sean "Day[9]" Plott and Frankie Ward, the show is set to be a blowout celebration of all things PC gaming, featuring 55 games, including over 15 game announcements, from studios around the world.

I seduced Joe Biden easily in Steam's newest dating sim, then he said I was too old for him
https://www.pcgamer.com/i-seduced-joe-biden-easily-in-steams-newest-dating-sim-then-he-said-i-was-too-old-for-him/
Don't ask why but, on my usual check-in on the latest titles releasing on Steam, one new game positively popped off the page. Reader, welcome to Love Love Joe Biden: The Joe Biden Dating Simulator. Steam is positively awash with low-budget dating sims these days, but sticking the octogenarian president in one did pique my interest more than the usual. I had to play it.

This Fable-inspired hybrid of RPG and farm sim is trying to cram in combat, crafting, and commerce
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-fable-inspired-hybrid-of-rpg-and-farm-sim-is-trying-to-cram-in-combat-crafting-and-commerce/
Perhaps it's no surprise that a game citing Fable as inspiration is trying to do it all; Mirthwood calls itself an "RPG life sim" but it also has some seemingly deep character traits, farming, crafting, and more. Bad Ridge Games has just reintroduced Mirthwood with a new reveal trailer that showcases farming, fighting, and a rather ethereal vocal soundtrack, along with plans to launch sometime in 2024.

BlizzCon is coming back as an in-person event in November
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzcon-is-coming-back-as-an-in-person-event-in-november/
As promised at the end of 2022, BlizzCon is coming back. After being derailed since 2019, first by the Covid-19 pandemic and then by the discrimination and sexual harassment scandal that enveloped Activision Blizzard in 2021, Blizzard announced that its big annual convention will return to the Anaheim Convention Center on November 3.

One of Destiny 2's legendary weapons was doing 40% extra damage for weeks and nobody noticed
https://www.pcgamer.com/one-of-destiny-2s-legendary-weapons-was-doing-40-extra-damage-for-weeks-and-nobody-noticed/
So, this is a weird one. Tucked away near the bottom of today's Destiny 2 weapon changes preview is a note about scout rifles. It reads: "Long Arm was inadvertently receiving the damage bonus vs minors for Exotics, so we've addressed that." Doesn't sound like a big deal unless you're familiar with the nitty gritty of Destiny 2 damage values, but the upshot is that Long Arm was getting a free 40% bonus against all rank and file enemies in the game, which should have made it an easy meta pick in hard activities where even minor mobs have thick health bars.

There's good reason to believe that GTA 6 will release next year
https://www.pcgamer.com/theres-good-reason-to-believe-gta-6-will-release-next-year/
In its quarterly investor report today, Take-Two said that development of the next Grand Theft Auto game is "well underway." That's exactly what the Rockstar parent company said when it first announced GTA 6, and then again a few months later, but today's statement is a little more notable because it came alongside a general promise that "several groundbreaking titles" will release during its 2025 fiscal year, and there are some clear signs that one of those games is the new GTA.

Hogwarts Legacy almost had a morality and reputation system
https://www.pcgamer.com/datamining-shows-hogwarts-legacy-almost-had-a-morality-and-reputation-system/
It's a recurring element of the Harry Potter books that student witches and wizards are constantly judged by their teachers, handed demerits that punish everyone in their House ("50 points from Gryffindor!"), and warned away from forbidden magic like the Unforgivable Curses. Which is why it came as a surprise that, ahead of the launch of Hogwarts Legacy, Avalanche Software explained players wouldn't be judged for casting evil spells.
(...)
As YouTuber GrandTheftDiamonds discovered during a datamine of Hogwarts Legacy SQL files, it seems Avalanche wasn't always convinced that was the right way to go. As their video documents, the PhoenixGameData SQL file contains references to certain actions having a cost in House Points—including the use of Unforgivable Curses like Avada Kedavra.

