Would you look at that! Here come the news! In this first post you’ll find all the DSOGaming articles from these past days.

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam’s Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

Jonathan Blow says the Braid remaster 'sold like dog****'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/jonathan-blow-says-the-braid-remaster-sold-like-dog/
Braid: Anniversary Edition "sold like dogshit," according to creator Jonathan Blow.
Compiled in a video by YouTube channel Blow Fan, which I can report with some unease is exactly as Blow-devoted as the name suggests, Blow has been commenting on the sales performance of the indie darling platformer's remaster in Twitch streams since its release back in May. The clips that Blow Fan selected chart Blow's decline from initial optimism to grim resignation as sales failed to materialize.
On May 20, almost a week after the remaster's release, Blow was hopeful. Games, he said, tend to follow a predictable sales pattern: a large spike at launch, followed by a sharp drop to a gradually-decreasing sales baseline. From there, "it decays very slowly," Blow said, "and while it decays very slowly, that's a pretty reliable income for your company." While Blow said "it's not like we sold a million copies day one," he acknowledged that his team wasn't expecting a remaster to sell like a fully new game, saying "we just have to see where it lands."
Nearly a month later, Blow's assessment was dour. Asked on June 17 if Braid sold well, he said no: "It has sold horribly." He claimed that it was selling better than "nostalgic things like the Jeff Minter game that's on Steam, or Atari 50," but said that, broadly, the remaster had "sold like dog shit" compared to the amount of revenue needed "for the company to survive."
By late July, Blow had seen little evidence to shift his opinion. Asked on July 21 if he was happy with Braid: Anniversary Edition sales, he said "no, they've been terrible," although when a viewer mentioned they'd bought a copy, he amended his response to say "now they are terrible minus one." On July 22, Blow once again called them "terrible," but went on to describe his thoughts about potential promotional avenues and whether they might've helped with Braid: Anniversary's sales.

The free game at the Epic Store is LumbearJack: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/lumbearjack-b5bedf.
Next week, the free games will be CYGNI - All Guns Blazing, DNF Duel and Apex Legends™: Conduit Free Unlock Bundle.

GOG has four limited time offers and 3 sales:

• These are the LTO (Limited Time Offers), that will last another 22 hours:
  • Foundation, still in Early Access, is 25% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/foundation
  • Ziggurat 2 gets a 45% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/ziggurat_2
  • Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee features a 75% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/oddworld_abes_oddysee
  • And Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus is also 75% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/oddworld_abes_exoddus
• The Weekly Sale has up to 90% discounts during 5 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240730_weekly_deals_1_august
• Fans of adventure games will love the Think, Point, Click! Promo, with games up to 95% off during 5 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240720_point_think_click
• And the Future is Now Promo has sci-fi games with up to 95% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240801_sci_fi

Steam has several new deals and sales, including new weeklong deals:

• Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun will be 35% off until August 5: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2005010/Warhammer_40000_Boltgun/
• The South Park: The Stick of Truth + The Fractured but Whole Bundle gets an 80% discount until the 5th: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/6115/Bundle_South_Park__The_Stick_of_Truth__The_Fractured_but_Whole/
• The Surge 2 will be 80% off unti lthe same 5th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/644830/The_Surge_2/
• Publisher PlayWay puts its games on sale, with up to 90% discounts until the 5th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/playwaysale2024
• Publisher Jackbox Games puts its games up to 90% off until August, the 5th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/JackboxFranchiseSale
• Jackbox Games is also giving away for free Drawful 2 until the 28th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/442070/Drawful_2/
• MY HERO ONE'S JUSTICE 2, that has a demo, gets an 85% discount until the 7th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1058450/MY_HERO_ONES_JUSTICE_2/
• Overcooked! All You Can Eat can be yours with a 60% discount until August 12: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1243830/Overcooked_All_You_Can_Eat/
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is going tp be 80% off until the 12th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1088850/Marvels_Guardians_of_the_Galaxy/
• The Pixelated Adventures Festival has up to 90% discounts. Some deals will end in less than 24 hours while others will last until the 12th, maybe longer: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/PixElatedFestival
• And the last deal is Soulstice, 75% off until the 14th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1602080/Soulstice/

We have a new Humble Bundle: the LEGO Worlds Collide: The Ultimate Assembly Bundle with up to 19 items (18 games + 1 coupon) to get during 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/lego-worlds-collide-ultimate-assembly

And Fanatical has the following deals:

• The new Star Deal is ABRISS - build to destroy, 50% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/abriss-build-to-destroy
• Publisher Shiravune Games puts its titles on sale with up to 50% discounts during another 11 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/shiravune
• The BYO Resident Evil Bundle has up to 8 games to get with a 3+, 5+ or 8+ bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-resident-evil-bundle
• And the BYO Platinum Collection Bundle for August is here with 18 gams to choose for your 3+, 5+ or 7+ bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/platinum-collection-build-your-own-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc Graphics 32.0.101.5768 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-32-0-101-5768

