What about Vega VII? Wasn't that supposed to be the high end flagship that competed with the 2080? I know it's not quite typical since Vega was the old GCN arch and RDNA was the new arch, but AMD did make the effort to attempt to compete with something. Whereas they didn't bother with GCN4 (Polaris) and it sounds right now like they won't with RDNA4, and both are when the mid gen console upgrades happened.

Okay, going from that graph I would then say between the 7700XT and the RTX 3070 (non-Ti)

I'd say it's not just AMD that has that problem. Just look at 3060 vs 4060 or in the graph you provided the 3070 and 3070Ti, or the new SUPER updates.

Yep, it’s Monday and these are the news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has four new Deals of the Day and a sale:

• These are the DotD, that will last until Wednesday;
  • Slave Zero X Digital Deluxe Edition gets a 10% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/slave_zero_x_digital_deluxe_edition
  • Baldr Sky is 40% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/baldr_sky
  • The Hive can be yours with a 50% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_hive
  • Urbek City Builder is also 50% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/urbek_city_builder
• And the store has been updated with 24 new SNK games (check this for more info), and celebrates it with a SNK sale featuring up to 70% deals. There is no mention of how long the sale will last: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2024_snk_publisher_sale

Steam has three new deals:

• Mad Games Tycoon 2 will be 30% off until the 14th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1342330/Mad_Games_Tycoon_2/
• RAILGRADE gets a 40% discount until the 21st of April: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1355090/RAILGRADE/
• And Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, that has a demo, gets a 55% deal until the 21st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/597170/Clone_Drone_in_the_Danger_Zone/

Fanatical has a lot of stuff:

• The new Star Deal is DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT Legendary Edition, 73% off during 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/dragon-ball-z-kakarot-legendary-edition
• Slitherine Ltd. puts its games up to 84% off during 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/slitherine-ltd
• Bethesda offers its games with up to 87% discounts during 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/bethesda-softworks
• Bandai Namco also puts its games on sale with up to 91% discounts during the same 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/bandai-namco-entertainment
• There’s also the Level Up Sale. That’s all the info I have about it: https://www.fanatical.com/en/on-sale
• And these are the “new” bundles:
  • Star Wars Collection, 79% off during 3 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/star-wars-collection
  • NeuroVoider - Deluxe Edition, 75% discount during 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/neurovoider-deluxe-edition
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Complete Bundle, 82% off for 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/stalker-complete-bundle
  • Batman: Arkham Collection, 88% discount during 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/batman-arkham-collection
  • And RuneScape Siren Bundle: Limited Edition. 5 DLCs for the game. No discount whatsoever for an unknown amount of time: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/runescape-siren-bundle-limited-edition

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Now Has an 8GB 4K Texture Pack for Its Environments
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/dragons-dogma-2-now-has-an-8gb-4k-texture-pack-for-its-environments/
Modder ‘Nvidiaforever2’ has released a 4K Texture Pack for Dragon’s Dogma 2 that weighs around 8GB in size. This pack aims to improve the textures of the environments, and it’s a must for everyone who plays this latest action RPG.
For those unaware, this is an enhanced version of the pack we shared a few days ago. That previous pack was upscaling the original textures by two times. This latest version of it, though, goes a step beyond that. To provide a better image quality, the modder upscaled the original textures by four times.
>> The article has some comparison screenshots.

