For music we used Winamp back in the days. It also had a lot of skins to choose from:
https://skins.webamp.org/

Ah the old media player UI and skins.. good times. XP was definately some of the GOAT as software goes from MS.

I used to mess around with Winamp skins too lol.

Damn, the dark times, I remember those days.

Downloading a 3 MB mp3 would take minutes.

I was actually using the RealPlayer (Well, RealJukebox) instead, had more functions at the time.

i actually got there from their downloader, which was very fast and could force downloads even when the webpage was trying to block them.

I still use Winamp

Yeah, Winamp was pretty much default, guess like VLC these days.

Does it still whip the Llama's ass?

Nowadays I use VLC for videos and AIMP for music.

Welcome to a new edition of the Monday news... with Palworld articles in it (only one regarding sales, tho):

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

That Pokémon with guns game, Palworld, just sold 4 million copies in 3 days and it isn't slowing down
https://www.pcgamer.com/that-pokemon-with-guns-game-palworld-just-sold-4-million-copies-in-3-days-and-it-isnt-slowing-down/
Former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata outlined a "blue ocean" strategy with selling the Nintendo Wii, which is to say it was designed to tap into the "ocean" of potential customers outside the usual gamer sphere. Well, it turns out there's an untapped blue ocean of people who wanted Pokémon with guns, because the survival-crafting Poké-like Palworld is selling so fast it's putting hot cakes to shame.
How fast? This thing is already the fifth most-played game in Steam's history by concurrent players just three days after launch⁠—3,000 more Palworlders at peak hours and it'll unseat Dota 2, while recent triple-A heavy hitters like Hogwarts Legacy or my beloved Baldur's Gate 3 and Elden Ring trail far behind.
What's more, this is "just" an early access launch, and many Steam games don't hit a concurrent peak until the second or third weekend after releasing⁠. Whether Palworld keeps up that momentum remains to be seen.
Sales-wise they are printing money over at developer/publisher Pocketpair. This morning, the game's official Twitter account revealed that Palworld has surpassed 4 million copies sold, which is insane. For two quick points of reference, beloved cult classic NieR Automata hit 7.5 million copies sold last April after six years on the market, while Cyberpunk 2077's lauded expansion Phantom Liberty crossed the 5 million mark just this month.
>> Norion has made a thread about its success.

GOG starts the week with three new Deals of the Day, that will last 46 hours:

• The Making of Karateka is 25% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_making_of_karateka
• Wreckfest gets a 60% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/wreckfest
• And Absolver: Deluxe Edition sports an 80% deal: https://www.gog.com/en/game/absolver_deluxe_edition

Steam has two deals:

• Kingdoms and Castles is going to be 40% off until the 28th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/569480/Kingdoms_and_Castles/
• PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC gets a 75% discount until the same 28th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1859470/PACMAN_WORLD_RePAC/

And at Fanatical, while it started yesterday, the Star Deal, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, will be 83% off during another 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-special-edition

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Venom Gameplay From the Unofficial PC Port of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/venom-gameplay-unofficial-pc-port-marvels-spider-man-2/
A few days ago, we informed you about the release of the unofficial PC port of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. And today, we have some new PC gameplay footage from it, in which we get to see Venom for the first time.
As you can see, the unofficial PC port of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is fully playable. Yes, it’s not perfect and there are some missing textures. I also spotted some stutters. However, for an unofficial PC port, it looks pretty solid.
Now I wouldn’t advise downloading this unofficial PC port. After all, it isn’t up to what you’d expect from a PC release. Yes, you can play and finish the entire game. However, there are still a lot of glitches and bugs. Let’s also not forget that this is illegal and that the current PC build is around 256GB in size.
>> The article has the twitter with the very short video of Venom in it.

Skyrim just got a gameplay overhaul mod, inspired by One Piece & Outward
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/skyrim-gameplay-mod-one-piece-outward/
Modder ‘Sengetsu’ has released a new gameplay overhaul mod for Skyrim Special Edition that takes inspiration from the worlds of One Piece and Outward. This mod will increase overall difficulty and add new gameplay features and mechanics. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
The Romance Dawn Mod adds a new system that includes 10 new attribute classes to further customize your character. According to the modder, this will open up new gameplay/perk avenues. It will also give NPCs random attributes based on their race.
Additionally, the mod adds a new class, called Bushi. Bushi comes with a new perk tree with over 20 perks focused on melee/ranged combat and stamina management.
And that’s not all. The mod also packs tweaks for stamina and weapons. For instance, Stamina will now play a bigger role in melee damage, blocking and attack speed. Moreover, the mod adds a new damage type, called Breach. Breach deals additional damage based on weapon mastery, quality, weapon type, weight and stamina.
Finally, this gameplay overhaul mod brings a few tweaks to NPCs. NPCs now have a chance of having tempered weapons and armor based off of inherent ‘Danger Levels’ and attributes. Furthermore, there are hundreds of new stat/perk/trait combinations for each NPC.
>> The article has a very, very long video of the mod.

