Friday news, part two:

Embracer exec says laying off hundreds of people was an 'agonising process,' but that restructuring is 'how we win'
https://www.pcgamer.com/embracer-exec-says-laying-off-hundreds-of-people-was-an-agonising-process-but-that-restructuring-is-how-we-win/
(...)
In the midst of all this, Embracer's interim chief strategy officer Phil Rogers has spoken to Gamesindustry.biz about the company's attempts to reduce its debt, and the resulting restructuring program. Safe to say, it makes for interesting reading.
On the debt itself, which Embracer has reduced from $1.5bn to $1.4bn, Rogers says Embracer feels "like we're on track against our targets that we've set out." He specifies the plan is to "readjust that games pipeline down to the run rate" of "SEK 5 billion ($478.4million)" going into next fiscal year. In addition to reducing the debt, Rogers says Embracer is asking itself broader questions about how to "transform ourselves into a leaner, stronger, more focused and—critically—cash self-sufficient company".

Modern Warfare 3's latest exploit is wriggling around on the floor as a snake going mach one
https://www.pcgamer.com/modern-warfare-3s-latest-exploit-is-wriggling-around-on-the-floor-as-a-snake-going-mach-one/
What is it about the Modern Warfare games producing the most cursed-looking movement glitches, lately? There was the horrifying "G walk" in MW2, which looked like your character was breaking out an all fours to tear into someone's jugular, and this 'Superman' glitch from the same year that made you look like a Hunter from Left 4 Dead.
Now Modern Warfare 3 continues this unholy tradition by letting players wriggle across the ground at top speeds. Before I get into how this is happening, here's a clip of it in action, courtesy of vvinta_ (Winter) on Twitter, who becomes an actual snake on a plane as she slithers towards her enemy

25 years later, this Half-Life scientist finally bites it as Gabe intended
https://www.pcgamer.com/25-years-later-this-half-life-scientist-finally-bites-it-as-gabe-intended/
Half-Life celebrated its 25th anniversary last Sunday, and Valve laid out a buffet of Lambda-shaped treats to mark the occasion. The company added new multiplayer maps to the game, released an hour-long documentary delving into its design, and fixed a few of its most resilient bugs. But there's one bug that escaped Valve's digital butterfly net, one that, weirdly enough, is actually seen in the 25th anniversary documentary. Now, it's been fixed.

Left 4 Dead could've had player classes—but the game's co-lead put his foot down: 'no, that is the wrong way to go'
https://www.pcgamer.com/left-4-dead-couldve-had-player-classesbut-the-games-co-lead-put-his-foot-down-no-that-is-the-wrong-way-to-go/
(...)
Part of Left 4 Dead's success was down to how straightforwardly good it was. You rock up, shoot zombies, and spam "pills here!" at every opportunity. There aren't classes or progression trees—and while a lot of those bells and whistles weren't common in the genre when it came out, it still made the game more accessible and focused. It's also why people are still playing it.
Classes are something Left 4 Dead ignores in favour of simplicity. According to the game's co-lead, however, things could've gone a very different way. In a recent interview with GameDeveloper, Chet Faliszek remarks: "I dearly love the team from Alien Swarm, but I don’t know how many times where I was told to make [Left 4 Dead] more like Alien Swarm."

And here are the GOG and Steam deals for the weekend... tho there's not much to be said:

+GOG

• GOG runs its Black Friday Sale until Tuesday.
  • And here you'll find a (short) list of games that have all time high discounts: https://www.gog.com/en/news/these_alltime_high_discounts_are_waiting_for_you_during_black_friday_sale_alongside_microids_titles_byob

+Steam

• Steam has its Autumn Sale, also running until Tuesday.

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

It's no wonder 4090 prices are going up, with those pallets full of cards waiting to be mutilated.

Regarding the video, it's quite funny how AMD is their best choice in many price segments, and I also find surprising how they don't mention the 3060 anywhere in the video while they do mention cards like the 7600, 3060Ti, 4060 and 4060Ti, 6700XT and even the 3050 (even if it's only to say that it's not worth it).

Congratulation for your new purchase, and for playing at the proper refresh rate.

As you can see from the GamersNexus video, now it's a good time to get a GPU, with different options at every price point... except for the 4080 and the 4090, one overpriced and the other being scalped.

Thanks and ya...cant believe I've been playing it wrong lol

Oh well, at least I didnt play as much - just Street Fighter V, Final Fantasy 6 Mobile Remake and Borderlands GOTY Enhanced.

