Or Yakuza lmao. BOTW I had to play in Japanese too because the English voice acting upset me.

Yeah, Zelda's VA in BotW/TotK is atrocious.

The Thursday news, with more articles from Gamescom :

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Thousands of Sims fans are flocking to the limited time demo for Inzoi Character Studio to make effortlessly gorgeous Zois
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/thousands-of-sims-fans-are-flocking-to-the-limited-time-demo-for-inzoi-character-studio-to-make-effortlessly-gorgeous-zois/
Upcoming life sim Inzoi launched a demo for its Inzoi Character Studio last night and, surprising no one, Sims fans who've been starved for any kind of alternative to the series that's been uncontested in the space for decades are flocking to it—to the tune of 18,000 concurrent players and rising. Not just for a change of pace either, because Inzoi really is gorgeous.
You can download the Inzoi Character Studio on Steam right now and its demo runs until 9 pm Pacific this Sunday, August 25. Apparently lots of you stayed up later than I did last night to jump in and try it out right at launch because the creations are coming in fast. (Update: I now have some Inzoi Character Studio tips to help you find all its editing options.)

This week, the Epic Store gives away two games:

• Gigantic: Rampage Edition: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/gigantic-rampage-edition-03f532
• The Callisto Protocol: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-callisto-protocol

Next week, they’ll give away Fallout® Classic Collection and Wild Card Football.

Steam has three new deals:

• Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord will be 25% off until the 28th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2518960/Wizardry_Proving_Grounds_of_the_Mad_Overlord/
• Punch Club 2: Fast Forward has a demo and a 50% discount until the same August 28: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1161590/Punch_Club_2_Fast_Forward/
• And publisher ASH Games puts its games on sale with up to 80% deals until … well, I’ve counted three different days so let’s say between August 31 and September 4, more or less: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/ASHGAMES/sale/ashgamespublishersale2024

Humble Bundle presents the Resident Evil: Decades of Horror Bundle, with up to 11 games to get (aka all the single-player ones sans Code Veronica) during 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/resident-evil-decades-horror-village-gold.

Fanatical is back to usual business and that means that there’s a new Star Deal: Havendock will be 55% off during 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/havendock.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This Final Fantasy 16 Mod removes the 30fps lock from cut-scenes
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-final-fantasy-16-mod-removes-the-30fps-lock-from-cut-scenes/
Earlier this week, Square Enix released a PC demo for Final Fantasy 16. However, a lot of PC gamers were disappointed when they found out that its in-engine cut-scenes were locked at 30fps. Well, thanks to a new mod, PC gamers can now enjoy the cut-scenes with an unlocked framerate.
All you have to do is download the mod from this link. Once downloaded, you’ll have to unzip it in the game’s folder. And that will be enough.
I went ahead and tried it, and I can confirm that the mod works. With the mod, all the in-engine cut-scenes are unlocked and run smoothly. Well, that is if you have a high-end GPU.
What’s also interesting is what happens with the pre-rendered cut-scenes. These cut-scenes are at 30fps but they run in a 70-80fps container. What this means is that they no longer stutter. Without the mod, the cut-scenes had stutters and they were painful to watch. Well, not anymore.
And that’s not all. This mod adds an option to adjust gameplay FOV. By using it, you will be able to get a wider FOV. Moreover, the mod fixes some HUD scaling issues, and removes pillarboxing/letterboxing.
In short, this is a must-have mod for FF XVI. Right now, the mod only works with the demo version. However, I’m certain that its creator will add support to the final game once it comes out.
>> The article has no videos or screenshots.

GAMING NEWS

Bioware has detailed the Ray Tracing effects for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and has shared even more PC tech details
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bioware-has-detailed-the-ray-tracing-effects-for-dragon-age-the-veilguard-and-has-shared-even-more-pc-tech-details/
As we informed you yesterday, Dragon Age: The Veilguard will support Ray Tracing on PC. At that time, we didn’t know how BioWare would be using RT. Thankfully, though, we now have more PC tech details about this new Dragon Age game.
>> They claim they spent more than 200,000 hours testing to game. We’ll see how well it runs.

