Also doesn't make any sense when I look at that table of awards and who got chosen per table, and yet I am constantly told that this year is a "banger" for having tons upon tons of amazing games (the jaded side of me only found Core keeper this year and that's already a yr old game from 2022). So why is that table list just the same few games lol?.

This is why I don't bother with award shows or articles, because it's always going to be the few darlings or few ones that critics dig, vs what the rest of the world actually likes playing the most. 

NVIDIA Blackwell B100 GPUs To More Than Double The Performance of Hopper H200 GPUs In 2024

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-blackwell-b100-gpus-2x-faster-hopper-h200-2024-launch/

In Ai performance that is

Intel Game Performance Boosting APO Feature Doesn’t Works With 13th or 12th Gen CPUs Despite Sharing Same Architecture As 14th Gen

https://wccftech.com/intel-apo-game-performance-feature-no-13th-12th-gen-cpu-support-despite-same-14th-gen-architecture/

Pretty bs move if it's just a software lock

Samsung’s Answer To TSMC’s CoWoS Is “SAINT” – Samsung Advanced Interconnection Technology For Next-Gen Chips

https://wccftech.com/samsungs-answer-tsmc-cowos-saint-advanced-interconnection-technology-next-gen-chips/

• SAINT S - For vertically stacking SRAM memory chips and CPU
• SAINT D - For vertically packaging core IPs such as CPU, GPU, and DRAM
• SAINT L - For stacking application processors (APs)

NVIDIA introduces Hopper H200 GPU with 141GB of HBM3e memory

https://videocardz.com/press-release/nvidia-introduces-hopper-h200-gpu-with-141gb-of-hbm3e-memory

MI300X still has the lead with 192GB of Vram at 5.2TB/s vs 4.8TB/s on Hopper but it is certainly a lot closer. But the question will be how is the performance in other areas. And of course, when will they release MI300X?

AMD Zen5c architecture reportedly codenamed Prometheus

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-zen5c-architecture-reportedly-codenamed-prometheus

ASUS premium $700 ROG Maximus Z790 Hero Evangelion motherboard has a typo

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-premium-700-rog-maximus-z790-hero-evangelion-motherboard-has-a-typo

Lol Asus. I wouldn't be a happy customer if I bought that and realized there was a typo.

Gigabyte confirms the launch of AMD’s next-gen desktop APU (Ryzen 8000G) series scheduled is for the end of January

https://videocardz.com/newz/gigabyte-confirms-the-launch-of-amds-next-gen-desktop-apu-ryzen-8000g-series-scheduled-is-for-the-end-of-january

The Monday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has decided to start the week with four new Deals of the Day and two sales:

• These are the four DotD, available until Wednesday:
  • The first one is the NSFW Leap of Faith + Official Walkthrough, 25% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/leap_of_faith
  • Electrician Simulator gets a 50% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/electrician_simulator
  • Hard West 2 has a 60% deal: https://www.gog.com/en/game/hard_west_2
  • And RC Cars will be 80% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/rc_cars
• The first sale is the Czech & Slovak Games Week 2023, featuring up to 85% discounts during 6 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_czech_slovak_games_week
• And there's also a new Weekly Sale, with up to 92% discounts... but the URL gives a 404 Error. Maybe they'll fix it later: https://www.gog.com/promo/weekly_deals_3_november

Steam has two new deals:

• Tyrant's Blessing is going to be 50% off until the 19th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1520760/Tyrants_Blessing/
• And Iron Harvest gets an 80% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/826630/Iron_Harvest/

Let's move not to Humble:

• Humble Bundle has the new WePlay Expo - Discover China Indies Bundle features up to 10 games (1 is not listed) during 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/weplay-expo-discover-china-indies
• The Humble Store has the new Hypetrail Digital Autumn Sale, with up to 85% discounts during 4 days. The keys are for Steam and 1 for EGS: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/hypetrail-digital-autumn-sale/

Fanatical has three new 24 hours Flash Deals and two bundles:

• These are the Flash Deals:
  • Stranded: Alien Dawn is 36% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/stranded-alien-dawn
  • ONE PIECE ODYSSEY Deluxe Edition gets a 67% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/one-piece-odyssey-deluxe-edition
  • And Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series has a 79% deal: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/klonoa-phantasy-reverie-series
• The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Complete Bundle is back on sale, with a 81% discount during 2 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/stalker-complete-bundle
• The Birthday Favorites BYOB comes with 16 games to build your 2, 3 or 5 items bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/birthday-favorites-build-your-own-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Super Mario RPG has been leaked and is fully playable on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/super-mario-rpg-has-been-leaked-and-is-fully-playable-on-pc/
Super Mario RPG got leaked and guess what? You can already play it on your PC. What’s cool is that both Yuzu and Ryujinx can run this new Mario game on PC. So, if you prefer one emulator over the other, you can use it and play it.
>> You won't find links to the game in the article, but there are a couple of videos showing it running on both emulators.