First-Person Mod Released for Resident Evil 4 Remake
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/first-person-mod-resident-evil-4-remake/
Modder ‘elsuperaguas’ has released a mod for Resident Evil 4 Remake that allows you to play it with a first-person camera viewpoint. This is a must-have mod for everyone who wants to replay this RE game. So, go ahead and download it.
This mod supports all of the game modes that are available in Resident Evil 4 Remake. And while you may encounter some bugs and glitches, it’s totally worth using it. And, to be honest, I don’t understand why Capcom hasn’t offered this as a bonus. But hey, what do I know. Right?
>> There's an almost 7 minutes video of the mod.

Tomb Raider 2 looks insane with RTX Remix Path Tracing
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/tomb-raider-2-rtx-remix-path-tracing/
Last week, we shared some RTX Remix screenshots from the first Tomb Raider game. And today, we have some new screenshots to share from Tomb Raider 2 with full Ray Tracing/Path Tracing effects.
Created by YouTube’s ‘skurtyyskirts’, these screenshots will give you a glimpse at what its upcoming RTX Remix promises to deliver. And, like the screenshots for the first Tomb Raider game, these are based on the NVIDIA RTX Remix Runtime that came out last year. So, in theory, the game will get even better once NVIDIA releases RTX Remix in Open Beta. That will happen tomorrow, and we can’t wait for it.
In these screenshots, the modder showcased the Global Illumination effects that Path Tracing brings to the table. We can also easily spot the improved reflections and shadows. And the way the advanced lighting interacts with Lara is truly amazing.
>> The article has some screenshots.

The Witcher 3 Just Got a Massive Gameplay Overhaul Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/the-witcher-3-massive-gameplay-overhaul-mod/
Modder ‘apokryphos’ has just launched a huge gameplay overhaul mod for The Witcher 3, called Eternal Hunt. This mod completely changes the way you play TW3, so we recommend giving it a try in your second or third playthrough. Now, let’s dive into the details.
Eternal Hunt is a massive content pack that includes new animations, scenes, enemies, items, armor, weapons, lore, effects, pseudo-quests, and much, much more. It also features a great number of additional complex support systems. For instance, you can expect real-time meditation, auto-hide weapons for cloaks, and wearable pocket items. Players will also get a blood/gore system, 3D HUD markers, weather system, ice-breath and more. As said, this is a huge gameplay mod for CDPR’s RPG.
Eternal Hunt is the sequel to Advanced Combat System, and it brings along all the cool things from it. The best part? There are over 100 new weapons waiting for you in the game. Some of them are Imlerith’s hammer, Eredin’s sword, and Caranthir’s staff.
With this cool mod, each Witcher school now has its own set of awesome moves. This means that you’ll get unique attacks, dodges, and stances for every Witcher school. There is also an animation override feature. This system aims to improve the dodge and roll animations, as well as the sword combat animations. Cool right?
Eternal Hunt also comes with a special Rage system. It’s kind of like the Perilous attack system in Sekiro, where it kicks in during combat based on what you’re doing. But that’s not all – there’s also a Sneaking Mode. When you use it, you basically become a super stealthy Witcher. As such, you can sneak around, and enemies won’t even notice you unless you cross their line of sight.
And that’s not all. The mod provides a complex targeting system that allows the player to swap between three different modes. It will also let you customize your finisher moves. Plus, it adds custom encounters into the game. Oh, and it also comes with tweaks and improvements to the enemy AI.
>> Sadly, the article doesn't have screenshots nor videos of this mod.