Fallout 2 Fan Remake vs Original Graphics Comparison Video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/fallout-2-fan-remake-vs-original-graphics-comparison-video/
In February 2024, we informed you about an upcoming fan remake of Fallout 2 in the Creation Engine. And a few days ago, the team behind this remake shared a comparison video between it and the game’s original 1998 version.
Codenamed Fallout 4: Project Arroyo, this fan remake of Fallout 2 is in a really early development. Still, it looks like the modders were able to stay really close to the environments of the original title.
>> The article has a roughly 3 minutes video.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 Will Soon Get a Mod That Will Add Server Browser List, Dedicated Servers, Moderation Tools, Spectator Mode and More
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/star-wars-battlefront-2-will-soon-get-a-mod-that-will-add-server-browser-list-dedicated-servers-moderation-tools-spectator-mode-and-more/
A team of modders is currently working on a custom server platform and mod launcher for DICE’s Star Wars: Battlefront 2, called KYBER V2.
KYBER V2 will add a lot of features that most PC gamers were expecting to find when the game came out. For instance, there will be a server browser list, dedicated servers, proper moderation tools, and a Spectator Mode.
Another cool feature of this tool is that it will bring automatic mod installation mechanics. It will also integrate Nexus Mods. As such, it will be much easier to install and use mods for it. Again, this is an amazing QoL improvement. Not only that but there will be a Mod Browser List. In there, you’ll be able to find the best mods available for Battlefront 2.
And that’s not all. KYBER V2 will be able to track and display stats for official DICE multiplayer and Community Servers. All the stats that DICE has been tracking over the years are now accessible via the Stats page for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation players.
As said, KYBER V2 will also offer a Spectator Mode. In this mode, players will be able to roam freely using the fly cam and dynamically lock onto players in third-person view.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video of the mod.

Star Wars: Deathtroopers is an indie short horror game in Unreal Engine 5
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/star-wars-deathtroopers-is-an-indie-small-horror-game-in-unreal-engine-5/
Stefano Cagnani has released two episodes for a short horror game based on the Star Wars IP in Unreal Engine 5, called Star Wars: Deathtroopers. Star Wars: Deathtroopers has you fighting hordes of zombie Stormtroopers, with the ultimate goal of surviving your encounter.
The first episode takes place in a Star Destroyer, whereas the second episode is on Endor. In the second episode, players will have to find their way into an Outpost, activate it, and then fight a horde of zombies.
Now the good news is that both of them look great for two small games that were created by a single person. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, Cagnani was able to create something cool all by himself. Both of these short indie games are also pleasing to the eye.
The bad news is that Cagnani is charging money for them. Star Wars is a protected IP and these games are not associated with Disney in any way. As such, it’s illegal to charge money for such games. Also, they are really short games, so don’t expect much from them.
>> Asking money for it is a sum move. At least you can give it a look thanks to the over 30 minutes video featured in the article.

Starfield just got a DLC-sized expansion mod, allowing you to create whole colonies with giant mechs, defense turrets, a farming system and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/starfield-dlc-sized-expansion-mod-colonies-giant-mechs-defense-turrets-farming-system/
Modder ‘Tank-girl444’ has released a must-have DLC-sized expansion mod for Starfield, called TGs Galactic Colonies Expanse. This mod will allow you to create entire colonies, and it comes with new assets for you to use. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
This mod aims to greatly expand the game’s outpost system, production features, and more. The goal is to transform the outposts into a detailed space colonization simulator, drawing from the game’s own lore and story. It’s a highly ambitious mod.
What’s also cool here is that you can make a defense system for your colony, using turrets and mechs. This will put a smile on a lot of Starfield players. After all, the vanilla version didn’t have any mechs.
Another big feature of this mod is its new production line-based resource generation system. This will make your colony more centralized. In other words, you won’t be forced to have many different outposts to get a ton of completely individual materials from all across the galaxy. Not only that, but you can mine them from a signal location, with a lore-friendly spin.
Finally, this mod adds a brand new farming system. The modder has added over 40 new farmable plants and production items. These can be sold, used in crafting, or eaten. Moreover, there is now a new workbench to use, the colony food printer.
>> The article has some screenshots.

New Fallout 4 Mod adds an one-hour long dungeon with 4 unique hard bosses, 3 endings and new weapons
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-fallout-4-mod-adds-an-one-hour-long-dungeon-with-4-unique-hard-bosses-3-endings-and-new-weapons/
Modder ‘THE BONE ZONE’ has shared a new mod for Fallout 4 that adds a new dungeon to the game, offering one hour of new content. This mod comes with new enemies, new weapons, new voice-acted hostile and non-hostile NPCs, and more.
Going into more details, the Attack of the Lobotomites Mod adds a new dungeon that offers a new quest with 3 possible endings. Moreover, it offers a new sidequest with a recruitable vendor settler at the end of it.
Players can also expect new custom voice-acted enemies with unique behaviors and ambush mechanics. The mod also packs animated cybernetics on lobotomies, as well as unique and varied outfits for the lobotomies. There are also unique leveled weapons and craftable-only weapons.
As said, the mod has four hard bosses to fight. Each of these bosses wears a unique custom mask. And that’s not all. The mod has 3 full sets of new makeshift modular armor. It also features a new unique trap.
Another cool feature of this mod is that it has a few destructible parts in its environments. For instance, you can destroy some wooden doors. There is also one specific room that you can destroy with a bomb.
>> The article has a short trailer of the mod.