New Fallout 4 Fan Expansion Released, Offering 2-4 hours of Additional Gameplay
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/new-fallout-4-fan-expansion-released-offering-2-4-hours-of-additional-gameplay/
Modder ‘shreddah4’ has released a new fan expansion for Fallout 4, called Caves Of The Commonwealth. This mod adds 5 brand new Cave locations and 5 new quests, offering around 2-4 hours of additional gameplay.
The five new locations come with their own custom textures and material swaps. In total, there are 7 interior cells. Plus, you’ll discover some awesome weapons and clothes that also have custom textures. Not only that but each quest has optional side objectives. Oh, and there is also a couple of skill checks.
There are multiple ways to approach Caves of the Commonwealth. The official start to the quest is by entering the cave north west from vault 111. Once inside you will find a Map that will direct you to the rest of the caves. However, If you want, you can find the caves via normal exploration.
>> The article has an almost 4 minutes video.

This Fallout New Vegas Mod introduces an infinite number of dynamically generated quests
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/this-fallout-new-vegas-mod-introduces-an-infinite-number-of-dynamically-generated-quests/
Modder ‘StealthDick’ has released an awesome mod for Fallout: New Vegas. This mod introduces an infinite number of dynamically generated quests. Now this is truly amazing. Not only that but it seamlessly integrates them into the Wasteland.
To access these quests, you’ll have to find the job boards and terminals. These are everywhere in the Wasteland. Each board or terminal belongs to a specific settlement, and they give you different quests based on how that settlement is connected to other groups. For now, you will only be rewarded with XP, caps, and fame.
The mod brings in eight types of quests: Delivery, Mojave Express Delivery, Exterminate, Hunt, Fetch, Gather, Kill, and Eliminate. You can get all the juicy details about these quests on its NexusMods page. You can also download it from there. So yeah, be sure to check it out.
>> There's an over 2 hours video showing this mod.

This mod brings Nuevo Paraiso to Red Dead Redemption 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/this-mod-brings-nuevo-paraiso-to-red-dead-redemption-2/
The Mexico Team has dropped a super cool mod for Red Dead Redemption 2. This mod takes Nuevo Paraiso from the first game and brings it to life in RDR2. It’s like a remake or remaster, and it’s awesome.
The team added some towns with people walking around, so the place feels more alive. However, this map is a work in progress (WIP). That means there are still some inaccuracies and things to fix. From what we hear, Casa Madrugad is almost ready, so check that out first.
>> The article only has some screesnhots.

New GTA 4 Mods add 8K Map, improve Euphoria ragdolls, increase draw distance & population
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/new-gta-4-mods-add-8k-map-improve-euphoria-ragdolls-increase-draw-distance-population/
A number of cool mod surfaced earlier this month for Grand Theft Auto 4. As such, I’ve decided to collect and share them in one big article. So, below you can find mods that add an 8K map, improve the Euphoria ragdolls, and increase both the game’s draw distance and population.
>> There's a video of the improved ragdoll effects mod.

With Icewind Dale 2's source code lost for good, a full remaster remains impossible—but modders managed to overhaul the game with their own 'Enhanced Edition'
https://www.pcgamer.com/with-icewind-dale-2s-source-code-lost-for-good-a-full-remaster-remains-impossiblebut-modders-managed-to-overhaul-the-game-with-their-own-enhanced-edition/
Before releasing Saturday morning cartoon roguelike Mythforce, developer Beamdog made its name remastering BioWare and Black Isle RPGs like the OG Baldur's Gates. But there was always one that got away: Icewind Dale 2. Though an official remaster remains impossible for reasons I'll get to, modding group Red Chimera has produced their own take on an Icewind Dale 2 Enhanced Edition.
(...)
Enter the Red Chimera Group, whose name sounds like one of the corporations that kept hiring me in Armored Core 6. Their project is not an Infinity Plus engine conversion like the official Beamdog EEs (that'd require the source code). Instead, it introduces numerous quality of life changes, 110 new spells, 170 new magic items, 30 new feats, makes various NPCs recruitable for your party, and bundles in a widescreen patch for good measure.
Setup is simple⁠—just copying the mod files to your Icewind Dale 2 install directory and running setup-iw2ee.exe. Similar to other 2.5D RPGs with pre-rendered backgrounds of the era, you don't want to set the resolution too high, as the game screen and UI will just zoom out to accommodate, making everything too small to parse⁠—1280x720 is a good sweet spot for modern 16:9 monitors.
>> There are no screenshots nor videos of this mod.