ACIV I started recently.

And I'm sure that by now you love the Sea Shanties from the game. "Leave her, Johnny" still comes to mind every now and then.

Absolutely.

Just the other day - I found the ACIV black flag OST on Apple music so I was playing that while I was driving to work.

Drunken Sailor and Lowlands Away are my favorites.

Anyways, bought my first game on GOG in years - Diablo+HellFire for $8.

Gonna play that sometime soon - I have Diablo 2 and 3 on Xbox and will get 4.

I have an Anbernic RG35XX handheld emulator gameboy-like... Thing running Garlic OS.

And I have a copy of Diablo 1 on PSX, so made an ISO dump (It is Legal here), so the last few weeks I've been playing that when I am away from my PC, such a solid game, looks like arse on a big modern display though.

If you want to play Diablo 1, I highly recommend this mod to go along with it: https://mod.diablo.noktis.pl

It's an HD mod, but it also adds tons of content - most of which had been cut before release and go reinserted into the game.

The Monday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is free to keep on Ubisoft Connect
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/assassins-creed-syndicate-is-free-to-keep-on-ubisoft-connect/
Ubisoft is giving away an older AC game, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, for free for a limited time. Until December 6th, PC gamers can visit its Ubisoft Connect page and get their free copy.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate came out in 2015, and it was the next game after Assassin’s Creed Unity. For Syndicate, Ubisoft downgraded its graphics. As such, the game is not as graphically impressive as Unity. Still, it looks great for a game that came out in 2015.
In Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, you get to be Jacob or Evie and play. The game is set in London in 1868. It’s during the Industrial Revolution, and you have to lead your own group to fight those who exploit the less privileged.

Both GOG and Steam still run its Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Autumn Sales, which will end tomorrow.

Humble Bundle has launched the Black Friday Score: The Walking Dead & More from Skybound Bundle, with up to 15 items to get during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/black-friday-score-walking-dead-more-from-skybound.

And Fanatical has four new Flash Deals from its Black Friday Sale and also a new bundle:

• The new 24 hours Flash Deals are:
  • The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, 59% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-great-ace-attorney-chronicles
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Siege Ultimate Edition Year 8, with a 62% discount. The key is for UbiConnect: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/tom-clancy-s-rainbow-six-siege-ultimate-edition-year-8
  • Sniper Elite 5 - Deluxe Edition is 76% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/sniper-elite-5-deluxe-edition
  • The last one is SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator, with an 80% deal: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/suchart-genius-artist-simulator
• The Vertigo Games Bundle features 6 games split into three tiers of 2, 4 and 6 items, with an up to 91% discount during 9 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/vertigo-games-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Resident Evil 4 Remake just got an amazing Silent Hill Outfit Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/resident-evil-4-remake-just-got-an-amazing-silent-hill-outfit-mod/
Silent Hill and Resident Evil fans, here is something for you today. Modder ‘AmanoSomething’ has released an amazing Silent Hill Mod for Resident Evil 4 Remake. This mod replaces the outfits of the main cast with those from the first Silent Hill game.
Going into more details, Leon will now wear the same clothes Harry Mason did in Silent Hill. On the other hand, Ada will look like Cybil Bennett, and Luis will wear the same costume that Michael Kaufmann did. Ashley will also now have two new outfits – one like Lisa Garland and the other like Alessa Gillespie.
This mod looks so good that it really feels like an official crossover DLC between Resident Evil and Silent Hill. So, if you are fans of both of these franchises, we highly recommend downloading from this link. Below you can also find a video from it. This video can give you an idea of what you can expect from it. So, make sure to watch it.
>> The video is over 20 minutes long.

This Starfield Mod completely disables its dialogue cameras
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-starfield-mod-completely-disables-the-dialogue-camera/
It’s no secret that a lot of players didn’t like the way Starfield’s dialogue camera worked, which had also a lot of bugs. Well, good news everyone. Modder “AntoniX” released a mod that gets rid of it completely.
With this mod, players can now use a more traditional third-person camera in conversations. The mod also offers a first-person mode. Plus, it looks like you can move around freely during your chats. As such, the game will now be more immersive.
To show what this mod does, AntoniX posted the following video. I suggest watching it because it’ll give you an idea of what the mod does. And yes, it seems to be an improvement compared to what Bethesda originally had. At least, that’s what I think.
>> The video is quite short, less than one minute.