Dragon's Dogma 2 modders have already cranked out a bunch of ways to mitigate its freaky digital murder plague
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/dragons-dogma-2-modders-have-already-cranked-out-a-bunch-of-ways-to-mitigate-its-freaky-digital-murder-plague/
First reported by Eurogamer, a couple of modders on the Nexus have already started finding ways to curtail the Dragonsplague in Dragon's Dogma 2, with remedies ranging from clearer signs of the disease to out and out removing it from the game.
For the uninitiated, the Dragonsplague spreads through Dragon's Dogma 2's pawns, the little henchmen you can create, pick up, or trade via asynchronous multiplayer. Sometimes you'll notice a pawn has a headache and glowing red eyes⁠—from there it's just a hop skip and a jump to them turning into a dragon and murdering NPC quest givers. One infected pawn can spread it among your crew, who can then take it to other players' worlds through the online sharing system.
>> Meanwhile, some players are warning others of possible infected paws by using rotten flesh. Others, however, have other problems with their pawns:

There's a Dragon's Dogma 2 mod to make pawns shut the hell up and thank goodness for that
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/theres-a-dragons-dogma-2-mod-to-make-your-pawns-shut-the-hell-up-and-thank-goodness-for-that/
"Look, Arisen, a ladder! We should climb it, Arisen! I think, Arisen, there may be something to discover atop yon ladder, after we climb it, mayhaps?"
At first, I liked my main pawn. At least, after I changed her vocation from the entirely useless archer to the far more valuable mage. But then she and my other pawns told me, about six or seventeen times, that there was a treasure chest over there, did I see it? And a statue over there, perhaps we could climb it? And so many ladders, as if they were somehow the most important thing in Dragon's Dogma 2. 
Maybe they are. I've stopped investigating them out of a sense of bloody-mindedness because I'm so sick of my pawns talking about them. There is, however, a solution. Well, there are two solutions. The first is to stop playing Dragon's Dogma 2. The second is to download emoose's mod, which is called ShutUpPawns.
The great thing about ShutUpPawns is it doesn't disable pawn dialogue altogether. You can configure it line by line, going over a stored history of the last 10 things they said and blocking ones you don't want to hear again. Or you can block an entire set all at once, such as the ladder or treasure chest notifications. 
>> There is no media in this article.

GAMING NEWS

FRONT MISSION 2: Remake is coming to PC on April 30th, demo available now for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/front-mission-2-remake-is-coming-to-pc-on-april-30th-demo-available-now-for-download/
Forever Entertainment has announced that FRONT MISSION 2: Remake will be released on PC on April 30th. Moreover, the publisher has shared a PC demo that you can download right now from Steam.

Decadent is a new story-driven Lovecraftian first-person horror shooter
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/decadent-is-a-new-story-driven-lovecraftian-first-person-horror-shooter/
Fulqrum Publishing has just revealed a new game called Decadent. It’s a first-person horror shooter with Lovecraftian elements. It will be also story-driven. That’s great news for guys like me. The game will be available on PC in 2025, and below you can find its first in-engine trailer. So, go ahead and take a look at it.

The long second part of the Monday news (seriously, PCGamer is going nuts with the amount of articles as of late):

Beat Slayer scratches both my Hi-Fi Rush and Hades itches, even if its functional soundtrack is short a few bangers
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/beat-slayer-scratches-both-my-hi-fi-rush-and-hades-itches-even-if-its-functional-soundtrack-is-short-a-few-bangers/
It's not a surprise that I've enjoyed what I've played of Beat Slayer so far. I like roguelikes, I like action games—and while I'm not much of a rhythm fiend, I adored Hi-Fi Rush. After taking Beat Slayer's demo for a whirl, I'm already impressed, even if it doesn't quite fire on all cylinders.