It only took hours for modders to crowbar 4k support into the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection—now they've added ultrawide, high-res UI support, and more
https://www.pcgamer.com/it-only-took-hours-for-modders-to-crowbar-4k-support-into-the-metal-gear-solid-master-collectionnow-theyve-added-ultrawide-high-res-ui-support-and-more/
We don't love the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection around these parts, but if you don't want to run your original PlayStation copies through an emulator, it's the only game in town on PC. Thankfully, modders have come to the rescue.
We previously reported on how Sergeanur cranked out their MGSResolution patch a mere 10 hours after the Master Collection unlocked on Steam. On October 29, Sergeanur fixed the UI and codec bugs their mod introduced in MGS2, resolving one of our major initial issues with it.
If you want to play the Master Collection in ultrawide or other custom resolutions, you're in luck. As reported by GamingOnLinux, the MGSHDFix by Lyall, emoose, ShizCalev, and yoyossef offers ultrawide support (with the minimal compromise of some UI stretching).(...)
>> No media here either.

EA might not care about Dungeon Keeper anymore, but this open-source 4K remake spent 15 years in the making to reach version 1.0
https://www.pcgamer.com/ea-might-not-care-about-dungeon-keeper-anymore-but-this-open-source-4k-remake-spent-15-years-in-the-making-to-reach-version-10/
Dungeon Keeper is one of my all-time favourite games, tied with Theme Hospital as Bullfrog's most fondly remembered management sim. Yet whereas Bullfrog's isometric cure 'em up is still fairly playable today, returning to Dungeon Keeper in 2023 is hard going. Its visuals are incredibly bleary on a modern machine, while it's also finicky to control and just not especially stable. It's been in desperate need of a remaster for years, but one hasn't been forthcoming from the game's owner EA. But as is often the case in these circumstances, the PC gaming community has come to the rescue in the form of KeeperFX. I say "come to the rescue", KeeperFX has been in the process of rescuing Dungeon Keeper for a decade and a half. The project originally started in 2008, and experienced something of a bumpy road up until 2016. Since then, though, it has gradually added support for Windows 7, 10, and 11, support for hi-res and 4k screens, modernised controls, and even additional campaigns. With this latest version, KeeperFX's developers say "all original Dungeon Keeper code has been rewritten, establishing KeeperFX as a true open-source standalone game." 1.0 also introduces some new features, such as higher framerates, AI that is better at digging and less likely to "instantly" throw its entire army at you, and "higher quality landview speeches" for the additional campaigns. That refers to the introductions and epilogues to missions which, in the game's original campaign, were voiced by Richard Ridings, aka Daddy Pig. Perhaps most intriguing of all, KeeperFX's 1.0 adds a couple of new units to play with. First up is the Druid, a sort-of colour-flipped version of the Warlock who uses ice spells rather than fire. The other unit is the excitingly named Time Mage, a recolour of the Wizard who can cast teleport and speed spells, and also turn enemy units into chickens (presumably through rapid devolution). You won't find these units in the original campaign, but you will encounter them in the custom campaigns bundled with the 1.0 version.
>> Again, there is no media. By the way, it may now be a standalone game, but it still requires a copy of the original game (you can get it from GOG).

GAMING NEWS

The Day Before gets final PC system requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-day-before-gets-final-pc-system-requirements/
In January, Fntastic shared what kind of computer you would need to play The Day Before. Now, just a few days ago, the team shared the final PC requirements for this post-apocalyptic MMO game. So, go ahead and take a look at them.

Monday news, part two:

Ubisoft is on the NFT sauce again: A new partnership with Web3 platform Immutable aims to create 'a fresh new experience that players will love'
https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-is-on-the-nft-sauce-again-a-new-partnership-with-web3-platform-immutable-aims-to-create-a-fresh-new-experience-that-players-will-love/
A year ago it looked like Ubisoft's ardor for NFTs was cooling, but now it seems that the heat is back on. The Assassin's Creed publisher has entered into a new partnership with blockchain gaming platform Immutable "to create a new gaming experience that will further unlock the potential of Web3."
>> Some people never learn.