Lord of the Rings Online 'is not going away' just because Amazon's making a Lord of the Rings MMO: 'It is beloved, it is sixteen, it is evergreen'
https://www.pcgamer.com/lord-of-the-rings-online-is-not-going-away-just-because-amazons-making-a-lord-of-the-rings-mmo-it-is-beloved-it-is-sixteen-it-is-evergreen/
Amazon Games is taking another crack at a Lord of the Rings MMO, it revealed on Monday. The news that it will focus on the period covered by the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit puts it in direct competition with the established Lord of the Rings Online MMO, however, and developer Standing Stone Games has been trying to reassure its community that it's not in trouble.

Saudi Arabia now owns 10% of Electronic Arts
https://www.pcgamer.com/saudi-arabia-now-owns-10-of-electronic-arts/
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has in recent times targeted the videogames industry, and now owns a slice of many big players. The Saudi PIF has stakes (some of which are held through subsidiaries) in Activision Blizzard, Capcom, Embracer Group, Nexon, Nintendo, Take-Two Interactive and more. Now it's doubled an existing stake in Electronic Arts, and owns just under 10% of the global giant.

Journey developers' cozy MMO is finally flying onto PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/journey-developers-cozy-mmo-is-finally-flying-onto-pc/
Thatgamecompany is best-known for Journey, a singularly beautiful adventure-puzzler with a mysterious co-op element, whereby unknown other players will drop in and out of your own journey as they make theirs. This idea seemed to be the genesis of the studio's next game, Sky: Children of the Light, which initially launched on mobile devices, aiming to expand the idea of semi-anonymous co-op across more players in environments with greater scale.
I played it on release in 2019 and loved it, particularly how it managed to capture so much of what made Journey special in a more open-ended style, packed with mysteries. It is definitely an MMO but it's also one that works like no other, and one where the limits the game places on interaction and identity work to foster a unique atmosphere. All of which is to say that's very good news Sky has now appeared on Steam and can be wishlisted. And according to its store page, will include cross-platform multiplayer.

Pushing new features. DLSS3, AV1...

Also, they both need that exact performance range in the mobile market anyway, and here the lower power consumption of th newer gen actually gets some importance.

NVIDIA announces GeForce RTX 4060 Ti at $399, RTX 4060 to launch in July at $299

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-announces-geforce-rtx-4060-ti-at-399-rtx-4060-to-launch-in-july

AMD Radeon RX 7600 GPU specs confirmed, Navi 33 XL with 2048 Stream Processors and 8GB VRAM

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-radeon-rx-7600-gpu-specs-confirmed-navi-33-xl-with-2048-stream-processors-and-8gb-vram

"AMD is set to launch its Radeon RX 7600 non-XT GPU on May 25th. The fact that this card uses ‘XL’ GPU variant strongly suggests that we might see ‘Navi 33 XT’ for the RX 7600 XT later, with more memory maybe?"

Samsung 16Gb DDR5 DRAM on 12nm node enters mass production

https://videocardz.com/press-release/samsung-16gb-ddr5-dram-on-12nm-node-enters-mass-production

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Production Reportedly Halted Till June To Prevent Inventory Pile Up From Poor Sales

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4070-production-reportedly-halted-till-june-to-prevent-inventory-pile-up-from-poor-sales/

Welp so my guess about the 4060 Ti prices were certainly on point when I said 8GB version would be $400 and 16GB version would be $500. Maybe I should make a twitter account and call myself a leaker lul. Overall it's meh. 4060 Ti 16GB will likely get discounted to at least $450 a month or so after release so that could be a decent deal. 4060 Ti 8GB may as well be a skip at this point. 4060 at $300 isn't too bad but this should force 3060 12GB versions to come down in price so unless you care about the new benefits like DLSS 3, AV1 encoding, 60 less watts, 3060 12GB could be the way to go. Realistically I wouldn't use DLSS 3 at 1080p cause it really does look kinda bad. 4k is it's main strength and 1440p is decent. This is also one of those rare times when Nvidia didn't adjust the CUDA core count when adding in more vram.