Highlights
Gaming Highlights:
Intel® Game On Driver support on Intel® Arc™ A-series Graphics GPUs and Intel® Core™ Ultra with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs for:

• Stormgate

Game performance improvements on Intel® Arc™ A-Series Graphics Products versus Intel® 31.0.101.5762 software driver for:

• Yakuza: Like a Dragon (DX11)
  • Up to 91% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
  • Up to 35% average FPS uplift at 1440p with Ultra settings
• Metro: Last Light Complete Edition (DX11)
  • Up to 20% average FPS uplift at 1080p with High settings
  • Up to 23% average FPS uplift at 1440p with Very High settings

Game performance improvements on Intel® Core™ Ultra with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs versus Intel® 31.0.101.5762 software driver for:

• Stormgate (DX11)
  • Up to 12% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Medium settings with Temporal Super Resolution enabled

Fixed Issues
Intel® Arc™ A-Series Graphics Products:

• Dirt Rally (DX11) may exhibit corruptions on water bodies while running the benchmark.
• Sid Meier’s Civilization V (DX11) may experience an application crash during gameplay.
• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (DX12) may experience application instability on the first launch of the game.
• Blender 4.2 may exhibit corruptions and incomplete scenes while rendering.

Intel® Core™ Ultra with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs:

• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (DX12) may experience application instability on the first launch of the game.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

PlayStation 4 emulator, shadPS4, is improving at an extraordinary pace, can now run Red Dead Redemption Remastered with 25fps on a high-end PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/playstation-4-emulator-shadps4-is-improving-at-an-extraordinary-pace-can-now-run-red-dead-redemption-remastered-with-25fps-on-a-high-end-pc/
The team behind the shadPS4 has made a lot of progress in just a matter of weeks. On July 14th, this emulator could only boot Red Dead Redemption Remastered. And now, shadPS4 can go in-game, and run the game with 25fps on a high-end PC system.
Now while a lot will chuckle at that framerate, it’s actually tremendous progress. From being unable to go in-game to then running it with 25fps is, perhaps, one of the biggest progress we’ve seen in the emulation scene.
As you will see in the following video, emulation is still not perfect. For instance, there are a lot of graphical bugs and glitches. Let’s also not forget that this is an old-gen remaster. Yes, technically it’s a 2024 release. However, it’s not as demanding as, let’s say, Gran Turismo 7, God of War: Ragnarok or Bloodborne.
It’s also worth noting that shadPS4 can now display proper 3D graphics in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. Performance is still bad though. Still, progress is progress. And no, Bloodborne has not received any improvements as of yet.
>> The video is roughly 5 minutes long.

Kingdom Hearts 3 just got an incredible Dragon Ball Z Mod, allowing you to play as Goku with his own moves, featuring Kamehameha blasts and Super Saiyan transformations
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/kingdom-hearts-3-just-got-an-incredible-dragon-ball-z-mod-allowing-you-to-play-as-goku-with-his-own-moves-featuring-kamehameha-blasts-and-super-saiyan-transformations/
DBZ and Kingdom Hearts 3 fans, here is something special for you today. Modder ‘Dawn Of Fate’ has released an incredible mod for Kingdom Hearts 3 that brings Goku (or Kakarot otherwise Vegeta and Broly will beat me to death) from Dragon Ball Z to the game.
Now what’s cool here is that this isn’t a mere 3D model character swap mod. Oh no. Goku now has his own movements and combos. Not only that but he can use Kamehame blasts and he can transform to all different Super Saiyan forms. And yes, as the header image indicates, you’ll also be able to use Ultra Instinct.
Alongside the playable Goku, Project Dragon Soul (Definitive Edition) brings new Loading Screens and Tutorial Messages. You can also expect a new Soundtrack and a new HUD. From what I’ve seen, the mod only uses Goku’s English voice. So, I don’t know whether it also has his Japanese voice.
Do note that the mod replaces the Formchange and Shotlock systems from the base game. As such, you’ll have to turn on the No Formchanges and No Shotlocks restrictions. Otherwise, the mod will not work.
>> The article has an almost 10 minutes video.