Rebellion’s Atomfall is coming to PC in March 2025 and it will have Denuvo
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rebellions-atomfall-is-coming-to-pc-in-march-2025-and-it-will-have-denuvo/
Rebellion has announced that its new first-person survival-action game, Atomfall, will be coming to PC in March 2025. The game will be available on both EGS and Steam, and below you can find a new trailer for it.

Here are 27 minutes of gameplay from Dune: Awakening
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-27-minutes-of-gameplay-from-dune-awakening/
Funcom has released a new video for Dune: Awakening, featuring 27 minutes of brand new gameplay footage from it. In this video, we get to see the game’s Character Creator. We also get an extended look at the player’s journey from scavenging survivor to powerful spice hunter.

Here are 10 minutes of new gameplay footage from STALKER 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-10-minutes-of-new-gameplay-footage-from-stalker-2/
At Gamescom 2024, GSC GameWorld had a playable demo for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. So below, you can find 10 minutes of new gameplay footage from it. This video shows off a never-before-seen area at night. As such, I highly recommend watching it.

Unreal Engine 5-powered horror adventure, Retrieval, looks glorious in its latest trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/unreal-engine-5-powered-horror-adventure-retrieval-looks-glorious-in-its-latest-trailer/
333 Studios has released the Gamescom 2024 trailer for its upcoming horror adventure game, Retrieval. This trailer features mostly in-engine cut-scenes, and some snippets of gameplay footage. And, as you will see, it looks glorious.

Gamescom 2024 trailers for Soulframe, SPINE, Exoborne, Greedfall 2, The Spirit of the Samurai and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/gamescom-2024-trailers-for-soulframe-spine-exoborne-greedfall-2-the-spirit-of-the-samurai-and-more/
A lot of game trailers were presented at the Future Game Show Gamescom 2024 and Level Infinite. As such, I’ve decided to collect almost all of them and share them in one big article. So, get ready to get ready for a huge number of trailers below.
>> There are 16 videos in the article.

Silent Hill-inspired psychological horror adventure, Post Trauma, is coming to PC on October 29th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/silent-hill-inspired-psychological-horror-adventure-post-trauma-is-coming-to-pc-on-october-29th/
Raw Fury has announced that its Silent Hill-inspired psychological horror adventure, Post Trauma, will be coming to PC on October 29th. To celebrate this announcement, the team has shared a new trailer that you can find below.

Phantom Blade Zero gets a Gamescom 2024 trailer and an 8-minute gameplay video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/phantom-blade-zero-gets-a-gamescom-2024-trailer-and-an-8-minute-gameplay-video/
S-Game has shared the official Gamescom 2024 trailer for Phantom Blade Zero. Moreover, Gamespot shared a video, showcasing 8 minutes of gameplay from its Gamescom 2024 demo. So, let’s take a look at them.

24 minutes of gameplay from the Resident Evil-inspired survival horror game with fixed camera angles, Tormented Souls 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/24-minutes-of-gameplay-from-the-resident-evil-inspired-survival-horror-game-with-fixed-camera-angles-tormented-souls-2/
PQube and Dual Effect have unveiled 24 minutes of gameplay for their upcoming survival horror game, Tormented Souls 2. Tormented Souls 2 will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, and is inspired by the classic Resident Evil games. Moreover, it will have fixed camera angles.

Electronic Arts has removed Denuvo from Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/electronic-arts-has-removed-denuvo-from-tales-of-kenzera-zau/
Electronic Arts has pushed a new update for Tales of Kenzera: ZAU that removed the Denuvo anti-tamper tech from it. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU came out on PC in April 2024. In other words, it took four months for the publisher to remove it. GG EA.

Thursday news, part two:

Civilization 7's new narrator is Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/civilization-7-s-new-narrator-is-game-of-thrones-star-gwendoline-christie/
A new Civilization game means a new Civilization narrator, and for the upcoming Civ 7 the task will fall to Gwendoline Christie, best known for her portrayal of Brienne of Tarth in HBO's Game of Thrones series.

