The new D15 will have to be exceptional, because that $150 price tag puts it on par with many excellent 360 AIO coolers out there.

AMD pricing Zen5 cheaper than Zen4 is an unexpected, but welcome, surprise.

The games for Humble Choice July 2024 have been revealed.

• Figment 2: Creed Valley
• Ghostrunner 2
• Heretic's Fork
• HYPERVIOLENT
• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Starship Troopers: Terran Command
• Sticky Business
• Zoeti 

Pretty good for me, three games on my wishlist.

As for the Steam sale I decided to buy a few cheap games:

• Ace Academy
• Astro Duel
• BATS: Bloodsucker Anti-Terror Squad
• Bloons TD 6
• Castle Crashers
• Escape Goat
• Escape Goat 2
• Ethereal Enigma
• Fenimore Fillmore: 3 Skulls of the Toltecs
• Fenimore Fillmore: The Westerner
• Fire Tonight
• Iragon 18+
• Kaori After Story
• King of Seas
• Muse Dash
• Orwell's Animal Farm
• Prodigal
• Punk Wars
• Samorost 2
• Subsurface Circular
• Superflight
• The Tenth Line
• This Starry Midnight We Make
• Timeloop: Sink Again Beach
• Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery
• Tricolour Lovestory
• WRC 4 FIA World Rally Championship
• Xenon Racer
• Zen Bound 2

Some good games from Choice.

And if that's what you consider "a few", I'm scared to think what "a lot" would be. In any case, congratulations.

I'm annoyed. My daughter downloaded Hogwarts on my old PC. Intel 12700k with 4070, 32 gb of ram. the game crashes all the damn time. I have lowered the settings and moved shaders to unlimited. I think maybe that fixed it. I am not sure. Any thoughts? Chris the game is a disaster.

Check the Steam forums of the game for assistance. My advice is to use Nvidia control panel to make sure the game is using the dedicated GPU and not the integrated one.

An update on the situation of Adult Swim games. Even though some have been reclaimed by their devs, there are a few whose development studios no longer exist and these will be delisted on 15th July 2024. Also they are now on sale.

These four have received announcements that they will be delisted

https://store.steampowered.com/app/312510/Mega_Coin_Squad/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/224820/Super_House_of_Dead_Ninjas/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/327520/Traverser/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/327500/Zenzizenzic/ 

The following are unknown and potentially at risk of being delisted:

• Desync
• Headlander
• Oblitus
• Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality
• Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time
• Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe
• WASTED
• Westerado: Double Barreled

Games confirmed to have been reclaimed by devs:

• Duck Game
• Fist Puncher
• Kingsway
• Major Mayhem
• Pool Panic
• Rise & Shine
• Small Radios Big Televisions
• Soundodger+

Westerado: Double Barreled is one of my favourite games from the previous decade

Thanks for the tip.  I read a few threads on Steam and basically the "fix" is to lower settings than what should be needed.  It seems to work now, but time will tell.  Crazy I have to set the game to run like the computer has a 2070 and not a 4070.  In particular keeping the fps at 60 and lowering the crap out of shadows is helpful.  

The news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has new deals:

• First of all, there’s a new GIVEAWAY: The First Templar - Special Edition will be free to get during the next 70 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_first_templar
• The first of the two Deals of the Day is Dead Cells: Medley of Pain Bundle, with the game and 4 DLCs 40% off during 46 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/dead_cells_medley_of_pain_bundle
• The second DotD is the NSFW title Sengoku Rance, with a 52% discount until Friday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/sengoku_rance

Fanatical’s new Star Deal is the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Complete Bundle, 85% off during the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/stalker-complete-bundle.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc Graphics 31.0.101.5594 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-31-0-101-5594
Fixed Issues

• Intel Arc A-Series Graphics Products:
  • Citrix Workspace application may exhibit sluggish behavior when interacting with a virtual desktop.
• Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs:
  • Citrix Workspace application may exhibit sluggish behavior when interacting with a virtual desktop.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Stardew Valley players on Steam Deck can test out the new Nexus Mods app
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/stardew-valley-players-on-steam-deck-can-test-out-the-new-nexus-mods-app/
True story: I bought Stardew Valley in 2017 and finally started playing it this past weekend. Why did I wait almost eight years before planting my first parsnip? Honestly, I was afraid it would become too much of a timesink. Judging from the 12 hours I played in the past three days on my Steam Deck, I was correct.
Point is, this bit of news is especially pertinent to me but also other Stardew players, Steam Deck owners, and mod-likers: Nexus Mods has started alpha testing its new app, and the only game it works with at the moment is Stardew Valley. 
"We're delighted to announce the alpha release of the Nexus Mods app—our next-generation mod manager," senior community manager Picksaurus announced. "This is a very early build with limited features and only supports Stardew Valley (more games are coming later), but it's the perfect time for pioneers like you to help shape its future."