Acclaimed indie studio Vlambeer springs back to life 4 years after declaring 'the end of Vlambeer'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/acclaimed-indie-studio-vlambeer-springs-back-to-life-4-years-after-declaring-the-end-of-vlambeer/
Few things seemed like more of a closed book to me than Vlambeer, the developer of Luftrausers, Nuclear Throne, and Ridiculous Fishing. A studio made up of Jan Nijman and Rami Ismail, Vlambeer shut its doors in September 2020 after 10 years in business, and announced "the end of Vlambeer" in a short, straightforward Twitter post. It was time for both its members to move onto new things.
Or not. Because in another post on Twitter yesterday, Nijman put out a "videogame company acquisition announcement" revealing that he now owns "100% of Vlambeer." In a tweet around the same time, Ismail announced that he had "sold my 50% of my old games studio Vlambeer to co-founder [Nijman]." Vlambeer, it seems, is back from the dead, albeit without Ismail's involvement.

WoW Classic Season of Discovery phase 3 is live—with a raised cap of level 50, 54 new runes, a fresh 20-player raid, and an unruly Emerald Dream
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wow-classic-season-of-discovery-phase-3-is-livewith-a-raised-cap-of-level-50-54-new-runes-a-fresh-20-player-raid-and-an-unruly-emerald-dream/
WoW Classic's Season of Discovery has been a chaotic, but overall impressive experiment, all told. While it's had its speed bumps when it comes to grappling with older server tech and designing its world PvP, it's also got that harebrained vibe usually reserved for private servers and the like. Tanking rogues, healing mages—spaghetti is meeting the wall at an unprecedented pace.
>> The devs are “aiming for fun, not perfect balance”. Take it as you want.

Palia studio Singularity 6 is the latest studio to suffer layoffs
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/palia-studio-singularity-6-is-the-latest-studio-to-suffer-layoffs/
Singularity 6, the studio behind the cosy MMO Palia, is the latest developer to suffer layoffs. Just under 50 developers, around one third of the company, have been let go according to Polygon reporter Nicole Carpenter.

Square Enix reportedly didn't want Life is Strange: True Colors to be thought of as the 'gay game'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/square-enix-didnt-want-life-is-strange-true-colors-to-be-thought-of-as-the-gay-game/
A new IGN report on Life is Strange: True Colors studio Deck Nine contains numerous allegations of dysfunction at the studio, as well as the surprising claim that publisher Square Enix was reluctant to embrace the series' underlying themes—to the point that it told the studio it didn't want Life is Strange to become known as the "gay game."

Somehow Dark Souls was the inspiration for player messages in the kindest MMO around
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/somehow-dark-souls-was-the-inspiration-for-player-messages-in-the-kindest-mmo-around/
The prevailing reputation of Journey's multiplayer system is one of anonymous kindness and emotional connection, which is about as opposite as you can get from the experience of multiplayer in Dark Souls games (unless you're visited by the fashion police or Let Me Solo Her, that is). I wouldn't have thought there was anything in a Souls game for Thatgamecompany to draw inspiration from in its extremely kind MMO Sky: Children of the Light, and yet that's exactly what its message system is based on.

Star Wars Outlaws story trailer will debut next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/star-wars-outlaws-story-trailer-will-debut-next-week/
Brace yourselves, Star Wars fans: A new trailer for Ubisoft's upcoming Star Wars Outlaws is set to debut on April 9.
>> And fans are excited about getting new info regarding the Splinter Cell remake… in June.

This base-building automation game looks like Factorio in space with bullet hell combat and Dyson spheres
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/this-base-building-automation-game-looks-like-factorio-in-space-with-bullet-hell-combat-and-dyson-spheres/
Ever watch a game trailer and think "I don't know what the hell is going on here but I know I like it"? That's how I feel about Final Factory, which looks like a Factorio-style automation game, only set in outer space, and it also has bullet hell combat, plus a space station design system, and hey, why not power the whole thing with a Dyson sphere?

I've waited so long for this freaky Lovecraftian point and click adventure that my life completely changed in the meantime, but it's finally out on PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/ive-waited-so-long-for-this-freaky-lovecraftian-point-and-click-adventure-that-my-life-completely-changed-in-the-meantime-but-its-finally-out-on-pc/
Since I first wrote about the demo for cosmic horror adventure game Desolatium all the way back in January 2022, I've been hired full time by PC Gamer, gotten Covid, adopted a dog, and traveled out of the country three times. You know what hasn't changed? Desolatium still looks rad as hell. The Lovecraftian (literally set in the Cthulhu Mythos) point and click is finally available on Steam for a launch sale price of $13.