Fashion hunters rejoice as Monster Hunter Wilds ditches gendered armor: Capcom confirms 'all characters can wear any gear'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/fashion-hunters-rejoice-as-monster-hunter-wilds-ditches-gendered-armor-capcom-confirms-all-characters-can-wear-any-gear/
The current top post on the Monster Hunter subreddit, with nearly 4,000 upvotes, is simply titled WE DEFEATED GENDER completely bereft of any context. Thankfully just below it is the news that Monster Hunter players have been waiting to hear for years: for the first time in Wilds, armor designs will no longer be locked between male and female characters.

Riddlemaster Randy Pitchford says the Borderlands 4 teaser contains 'several secrets'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/riddlemaster-randy-pitchford-says-the-borderlands-4-teaser-contains-several-secrets/
The Borderlands 4 teaser at Gamescom's Opening Night Live was many things: a confirmation for a rumored sequel, a reveal unfortunately forced to follow in the immediate wake of the franchise's box-office fumble, and according to Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, a devious brain-tickler.
>> Did you catch one? I don’t… mainly because I haven’t watched it.

Journey to the Savage Planet developer says Google only wanted 'monstrous' games with major licenses for Stadia: 'They were very strange'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/journey-to-the-savage-planet-developer-says-google-only-wanted-monstrous-games-with-major-licenses-for-stadia-they-were-very-strange/
There have been few more spectacular flameouts in the videogame industry than that of Stadia. After a promise-the-world buildup that included the hiring of industry luminaries Phil Harrison and Jade Raymond, the whole thing fell apart just three years after it went live, leaving owners with nothing but a Bluetooth controller and some cautionary memories.
The cause of the shutdown has been widely attributed to a lack of big-name content that prevented Stadia from claiming a meaningful share of the market, but in a new interview with Eurogamer, Raccoon Logic co-founder and creative director Alex Hutchinson put a somewhat finer point on it: Google really didn't know what it was getting itself into.

The creators of Blasphemous are making a real-time tactics game about escaping from a haunted Spanish monastery
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/the-creators-of-blasphemous-are-making-a-real-time-tactics-game-about-escaping-from-a-haunted-spanish-monastery/
Blasphemous creator The Game Kitchen revealed a brand new title at last night's Future Game Show, and while it's a very different beast from the studio's challenging 2D soulslikes, it does carry over the team's fascination with Catholic imagery and doctrine. The Stone of Madness is a real-time tactics game in the vein of Shadow Tactics and Desperados 3, but set in a haunted 18th Century Jesuit monastery which you must escape from before your ragtag team of talented prisoners all go insane.

Concord dev reflects on the last 8 years of development, 'We don't get a lot of launch days in our careers'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/concord-dev-reflects-on-the-last-8-years-of-development-we-dont-get-a-lot-of-launch-days-in-our-careers/
We've been waiting for Concord's release for some time now, but apparently not as long as the Concord devs, as lead character designer Jon Weisnewski reveals that the hero shooter had been in development for "around eight years" and that he's been around for five of them. 

Final Fantasy 16 PC system requirements are here and surprisingly light for one of the PS5's best-looking games
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/final-fantasy-16-pc-system-requirements-are-here-and-surprisingly-light-for-one-of-the-ps5s-best-looking-games/
If the thought of fighting a big demon as an ever-burning phoenix, taking on hordes of enemies to an orchestral soundtrack, and riding on a big chicken (I guess) appeals to you, the Final Fantasy 16 PC system requirements are finally here. Though a very modest machine should be able to run it, you might struggle with that huge 170 GB storage size.