Call of Duty goes Final Destination on cheaters by pancaking them straight into the map
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-goes-final-destination-on-cheaters-by-pancaking-them-straight-into-the-map/
Call of Duty, just like any competitive game that achieves success, has a cheating problem. Some players will always want to cheat, cheat sellers will always sell cheats, and developers fight to stop such behaviour ruining things for everyone else. So back in 2021 publisher Activision announced it was getting serious about anti-cheat: kernel-level serious.
(...)
Activision says it has "developed a new trick for cheaters" in Warzone, "we call it Splat", and here's what it does:
"With Splat, if a cheater is discovered, we may randomly, and for fun, disable their parachute, sending them careening into the ground after they deploy.
"But what if we catch them after they’ve deployed? Well, Splat can also adjust player velocity, which transforms a bunny hop into a 10,000-foot drop taking them out instantly."

Skip the grind: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies lets you unlock any multiplayer gun in minutes
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-unlock-guns-zombies-exploit/
For all the ways that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 feels like an add-on for last year's game, it deserves some credit for shaking up the standard 1-55 progression system in a major way. Instead of unlocking every gun, throwable, and gadget just by leveling up, a huge chunk of MW3 items are locked behind new Armory Challenges.
(...)
Modern Warfare Zombies, it turns out, offers an alternative method for unlocking darn near every gun and throwable in the game. MWZ being built off Modern Warfare 2's DMZ mode means it shares one very generous rule: Whatever guns or grenades you can extract from the map are permanently unlocked in multiplayer.

Samwise Didier, who 'helped build Blizzard's signature art style,' is retiring after more than 30 years at the company
https://www.pcgamer.com/samwise-didier-who-helped-build-blizzards-signature-art-style-is-retiring-after-more-than-30-years-at-the-company/
After a career spanning more than 32 years and just about every game Blizzard ever made, senior art director Samwise Didier is calling it quits. Didier announced on Twitter that he is retiring, and that today is his last day at his "beloved Blizzard Entertainment."

Warcraft’s game director explains why Blizzard debuted three expansions at once: 'Speaking it out loud makes it real'
https://www.pcgamer.com/warcrafts-game-director-explains-why-blizzard-debuted-three-expansions-at-once-speaking-it-out-loud-makes-it-real/
Most Warcraft fans expected an expansion announcement for the massively multiplayer RPG at last weekend’s BlizzCon 2023. But to hear Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas tell it, Blizzard Entertainment’s bold decision to debut the next three expansions at once made even its own leaders nervous.

Deus Ex protagonist Adam Jensen's signature voice actor also wanted to do his motion capture, but was rejected for being too short: 'apparently, it was a lot of work to stretch me a couple inches'
https://www.pcgamer.com/deus-ex-protagonist-adam-jensens-signature-voice-actor-also-wanted-to-do-his-motion-capture-but-was-rejected-for-being-too-short-apparently-it-was-a-lot-of-work-to-stretch-me-a-couple-inches/
Don't let insecure boys on the internet or mean people on dating apps tell you different: it's not that big of a gap between 5'11" and 6'1". However, actor Elias Toufexis recently revealed that it may as well have been a yawning chasm during the making 2011's Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Rainbow Six Siege is getting a skin marketplace in the style of Counter-Strike
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-is-getting-a-skin-marketplace-in-the-style-of-counter-strike/
It used to be the case that comparisons between Rainbow Six Siege and Counter-Strike ended at their 5v5 team sizes and bomb rulesets, but Ubisoft is cooking up its own version of a feature that's become synonymous with Valve's tactical FPS: the skin marketplace.
>> Seeing the money it moves, it's no wonder Ubi wants to come up with something similar.

Rainbow Six Siege's next operator has the intimidating ability to press pause on nearly every gadget in the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-sieges-next-operator-has-the-intimidating-ability-to-press-pause-on-nearly-every-gadget-in-the-game/
Eight years, 32 seasons, 70 operators. In all that time, Rainbow Six Siege players can point to only a few moments where the cornerstone of its meta—breaching—saw upheaval. In 2015 the Bandit trick proved Thatcher could be countered, in 2018 Maverick offered an unstoppable (but risky) option to brute force a wall, then Kaid offered protection for hatches. Alternate options for breaching charges and EMPs have slotted nicely into the meta since then, but I'm not sure anyone is ready for Tubarão.
Tubarão is the new defender of Operation Deep Freeze, entering testing this week and releasing in early December. He's a 2-speed, 2-armor operator packing the Zoto canister—a throwable sticky bomb that freezes everything in a few-meter radius. Operators who walk in the frozen area of effect are slowed and leave footprints that linger for several seconds, but that's only the half of it. All gadgets in the fro-zone are deactivated with very few exceptions.

