The second part of the Thursday gaming news:

Thief gets a mini-remaster ahead of its actual Nightdive remaster, courtesy of the GOG Preservation Program
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/thief-gets-a-mini-remaster-ahead-of-its-actual-nightdive-remaster-courtesy-of-the-gog-preservation-program/
Exciting news: it is officially Garrett summer. Just recently, Nightdive announced it's been cooking a Thief remaster at the PC Gaming Show, bringing modern resolutions, controller support, and myriad other modcons to the venerable 1998 stealth game. But if that's not enough for you—or you just believe the sacred brooks no improvement—the original game is getting some love too: GOG is inducting Thief Gold into its Preservation Program.

Another Spiderweb RPG that looks like it was made in 1993 drops on Kickstarter and immediately crushes its goal
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/another-spiderweb-rpg-that-looks-like-it-was-made-in-1993-drops-on-kickstarter-and-immediately-crushes-its-goal/
"Spiderweb Software's latest crappy-looking RPG is now live," I wrote about Queen's Wish: The Conqueror back in 2019. Rude? No, it was entirely affectionate: Spiderweb, a husband-and-wife team of Jeff Vogel and Mariann Krizsan, makes games that look like they come from the Gold Box era but have depth and flexibility that make most modern games green with envy. They're old fashioned, but also really good RPGs.
Which brings us to the point: Spiderweb is remaking its 2005 release Geneforge 3, as Geneforge 3: Detonation, and its Kickstarter campaign has crushed its goal in just 24 hours.

A year after its debut, Blizzard is done adding new heroes and maps to Overwatch's MOBA-inspired Stadium mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/a-year-after-its-debut-blizzard-is-done-adding-new-heroes-and-maps-to-overwatchs-moba-inspired-stadium-mode/
Despite the surge in Overwatch players since Blizzard's decision to drop the 2 and take the hero shooter in a new direction earlier this year, the noise around its MOBA-inspired Stadium mode has died down. And so has its popularity, which has prompted a halt in development plans according to a new blog post by game director Aaron Keller.

Two utterly unique and long lost '90s PC horror classics have been exhumed, and they're coming to Steam soon
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/two-utterly-unique-and-long-lost-90s-pc-horror-classics-have-been-exhumed-and-theyre-coming-to-steam-soon/
If you so much as flicked through a PC gaming magazine in the mid '90s, you'll probably recognise the name Ecstatica. Created by Londoner Andrew Spencer and published by Psygnosis, the series spawned two instalments: the first released in 1994 and is a medieval-themed survival horror. The second arrived in 1997, and while it's very distinctly an Ecstatica game by dint of its art style, it dialed back the horror elements quite a bit.
(… a bit of talk about how the games used ellipsoids instead of polygons...)
I'm sure it's easy to find Ecstatica and its sequel online, but they've not been commercially available for decades. That's about to change: they're among a new round of SNEG reissues, which also includes the 2001 Dungeons & Dragons RPG Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor, 1997 3D action game Dark Earth, 2001 turn-based strategy Warlords 4, and 1998 military tactics sim Soldiers at War.
(...)
Ecstatica and Ecstatica 2 will come to Steam and GOG later this year. For more, check out Richard Cobbett on the original Ecstatica.
>> All the links to the games take you to Steam. You’ll have to find the GOG links by yourself.

Report contradicts Microsoft's statements that id Software hasn't been shoved onto Unreal from id Tech: 'It's most likely going to end up in the trash can'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/report-contradicts-microsofts-statements-that-id-software-hasnt-been-shoved-onto-unreal-from-id-tech-its-most-likely-going-to-end-up-in-the-in-the-trash-can/
One of the major victims of Xbox's "reset" is id Software, which suffered a whopping 136 layoffs—a move one artist likened to reducing it to a "support studio". This is a line that Microsoft itself has tried to counter, both via official studio channels and a statement given to Windows Central last week. More on that in a moment.
(...)
Windows Central spoke to Microsoft about that concern, and the site was told "There are dozens of people working on id Tech across multiple locations. Reports that there’s only one person left in Texas are inaccurate."
But now, a comprehensive Game Developer report, speaking to an id Software worker who was laid off, seems to contradict that statement: "They've just gotten rid of all the people who could ever fix, maintain, or change [id Tech], so it's most likely going to end up in the trash can. That's where I just come back to: It completely feels like success is detached from your ability to keep a job, and I think that's basically provable."
>> I won’t be surprised if they were to kill the engine, but it would be a damn shame. By the way, the report from Game Developer is worth reading as it tales that the job cuts were done in a chaotic way.