Cyberpunk 2077 quest lead says we still haven't found every easter egg
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/cyberpunk-2077-quest-lead-says-we-still-havent-found-every-easter-egg/
In an interview with IGN at the Game Developers Conference, CD Projekt associate game director Paweł Sasko revealed that we've still got to do some digging if we want to find every secret in Cyberpunk 2077.

Larian publishing director on mass layoffs: 'None of these companies are at risk of going bankrupt. They were just at risk of pissing off the shareholders'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/larian-publishing-director-on-mass-layoffs-none-of-these-companies-are-at-risk-of-going-bankrupt-they-were-just-at-risk-of-pissing-off-the-shareholders/
Speaking with Game File (users will encounter a paywall) at the Game Developers Choice Awards, Larian director of publishing Michael Douse gave his take on the current state of the industry, including some sharp criticism on the wave after wave of mass layoffs we've been seeing.

Frostpunk 2's beta hits on April 15
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/frostpunk-2s-beta-hits-on-april-15/
Frostpunk 2's beta will release in the next couple weeks, available from April 15-22 for people who've pre-ordered the Digital Delxue Edition of the upcoming survival city-builder.

Use towers, traps, and guns to repel spaceship boarders in tower defense-shooter hybrid Sentry
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/use-towers-traps-and-guns-to-repel-boarders-on-your-spaceship-in-tower-defense-shooter-hybrid-sentry/
An indie tower defense/shooter hybrid that hit Steam Early Access late last month is getting pretty positive reviews from early players. In Sentry your job is to defend a ship of frozen human survivors fleeing alien attack by setting up a gauntlet of traps, tricks, and environmental hazards between enemy boarders and the energy core of your ship.

Darktide's first update for 2024 revises penances, adds puzzles, pox gas, and a new enemy
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktides-first-update-for-2024-revises-penances-adds-puzzles-pox-gas-and-a-new-enemy/
While it's had several hotfixes already this year, Darktide will be getting its first significant 2024 update in late April. As developer Fatshark explains on its blog, this update—called the Path of Redemption—includes a reinvented penance system. Previously, penances were achievements that occasionally rewarded players with a cosmetic. Under the revised system, the points earned for completing them will progress you along a track of cosmetic rewards including, "frames, insignias, trinkets, emotes, end of round poses, character cosmetics, and weapon skins" as well as backpacks, titles, and cosmetics based on the outfits worn by the characters in Darktide's trailers and art.

The three parts of Total War: Warhammer 3's next DLC, Thrones of Decay, will be available individually
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/the-three-parts-of-total-war-warhammer-3s-next-dlc-thrones-of-decay-will-be-available-individually/
Following complaints about a price increase and widespread perception of a drop in value, the previous DLC for Total War: Warhammer 3, Shadows of Change, was significantly expanded to make it better value. Creative Assembly isn't done placating its audience, and has announced the next DLC, Thrones of Decay, which expands three of the game's armies, will be available in three separate parts.

And here’s the third, and also long, part of today’s news:

Gamers seek legal win that would stop developers from rendering online games unplayable: 'It is an assault on both consumer rights and preservation of media'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/stop-killing-games-campaign/
Ubisoft pulled the plug on The Crew this month, rendering the 10-year-old racing game unplayable due, it said, to "server infrastructure and licensing constraints." It's hardly the first time an online game has been sent to a farm upstate by a publisher that neither wants to continue supporting it nor offer players a way to play it offline or on private servers, but rather than accept the status quo, YouTuber Ross Scott is putting up a fight.
Scott has launched a new website, Stop Killing Games, to rally opposition to the games industry's "assault on both consumer rights and preservation of media," as he puts it.