The upcoming prequel to 1999 Dreamcast game Slave Zero just got its own prequel, and it's a free Quake mod
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-upcoming-prequel-to-1999-dreamcast-game-slave-zero-just-got-its-own-prequel-and-its-a-free-quake-mod/
Slave Zero X: Episode Enyo is a weird tie-in for a weird game: a free prequel Quake mod for the upcoming 2D character action game Slave Zero X, itself a prequel to the 1999 PC/Dreamcast mech game, Slave Zero. That context might make it seem impenetrable, but even if you're not already "Slave Zero-pilled" (sorry), the six-level Quake campaign is a solid little free FPS that's worth your time.
Episode Enyo casts you as one of Slave Zero X's main villains, and as a gunslinging assassin type, the titular Enyo is well suited to her own boomer shooter spinoff. Poppy Works and Ironwood Software did a great job of distinguishing this total conversion from base Quake, most impressively with a custom arsenal fully distinct from the original game.
We trade Quake's idiosyncratic collection of guns for a more classic Doom-y lineup (pistol, machine gun, shotgun, plasma rifle, etc.), but they all feel and look good, and it's the sort of above and beyond effort that would distinguish any Quake mod. The enemies consist of Quake's classic lineup, but reskinned with high-quality, more Slave Zero X-appropriate models: Death Knights become armored cybercops with riot shields, Scrags are automated drones, and the fearsome Shambler is disguised with a carapace of power armor that looks like it was smuggled out of the Fallout Enclave's dressing room.
>> The article has some screenshots.

Modders are already working on a Pokemon Mod for Palworld
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/modders-are-already-working-on-a-pokemon-mod-for-palworld/
Well, we all knew this would eventually happen. Palworld is often described as “Pokemon with guns”. And, to the surprise of no one, modders are already working on a Pokemon mod for it. And although there is no way to download it as of yet, you can go ahead and take a look at its first gameplay video.
X’s ‘Toasted’ has shared the following video, in which we can see a lot of iconic characters and Pokemon from Pokemon. Thanks to this mod, players are able to now control Ash. Misty, Brock and even Team Rocket will be also there. And yes, most of your favourite Pokemon will be included in it. Pikachu, Piplup, Fuack, Torchic and more will be available.
Toasted claimed that he will release a showcase video for this mod tomorrow on YouTube. And you can bet your… “ashes” that Nintendo will immediately take it down.

GAMING NEWS

MachineGames may have teased Quake 6
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/machinegames-may-have-teased-quake-6/
It appears that MachineGames may have teased a new Quake game, codenamed Quake 6, at Microsoft’s Developer Direct 2024 event. This also falls in line with the rumors we’ve heard about a new Quake game being developed by MachineGames.

AI Limit Is a New Souls-Like Action RPG, Coming to PC in 2024
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ai-limit-is-a-new-souls-like-action-rpg-coming-to-pc-in-2024/
CE-Asia and Sense Games have just announced their new Souls-like action RPG, AI Limit. AI Limit will be coming to PC in 2024, and below you can find its debut gameplay trailer.

Megacopter: Blades of the Goddess is a spiritual successor to Desert Strike & Choplifter
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/megacopter-blades-of-the-goddess-desert-strike-choplifter/
Pizza Bear Games is currently working on a new arcade helicopter game that is heavily inspired by classics like Desert Strike and Choplifter. This new indie title is called Megacopter: Blades of the Goddess, and below you can find a new gameplay video for it.

Capcom removed Denuno from Monster Hunter Rise but added the Enigma DRM
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/capcom-denuno-monster-hunter-rise-enigma-drm/
Capcom has just removed the Denuvo anti-tamper tech from Monster Hunter Rise, and replaced it with the Enigma DRM. This is good and bad news. The good news is that the Enigma DRM is not as intrusive as Denuvo. The bad news is that it broke compatibility with the Steam Deck.
Now contrary to some reports, the Enigma DRM has not broken compatibility with the mods that came out for MHR. In other words, almost all the mods that are currently available will still work with it. So, if you’re playing a modded version of Rise, you should be fine. That is unless some mods inject DLLs into the game. Because, according to reports, the mods that inject DLLs into the game may not work now.

Piranha Bytes issues official statement about the “closure rumors”
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/piranha-bytes-issues-official-statement-about-the-closure-rumors/
A few days ago, some rumors surfaced suggesting the closure of Piranha Bytes. Piranha Bytes is the studio behind the Gothic, ELEX and Risen series. And a couple of hours ago, the studio issued an official statement about those rumors.
While Piranha Bytes claimed that the studio is not closing, yet, it did admit that things are not going well. The studio claimed that it’s doing everything in its power to keep the lights on.