Marvel Rivals is making some big visual changes to 'cut down on battlefield chaos' which is wonderful because my old brain can't handle that level of overstimulation
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/marvel-rivals-is-making-some-big-visual-changes-to-cut-down-on-battlefield-chaos-which-is-wonderful-because-my-old-brain-cant-handle-that-level-of-overstimulation/
I do not possess the required amount of brain cells to digest and discern whatever happens in a Marvel Rivals team fight. I've tried, but anytime I get caught up in the middle while waves of crowd control abilities, ultimates, and everything in between are thrown at me, my brain just turns off. Which is why I'm happy to hear NetEase is trying to dial it all down.
As part of its latest patch NetEase has included some fixes and optimisations which include softening the blinding glow of its hero abilities: "We've dialled back the visual effects for a lineup of heroes to cut down on battlefield chaos and keep your superhero clashes crisp and clear."

Desktop Explorer is a mystery/horror game about the last time when computers were good
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/desktop-explorer-is-a-mystery-horror-game-about-the-last-time-when-computers-were-good/
We are, as a people, awash in old operating system simulators. The Roottrees Are Dead, Hack '95, Pipes.exe—something deep inside us yearns for the old ways. We remember, hazily, as though glimpsed through fog, a time when booting up the PC yielded an ethereal Brian Eno startup noise and a world of possibility, rather than an Office 365 upsell and exciting new AI features*.
We are also all getting old, yes. That might have something to do with it too.
The latest entry into the crowded fake OS genre is Desktop Explorer, a mystery/horror game that tasks you with poking through the clearly-but-not-explicitly Windows 95 machine that's been left to you by your uncle. Unc's mind has gone to pieces and his computer is filled with mysteries—ever-deepening puzzles that task you with assembling clues, piecing together events, and using an expanding suite of era-appropriate software to figure just what the heck your uncle was mixed up in, and to find the passwords to locked files that peel back layer after layer of the game's motivating mystery.

Infinity Ward aims to make MW4 even 'more immersive,' and it's already proving divisive: 'Mouse and keyboard is OFFICIALLY DEAD'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/infinity-ward-aims-to-make-mw4-even-more-immersive-and-its-already-proving-divisive-mouse-and-keyboard-is-officially-dead/
Every year, Call of Duty either tries to reinvent the wheel, or undo the reinvention it tried last time. With the upcoming Modern Warfare 4, it's attempting the latter—Morgan has played MW4 multiplayer at Infinity Ward recently, and he's not convinced it's a leap forward, despite being confident it'll be the best-playing Call of Duty in years.
(...)
In the latest "From the Ward" developer doc, Infinity Ward has laid out its philosophy with MW4. "We talk a lot about making the game more immersive," explains weapon designer Cody Pierson. "The goal for Modern Warfare 4 is to really put the player in the boots of their operator, make it feel like they're really behind their gun."
(...)
Metaphor, a very good Warzone player, highlighted the fact that these changes specifically kneecap PC players more: "Insane visual recoil + gun smoke. Mouse and keyboard is OFFICIALLY DEAD."
>> The headline is quite misleading.

And this is the third and final part of the gaming news:

Poll finds 100% of Japanese online game developers are using AI, though mostly for 'user preference analysis' and 'user behavior prediction'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/poll-finds-100-percent-of-japanese-online-game-developers-are-using-ai-though-mostly-for-user-preference-analysis-and-user-behavior-prediction/

RPG players are conditioned to think they're 'built different', says Josh Sawyer, so some of them hate it when games like Pillars of Eternity tell them they can't do something
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/rpg-players-are-conditioned-to-think-theyre-built-different-says-josh-sawyer-so-some-of-them-hate-it-when-games-like-pillars-of-eternity-tell-them-they-cant-do-something/