This Cyberpunk 2077 mod adds fully playable roulette tables to the game
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-cyberpunk-2077-mod-adds-fully-playable-roulette-tables-to-the-game/
Modder ‘Boe6’ has released a pretty cool mod for Cyberpunk 2077, that adds to the game some fully playable roulette tables. As such, players will now be able to gamble their hard-earned Eddies and try their luck.
Going into more details, this mod lets players gamble with a fun and realistic roulette mini-game. The ball moves around the wheel in a random way, just like in real life. The wheel, ball, and chips are all fully animated, and you can even hear roulette sounds. The user interface is simple and feels just like the original game. Players can enjoy gambling just like they would in a real casino.
The good news is that there are many places where you can play roulette in the game. Thus, you won’t be forced to go to just one location. Players can also expect to see cool holographic displays showing values and results. Not only that but you can also set your own bet and buy-in amounts using the Cyber Engine Tweaks overlay.
>> The article has a roughly 1 minute long video of this mod.

GAMING NEWS

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead gets an official first story trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/a-quiet-place-the-road-ahead-gets-an-official-first-story-trailer/
IGN has shared the official story trailer for the upcoming single-player horror adventure game, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead. In this game, you play as Alex, an asthmatic college student trying to survive the end of the world with her boyfriend Martin.

The First Descendant has the most underwhelming Ray Tracing effects we’ve ever seen
https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/the-first-descendant-has-the-most-underwhelming-ray-tracing-effects-weve-ever-seen/
NEXON has just launched its latest free-to-play third-person looter shooter, The First Descendant, on PC. The game is powered by Unreal Engine 5, and supports Ray Tracing, as well as DLSS 3 and FSR 3.0. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at its Ray Tracing effects. And, as the title implies, they are the most underwhelming RT effects we’ve ever seen in any game.

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable hits Early Access on July 23rd
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/attack-on-titan-vr-unbreakable-hits-early-access-on-july-23rd/
UNIVRS has announced that Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable, the first-person action-adventure VR platformer based on the highly-acclaimed manga, will hit Meta Quest Pro via the Meta Quest Store Early Access on July 23rd. According to the press release, Early Access will consist of the first two chapters, each offering 2-3 harrowing hours of action.

The news, the sequel:

The Beyond Good and Evil remaster settles 20 years of debate over Jade's parentage in a new prequel tie-in sidequest
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/the-beyond-good-and-evil-remaster-settles-20-years-of-debate-over-jades-parentage-in-a-new-prequel-tie-in-sidequest/
The Beyond Good and Evil 20th Anniversary Edition is here and, if you've not heard, I'm not a fan. But amidst the stuttering and incongruously uprezzed textures, Ubisoft also saw fit to add in a questline referencing Beyond Good and Evil 2 (via Eurogamer), the original game's stuck-in-stasis prequel that currently holds the record for the game with the longest time in development.

Palia developer Singularity 6 is now part of the Daybreak Game Company
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/palia-developer-singularity-6-is-now-part-of-the-daybreak-game-company/
Palia developer Singularity 6 is now part of the Daybreak Game Company, which announced today that it has acquired the studio "as a wholly owned subsidiary." The takeover comes less than two months after Singularity 6 laid off 36 employees, reportedly representing roughly 40 percent of its workforce.

Don't sweat it—Zenless Zone Zero's system requirements demand nothing more than a ten-year old GPU and 8 GB of RAM
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/dont-sweat-itzenless-zone-zeros-system-requirements-demand-nothing-more-than-a-ten-year-old-gpu-and-8-gb-of-ram/
Persona 5 meets Street Fighter meets Genshin Impact. That's one helluva mix—if miHoYo can get the balance right. More importantly, the game will need to run smoothly on our gaming PCs before all that. That shouldn't be any issue, however, as the Zenless Zone Zero system requirements are going to be zero bother for most.

Lethal Company's next update introduces monsters that'll kidnap you and cut you up as well as its first and only vehicle
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/lethal-companys-next-update-introduces-monsters-thatll-kidnap-you-and-cut-you-up-as-well-as-its-first-and-only-vehicle/
Lethal Company just got a new major update and it's going to add even more monsters, as well as a van which you can use to run over entities or annoying teammates. The Company Cruiser is the first (and currently only) vehicle in the game and is now the best option available to transport loads of scrap from the facility to your ship. 