WWE 2K24 officially announced, coming to PC on March 5th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/wwe-2k24-officially-announced-coming-to-pc-on-march-5th/
2K Games has just announced the latest part in its WWE 2K series, WWE 2K24. In order to celebrate this announcement, the publisher has also shared the game’s debut trailer. This trailer packs some in-engine scenes, so it will give you a small glimpse at its graphics.

The Monday news, part two:

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is making the utterly bizarre decision to lock New Game+ behind a $15 upgrade
https://www.pcgamer.com/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-is-making-the-utterly-bizarre-decision-to-lock-new-game-behind-a-dollar15-upgrade/
When it comes to trying to experience everything a sprawling hundred-hour RPG has to offer, New Game+ can often be an essential tool for running through a game a second or third time without causing too much psychological damage. Some games, like the Persona series, even require a NG+ run if you want the full completionist adventure.
It makes it all the more baffling, then, that Sega's upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is locking its New Game+ mode behind its Deluxe and Ultimate editions, which cost an extra $15 and $40 on top of the base game respectively. This is a series which, traditionally, has had its own features locked behind a NG+ run such as the legendary difficulty mode.
>> I'm confident a modder will fix that... but it remains to be seen if it will be a free or a paid mod.

Doom (2016)'s creative director reveals the secret to balancing the iconic BFG during a major charity speedrun: 'Uh, we don't'
https://www.pcgamer.com/doom-2016s-creative-director-reveals-the-secret-to-balancing-the-iconic-bfg-during-a-major-charity-speedrun-uh-we-dont/
Awesome Games Done Quick 2024 is already a delight—and not just because it's already raised over $1 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. In a recent speedrun of Doom (2016), Hugo Martin, the game's creative director, decided to make an appearance as a guest commentator.
During the speedrun, the BFG 9000 came up—BFG stands for 'Big Fucking Gun', if that's an indication of what this thing does. In the game, this plasma weapon obliterates pretty much everything you point it at, with a direct hit connecting at 6,000 damage according to the game's wiki.
Being an important part of the speedrun, runner Raitro_ (Going by J0ker on the Stream) asks Martin how the team at id Software balances weapons like the BFG, to which Martin flatly replies: "Uh, we don't." He clarifies that it's "very tricky … it's a great gun, iconic to the franchise, but it is the 'kill everything button'."

PC is the most 'dominant' it's been this decade as two-thirds of devs say they're targeting the platform
https://www.pcgamer.com/pc-is-the-most-dominant-its-been-this-decade-as-two-thirds-of-devs-say-theyre-targeting-the-platform/
Sometimes, it's nice to hear the things you know in your heart said out loud. Such is the case with the Game Developers' Conference State of the Games Industry 2024 report, the latest edition of GDC's annual look at just what devs are doing.
One of the many, many questions GDC has put to devs over the years is asking which platform they're targeting with their current projects. The answers always range from the obvious (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo's console du jour) and the obscure (Playdate, Luna, something called "Google Stadia"), but one platform has been the focus for over half of devs for years: PC.
When asked to select every platform their current projects were in development for, 66% of the over 3,000 devs surveyed by GDC selected PC, far and away ahead of the next most-popular platform: PS5 at 35%. GDC calls the humble personal computer "the dominant platform" even as strange new entrants—like the "Nintendo Switch successor" and "UGC platforms (Roblox, Minecraft)"—begin to appear on the list of responses.
>> The headline would be more impactful if it wasn't because it's 2024. Oh, and if you're curious, the Switch successor gets 8% of the results.

WoW's dreaded druid is dead: Blizzard just 'used a sledgehammer' to nerf the boss that's been stomping Mythic raiders for the last 2 months
https://www.pcgamer.com/wows-dreaded-druid-is-dead-blizzard-just-used-a-sledgehammer-to-nerf-the-boss-thats-been-stomping-mythic-raiders-for-the-last-2-months/
The Mythic raid boss blocking a mountain of World of Warcraft guilds from progressing has finally been nuked from orbit.
Tindral Sageswift is the penultimate boss in WoW's Amirdrassil, the Dream’s Hope raid. It’s a long fight: Tindral is a druid, and he shapeshifts into several forms over the course of the encounter, each with its own mechanics and player-challenging spells, especially on Mythic difficulty.
He’s also drastically more difficult than the raid bosses before him, meaning that guilds progressing through Amirdrassil piled up on him like freight train cars after a head-on crash. The Hall of Fame, which holds the names of the first 200 guilds in Blizzard’s MMORPG to complete a raid on Mythic difficulty, held just over 60 guild names after the first of the year, a full eight weeks in.