Starfield gets a Fleet Expansion Mod which aims to significantly enhance its spaceship experience
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/starfield-gets-a-fleet-expansion-mod-which-aims-to-significantly-enhance-its-spaceship-experience/
The Starfield Fleet Expansion Team has released a pretty cool mod for Starfield that aims to significantly enhance its spaceship experience. So, let’s see what this mod adds to the game.
The first thing the Starfield Fleet Expansion does is add more types of ships to the game. The initial release includes 20 different ships from various starship builders in Starfield. These ships range from large cargo carriers to fast fighters, powerful corvettes, heavy gunships, assault dropships, and scouting craft.
All added custom ships also spawn in space, adding them to existing unpredictable encounters. As you explore the starfield, you might encounter them as friendly or hostile vessels.
Not only that but like any existing hull in the game, this mod allows players to explore and purchase the added ships from vendors across the universe or board them when encountered.
In future versions, the team plans to add even more ships. From what we know, they plan to introduce 100+ unique hulls through staggered releases. So, this is a mod that we highly recommend using.
>> The article has no screenshots nor videos.

GAMING NEWS

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is coming to PC on September 3rd, and here are its PC requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/harry-potter-quidditch-champions-is-coming-to-pc-on-september-3rd-and-here-are-its-pc-requirements/
Warner Bros has announced that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will be coming to PC on September 3rd. To celebrate this announcement, the publisher shared an official trailer for it, as well as its PC system requirements.

The latest update for Enshrouded brings Difficulty Modifiers and AMD FSR 3.0 support
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-latest-update-for-enshrouded-brings-difficulty-modifiers-and-amd-fsr-3-support/
Keen Games has released a new update for its co-op survival RPG, Enshrouded. According to the team, Patch v.0.7.3.0 adds difficulty presets and individual gameplay settings. Moreover, it brings support for AMD FSR 3.0.

Visions of Mana PC demo is now available for download on Steam
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/visions-of-mana-pc-demo-is-now-available-for-download-on-steam/
Square Enix has just released a PC demo for Visions of Mana that you can download from Steam. As SE noted, the content featured in the demo has been cut down to make a satisfying demo and progress cannot be carried over to the full game.

Elden Ring Patch 1.13 is available for download and here are all its fixes, tweaks, changes and improvements
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/elden-ring-patch-1-13-is-available-for-download-and-here-are-all-its-fixes-tweaks-changes-and-improvements/
FromSoftware has released Patch 1.13 for Elden Ring, and revealed all of its fixes, tweaks, changes and improvements. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
Update 1.13 increases the poise damage of various weapons. Moreover, it decreases the backstep invulnerability window when the Fine Crucible Feather Talisman or the Talisman of All Crucibles are equipped.
>> The patch also warns users that the framerate problems may be caused by… your mouse.

Guns of Fury blends Metal Slug with Castlevania, and is a must for all retro gamers
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/guns-of-fury-blends-metal-slug-with-castlevania-and-is-a-must-for-all-retro-gamers/
Metal Slug and Castlevania fans, here is something special for you today. Gelato Games has announced Guns of Fury; a retro-inspired action platformer that blends Metal Slug with Castlevania. Guns of Fury will be released later this year on PC, and below you can find its debut gameplay trailer.

EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 gets official PC requirements, it will be using Denuvo and it will require an EA account and the EA App
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ea-sports-madden-nfl-25-gets-official-pc-requirements-it-will-be-using-denuvo-and-it-will-require-an-ea-account-and-the-ea-app/
EA has shared the official PC system requirements for EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25. In addition, the publisher shared a new deep dive video that highlights all of the new features and updates coming to the Franchise Mode.

Here are the official PC requirements for Star Wars Outlaws
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/here-are-the-official-pc-requirements-for-star-wars-outlaws/
Ubisoft has revealed the official PC system requirements for its upcoming Star Wars game, Star Wars: Outlaws. Star Wars: Outlaws will be powered by the Snowdrop Engine, so let’s see what you’ll need in order to run it.
>> And here’s a 50 minutes video of the game.

Unlike DSOG, PCGamer has kept posting lots of news so, to keep things simple, here are the articles published in the last 24 hours:

After 3 years, Chivalry 2 goes into maintenance mode as devs decide they've released enough updates to make it 'content and feature complete'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/after-3-years-chivalry-2-goes-into-maintenance-mode-as-devs-decide-theyve-released-enough-updates-to-make-it-content-and-feature-complete/
Any good historical materialist can tell you that feudalism isn't long for the world, so perhaps it's no surprise that the good folk at Torn Banner Studios have, after three glorious years, announced that its online medieval warfare sim is now "Content and feature complete." That's right, folks: Chivalry is dead.
Specifically, Chivalry 2. Oh, fine, it's not dead<e/m>, I just couldn't pass up an opportunity like that. A better word for it is done. The game's Regicide update from May was its "11th and final content piece," says Torn Banner in an update on Steam.

Bungie lays off 220 developers in shocking bloodbath as it aggressively refocuses on Destiny and Marathon: 'We were overly ambitious'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/bungie-lays-off-220-developers-in-shocking-bloodbath-as-it-aggressively-refocuses-on-destiny-and-marathon-we-were-overly-ambitious/
In yet another bloodbath during a terrible two years for the games industry, Bungie has announced that it's laying off 220 people—roughly 17% of its workforce—across "every level of the company, including most of our executive and senior leader roles."