Darkest Dungeon 2's first DLC is finally bringing back one of the original's strongest heroes
https://www.pcgamer.com/darkest-dungeon-2s-first-dlc-is-finally-bringing-back-one-of-the-originals-strongest-heroes/
Red Hook Studios has unveiled the first paid DLC pack for Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade, not to be confused with the Fire Emblem game that had Roy from Smash Bros. in it. The DLC is coming some time in December, and will add two new playable characters: the all-new Duelist, and the long-awaited return of Darkest Dungeon 1's Crusader.

After nearly 10 years, Australian developer Samurai Punk is shutting down
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-nearly-10-years-australian-developer-samurai-punk-is-shutting-down/
Melbourne-based developer Samurai Punk has announced that it will cease operations after almost ten years of making games. The company's statement, attributed to studio directors Winston Tang and Nicholas McDonnell, does not provide a specific reason for the decision, but it comes amid a wave of studio closures and layoffs in the industry.

At this point, it's kind of expected to have a third part of the news every Monday:

After her videos inspired by surreal '90s pre-rendered horror games blew up, this TikTok star is making an actual surreal pre-rendered horror game
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-her-videos-inspired-by-surreal-90s-pre-rendered-horror-games-blew-up-this-tiktok-star-is-making-an-actual-surreal-pre-rendered-horror-game/
I am not, and I hope I never will be described as a "TikTok kind of guy," but the videos of creator Molly Moonn are one of the best things I've seen come out of the whole vertically oriented short video deal. These surreal, horror-infused videos present as '90s point-and-click adventures with pre-rendered graphics derived from real photos, short little suburbia horror stories by way of Myst.
You'll look at the comments of these things and see a lot of "damn, I wish I could play this game," and now, finally, we can! As reported by Alpha Beta Gamer, Molly Moonn and collaborators Airdorf (Faith: The Unholy Trinity), Torple Dook (Hand of Doom), and Jesse Cox (Monster Prom) have produced a free demo for their upcoming horror point and click adventure, Excuse Me Sir.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is getting a free two-part update that lets you visit the Carnival—to rip and tear into heretics, of course
https://www.pcgamer.com/warhammer-40000-darktide-is-getting-a-free-two-part-update-that-lets-you-visit-the-carnivalto-rip-and-tear-into-heretics-of-course/
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide released in a bashed-up state thanks to performance issues, an unfinished crafting system, a not-so-great cash shop, and wonky progression. The game clawed its way back into the good will of its players, though, especially since its recent talent tree overhaul, its recent reviews "Very Positive" on Steam at the time of writing. Fatshark is starting as it means to go on: announcing a two-part free update to celebrate its one year anniversary that'll send you to the Carnival. No, really.

Ken Levine hails cancelled Irrational project as 'the best game we never got to make'
https://www.pcgamer.com/ken-levine-hails-cancelled-irrational-project-as-the-best-game-we-never-got-to-make/
Ken Levine, best-known for System Shock 2 and Bioshock, is not one for social media. Levine was the co-founder of Irrational Games and led the development of that studio's varied output in different creative roles for almost two decades, before the experience of developing Bioshock Infinite led to the studio's total restructuring as a much smaller operation.
Anyway, before Bioshock, there was SWAT 4: an excellent 2005 game, published by Sierra Entertainment, that was something of a revival for a more sim-oriented 90s series of shooters. Believe it or not, and this is going way back into the weeds now, SWAT began as a spinoff of the Police Quest adventure series, itself intended as an "authentic" depiction of law enforcement, hence SWAT 4's emphasis on proper rules of engagement and tactical gunplay.
(...)
Irrational had made several very good games by this point—parts of SWAT 4 hint at the studio's future direction—and didn't want to just make another straightforward entry. So it combined the existing SWAT setup with a pre-existing pitch for a horror-focused shooter as SWAT: Special Division, which would later become known as Division 9. Levine has in the past made positive noises about this project, with a definite 'one that got away' undercurrent, but recently shared the only existing footage of the project and was unambiguous: "This, no doubt, is the best game we never got to make."