Mortal Kombat 2 Remix is an incredible remaster of the classic 2D fighting game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mortal-kombat-2-remix-incredible-remaster-classic-2d-fighting-game/
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the old classic 2D Mortal Kombat games. The first Mortal Kombat was amazing, and its sequel turned everything up to eleven. Mortal Kombat 2 is considered by a lot of players as the best game of the original trilogy. And, from the looks of it, there is a remaster for it that you can download and play.
For those wondering, this is a MUGEN game, meaning that is free to everyone. Here is the thing though. Contrary to other MUGEN games, this is a really polished one. Everything feels like the 2D Mortal Kombat games. There aren’t any major glitches, and the controls seem to be great. Combat pacing also seems similar to the classic MK games.
Not only that but Mortal Kombat 2 Remix comes with major QoL improvements. For instance, it introduces the “Run” mechanic from Mortal Kombat 3. It also adds new combos, as well as new moves for all characters. The stages also look better, with more details and cosmetics. Take for instance Pit 2. It now has a volcano in the background. Or the Portal stage which now has animated effects. Oh, and every secret character is playable now.
>> The article has a couple of videos.

This Cyberpunk 2077 Mod significantly improves its draw distance
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-cyberpunk-2077-mod-significantly-improves-its-draw-distance/
Modder ‘sosuinepsixuyu’ has released a new mod for Cyberpunk 2077. As the title implies, this mod significantly improves its draw distance. Thanks to this mod, you’ll reduce the distant pop-ins of objects. As such, we highly recommend downloading it.
Do note though that this mod will not increase the shadow cascades. As such, the mod will not address the shadow pop-ins you get while exploring the city or while driving vehicles. It also does not introduce any improvements to its LOD system. All it does is increase the draw distance of various objects. So yeah, there will be fewer pop-ins, but don’t expect an experience similar to what UE5 does with Nanite.
>> The article has two screenshots.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind gets a World of Warcraft Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind-gets-a-world-of-warcraft-mod/
Now here is something cool for our Morrowind fans. Modder ‘TelShadow’ has just released a new mod for it that aims to add the world of Azeroth to Tamriel.
TelShadow has been working on this mod for over a year, and its current version adds the continent of Northrend. Or, to be more precise, eight zones out of ten. The two zones that are not included are Zul Drak and Howling Fjord. According to the modder, the next version of the mod will have them (alongside custom weather and some new creatures).
Right now, World of Morrocraft only has exterior zones and some weather patterns. In other words, this is just an exterior showcase. You can walk around, but there is nothing you can do in these new places. Morrowind also looks dated these days, so most of you won’t be impressed by the new environments. Still, this is a cool mod that may interest some of you. In future versions, the modder plans to add new NPCs, creatures and quests.
>> The article has some screenshots.

Unreal Engine 5-powered Attack on Titan Free Game Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/unreal-engine-5-powered-attack-on-titan-free-game-released/
Attack on Titan fans, here is something for you today. YouTube’s ‘Swammy’ has shared a new free Attack on Titan fan game that you can download and play. This free fan-made Attack on Titan game is powered by Unreal Engine 5.
However, from what I’ve seen, it does not take advantage of Nanite or Lumen. Swammy hasn’t shared any tech details so yeah, we are on the blind here. Also, since this is coming from one person, you should temper your visual expectations. This isn’t a UE5 graphical powerhouse. Swammy has been working on this free AoT game for a while. This latest version comes with reworked ODM and Character Models/Skins. It also adds a new Titan Model, as well as better AI for Titans. Moreover, it adds to the game the Thunder Spears, allows you to reload blades/gas, and implements re-supply points.
The only downside here is that the content for this AoT game is quite limited. For instance, it appears to only have one Mission Mode (in which players will have to protect Eren Yeager). Thankfully, though, it also comes with a Multiplayer Mode.
In the next parts, Swammy plans to add more Missions and a Tutorial Mode. However, there is no ETA on when the second big part of this free AoT game will come out.
>> The article has a couple of videos.

GAMING NEWS

Super Woden GP 2 is a modern take on the classic NEO-GEO isometric racing games
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/super-woden-gp-2-is-a-modern-take-on-the-classic-neo-geo-isometric-racing-games/
Now here is something that passed under my radar. Earlier this month, developer ViJuDa released Super Woden GP 2 on Steam. Super Woden GP 2 pays homage to the classic NEO-GEO arcade racing games. And oh boy do I love its style.