Bohemia Interactive reveals a Minecraft competitor and a horse-themed comedy platformer, but remains silent on the status of Arma 4
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/bohemia-interactive-reveals-a-minecraft-competitor-and-a-horse-themed-comedy-platformer-but-remains-silent-on-the-status-of-arma-4/
Sometimes you wait forever for a bus, and then two completely different modes of transport come along at once. Such is the case with Bohemia Interactive, whose long awaited Arma 4 is still in the reforging stage of its development. In the meantime, Bohemia has announced that it's publishing two very different games at this year's Gamescom, one that's all about airships, and another that involves a weird horse.

Silent Hill 2 remake lead drops cryptic easter egg hints, says finding all the hidden goodies 'Will take you more than 20 hours for sure'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/silent-hill-2-remake-lead-drops-cryptic-easter-egg-hints-says-finding-all-the-hidden-goodies-will-take-you-more-than-20-hours-for-sure/
Initially, fans of Silent Hill 2 (myself included) were pretty apprehensive about Blooper Team's upcoming remake. But after a wave of positive previews, players are now itching to see what all the fuss is about and hopefully find at least a couple of the easter eggs that are apparently lying in wait for us. 
In a Twitter post confirming that the playthrough length will clock in at around 16-18 hours, creative director and lead designer Mateusz Lenart also hinted at some easter eggs which will take players a bit longer to find. 

A literal rocket scientist quit her job to make this cozy city builder full of adorable gourd people
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/an-aerospace-engineer-quit-her-job-to-make-this-cozy-city-builder-full-of-adorable-gourd-people/
Chill building games are having a bit of a moment right now and the cozy game enjoyers are eating good. With that Tiny Glade release date looming next month, I'm so glad that I didn't get swept away and miss out on the adorable pastel city builder Gourdlets. Folks, you can decorate the inside of the buildings. I'm going to be stuck in this game forever. It's so much more detailed than I remember from the demo I tried last year, which makes total sense now that I know a rocket scientist quit her job to make it.

Thank you. PCGamer also updated its article with the new info.

You mean, they sedated him so he couldn't get high with power for being at a conference and starting promising sh*t?

jk

If the game ends up being good and fun, great news for all of us, but with him one can't help but being cautious, and seeing how the article has that hype tone in it was like one of those "here we go again" moments.

Yay, it’s Friday! Let’s go with the last round of news of the week:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Fanatical’s new Star Deal is Dawnsbury Days, 33% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/dawnsbury-days

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Steam just updated its reviews system to show when a user has 'played primarily on Steam Deck'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/steam-just-updated-its-reviews-system-to-show-when-a-user-has-played-primarily-on-steam-deck/
Steam's review system has been updated to show when the reviewer in question has spent most of their time with a game on a Steam Deck, rather than a desktop PC or laptop. Following the change, if a Steam Deck player posts a review of a game on Steam, a little Steam Deck icon will appear in the top right corner of their review.
Valve announced the change via the official Steam Deck Twitter account, stating "We've just shipping a new feature on Steam that shows when a customer review was written by someone who played primarily on Steam Deck. Keep an eye out for the Deck icon to see how those players reviewed the game."
It's a small but sensible change that reflect the growing diversification of how PC gamers play their games. While the change is likely intended to show Deck players whether or not the reviewer had a good time with the game on Valve's handheld, it's also useful context for desktop or laptop PC players. If a Deck player complains about shoddy performance in a review of some graphically intensive game, for example, they know that's likely not to be reflective of their own experience. Likewise if they complain about the controls, or are reviewing a game that isn't Deck Verified.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Bloodborne already runs with over 200fps on PC via shadPS4
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bloodborne-already-runs-with-over-200fps-on-pc-via-shadps4/
Gamescom 2024 is almost over, so it’s time to now focus on what has been happening this week with shadPS4. The team behind this incredible PS4 emulator has been making a lot of progress. And, from the looks of it, Bloodborne can now run with over 200fps on high-end PC systems.
Now as you will see, there are still major visual artifacts and glitches. Still, the game rapidly approaches a playable state. Sort of. Kind of.
Here is what I mean. At first, the game was constantly crashing after going in game. But now, you can even fight a boss. This is simply incredible progress.
So, below you can find three videos. The first video showcases Bloodborne running with an uncapped framerate. By unlocking the framerate, you can get to up to 200fps. And no, I’m not joking here.
Bloodborne was never meant to run at such high framerates. So, as the YouTuber pointed out, there are some speed/animation issues when the framerate goes beyond 120fps. However, for 60fps, everything appears to be working correctly. And that’s the best news in my opinion. Because, when shadPS4 manages to resolve all the visual issues, PC gamers will be able to enjoy the game at 60fps.
The second video shows off the game on different GPUs. This will give you an idea of how the game runs on weaker GPUs. And finally, the third video shows off the Cleric Beast Boss Battle.