In this investigation game you're the desk jockey with all the cool analysis software
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/in-this-investigation-game-youre-the-desk-jockey-with-all-the-cool-analysis-software/
You know how in cop shows there's always that person back at the lab whose job it is to go over evidence, analyze video, read chemical analysis reports—all the nerd stuff? The Operator is a conspiracy thriller about doing that job, helping the people out in the field get cases solved. 

Delightful deckbuilder Clank! now has a digital version
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/delightful-deckbuilder-clank-now-has-a-digital-version/
Everyone has at some point thought about what it would be like as a fantasy burglar crawling down into a monster-infested dungeon to make off with heaps of loot, all while not waking up the terrible dragon that dwells within. Don't you dare tell me you haven't or my perception of reality will be absolutely ruined. 
Anyway, tabletop adaptation experts Dire Wolf have dropped a digital version of Clank, a deckbuilder about doing just that: Sneaking into some caves and stealing cool stuff. Your cards let you get loot, fight monsters, and sneak around. You're aiming for one of a few especially precious artifacts—but it's inevitable that a player will, eventually, make a loud 'clank!' and wake the dragon, accelerating the danger of someone getting caught and eaten.

Actor for Dragon Age: The Veilguard protagonist says the role is "an honor but a challenge"
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/actor-for-dragon-age-the-veilguard-protagonist-says-the-role-is-an-honor-but-a-challenge/
Amid announcements for the voice cast of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, one voice actor for protagonist Rook says that the role is an "honor and a challenge" that they are "terrified and thrilled" to be taking on. Erika Ishii says they are a long time fan of the Dragon Age series and have been at work on The Veilguard for more than four years now.

'$100M is GTA-level money': A former developer on the 2013 Deadpool game says rumors of its budget are highly exaggerated
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/dollar100m-is-gta-level-money-a-former-developer-on-the-2013-deadpool-game-says-rumors-of-its-budget-are-highly-exaggerated/
A former developer who worked on the 2013 Deadpool action game says there's no way it cost over $100M to make, despite long-standing rumors and even Wikipedia claiming otherwise.

Here's a 15 minute gameplay deep dive on water parks in Planet Coaster 2
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/heres-a-15-minute-gameplay-deep-dive-on-water-parks-in-planet-coaster-2/
Frontier Developments has dropped a nice, meaty 15-minute gameplay overview from Planet Coaster 2, the theme park design sim sequel that's folding water parks and water features into the core coaster-ing from the first game. It was announced just a few weeks ago, and it looks like Frontier's going to waste no time in showing off what's new with Coaster 2.

Star Wars Outlaws director was inspired by a samurai action game more than Red Dead or Assassin's Creed: 'My biggest reference was Ghost of Tsushima'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/star-wars-outlaws-director-was-inspired-by-a-samurai-action-game-more-than-red-dead-or-assassins-creed-my-biggest-reference-was-ghost-of-tsushima/
(...)
Apart from the obvious reason Star Wars Outlaws feels similar to other open world Ubisoft games—because it's another open world Ubisoft game—there's an even more direct connection. Speaking to GamesRadar, Star Wars Outlaws creative director Julian Gerighty said Assassin's Creed Odyssey was one of his favorite AC games "without a doubt."
(...)
Odyssey wasn't the only influence on Outlaws. Gerighty also told GamesRadar that "my biggest reference was Ghost of Tsushima, which is more on the Kurosawa side of inspiration than the Western, the John Ford side of the inspiration for George Lucas."

Activision rolls out a Call of Duty: Warzone ban wave and promises that Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer is next: 'Leaderboards have been purged'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/activision-rolls-out-a-call-of-duty-warzone-ban-wave-and-promises-that-modern-warfare-3-multiplayer-is-next-leaderboards-have-been-purged/
Thanks to a brief hiccup in Call of Duty's anti-cheat software, there was a spike in cheaters last week. While Activision assured players that the issue had been solved, we've just got a further update: The studio confirmed actions have been taken against certain accounts as part of a ban wave. 