Here are over 3 hours of gameplay from the UE5-powered life simulation game, inZOI
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-over-3-hours-of-gameplay-from-the-ue5-powered-life-simulation-game-inzoi/
Earlier this month, we informed you about inZOI; a new life simulation game in Unreal Engine 5 that aims to rival EA’s The Sims series. And a few days ago, YouTuber “acottonsock” posted a video with more than 3 hours of gameplay from it. So, be sure to check it out.

Bloober Team issues official statement about Silent Hill 2 Remake
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bloober-team-issues-official-statement-about-silent-hill-2-remake/
Konami officially announced Silent Hill 2 Remake in October 2022. Since then, though, the publisher hasn’t shared any new details, screenshots or videos for it. Naturally, a lot of people assumed that the project was stuck in development hell. And, from the looks of it, this prompted Bloober Team to release a statement to clarify the situation.

Monday news, part two:

Court rules Gabe Newell must appear in person to testify in Steam anti-trust lawsuit
https://www.pcgamer.com/court-rules-gabe-newell-must-appear-in-person-to-testify-in-steam-anti-trust-lawsuit/
Valve boss Gabe Newell is headed to court. A court order filed on November 16 (via Gamesindustry.biz) says Newell is required to testify in person in the ongoing antitrust lawsuit between Wolfire Games and Valve so the plaintiffs in the case can "adequately assess" his credibility.

Assassin's Creed players started having their games interrupted by full-screen pop-up ads, but Ubisoft says it was a 'technical error' and quickly patched it
https://www.pcgamer.com/assassins-creed-players-started-having-their-games-interrupted-by-full-screen-pop-up-ads-but-ubisoft-says-it-was-a-technical-error-and-quickly-patched-it/
First reported by Rock Paper Shotgun, console players of older Assassin's Creed games like Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla encountered Black Friday ad pop-ups for the latest entry, Assassin's Creed Mirage, while trying to access in-game menus. Ubisoft has since stated that the ads appeared due to a "technical error" and removed them.

Forget the Dark Urge: if you want to feel like a monster in Baldur's Gate 3, it has over an hour of different gut wrenching breakup conversations
https://www.pcgamer.com/forget-the-dark-urge-if-you-want-to-feel-like-a-monster-in-baldurs-gate-3-it-has-over-an-hour-of-different-gut-wrenching-breakup-conversations/
"I thought I knew every type of hurt there was. I didn't know anything, did I?" Jesus, Karlach, I'm sorry, I didn't even get this dialogue in my game and I still feel bad. Baldur's Gate 3 is a big game with tons of world state variations and a veritable smörgåsbord of romanceable companions⁠—it makes sense that there's a lot of different breakup scenes.

Chief producer of the Yakuza series wasn't worried about going turn-based back in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, saying, 'we are confident that we can make an enjoyable game, even if it is in a genre we have never made before'
https://www.pcgamer.com/chief-producer-of-the-yakuza-series-wasnt-worried-about-going-turn-based-back-in-yakuza-like-a-dragon-saying-we-are-confident-that-we-can-make-an-enjoyable-game-even-if-it-is-in-a-genre-we-have-never-made-before/
The Yakuza/Like a Dragon games are an annualized series, a new entry appearing every year since 2014, and sometimes two per year—as was the case in 2023, when Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio released both Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. With so many games coming out, making sure they feel at least a little different, with changing protagonists, locations, and time periods, is essential. Changing the combat system was one of the most surprising shifts.

A decade after launching as a free game on Xbox One, Killer Instinct is going free-to-play on PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-decade-after-launching-as-a-free-game-on-xbox-one-killer-instinct-is-going-free-to-play-on-pc/
There are two things I know about Killer Instinct. In the original '90s fighting game, Orchid had a finisher where she flashed her chest at the opponent, giving them a fatal heart attack, and in the 2013 reboot, Rash from Battletoads was OP.
Killer Instinct was a bigger deal on Xbox than it was on PC, the reboot a well-received Xbox One launch title with seasonal updates including the one adding a frog who was too powerful. Killer Instinct arrived on PC more sedately a few years later, on the Windows Store in 2016 and Steam in 2017, this time with a price tag. To our surprise, instead of being shut down the PC version actually migrated to new servers this year. And now, developer Iron Galaxy has announced as part of its 10th anniversary that Killer Instinct is getting a new patch and will become free-to-play on PC.