Absurdly rare Team Fortress 2 hat called 'The Crone's Dome' sells for a record-setting $18,000 worth of keys because 'it's one of a kind and will not ever be unboxed again'
https://www.pcgamer.com/absurdly-rare-team-fortress-2-hat-called-the-crones-dome-sells-for-a-record-setting-dollar18000-worth-of-keys-because-its-one-of-a-kind-and-will-not-ever-be-unboxed-again/
The single most expensive hat trade in Team Fortress 2's history went down this week, with one player exchanging goods worth over 10,000 of the game's crate keys (around $1.80 each) for an unusual Arcana Crone's Dome, the characteristics of which make it the only one in existence. It's a witch's hat with some Halloween effects, basically, and the trade was first spotted by PyroJoe on X (formerly Twitter), who called it "the biggest singular unusual TF2 Hat trade" in the game's history.

The British Army made its own Fortnite map as a recruitment tool, but Epic could block it
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-british-army-made-its-own-fortnite-map-as-a-recruitment-tool-but-epic-could-block-it/
America's Army was at one time the world's most (in)famous videogame military recruitment tool, but now that it's out of the picture the British are taking their shot. The British Army has revealed a new "Fortnite experience" called Operation: Belong, and it plans to livestream an influencer-led competition on it next week.

Diablo 4 hasn't solved its worst loot problem yet, but season 3 is a step in the right direction
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4-hasnt-solved-its-worst-loot-problem-yet-but-season-3-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction/
When Diablo 4 players aren't smashing bosses into the ground in one swing or becoming invulnerable with an amulet, most of their time is spent squinting at loot. Now that items pour out of every chest and monster since season 2, your inventory gets stuffed real quick, and the process of sorting through all that gear has become one of the game's worst activities.
Blizzard is aware of the issue and plans to fix it with a massive rework to item stats in season 4. But in the meantime, when season 3 launches next Tuesday, items will drop at a higher item power more often, which should at least make all that time scanning your inventory more valuable.

Halo Infinite is done with seasons, will get smaller 'content updates' from now on
https://www.pcgamer.com/halo-infinite-is-done-with-seasons-will-get-smaller-content-updates-from-now-on/
Halo Infinite's next big update is coming January 30 with a new arena map, a new operation, a free Mark IV Spartan core, and the long-awaited ability to equip shoulder pieces on any armor. (...)
At the end of the stream, 343 broke the news: there will be no Season 6. Halo Infinite is moving away from seasons.
Instead, 343 will continue to create "Operation" events with shorter 20-tier battle passes that run for four-to-six week periods. While 343 will continue to add to Infinite throughout 2024, the news will be bittersweet for fans who feel Infinite is finally mounting its comeback. It's hard not to read this as the beginning of the end for Infinite support, especially considering community director Brian Jarrard took the opportunity to mention 343's future projects.

Ten years ago I wouldn't have believed you if you told me League of Legends would one day have a bafflingly adorable 'crafting RPG' spinoff
https://www.pcgamer.com/ten-years-ago-i-wouldnt-have-believed-you-if-you-told-me-league-of-legends-would-one-day-have-a-bafflingly-adorable-crafting-rpg-spinoff/
(...)
We previously covered Bandle Tale's announcement in September, but the RPG just got a new trailer with a release date of February 21. I'm still not entirely sure what its whole deal is⁠—it definitely has that Stardew twang with its pixel art, cultivation mechanics, and developer Lazy Bear Games' history on Graveyard Keeper, but it also looks like Bandle Tale tasks you with rectifying some kind of portal calamity in the titular Bandle City, home to League's Yordle race of funky little hamster guys.

Everyone's favorite post-apocalypse beaver city builder now has horrible, polluted water
https://www.pcgamer.com/everyones-favorite-post-apocalypse-beaver-city-builder-now-has-horrible-polluted-water/
City builder Timberborn has a new update out. That's the beaver-based one about all the cool cities they'll build once we wreck the ecosphere and die off and they replace us as the planet's dominant species. The latest update, Badwater, is the fifth major release for the Early Access period of Timberborn and adds a second kind of water to the beavers' lives. It's not good water.