Last Epoch cracks down on item duplicates and gold exploit: 'We don't think it's a very controversial statement to say that abusing an exploit, ruining the game for all players is not acceptable, and that doing so should result in a ban'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/last-epoch-cracks-down-on-item-duplicates-and-gold-exploit-we-dont-think-its-a-very-controversial-statement-to-say-that-abusing-an-exploit-ruining-the-game-for-all-players-is-not-acceptable-and-that-doing-so-should-result-in-a-ban/
The curse of the online action RPG strikes again: real-money trading and gold exploits. Lost Ark was plagued by it and now Last Epoch is too. 
Last Epoch developer Eleventh Hour has posted a statement on the subject, saying, "We take exploits within Last Epoch very seriously and ensure that any time an exploit comes up, we give it our full and immediate attention. We strictly enforce our Terms of Use when it comes to exploits and RMT (Real-Money Trading), and as such, one can expect that abusing such exploits or engaging in RMT, both buying and selling, will result in a permanent account ban."

Mining and base-building sandbox Hydroneer has a sprawling new expansion of volcanos and glaciers
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/mining-and-base-building-sandbox-hydroneer-has-a-sprawling-new-expansion-of-volcanos-and-glaciers/
Released in 2020, crafting, base-building, and mining sandbox Hydroneer has been an indie success story that sold upwards of 500,000 copies as of 2022. Now it has a full expansion, Journey to Volcalidus, that dumps a huge new environment to mine and profit from: The island of Volcalidus, which is "over 6 times the size of the original island" and comes complete with a town to rebuild.

Final Fantasy 14 and 16 big cheese Yoshi-P says 'It's probably about time' they do a new Final Fantasy Tactics game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/final-fantasy-14-and-16-big-cheese-yoshi-p-says-its-probably-about-time-they-do-a-new-final-fantasy-tactics-game/
In a PAX East interview with TheGamer, Final Fantasy helmsman Naoki Yoshida (the well-loved Yoshi-P), FF16 DLC director Taeko Kujiraoka, and localization director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox showed some love for the long-dormant Final Fantasy Tactics series⁠—though any kind of new Tactics entry still sounds a long way off.

A map revamp means your giant factory-cities in Captain of Industry are going to look better than ever
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/a-map-revamp-means-your-giant-factory-cities-in-captain-of-industry-are-going-to-look-better-than-ever/
First launched in 2022, Captain of Industry is one of the more unique twists on the factory-building automation genre out there, combining it with an element of city-building that requires you to supply and care for the health of your workers' environment just as much as your machines—meaning that too much polluting heavy industry can actually be a bad thing.
Now developers MaFi games have launched the second major update to Captain of Industry, adding an extensive map editor that lets you tweak the world and revamps all the existing maps to a new, higher standard. There's also a new player hub for people to share their creations with each other.

The fantasy sequel to Fights in Tight Spaces is just called Knights in Tight Spaces, and it has a demo out now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/the-fantasy-sequel-to-fights-in-tight-spaces-is-just-called-knights-in-tight-spaces-and-it-has-a-demo-out-now/
Get ready for some close-up card-driven brawling, because battler Fights in Tight Spaces has a sequel-spinoff coming: Knights in Tight Spaces, a fantasy themed throwdown that'll have you take a party of ruffians engaging in a tactical brawl against not just action movie mooks like the first game, but skeletons and wizards and rock monsters.

Helldivers 2 players just wiped out an entire enemy faction, so what on Super Earth happens now?
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-players-just-wiped-out-an-entire-enemy-faction-so-what-on-super-earth-happens-now/
The official Helldivers Twitter account has announced that players' latest operation was a success, with the forces of Super Earth wiping out an entire enemy faction. The Automatons were cornered to a few holdout worlds days ago and defeated for good today, which begs the question: where does the game go now, sans an entire enemy type?

'Hang in there': A fix for all those Helldivers 2 freeze-ups should ideally land 'well before the Warbond', says community manager
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/hang-in-there-a-fix-for-all-those-helldivers-2-freeze-ups-should-ideally-land-well-before-the-warbond-says-community-manager/
If you've been playing Helldivers 2, chances are you've probably been booted to your desktop after extracting—I sure have. Typically, this bug causes a premature return to civilian life at the end of a mission, which is extra frustrating since they tend to take over half an hour to complete. At least, if you're as much of a sample-hungry completionist as I am.
Fortunately, a fix is on the way, as confirmed by community manager Twinbeard on the Helldivers 2 Discord: "I just briefly want to say that we're aware of the crashes primarily surrounding extraction/end of mission that currently a lot of you are facing. There's a hotfix arriving very soon."
>> Next, they should fix the cheaters that have managed to get their hands on the new weapons that the Warbond will bring