Intel In Big Trouble, Class Action Lawsuit For 14th & 13th Gen CPU Instability Issues Begin

https://wccftech.com/intel-in-big-trouble-class-action-lawsuit-14th-13th-gen-cpu-instability/

DRAM Prices Will Increase Up To 53% In 2024 & Another 35% in 2025 As Memory Industry Delivers Record Revenue Growth

https://wccftech.com/huge-ai-demand-results-in-an-estimated-90b-and-67b-revenue-for-dram-and-nand-flash-industries/

AMD Strix Halo APU Details Leak: Twice As Big As Strix Point, Powerful RDNA 3.5 iGPU, Up To 120W TDP, Coming To ASUS ROG Flow Z13 In 2025

https://wccftech.com/amd-strix-halo-apu-leak-twice-as-big-as-strix-point-powerful-rdna-3-5-igpu-up-to-120w-asus-rog-flow-z13-2025/

The Dual-Mode ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP Gaming Monitor Launches At $1299

https://wccftech.com/dual-mode-asus-rog-swift-oled-pg32ucdp-gaming-monitor-launches-1299-usd/

Having that monster thing AMD has created and using it on a tablet feels like a waste. Think bigger, Asus! Try to launch a mini-PC like device with the Strix Halo using what you've learned with your NUC and ROG Ally business, Give the Steam machines a second chance, only with Windows to make it appealing to more people.

The lawsuit against Intel was expected. We'll see how it goes and how long it takes until its over.

It4s not just the lawsuit that shows Intel is in trouble. They had their quarterly report yesterday... and the numbers are not good to say the least

Intel already didn't hit the predictions for this quarter, but the outlook for the next one was catastrophic: losses per share of 3 cents instead of 31 cents earnings per share, a profit margin that's down over 5 percentage points, and a revenue between 12.5 and 13.5 Billions when the expectations were 14.35 Billions. Oh, and they announced no more dividends after Q4 2024.

I mean, their stock in aftermarket sales says it all:

23.5% drop after market, ouch!

I built two computers last year, both with gen 13 from Intel. No problems yet, fingers crossed their update comes out soon. Granted the one computer is a i5 and I think the problem is with i7 and i9. I am running at stock performance, I have not overclocked, not sure if that helps.

Let’s do the Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Humble Store has a launched the One More Run: Roguelike Rampage Sale. The link doesn’t work right now, so check the store/a> and hope they’ve fixed it by then.

Fanatical has a Playstation Publisher Sale, with up to 82% discounts during 9 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/playstation-pc-llc.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Also empty-

GAMING NEWS

Sins of a Solar Empire II will be released on August 15th, and here are its PC requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sins-of-a-solar-empire-ii-will-be-released-on-august-15th-and-here-are-its-pc-requirements/
Stardock has announced that its real-time 4X strategy game, Sins of a Solar Empire II will be released on August 15th. Moreover, the publisher shared the game’s official PC system requirements. So, let’s take a look at them.
>> The requirements are low, but compared to those of Star Wars Outlaws that I posted yesterday, they’re laughable.

NBA 2K25 gets an official gameplay trailer that only has… replays and zero direct gameplay footage
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/nba-2k25-gets-an-official-gameplay-trailer-that-only-has-replays-and-zero-direct-gameplay-footage/
2K Games has released an official gameplay trailer for NBA 2K25 that… does not feature any proper or direct gameplay footage. Instead, this trailer is full of replays. This is hilarious and shows how out of touch a lot of companies are.

Here are 13 minutes of brand new gameplay from DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-13-minutes-of-brand-new-gameplay-from-dynasty-warriors-origins/
KOEI TECMO has shared two videos, showcasing over 13 minutes of brand new gameplay from DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS. These videos will give you an idea of how this new Dynasty Warriors game looks and plays. So, if you are a fan of the series, I highly recommend watching them.

Ziggurat has announced a remake of the 1990 underwater shoot-em-up X-Out
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ziggurat-has-announced-a-remake-of-the-1990-underwater-shoot-em-up-x-out/
Ziggurat and ININ Games have announced a remake of the underwater shoot-em-up X-Out, which will be called X-Out: Resurfaced. X-Out: Resurfaced will be coming to PC this Winter, and you can find below its debut gameplay trailer.
>> It may be a remake, but the graphics are… faithful to the original.

Friday news, the second part:

If 1 million people sign a petition, a ban on rendering multiplayer games unplayable has a chance to become law in Europe
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/if-1-million-people-sign-a-petition-a-ban-on-rendering-multiplayer-games-unplayable-has-a-chance-to-become-law-in-europe/
One of the most common reasons a game becomes unplayable is because it can only be played online and its servers have been shut down by publishers. In 2023 alone we saw nearly a dozen games like Battlefield, Call of Duty: Warzone, Knockout City, Spellbreak, Gundam Evolution, and more meet the same grim fate as the lights went off for good.  (...)
But there are people trying to get laws passed to protect both the games and the people who buy them. (...)
One way to combat the killing of games is to propose a new law, an effort that is currently underway in the European Union. The process is called the "European Citizens Initiative," and if it's signed by 1 million citizens in the EU it has a chance to become an actual law. If passed, the law would require "publishers that sell or license videogames to consumers in the European Union (or related features and assets sold for videogames they operate) to leave said videogames in a functional (playable) state," even in the event that the servers are shut down or the studio closes. 