Mortal Kombat 1's Homelander is missing something crucial: the actor's voice
https://www.pcgamer.com/mortal-kombat-1s-homelander-is-missing-something-crucial-the-actors-voice/
Despite lending his likeness to Homelander's guest appearance in Mortal Kombat 1, actor Antony Starr has seemingly confirmed that's where his involvement ends.
The Boys actor won't be providing any voice work for the character in NetherRealm's fighting game, as noted by Twitter account UppercutLLC. When asked on Instagram if he would be voicing Homelander in Mortal Kombat 1, Starr gave a rather succinct response: "nope".

Nightdive says Dark Forces has been 'difficult to change' because LucasArts created its own version of multi-threading years before it became popular
https://www.pcgamer.com/nightdive-says-dark-forces-has-been-difficult-to-change-because-lucasarts-created-its-own-version-of-multi-threading-years-before-it-became-popular/
Star Wars: Dark Forces is the latest nineties' PC gaming classic to receive an overhaul from remastering maestros Nightdive Studios. But as this month's PC Gamer magazine reveals, LucasArts' shooter has proved unusually challenging from a technical perspective. Speaking to PCG's print editor Robert Jones, Nightdive's project lead on Dark Forces explains the game features a homebrew equivalent to modern multi-threading that was years ahead of its time.

Baldur's Gate 3's narrator reflects on how ADHD has shaped her voice acting career: 'When you think about it, [the recording booth] is the perfect environment'
https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3s-narrator-reflects-on-how-adhd-has-shaped-her-voice-acting-career-when-you-think-about-it-the-recording-booth-is-the-perfect-environment/
I recently sat down for an interview with Amelia Tyler, the voice of Baldur's Gate 3's many, many lines of narration. We talked about the Dark Urge, her favourite lines, and scaring the crap out of carers at an old people's home (hypothetically). But we also spoke about mental health, a subject Tyler's very transparent about.

AMD will probably launch the MI300X doing the same thing Nvidia did in that benchmark above, running something with a comically large batch size to horribly bottleneck the previous generation/competitor.

So expect some performance claims completely trouncing even the 141GB Hopper model.

Well, we all knew it, but it's nice to have confirmation:

Steam Deck has sold 'multiple millions' of units, Valve says
https://www.pcgamer.com/steam-deck-has-sold-multiple-millions-of-units-valve-says/
In case there was any doubt (and there really shouldn't be at this point), the Steam Deck is a major hit. Speaking to The Verge, designers Lawrence Yang and Pierre-Loup Griffais said Valve's handheld gaming PC has now sold "multiple millions" of units.

These are the Tuesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam's Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

DayZ's just hit its highest-ever player count a decade after its standalone release
https://www.pcgamer.com/dayzs-just-hit-its-highest-ever-player-count-a-decade-after-its-standalone-release/
The original DayZ mod was released in 2012 to near-instant popularity and, come December, it'll be ten years since the standalone game entered early access on Steam. Originally launched in a pretty barebones state, the idea was always to build-out DayZ over the years to come and Bohemia Interactive has done just that: with a sizeable patch last week leading to the game's largest number of concurrent players ever: 69,449, per Steamdb.

GOG has launched two new sales:

• The Ziggurat Publisher Sale brings up to 70% discounts during 6 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20231114_ziggurat_publisher_sale" target="_blank"> https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20231114_ziggurat_publisher_sale
• The Emotion Flow Sale has games up to 90% off during 7 days. The games are organized around the hormones that you'll release while playing them:

Steam has new deals for us, including new weeklong deals:

• Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition will be 50% off until the 16th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466860/Age_of_Empires_IV_Anniversary_Edition/
• The Deponia Full Scrap Collection, with four games, has a 91% discount. It doesn't mention how long thid deal will last, but given that the individual games are on sale until the 16th, you can guess the same for this bundle: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/18569/Deponia_Full_Scrap_Collection/
• The Czech & Slovak Games Week 2023 has demos and at least 80% deals until the 20th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41475492/sale/CZSKGamesWeek2023
• Grounded will be free to try during two more days and 40% off until November, 21st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/962130/Grounded/
• The Arkane Studios Sale features up to 90% discounts until the 21st: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/arkanestudiossale
• And this is a very small sample of the weeklong deals:
  • Gaia Trek is 21% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2273170/Gaia_Trek/
  • Will You Snail? gets a 30% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
  • RagingBlasters is half its price: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1464550/RagingBlasters/
  • Battle Royale Tycoon has a 75% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/851930/Battle_Royale_Tycoon/
  • And the last one, Super Pixel Racers, is 85% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/501020/Super_Pixel_Racers/

The Humble Store has the new Construct & Command Sale, with up to 90% discounts during 6 days. There are keys for Steam, EGS and direct downloads: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/construct-command-sale/.