Black Myth: Wukong Mods let you disable the oversharpening and enable UE5’s Virtual Shadow Maps
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/black-myth-wukong-mods-let-you-disable-the-oversharpening-and-enable-ue5s-virtual-shadow-maps/
A lot of players were disappointed (or should I say annoyed) by the oversharpened image of Black Myth: Wukong. Not only that but as I’ve already said, the game’s non-RT shadows look awful. However, two mods have emerged to address these issues. So, let’s take a look at them.
The first must-have mod is the one that enables UE5’s Virtual Shadowmaps. For whatever reason, Game Science did not use them in the non-RT version. This is why the shadows look awful without Ray Tracing. Thankfully, though, you can significantly improve them with this mod. Do note that this mod will bring an additional performance hit. So, if you already have trouble running the game, you should avoid it. If, on the other hand, you have performance to spare, you can download it from this link. Below you can also find a comparison. The vanilla version is on the left, whereas the modded version is on the right.
The second mod will let you adjust the game’s oversharpening. Moreover, it will allow you to disable chromatic aberration and vignette. Oh, and this mod also removes the 2.3888~ aspect ratio limit. So, if you want a softer image, you can download the mod from this link.
>> The article has some screenshots.

GAMING NEWS

Black State looks unbelievably beautiful in its latest gameplay video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/black-state-looks-unbelievably-beautiful-in-its-latest-gameplay-video/
NVIDIA has shared a video, showcasing 8 minutes of brand new gameplay footage from Black State with Ray Tracing. Black State is powered by Unreal Engine 5, and it will have ray-traced reflections on PC.

7 minutes of leaked gameplay footage from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Multiplayer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/7-minutes-of-leaked-gameplay-footage-from-call-of-duty-black-ops-6-multiplayer/
YouTube’s ‘Sabarblade’ has shared a video, showcasing 7 minutes of gameplay footage from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Multiplayer. This footage is from the PC version, featuring the Protocol Team Deathmatch. So, if you are a COD fan, you should definitely check it out.

Friday news, part two:

Laid-back puzzler Wilmot's Warehouse is getting a sequel, in which Wilmot ditches his job to do jigsaw puzzles at home
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/laid-back-puzzler-wilmots-warehouse-is-getting-a-sequel-in-which-wilmot-ditches-his-job-to-do-jigsaw-puzzles-at-home/
Ultra-chill puzzle game Wilmot's Warehouse is getting an even more laid-back sequel in which titular character Wilmot ditches work to spend time at home doing jigsaw puzzles.
Wilmot's Warehouse garnered a neat little reputation for its relaxing organisation puzzles, in which players stacked objects around a factory floor. While there was a tacit goal of optimising the warehouse to be as efficient as possible, it was very much up to the player how they chose to arrange the space.