9 years in, rhythm dungeon crawler Crypt of the NecroDancer just got a Hatsune Miku crossover DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/9-years-in-rhythm-dungeon-crawler-crypt-of-the-necrodancer-just-got-a-hatsune-miku-crossover-dlc/
As reported by Gaming on Linux, rhythm-based dungeon crawler Crypt of the NecroDancer just got a $2 Hatsune Miku DLC. The pack lets you play as the Vocaloid digital idol, who comes with her own songs and special abilities.

Check out this indie fusion of Terraria and Satisfactory
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/check-out-this-indie-fusion-of-terraria-and-satisfactory/
A cool indie experiment in making a 2D sandbox automation game released late last month with AutoForge, where you as a little magically-powered robot must explore and expand your network of machinery and mining equipment to build a factory that will let you figure out your mysterious origins. As you explore, fragments of ancient technology let you upgrade your abilities and combat prowess to take on ever-greater challenges.

Throne of Bone is a devilish roguelike autobattler where you play the bad guy in a skull-driven economy
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/throne-of-bone-is-a-devilish-roguelike-autobattler-where-you-play-the-bad-guy-in-a-skull-driven-economy/
(...)
The latest title to draw my infernal all-seeing eye is Throne of Bone, a deckbuilding roguelike slated for early access later today—though there's a free demo on Steam. In it, you're charged with commanding legions of the damned, waging autobattler-style warfare against your enemies.

NVIDIA board partners expect GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 to launch in fourth quarter

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-board-partners-expect-geforce-rtx-5090-and-rtx-5080-to-launch-in-fourth-quarter

I'll likely skip

Intel 13th/14th Core “Raptor Lake” gaming instability is now being investigated

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-13th-14th-core-raptor-lake-gaming-instability-is-now-being-investigated

Chinese board partners are adjusting prices for several RTX 30/40 models

https://videocardz.com/newz/chinese-board-partners-are-adjusting-prices-for-several-rtx-30-40-models

(Updated) AMD Ryzen 9000 “Granite Ridge” desktop ES CPU with 8 Zen5 cores has been pictured

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-9000-granite-ridge-desktop-es-cpu-with-8-zen5-cores-has-been-pictured

Good question!

In my opinion, it's open to interpretation. I never saw those Vega, Fury and the Radeon VII cards with the fancy HBM memory as regular consumer cards. They felt like enterprise grade products that AMD repurposed for gaming in a rather futile intent to bring something that could compete with Nvidia, but they were too expensive and power hungry (how times change!).

The fact that both architectures coexisted for a limited time only shows that AMD didn't try to have a high end part with the RDNA cards and had to rely on another iteration of GCN that was, if we're honest, kind of  half assed.

What Nvidia did with their lower end cards is shameful. The 4060 didn't beat the 3060Ti... and neither could the 4060Ti! And when it comes to AMD, well, the entire RDNA3 lineup fell short, with the 7600 only bareky able to match the 6600/6650XT, and the 7800XT tying with the 6800XT.

For those outside of the high end, the last gen of cards were extremely disappointing.

Let's hope the new ones can do better than that. After all it'll be hard to do it worse.

How come? Is the 4090 enough for you for the time being?

The fact that the price increase affects mostly the low end parts makes me angry.

And I hadn't noticed the update of the Zen5 CPU article. Thanks for that!

If there is a 5090, its chip will be >750 mm² large. That alone makes it at least 30% more expensive on the wafer than the 4090, way more depending on defect density, plus 32 GB of novel GDDR7. What do you think Nvidia will charge for it?

Pretty much. I am not expecting the type of leap from a 4090 to 5090 as I got from my 3080 to 4090.

4090 might even be my last gpu until the rumoured next gen consoles come out but we will see since I don't see things advancing too much until PS6/XS2. It's simply too good of a gpu even if the price was $1600 usd (or $2000 usd for my Strix version)

Since the 4090 was $1599 and sold very well, I don't expect less than $2000 for the 5090.