And Fanatical has three new Flash Deals and a contest:

• These are the 24 hours Flash Deals:
  • The Classic Board Games Collection, with three games, is 80% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/classic-board-games-collection
  • The Star Wars Collection, with 14 games, gets an 81% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/star-wars-collection
  • Iron Harvest has an 85% deal: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/iron-harvest
• And there's a new Wishlist & Win contest to win one of the 25 prizes of $10 in-store cash: https://www.fanatical.com/en/blog/wishlist-and-win

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc & Iris Graphics 31.0.101.4953 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-iris-graphics-31-0-101-4953
Fixed Issues
Intel Arc Graphics Products:

• Starfield (DX12) may exhibit flickering color corruption in the sky during night scenes.
• Alan Wake 2 (DX12) may exhibit corruptions on water and reflective surfaces.
• Halo: The Master Chief Collection (DX11) may experience lower than expected performance with the Xbox Game Pass version.
• World War Z (DX11) may experience lower than expected performance with the Epic Games Store version.

NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready 546.17 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/nvidia-geforce-gameready-546-17
Highlights
Game Ready for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
This new Game Ready Driver provides the best gaming experience for the latest new games supporting DLSS 3 technology including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Starfield.

Fixed Issues
Fixed Gaming Bugs

• [Alan Wake 2] Addressing gradual stability and performance degradation over extended periods of gameplay [4334633]
• [Counter Strike 2] Improved NVIDIA Reflex functionality and performance [4361128]
• [Starfield/Cyberpunk 2077] Stutter observed on some Advanced Optimus notebooks [4341762]
• [Control] Game stability issues over extended periods of gameplay [4313811]

Fixed General Bugs

• [OBS] Tearing issue when recording high resolution video [4359771]
• [Notebook] GPU can become frozen in maximum performance state [4364631]
• Windows 10 transparency effects are not displaying correctly after driver update [4335862]
• Random Bugcheck may be observed on certain systems [4343844]
• [Wallpaper Engine] Wallpaper shows tearing when cloned in multi-monitor configuration [4364562]
• [Firefox Beta] Increased page file memory use when enabling RTX Video Super Resolution [4359080]

After earning $544 million in its most recent quarter, Unity says even more layoffs are 'likely'
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-earning-dollar544-million-in-its-most-recent-quarter-unity-says-even-more-layoffs-are-likely/
It looks like game engine maker Unity is going to be laying off even more employees. Six months after putting 600 people out of work in the year's third round of layoffs and announcing plans to close half its offices worldwide, the company said in its most recent quarterly financial report that despite a 69% year-over-year increase in revenue in its third quarter, it's still bleeding money, and more people will probably have to go.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Here’s your first look at GTA 5 with DLSS 3 Frame Generation
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/gta-5-nvidia-dlss-3-frame-generation/
Modder ‘PureDark’ has released a video, showcasing Grand Theft Auto 5 with DLAA and DLSS 3 Frame Generation. This mod aims to improve the performance of GTA5, though it would be better if the modder focused on GTA IV.
(...)
Anyway, with DLSS 3 Frame Generation, owners of the RTX40 series graphics cards can almost double their performance. This will be great for those that have heavily modified GTA5. With DLSS 3, you can get amazing framerates in 4K with the best graphics mods, such as NVE, QuentV and ENB. Not only that but DLAA (as well as DLSS Super Resolution) can improve the game’s image quality. Let’s not forget that GTAV uses TAA for its anti-aliasing solution. So yeah, DLSS 3 Super Resolution will be a must-have in this game for all RTX owners.
And now for the bad news. As with all DLSS 3 mods from PureDark, this one will also be behind a Patreon wall. So no, you won’t be able to download and use it for free. This sucks but hey, it is what it is. Let’s at least hope that other modders, like LukeFZ, will release free DLSS 3 mods for both GTA5 and GTA 4.
>> There's an over 8 minutes long video.

GAMING NEWS

New Starfield Beta Update 1.8.84 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/new-starfield-beta-update-1-8-84-released-detailed/
Bethesda just dropped a new beta update for the PC version of Starfield. This new one, Beta Update 1.8.84, has got a bunch of fixes. Most of them are about the new DLSS 3 Super Resolution and Frame Generation Bethesda added.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Official PC Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-official-pc-requirements/
SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku revealed what kind of PC you’ll need for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the new Yakuza game coming in 2024. And guess what? You don’t need a super fancy computer – it’s not asking for a high-end one.

