Time for the news:

1-Software/Benches

KHRONOS GROUP DELAYS VULKAN 1.0 RELEASE

http://techreport.com/news/29474/khronos-group-delays-vulkan-1-0-release

The Khronos Group will not release its Vulkan graphics API this year. While the specification is complete, according to a recent press release, the group says it's still receiving implementation feedback and that a legal review needs to be completed. Khronos does claim that the release is “imminent,” although they have not indicated a new release date.

STAR CITIZEN ALPHA 2.0 GRAPHICS CARD BENCHMARK - ARCCORP, FREE FLIGHT, & RACING

http://www.gamersnexus.net/game-bench/2235-star-citizen-alpha-2-graphics-card-benchmark

2-VR

FINAL RIFT HARDWARE AND SDK 1.0 SHIPPING TO DEVS

http://www.pcgamer.com/final-rift-hardware-and-sdk-10-shipping-to-devs/

"Imminently shipping". Now there's a strange phrase to see in an Oculus Rift press release. If you are a developer imminently shipping your Rift game, the final Rift hardware and SDK version 1.0 will be winging its way towards you this week.

THE REASON FOR THE HTC VIVE DELAY WAS A "VERY, VERY BIG" TECH BREAKTHROUGH

http://www.pcgamer.com/the-reason-for-the-htc-vive-delay-was-a-very-very-big-tech-breakthrough/

HTC's Vive VR headset, being developed in collaboration with Valve, was supposed to be available to the public, in limited quantities, by the end of this year. Unfortunately, HTC put the brakes on that plan a couple weeks ago, saying it won't be released commercially—that is, to people other than developers—until April 2016. But there's apparently a good reason for the delay.

3-Game Patches / Mods

ASSASSIN’S CREED: SYNDICATE – UPDATE 1.31 NOW AVAILABLE, 30FPS CLOTH PHYSICS FIX VIA AC.INI FILE

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/assassins-creed-syndicate-update-1-31-now-available-30fps-cloth-physics-cap-fix-via-ac-ini-file/

Ubisoft has released a new patch for the PC version of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. According to its changelog, this patch introduces a new parameter to AC.ini via which PC gamers can disable the cloth motion 30FPS limits. In addition, this update fixes various render issues and brings minor UI improvements. This patch will be auto-downloaded from Steam or UPLAY, and you can read its complete changelog below.

THERE IS A NEW JUST CAUSE 3 PATCH AVAILABLE

http://www.pcgamer.com/there-is-a-new-just-cause-3-patch-available/

Today in short-but-important patch notes: Just Cause 3 version 1.021. Version 1.02, though it brought in a load of flashy fixes like "significantly improved loading times" and "optimizations to online stats", broke a few things, and the struggle to get Just Cause soaring as it should continues.

FLY AROUND GTA 5 IN THE MILLENNIUM FALCON WITH THIS STAR WARS MOD

http://www.pcgamer.com/gta-5-star-wars-mod-millennium-falcon-star-destroyer/

We recently updated our list of the best Star Wars total conversion mods, but what if you just want a taste of Star Wars in your games? What if you just want to fly around Grand Theft Auto 5's Los Santos pretending you are Han Solo? Well you can do exactly that, as we've done in the video above. Modder KAFAROS reskinned GTA's jet fighter to look like the Millennium Falcon, and we simply couldn't resist.

>>And there's a video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQQPzHerrPE

4-Gaming News

TORMENT: TIDES OF NUMENERA’S BETA PHASE HAS BEEN DELAYED TO EARLY 2016

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/torment-tides-of-numeneras-beta-phase-has-been-delayed-to-early-2016/

InXile Entertainment has announced that the beta phase of Torment: Tides of Numenera has been delayed to early 2016. According to Chris Keenan, the team wants to clean up some rough edges so that the game’s backers can have the best experience possible, which is why the beta has been slightly delayed.

PARAGON – INTRO & TUTORIAL VIDEO FOR ALPHA TESTERS

http://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/paragon-intro-tutorial-video-for-alpha-testers/

Epic Games has released a new video for Paragon, designed specifically for Alpha testers to give a quick overview of the game in its current state. Paragon is a new MOBA game powered by Unreal Engine 4 that is coming to the PC in 2016.

>>This is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CClVICwow8

STEAM SALES 2015 PRELIMINARY RESULTS – HERE ARE THE 25 BEST SELLING GAMES ON STEAM

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/steam-sales-2015-preliminary-results-here-are-the-25-best-selling-games-on-steam/

SteamSpy has shared its preliminary results for the best selling games on Steam in 2015. According to them, Grand Theft Auto V is the best selling game that was released this year on Steam, followed by Fallout 4 and ARK: Survival Evolved.

>>I'm going to say that those numbers, and some positions, will change in the coming days. spurgeonryanhas made a thread about it: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=211623

DARQ IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR GAME SET IN A ZERO-GRAVITY LUCID DREAM

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/darq-is-a-psychological-horror-game-set-in-a-zero-gravity-lucid-dream/

Unfold Games has announced its new psychological horror game about lucid dreaming, DARQ. The team has just started IndieGoGo and Steam Greenlight campaigns, and has released a new trailer to showcase its title (that can be viewed below).