Original Fallout co-creator Tim Cain says 'critique of capitalism was never the point' of the games and if anything they're about how 'war is inevitable given basic human nature'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/original-fallout-co-creator-tim-cain-says-critique-of-capitalism-was-never-the-point-of-the-games-and-if-anything-theyre-about-how-war-is-inevitable-given-basic-human-nature/
What's Fallout about? War? Nukes? Consumerism? Imperialism? How easy it is to misplace close relatives? All of the above? It's a debate that's raged for decades, and no wonder: Fallout is a pretty rich text as videogame series go, and there's all sorts of messages you can read into the likes of FO1, 2 and New Vegas. 14 years later, you can still click into any forum on the internet and find people arguing about which ending is best for the Mojave in NV (it's Yes Man).
But here's what it's not about, or at least what it's not inherently about: Anti-capitalism. That's according to Tim Cain, one of the series' original co-creators over on his YouTube channel. More specifically, Cain spoke about it in the comments of one of his recent uploads—a video prosaically titled "Capitalism"—in response to a fan asking about Cain's view on Fallout "as a critique on capitalist/corporative greed."

'It's very important for us to get this right': Songs of Conquest devs ask players what they think the upcoming DLC should cost
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/its-very-important-for-us-to-get-this-right-songs-of-conquest-devs-ask-players-what-they-think-the-upcoming-dlc-should-cost/
Rise Eternal is an upcoming "story-focused" DLC for Songs of Conquest, and although we don't have a release date yet, the devs are discussing what the price should be, giving players a chance to have their own say. 

This city builder swaps traffic jams with human sacrifice, because you're the mayor of a huge Cthulhu cult
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/this-city-builder-swaps-traffic-jams-with-human-sacrifice-because-youre-the-mayor-of-a-huge-cthulhu-cult/
(...)
Worshippers of Cthulhu is a city builder with a twist, and that twist is the mass of 100-foot-long tentacles writhing around in a pit in the middle of town. You're not just the mayor and city planner, you're the leader of a cult attempting to awaken the Old One who, apparently, needs a well-organized and maintained city before he'll bother making an appearance.

'People are pro crabs': WoW's artists tested leg angles and other features before choosing crabs for its new arachnophobia mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/the-leg-angles-matter-in-wow-s-new-arachnophobia-mode-that-turns-every-spider-into-a-crab/
When World of Warcraft developers were working on the new spider-themed Nerubian race for their new The War Within expansion, they brought in an arachnophobia expert to tell them what, exactly, makes spiders scary to some people.
The result is the expansion's new arachnophobia mode, which turns almost all spiders into crabs at a click of a player's mouse. Players who ponied up for the game’s Epic Edition pre-order will get a chance to dive into the new WoW expansion for the first time today during early access and see the new mode for themselves.

World of Warcraft director Ion Hazzikostas says the Worldsoul Saga is letting Blizzard give its villains some much-needed character: 'Dragons are really cool, but it's hard to grasp the motivations of a being the size of a city'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/world-of-warcraft-director-ion-hazzikostas-says-the-worldsoul-saga-is-letting-blizzard-give-its-villains-some-much-needed-character-dragons-are-really-cool-but-its-hard-to-grasp-the-motivations-of-a-being-the-size-of-a-city/
World of Warcraft is entering a new era. "Even though we're entering our 20th year, it's a time when new and returning players can get in on the ground floor of a story," Ion Hazzikostas, game director for World of Warcraft, said in an interview at Gamescom with PC Gamer's Harvey Randall. The Worldsoul Saga, the three-expansion arc beginning with the imminent release of The War Within, is giving Blizzard a chance to sculpt WoW's story with a broader scope. And according to Hazzikostas, no character better embodies the new age of Warcraft storytelling than Xal'atath, WoW's latest archvillain.
>> And the VP says that they should have listened players more.

Despite being one of the biggest Unreal Engine 5 games ever, Stalker 2's locations are almost entirely hand-crafted: 'It took a lot of time, took a lot of effort, but we're happy with the result'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/despite-being-one-of-the-biggest-unreal-engine-5-games-ever-stalker-2-s-locations-are-almost-entirely-hand-crafted-it-took-a-lot-of-time-took-a-lot-of-effort-but-we-re-happy-with-the-result/
Stalker 2 is set to be a big game: The official FAQ says the game map is more than 60 square kilometers in size, making it "one of the biggest open worlds in videogames to date." Despite that size, Stalker 2 technical producer Evgeniy Kulik told PC Gamer that the studio is not relying on procedural generation to bring it to life: Every location in the game is made "by hand."