Baldur's Gate 3's Harpers just can't catch a break—sleuth discovers Jaheira's redshirts have a block in their code that nerfs their damage in half
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/baldur-s-gate-3-s-harpers-just-can-t-catch-a-break-sleuth-discovers-jaheira-s-redshirts-have-a-block-in-their-code-that-nerfs-their-damage-in-half/
A few things are certain in Baldur's Gate 3—you'll always roll a natural 1 at the worst possible time, your druid will spend most of their playtime casting longstrider on their minions, and the Harpers are wimps.
Not Jaheira—she's fine—but when it comes to the Absolute cult they're up against, they're pretty outmatched. Anyone who's done the siege on Moonrise Towers will tell you that those smite-happy paladins will chew through your NPC mates like holy knives through redshirt butter.
Well, user NCBlizzard on the Baldur's Gate 3 subreddit has had enough, diving deep into the code of the game and coming away with a harrowing revelation: they've all been fighting with one hand tied behind their back this whole time (via GamesRadar).

Star Wars Outlaws devs were stunned by the internet's response to its sexy, sexy droid: 'There's nothing sexy about sitting in the skintight suit'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/star-wars-outlaws-devs-were-stunned-by-the-internets-response-to-its-sexy-sexy-droid-theres-nothing-sexy-about-sitting-in-the-skintight-suit/
Star Wars Outlaws has been a pleasant surprise so far, not only did it manage to win over our staff writer Morgan Park in a lengthy hands-on demo, but it even seems like players already have a favourite character, and the game isn't even out yet. 
ND-5 is a BX-series droid commando built by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and a current associate of Kay Vess, Outlaws' scoundrel protagonist, but most fans will probably just know him by his nickname, hot droid. ND-5 always seems to make some pretty spectacular waves every time he appears in anything new for Star Wars Outlaws, but apparently, that wasn't at all intentional and came as a bit of a surprise to the devs. 

Fellowship recreates the thrill of MMO dungeons without the MMO and I'm scared of what it will do to my free time
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/fellowship-recreates-the-thrill-of-mmo-dungeons-without-the-mmo-and-im-scared-of-what-it-will-do-to-my-free-time/
Fellowship fits like a glove on me, a former 16-year-old World of Warcraft raider who mistakenly thought Blizzard would be the only one who could scratch that itch again. Stockholm-based studio Chief Rebel proved me wrong while we cleared out two MMO-style dungeons in a hands-on preview I had with the game last month.

Spectre Divide is Counter-Strike for the aim-down-sights generation, and it's so fun I can't stop thinking about it: 'We hope our game becomes your next 10,000-hour obsession'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/spectre-divide-is-counter-strike-for-the-aim-down-sights-generation-and-it-s-so-fun-i-can-t-stop-thinking-about-it-we-hope-our-game-becomes-your-next-10-000-hour-obsession/
Do you ever wonder why there aren't many tactical shooters like Counter-Strike? Valve's round-based, economy-driven competitive FPS stood largely unchallenged in a subgenre it created for 20 years before Valorant arrived on the scene, painting over CS:GO's grounded arsenal with a roster of Riot-style heroes and playmaking ultimate moves. Valorant was exciting proof that there's more to be done with the CS formula, and more than enough player interest to support two tac shooter giants.
Spectre Divide wants to be the third. After playing a few matches, I think it has a decent shot.

Do you also have strong '90s memories of Tomba from a PS1 demo disc? You can relive the magic in its unlikely remaster now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/do-you-also-have-strong-90s-memories-of-tomba-from-a-ps1-demo-disc-you-can-relive-the-magic-in-its-unlikely-remaster-now/
Remember Tomba(!)? No? It was a profoundly odd '90s platformer from Tokuro Fujiwara where you play as small, feral cave-boy with pink hair on a quest to rescue his granddad's bracelet from a cabal of evil pigs. Pigs that he defeats by excited leaping. 
(...)
It came out today: Tomba! Special Edition is live on Steam right now after an announcement last year. It was created by Limited Run Games in collaboration with Fujiwara and runs on LRG's Carbon Engine. It's faring mostly well in the few reviews it's picked up so far, with some of them even calling out other aged millennials with PS1 demo-disc memories, though some superfans do lament the lack of certain settings from the PS1 game, as well as what you might call era-appropriate load times.