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree players are sleepwalking through bossfights with the DLC's silly, pointy shields
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdtree-players-are-sleepwalking-through-bossfights-with-the-dlcs-silly-pointy-shields/
One of Elden Ring's greatest joys is the freedom it provides for exploring different philosophies of combat. Maybe you favor the tried-and-true strategy of hitting things with extremely large swords. Maybe you delight in the arts of high wizardry, measured in laser beams and hurled boulders. The options are endless—but they're also wrong. Thanks to the new thrusting shields from Shadow of the Erdtree, players are discovering that they've been wasting their time finding the best builds for blood loss or Frenzied Flame incantations. Instead, they should've been asking one question: What if I was attacking while I was blocking?

Xbox Live suffers a 'major outage' that's keeping people from logging in, Microsoft says fixing it is 'taking longer than expected'
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/xbox-live-suffers-a-major-outage-thats-keeping-people-from-logging-in-microsoft-says-fixing-it-is-taking-longer-than-expected/
Microsoft says a "major outage" at Xbox Live is keeping some users from logging in, and it's taking longer than expected to get the problem fixed.
As noted by The Verge, the Xbox Support account on Twitter first acknowledged that "some users have been disconnected from Xbox Live" at around 3 pm ET. Just over an hour later, the account tweeted again to say "our investigation is taking longer than expected," and advised users having trouble to keep an eye on the Xbox Status page.

Polyamory is coming to The Sims 4 for free alongside the Lovestruck expansion pack this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-sims/polyamory-is-coming-to-the-sims-4-for-free-alongside-the-lovestruck-expansion-pack-this-month/
Last week, EA released details on the upcoming Sims 4 Lovestruck DLC, which'll include a new urban world called Ciudad Enamorada, dating apps for your Sims, death by heartbreak, and polyamorous relationships. That last part seems to be what has a lot of players psyched, but there's been a little confusion over whether or not polyamory is paywalled.

Just 3 months after launching Tales of Kenzera: Zau, developer Surgent Studios lays off 'just over a dozen' employees
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/just-3-months-after-launching-tales-of-kenzera-zau-developer-surgent-studios-lays-off-just-over-a-dozen-employees/
Less than three months after the release of its debut game Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Surgent Studios has laid off "just over a dozen" of its employees.
The layoffs were initially reported by multiple Surgent employees (via Game Developer) who posted about their pending terminations on LinkedIn. Producer Philip Smy said he'd become "another casualty of the Wild West industry that is videogame development," while level designer Pete Brisbourne wrote, "The chapter entitled 'Pete Works At Surgent Studios' is coming to a close at the end of the month." Several Surgent employees have now added an "open to work" indicator on the profile pictures.

Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail players warn side-questers: don't solve these riddles for an NPC that blabs a big spoiler right before it happens
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/final-fantasy/final-fantasy-14-dawntrail-players-warn-side-questers-don-t-solve-these-riddles-for-an-npc-that-blabs-a-big-spoiler-right-before-it-happens/
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail's story is a bit of a mixed bag—I'm overall positive on it myself, ranking it just a half-step above Stormblood, and for all my critiques about the overall quality of its dialogue and its cutscene direction, I'm having a good time. Particularly with the sidequests, which have broken up a sometimes-plodding Main Scenario Quest (MSQ) nicely.

Helldivers 2's latest major order has everyone so curious about a mysterious interplanetary battle station, 4/5ths of all online players are handling it as I write this headline
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-s-latest-major-order-has-everyone-so-curious-about-what-an-interplanetary-battle-station-is-4-5ths-of-all-online-players-are-handling-it-as-i-write-this-headline/
Helldivers 2 is, as stated by the devs, slowing down the pace of its updates after its initial gold rush, which saw player concurrents in the hundreds of thousands. It's still got a healthy community at present, though Arrowhead seems determined to avoid another Polar Patriots fiasco and tidy up its bugs.
(...)
Which makes the recent major order all the more intriguing. As an in-game announcement reads, the lab players are charged to save was "working on development of a powerful interplanetary battle station", which is highlighted for emphasis.

When I read your post, the first hing that came to my mind was "wait a minute. There was a DSOG article about this!".

Sure enough, they posted an article about it telling how it's because of a botched update they did in early June and that they're working on a permanent fix. The article also has two ways to fix the problem, although neither of them are without some cons.

You can check the article from here or check the previous page of this thread, look for the articles I posted two days ago, on Monday, and find it there.