The Tuesday news, part two:

Remedy's free-to-play multiplayer game is going back to the drawing board for a 'reboot' as a premium game
https://www.pcgamer.com/remedys-free-to-play-multiplayer-game-is-going-back-to-the-drawing-board-for-a-reboot-as-a-premium-game/
Vanguard, Remedy's mysterious multiplayer game, is being rebooted. Just a couple weeks after saying that it hoped to have the game's "proof-of-concept" finished by the end of the year, the studio announced today that it's decided to take the project in a whole new direction, with a whole new codename.

Hundreds of Norwegian World of Warcraft players are furious after a bizarre new bug causes their game to freeze repeatedly
https://www.pcgamer.com/hundreds-of-norwegian-world-of-warcraft-players-are-furious-after-a-bizarre-new-bug-causes-their-game-to-freeze-repeatedly/
Well, here's an odd one. Last night, hundreds of furious World of Warcraft players took to Blizzard's forums to voice their complaints about a bug that is making the game all but unplayable, which seems to have emerged from the recent 10.2 update. The twist? All of these players are located in Norway.

It looks like modding tools for Cities: Skylines 2 are still several months away
https://www.pcgamer.com/it-looks-like-modding-tools-for-cities-skylines-2-are-still-several-months-away/
Like cutting the red tape on a six-lane gravel highway, the launch of Cities: Skylines 2 has been both huge and rough. While undoubtedly offering an improved core experience over the original, the game's performance issues were so severe that Colossal Order started warning about them before the game came out. Moreover, certain core features you'd hope to see on release, were either unfinished or just plain missing.
One of the most requested features for Cities: Skylines 2 is modding tools, as Skylines is just one of those games that players just love to tinker with. The good news is that modding tools are coming. The bad news is it's likely to be a few more months before we see them.

Baldur's Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 lead The Game Awards with 8 nominations each
https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-and-alan-wake-2-lead-the-game-awards-with-8-nominations-each/
The nominees for The Game Awards 2023 have been announced and Alan Wake 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 are tied for the most nominations, with eight each from 31 total categories. They're both up for the main Game of the Year award, but are also competing for Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Score and Music, among others.
>> Meanwhile, Starfield only has one nomination.

Blizzard refuses to say what Diablo 4's new class will be, but its own leak gives us some clues
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-refuses-to-say-what-diablo-4s-new-class-will-be-but-its-own-leak-gives-us-some-clues/
Blizzard refuses to say what new class is coming to Diablo 4 when its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, launches late next year. But datamined text from a leaked build of the game makes it pretty clear what it will be.

PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted will reveal the 25 most exciting upcoming PC games on November 30
https://www.pcgamer.com/pc-gaming-show-most-wanted-will-reveal-the-25-most-exciting-upcoming-pc-games-on-november-30/
PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted will air on Thursday, November 30 at 10 am PST (1 pm EST, 6 pm GMT, 7 pm CET) to reveal the 25 most exciting games in development on PC.

AMD readies 8-Core Ryzen 7 5700X3D and 6-core Ryzen 5 5500X3D with 96MB L3 Cache

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-readies-8-core-ryzen-7-5700x3d-and-6-core-ryzen-5-5500x3d-with-96mb-l3-cache

The source as generally been on point with his leaks so it makes sense to believe him. AMD really wasn't kidding when they said they will still support AM4 even after AM5 was out. The life of the socket continues to be nuts.

Intel confirms no plans to support Application Optimization (APO) on 12th/13th Gen Core CPUs

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-confirms-no-plans-to-support-application-optimization-apo-on-12th-13th-gen-core-cpus

Intel won't provide any technical reason as to why it's not possible to add this feature to their older generation GPUs. It really goes to show how scummy Intel can be as this is a feature that could be very beneficial to big.LITTLE cores that 12/13th gen uses.  It optimizes the CPU to make better use of it's P core and E core setup such as boosting the E-core clock speed or prioritizing the P cores if the scheduler makes a mistake. Very lame move from them.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Ti Looks Ridiculously Huge Infront of Last-Gen Titan RTX GPU

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4090-ti-looks-huge-infront-last-gen-titan-rtx-gpu/

The GPU that will never see the light of day in the consumer space

AMD readies Phoenix3 and Phoenix4 APUs, PCI IDs leak reveals

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-readies-phoenix3-and-phoenix4-apus-pci-ids-leak-reveals