No, Cult of the Lamb's next free expansion won't be 'the sex update'
https://www.pcgamer.com/no-cult-of-the-lambs-next-free-expansion-wont-be-the-sex-update/
Earlier this year, spooky-cute roguelite Cult of the Lamb got a free expansion called Relics of the Old Faith adding more to do after defeating the final boss, a heavy attack for each weapon type, relics to collect, extra challenge modes, shielded enemies, and more. Developers Massive Monster said it wasn't the end, however, with another update still to come.
Now the studio has announced the update's name and release window. It's called Sins of the Flesh, and, as the official Twitter account tweeted, "Coming very early next year, this update is packed with new features, stories, and more!"

Pony-inspired fighting game Them's Fightin' Herds abandons its unfinished story mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/pony-inspired-fighting-game-thems-fightin-herds-abandons-its-unfinished-story-mode/
In 2013, Hasbro sent a cease-and-desist letter to the creators of a My Little Pony fangame called Fighting is Magic (it began as a fanart project called "Marevel vs. Clopcom"). While the creators, Mane6, accepted the cease and desist, they kept the basic idea and mechanics and used them to create an original game called Them's Fightin' Herds. Lauren Faust, producer of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic TV show, agreed to create a new cast of hoofed mammal fighters for the game and came up with the basics of a setting and story as well. Following an Indiegogo campaign that raised $586,346, Them's Fightin' Herds was released on Steam in early access.
Though Them's Fightin' Herds left early access in 2020, its story mode remains incomplete, with only the first chapter playable. In the latest blog post, which details two DLC characters being released as part of its season pass, there's a section on what comes next. "After the Season 1 Pass is complete," it says, "we will be ceasing active development on TFH. We will still be able to release small patches to address game-breaking bugs, but no new content will be produced. Unfortunately, that includes Story Mode."

You can buy this forgotten '90s shooter from its original website, which is a perfectly preserved time capsule of PC gaming's golden age
https://www.pcgamer.com/you-can-buy-this-forgotten-90s-shooter-from-its-original-website-which-is-a-perfectly-preserved-time-capsule-of-pc-gamings-golden-age/
Bad Toys 3D is described by publisher Tibo Software as "a 3D first-person shooter with funny graphics and sounds." Originally released in 1995, it's a simplistic Wolfenstein 3D knockoff that sees you exploring flat mazes of Windows screensaver-like brick walls, blasting purple pom-pom monsters with pistols and shotguns. "THE FACTORY FOR TOYS HAS BEEN BOUGHT BY THE COMPANY DELTA MILITARY SYSTEMS RECENTLY," reads the game's blurb. "NOW IT IS OUT OF CONTROL. WHAT IS GOING ON?"
I don't know whether Bad Toys 3D is any good, although even the publishers don't seem wholly convinced by it, saying "You won't find DOOM here". What makes it fascinating for PC gamers, though, is the context in which you can buy it today. As pointed out on X by MS-DOS gaming enthusiast Anatoly Shashkin. You won't find Bad Toys 3D on Steam, GoG, or any digital distribution service, but you can buy it direct from Tibo's own website, an experience which offers a perfectly preserved time-capsule of nineties' PC gaming.

No part three! Yay!

AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D, Ryzen 5 5500X3D, Ryzen 5 5600GT, Ryzen 5 5500GT & Ryzen 7 5700 AM4 Desktop CPUs Launching In Early 2024

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-7-5700x3d-ryzen-5-5500x3d-5600gt-5500gt-5700-am4-desktop-cpus-launching-early-2024/

AMD Ryzen 8000G AM5 Desktop APU Specifications Leak, Up To 2.5x Faster Than Ryzen 5000G In Gaming Benchmarks

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-8000g-am5-desktop-apu-specs-leak-2-5x-faster-ryzen-5000g-gaming/

Alienware M18 laptop with Radeon RX 7900M tested, strong competitor to RTX4080 version overshadowed by short battery life

https://videocardz.com/newz/alienware-m18-laptop-with-radeon-rx-7900m-tested-strong-competitor-to-rtx4080-version-overshadowed-by-short-battery-life

Power consumption going as high as 100 watts while in idle and in stand by mode as high as 25 watts is nuts. For comparison, the highest the 4080 laptop went on idle is around 36 watts while generally 1-2 watts in stand by mode. Hopefully they will fix issues with future updates but it feels like Radeon team is having bad luck after bad luck with their product releases after RDNA 3 announcement with the only successful product launch being the 7800XT imo.