But the bigger question I have is where is the rest of RDNA 3s lineup? All Radeon released is 7900XTX/XT and soon the 7600? From providing an alternative to Nvidia at every GPU class with RDNA 2, they seem to be only picking certain categories while continuing to produce RDNA 2 to fill in the gaps for the rest? I am not much of a power guy but there is something to be said for a mid range buyer to consider say a 6950XT which is a really big and power hungry GPU with triple 8 pin vs a small 4070 powered by a single 8 pin. If AMD would release a 7700XT with 16GB of Vram that is similar in power and size to a 4070 along with the benefits of RDNA 3, that would make the decisions better imo.

Of course Nvidia had the gall to lock the extra 16gb option behind the Ti extra $100 teir...

I'll be looking at the perf charts for sure, but I don't see this being on par with say, the rest of this gen's Nvidia offerings, since it only goes downhill after the 80 series.

I'd argue it's been downhill after the 90 series since the 80 series got a $500 price increase. The only good thing about this gen is that the GPUs are getting discounted. But man, the uplifts have been so poor.

3060 Ti > 2080 Super at half the price
4060 Ti = 3060 Ti + 15% at the same price

Like bruhs... Here's hoping Blackwell will be a course correction like Ampere was.

Jokes aside.. the 4060 Ti at 3070 performance wouldn't be too bad considering how much everything else has gone up the rest of the stack.

Also a bit questionable in pricing for the 16GB considering how close it is to the 4070. A card which has deals like the $100 Steam credit from Microcenter and Diablo IV bundle. In the UK its likely to launch at £469-479 which is the exact MSRP of the 3070. And the 4070 is only £70 more for a vastly stronger and better specced GPU.

But yeah this gen's a dud in terms of value and performance uplift the lower you go down the stack.

I mean my man, this is why I went with 1080ti lol, I could have gone for a 1060 for sure, but at that time I was pulling a Yuri and just going for it (but looking back it's still cheaper than what Yuri paid for his 4090 lol, still the same idea though).

I just feel like the mid to lower tiers are going to heavily rely more and more on that there KFC DLSS they got cooking in the fryer. Like we've already seen what it does for a 4090, tons of frames, but like, let's think about what it's going to do, realistically for a 460 with 8gb VRAM... Probably over 100ish fps, with RT at medium? (no way that thing does what a 4090 can with DLSS 3 and Cyberpunks path tracing, it'll do much worse, let's be real).

I just feel like Nvidia has fucked this gen of theirs up, both pricing wise and hw worse, and their hyper, galaxy level focus on DLSSS being their main perf crux tells me that these cards are utter tripe without that mystic tech (which I feel I'm right to refer to as a mere band-aid, because we've all seen what perf metrics are like without it, it's garbage most of the time you use regular brute force metrics). 

I hope you're cool with your purchase, Hinch. I'm just salty and mad at nvidia's pricing and greed the past few gens, and I'm acting old man on the porch, because Nvidia is going soft in the head with their focus on tech rather than good old fashioned elbow grease (brute force). 

Also I can't with Nvidia releasing the 90 series. It was already abd enough when the Titans came around, that I started questioning the 80 series, but now it's made apparent that the 80 series is the 70 series and so on, so you get the idea on how they've been fucking around with the whole stack for nearly a decade now. 

Blizzard: we're cancelling OW2 PVE

Also Blizzard: Did we forget to mention that we love Pride and gay folk?

https://www.wowhead.com/news/blizzard-pride-2023-show-your-colors-merchandise-now-for-sale-benefiting-the-333057

Of fucking course they pull up the pride shield the moment they do something shitty. As a Bi person myself, I find that to being pretty tasteless to do, like full on "yeah we don't care about you fucks, but we'll pretend we do for this one moment, so you'll stop hating us for one second".