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE – FIRST OFFICIAL SCREENSHOTS RELEASED

http://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/final-fantasy-vii-remake-first-official-screenshots-released/

Square Enix has released the first direct feed screenshots for Final Fantasy VII Remake. Unfortunately, these screenshots were captured from the game’s recently released PSX Experience 2015 trailer, so there is nothing really new to see. Still, it’s good having the direct feed images as they show details that some may have missed due to the trailer’s compression issues.

MAN SUES BETHESDA OVER FALLOUT 4 ADDICTION

http://www.pcgamer.com/man-sues-bethesda-over-fallout-4-addiction/

Games have long been described as addictive by reviewers, as shorthand for describing how pleasurable feedback loops can lead to marathon play sessions. But according to one Russian gamer, in the case of Fallout 4 the addictiveness is very much real. According to an RT report, the (it should be noted, unnamed) man is filing a lawsuit against Bethesda Softworks and localization firm Softklab for failing to warn him that playing it would be dangerous to his health and well-being. The article says the man claims his life fell apart after he installed the game and couldn't tear himself away from it for three whole weeks.

>>You can go to LivingMetal's thread about this news to make fun of him: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=211620

DYING LIGHT "LEGENDARY LEVELS" ARE COMING FREE IN FEBRUARY

http://www.pcgamer.com/dying-light-legendary-levels-are-coming-free-in-february/

If you just can't get enough zombie killing in the undead infested city of Harran, but wish you had a better reason for keeping up the fight than "because they're there," Dying Light's upcoming "Legendary Levels" might be just the ticket.

>>And there's a video too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0uDHUwXoqA

TALES OF SYMPHONIA WILL HIT STEAM IN FEBRUARY

http://www.pcgamer.com/tales-of-symphonia-will-hit-steam-in-february/

It's been an exceptional year for JRPGs on PC, and 2016 is also looking positive: come February 2 the previously promised Steam port of Tales of Symphonia will arrive. Those who pre-purchased Tales of Zestiria on Steam earlier this year will have the game automatically added to their library.

>>Visit Basil's thread about this announcement: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=211615

AVIARY ATTORNEY IS OUT NOW AFTER DELAYS

http://www.pcgamer.com/aviary-attorney-is-out-now-after-delays/

At long last, whimsical avian adventure Aviary Attorney begins proceedings. The eagle-eyed among you will note that this is four days later than I announced a couple of weeks ago—according to a recent Kickstarter update, a major bug in the save system held the release date in contempt. However, considering that the original release window was late July, a few more days is water off a duck's back.

>>If you have forgotten what this game is about(How could you?! No, seriously, I still have nightmares), here's the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuGJOdyoLo4

AWESOMENAUTS: OVERDRIVE ANNOUNCED

http://www.pcgamer.com/awesomenauts-overdrive-announced/

Being one of the few MOBAs that doesn't make me angry or feel incredibly stupid (often at the same time), it's nice to see that Awesomenauts still has the playerbase to justify an expansion. Awesomenauts: Overdrive will arrive early in the new year packing premium and free components.

>>And there's an announcement trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD70BQsSsTU

ARKHAM KNIGHT SEASON OF INFAMY DESCENDS

http://www.pcgamer.com/arkham-knight-season-of-infamy-descends/

Nothing will stop the tide of content, not even performance issues and the abandonment of SLI support. Provided that Warner Bros' many rounds of fixes have knocked your copy of Batman: Arkham Knight into playable shape, its December DLC, Season of Infamy: Most Wanted, might appeal. It's available to buy now, and included in the Arkham Knight season pass.

Lastly, it's not exactly news, but some of you may want to read this

FIRAXIS MEETS ITS FANS: XCOM, BOARD GAMES, AND COLLABORATIVE DESIGN

http://www.pcgamer.com/firaxis-meets-its-fans-xcom-board-games-and-collborative-design/

iraxicon isn't like other fan events. It's smaller and more intimate than Quakecon, Blizzcon or the Paradox convention. In attendance: over 300 fans, around 100 Firaxis employees and just a handful of journalists—most of them German. Firaxicon isn't built around big announcements. It's tailored for the Firaxis community, letting them get to know the people who make the games they love. It's the studio's earnest attempt to interact with its audience.

Steam Sale hype!!!!

Hype? Are you sure you didn't meant fear?

The Steam Sales have started!!!

And despite not having Flash and Daily sales, Steam can't deal with all the traffic. As usual.

Oh, well. I'll try it later.

You're luckier than me, because I can't go past the main page. Heck, I can't even load my own profile or my wishlist. :-/

I know that Steam grows more and more and that there are more people trying to access the page same time, but it's amazing how year after year Valve fails to deliver.

I've finally been able to get in.

I can see myself getting a few games (but first, I'll have to wait until my Secret Santa does it's magic) and getting cards through the Discovery Queue is weird (half the games are the opposite of what I play).

Oh, and the comic is a nice idea.

Normally this would be me right about now:

Instead it's crashing around me like glass and I'm stuck like this:

I'll probably try again in 4 hours when the servers decide to not pull a Diablo Error 37 =P.

I couldn't help but feel the name of the DLC is extremly appropriate for the PC release of this game - if you leave out the most wanted part. After all, the infamy this game generated this summer season after the broken mess it was at release couldn't get a more appropriate name if you tried to.

At first, I saw "Arkham Knight" and "Infamy" and thought they were talking about even more problems. Then I saw the rest of the story.

So yeah, I get what you mean.