Hearthstone content creator tells Blizzard to give away a Golden Legendary in order win back fans. Blizzard replies: 'OK'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/hearthstone-content-creator-tells-blizzard-to-give-away-a-golden-legendary-in-order-win-back-fans-blizzard-replies-ok/
If there's a more reliable way to win back gamers, I can't think of a better one than free stuff. Last month, following a meltdown about the lack of a new board to accompany the latest Hearthstone expansion, Blizzard felt compelled to issue a statement to the effect of: "No, we're not winding down the game down." The same post also teased that pets are in development, which is probably the second best method of player appeasement.
That brings us to today and the free stuff. Upon logging in to Hearthstone you will receive a notification that a golden Harth Stonebrew card is available for free from the shop. According to an accompanying post by Blizzard, it will be available until August 28, and over the rest of the month we'll also be able to snag one golden and two normal Perils in Paradise card packs for free. As my colleague Andy Chalk often says about this kind of offer: You can't say fairer than free.

Promise Mascot Agency is a game where you can entice a big, sobbing tofu guy with employee benefits, and I think that's beautiful
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/promise-mascot-agency-is-a-game-where-you-can-entice-a-big-sobbing-tofu-guy-with-employee-benefits-and-i-think-thats-beautiful/
Yesterday, Paradise Killer developer Kaizen Game Works released a nine-minute gameplay deep dive video for its next game, Promise Mascot Agency. It's a gameplay overview that gets both more inscrutable and more compelling with each passing minute, and for a surreal management game following in the footsteps of Paradise Killer's metaphysical murder mystery, I'd hope for nothing less.

It's so funny that Valve's new shooter that it won't admit exists has a public subreddit
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/it-s-so-funny-that-valve-s-new-shooter-that-it-won-t-admit-exists-has-a-public-subreddit/
There's a new Valve game out there called Deadlock: it's a third-person shooter with heroes, abilities, and what looks like a Dota 2-style map. A lot of people are playing it every day, but Valve hasn't acknowledged that such a game exists. And now we're noticing that Deadlock even has a public subreddit.

We'll see what makes Civilization 7 different on August 20 when Firaxis shows off the first gameplay of its 'revolutionary new chapter' in the grand strategy series
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/well-see-what-makes-civilization-7-different-on-august-20-when-firaxis-shows-off-the-first-gameplay-of-its-revolutionary-new-chapter-for-the-grand-strategy-series/
I love a Civilization reveal. The grand strategy series has been going for 33 years, and Firaxis always finds something to change with each new one, always controversially. Civilization 6 unraveled cities into districts that span multiple hexes, for example. Will Civilization 7 stuff them back onto one tile? Or revamp something else entirely, like combat or the victory conditions? Will they make another stab at a battle royale mode? (Probably not.)
We'll have answers later this month. First, we'll see Civilization 7's debut gameplay trailer at Opening Night Live, the Geoff Keighley showcase that precedes the Gamescom convention in Germany. That'll be on August 20 at 11 am PT, viewable on the Gamescom Twitch channel.
Immediately after that, Firaxis will stream a 20 minute showcase with "insights and deep dives across new features and innovations" in Civilization 7. That'll be on Firaxis' Twitch channel.

And yes, today there’s a third part of the news:

Obsidian's first person RPG Avowed is reportedly getting delayed into next year despite being 'in good shape' for its original November release
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/obsidians-first-person-rpg-avowed-is-reportedly-getting-delayed-into-next-year-despite-being-in-good-shape-for-its-original-november-release/
According to The Verge's Notepad newsletter (users may encounter a paywall) on Microsoft happenings, Obsidian's first person action RPG Avowed is about to get delayed into early 2025. The game itself is supposedly in "good shape" to meet its original November release window, but Microsoft is sheepish about overcrowding its holiday release schedule.

Blizzard could've let Diablo 4's weakest classes ride it out until the expansion, but it's showering them in buffs for season 5 instead
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/blizzard-couldve-let-diablo-4s-weakest-classes-ride-it-out-until-the-expansion-but-its-showering-them-in-buffs-for-season-5-instead/
Sorcerers and druids have had a rough time competing with Diablo 4's other classes even though Blizzard has improved almost everything else about the game. Both of them fall behind the others when it comes to raw power, and their most effective builds are not as fun. But in season 5, which starts next week, sorcerers and druids are getting loads of buffs to help them out before Blizzard takes a more comprehensive look at them after the expansion's release in October.

Once Human patch speeds up motorcycles and makes respeccing easier
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/once-human-august-2024-patch/
Once Human, the multiplayer open world survival horror game that released last month, has a big patch out today with loads of bug fixes, quality of life improvements, and some special events for August.