You can tell the new Heroes of Might and Magic game is meant to be a throwback to when the series was good because they're not insisting we call it Might and Magic: Heroes this time
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/you-can-tell-the-new-heroes-of-might-and-magic-game-is-meant-to-be-a-throwback-to-when-the-series-was-good-because-theyre-not-insisting-we-call-it-might-and-magic-heroes-this-time/
Beloved turn-based strategy series Heroes of Might and Magic suffered a renaming six games in, with the last two entries known officially as Might and Magic: Heroes 6 and 7 just to mess with the order of your library. Publishers Ubisoft have relented though, and gone back to the HoMM naming convention for the next in the series, the recently announced prequel Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era.
It's being developed by Unfrozen, the studio behind Iratus: Lord of the Dead. That game demonstrated their ability to recreate Darkest Dungeon with a twist, so the studio seems like a decent choice for recreating HoMM 3, which is what Olden Era is most reminiscent of at first glance.

Asked about SAG-AFTRA's strike for better AI protections, Amazon Games Boss claims AI 'has nothing to do with taking work away' from actors because 'for games, we don't really have acting'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/asked-about-sag-aftras-strike-for-better-ai-protections-amazon-games-boss-claims-ai-has-nothing-to-do-with-taking-work-away-from-actors-because-for-games-we-dont-really-have-acting/
Amazon Games CEO Christoph Hartmann was interviewed by IGN this week, and he said several interesting things. He revealed that the upcoming Lord of the Rings MMO was "still early" in development, and commented on how "the bar is so high" for doing a new Tomb Raider game. But his most startling statement came on the subject of using generative AI in the games industry, leading him to claim that "for games, we don't really have acting".
>> What a load of Bullsh*t!

Bungie's pre-Halo FPS Classic Marathon Infinity just launched on Steam for free, meaning you can now play the entire Marathon trilogy for the low price of nothing
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/bungies-pre-halo-fps-classic-marathon-infinity-just-launched-on-steam-for-free-meaning-you-can-now-play-the-entire-marathon-trilogy-for-the-low-price-of-nothing/
Old timey FPS Classic Marathon Infinity has just landed on Steam, meaning you can now play all three Classic Marathon games via Valve's distribution service for free.

GOG doesn’t seem to have new deals, leaving us with just Steam:

+Steam

• HELLCARD will be free to try during the weekend and 40% off until the 29th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1201540/HELLCARD/
• The Early Access tittle SCUM and all its DLCs are on sale with up to 61% discounts until the same August 29: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/SCUMSale2024
• NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER gets a 75% deal until August, the 29th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/633230/NARUTO_TO_BORUTO_SHINOBI_STRIKER/
• Diablo IV is free to try during 4 days and it’s also 40% off until the 2nd of September: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2344520/Diablo_IV/
• Desynced, still in Early Access, gets a 25% discount until the 5th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1450900/Desynced_Autonomous_Colony_Simulator/
• Laika: Aged Through Blood has a demo and a 35% deal until September 5: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1796220/Laika_Aged_Through_Blood/
• Robin Hood - Sherwood Builders is going to be 40% off until September, the 5th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1159420/Robin_Hood__Sherwood_Builders/
• Skull and Bones gets a 60% discount until the 5th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2853730/Skull_and_Bones/
• And Publisher Fireshine Games has a page so you can see it’s upcoming games, but also has one game on sale, Core Keeper, with a 20% deal until the 5th (and it’s also free to try during the weekend): https://store.steampowered.com/developer/FireshineGames/sale/fireshinegamescom2024

That's it, those were all the news. Until the next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

Steam hit 37 mil users according to a thread I saw on ERA.

Here's a classic btw

Wukong surely helped Steam achieve that. I'm sure a lot of new Chinese users joined to play the game.

And yeah, some outlets made articles about Pitchford and his big mouth. Some people should think twice before opening their mouths, and he's clearly one of them.