Bungie was reportedly going to pull the trigger on layoffs regardless of The Final Shape's success, due to leadership under-delivering on 'financial promises' to Sony
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/bungie-was-reportedly-going-to-pull-the-trigger-on-layoffs-regardless-of-the-final-shape-s-success-due-to-leadership-under-delivering-on-financial-promises-to-sony/
Late last month, Bungie laid off 220 employees in a decision which—to put it lightly—has shaken the company. The impacted developers have already expressed their frustration, anger, and disappointment on social media, especially in the wake of claims that CEO Pete Parsons spent $2.4 million on vintage vehicles over the past 2 years.
(...)
Further twisting the knife is a report from journalist Stephen Totilo, who spoke with several anonymous former Bungie employees in a Game File newsletter.
The newsletter claims, as per its sources, that "Bungie’s leaders had overstated their studio’s financial prospects to Sony, and Wednesday’s cuts were needed to stop continued losses that amounted to an ongoing reality check."

World of Warcraft: The War Within's pre-patch event has been fixed, removing 90-minute wait times and turning its weekly quests into account-wide dailies
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/world-of-warcraft-the-war-within-s-pre-patch-event-has-been-fixed-removing-90-minute-wait-times-and-turning-its-weekly-quests-into-account-wide-dailies/
World of Warcraft: The War Within looks very promising—but its pre-patch event hasn't exactly come roaring out the gate.
To summarise the issues: rewards were slim, with precious little to do in between big boss events that were over very quickly—which wasn't great, since they only popped once every 90 minutes, with an arbitrarily-lowered timer as the pre-patch event proceeded apace.
After some community outcry, Blizzard has, it seems, fixed basically every problem the players had in short order, as per an announcement on the game's forums via community manager Kaivax: "We’ve been working to address two main concerns: the wait time for the event, and the rate at which you can earn rewards."

Paradox indefinitely delays Prison Architect 2, just like it did with Life By You before it was scrapped
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/paradox-indefinitely-delays-prison-architect-2-just-like-it-did-with-life-by-you-before-it-was-scrapped/
Prison Architect 2 is delayed yet again, but this time, it could be for good. We've seen the upcoming management game delayed before—due to "new technical challenges" that warranted developers spending more time on stability testing. However, this time, the issue's  more pronounced. 
"Our continuous internal reviews and beta test groups have highlighted areas that we need to focus on more, mainly performance and content, which we need to address before launch to ensure that you, the players, get a good experience in the game," the Prison Architect 2 team says in a blog post. "We need to raise the quality a bit more to meet the standards we'd like to achieve with this sequel."
However, Paradox has also confirmed that it cannot "commit to a new release date" as it looks like the publisher and developer Kokku is going back to the drawing board for the time being: "Over the next few months, we will focus on improving the game and building a more robust release timeline. This also means we will be limiting our communication with you all until we have a timeline we feel comfortable with."
>> It’s Paradox. They’re probably trying to find out how much content needs the game at launch while leaving enough stuff out to sell later in dozens of DLCs.

And now it’s time to check the weekend deals at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• There are 9 Limited Time Offers that will last until Monday:
  • Cats Love Boxes is 30% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/cats_love_boxes
  • Wavetale gets a 75% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/wavetale
  • Sea Dogs: City of Abandoned Ships is 80% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/sea_dogs_city_of_abandoned_ships
  • Starpoint Gemini 3 also has an 80% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/starpoint_gemini_3
  • The GOG RTS Bundle, with 2 games, has an 83% discount. Be warned, there are only 1000 units of this bundle: https://www.gog.com/en/game/gog_rts_bundle
  • Sword of Aragon is 85% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/sword_of_aragon
  • The GOG-Opera GX Platformer Bundle consists of three games, gets an 85% discount and has only has 1000 units for sale: https://www.gog.com/en/game/gogopera_gx_platformer_bundle
  • Ground Control Anthology is 90% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/ground_control_expansion
  • The last LTO is GOG Adventure&Puzzle Bundle is 91% off, has three games and, like the other two bundles, only 1000 units for sale: https://www.gog.com/en/game/gog_rts_bundle
• And there’s also a Shooter Promo, with up to 95% discounts during 10 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240802_shooter_sale

+Steam

• Enshrouded, still in Early Access, will be 20% off until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1203620/Enshrouded/
• Myth of Empires will be free to try during the weekend and 50% off until August 8: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1371580/Myth_of_Empires/
• Sun Haven gets a 50% discount until the 8th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1432860/Sun_Haven/
• Operation: Tango gets a 55% discount until the 8th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1335790/Operation_Tango/
• The Early Access title Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is going to be 25% off until August, the 13th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321470/Deep_Rock_Galactic_Survivor/
• STASIS: BONE TOTEM will be half its price until the 15th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1426010/STASIS_BONE_TOTEM/
• And Publisher THQ Nordic puts its games on sale with up to 90% discounts until the 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/THQNordicPublisherSale2024

And that’s it. Until the next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

They're likely to be fine. But, if you can, it wouldn't hurt to update the BIOS of the motherboards of those two PCs with the latest one that brings Intel's default settings, just in case, and then do it again with the new microcode is available.