Original Witcher dev says remaking it as an open world won't be easy: 'As a player, I might be happy about that, but as a designer, I'm starting to get gray'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-witcher/original-witcher-dev-says-remaking-it-as-an-open-world-wont-be-easy-as-a-player-i-might-be-happy-about-that-but-as-a-designer-im-starting-to-get-gray/

The Washington Post selects Doom as one of the 25 'most influential works of American culture'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/the-washington-post-selects-doom-as-one-of-the-25-most-influential-works-of-american-culture/

The future of the Elder Scrolls Online looks rocky after culling of leadership team
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-future-of-the-elder-scrolls-online-looks-rocky-after-culling-of-leadership-team/

Modern Warfare 4 lead isn't scared of the GTA 6 black hole: 'It’s a little head-to-head, that’s great'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/modern-warfare-4-lead-isnt-scared-of-the-gta-6-black-hole-its-a-little-head-to-head-thats-great/

That's you assumption. We don't know when chinese manufacturers will be able to develop HBM chips, nor how it will affect the production of those memory chips the output of regular ones.

After all, we don't know how long it will take before we reach that point, we also don't know how much would CXMT and others have increased their production capacity nor even if AI will still be in so much demand by then. 

Shortages will end at some point. It's not an assumption or especulation, it's a fact. What we don't know is when it will happen and how long it will be after that for prices to start coming down, much less reach the price that they had before the AI craze started.

Yes, SK Hynix, Micron and Samsung took it very slowly when it comes to increase their production capacity, but they have already announced their plans to invest billions to expand their production capacity. That's not an assumption, it's in the news, just Google it. Are those investments "real"? Will they actually commit to do them? Who knows! Time will tell, but the ones that are actually investing in increasing their production capacity are the chinese ones, which was my whole point since the beginning: once this is over, the memory chips landscape will be different. It will no longer be the big three and then some small ones, there will be four big ones, and one of them won't align too well with the others.

The US will have little to say about this. China will produce their own technology and their rown products, and while the US will very likely ban the use of chips made in China in products sold in the US, they can't ban the use of them in products that will be sold in the rest of the world. Asian countries will have no problem using memory modules from China, as will India, Australia or New Zealand. Heck, Hardware Unboxed tested a kit with CXMT modules a while ago, and I think they bought that kit from an australian retailer, not through AliExpress or some other chinese stores.

And when it comes to Europe, well, we don't have any company doing memory chips so, does it matter where it comes from? I don't see any reason to ban any products that would use them.

Seems like we're mostly in agreement then. (Below)

LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without user consent

https://videocardz.com/newz/lg-monitors-silently-install-software-through-windows-update-without-user-consent

Yikes

NVIDIA RTX 50 SUPER launch on hold over 3GB GDDR7 pricing

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-rtx-50-super-cards-already-at-board-partners-but-launch-is-on-hold-over-3gb-gddr7-pricing

PS5 emulation reaches new milestone as two major projects become community-driven

https://videocardz.com/newz/ps5-emulation-reaches-new-milestone-as-two-major-projects-become-community-driven

Exclusive: Intel Core Ultra 400 “Nova Lake” to feature new branding

https://videocardz.com/newz/exclusive-intel-core-ultra-400-nova-lake-to-feature-new-branding

First GeForce RTX 50 hotspot reports prompt board partner to recommend after-sales service

https://videocardz.com/newz/first-geforce-rtx-50-hotspot-reports-prompt-board-partner-to-recommend-after-sales-service

RPCS3 moves closer to running PS3 games without Sony firmware

https://videocardz.com/newz/rpcs3-moves-closer-to-running-ps3-games-without-sony-firmware

NVIDIA launches Blackwell-based Jetson Thor T3000 and T2000 for robots

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-launches-blackwell-based-jetson-thor-t3000-and-t2000-for-robots

Steam Machine benchmarked with Windows 11, performance stays close to SteamOS

https://videocardz.com/newz/steam-machine-benchmarked-with-windows-11-performance-stays-close-to-steamos

NVIDIA CEO Rips Apart The “Chip Delay” Narrative, Says “Giant Amounts” of Vera Rubin Coming & Unveils Japan’s First AI Factory With 27,500 Rubin GPUs

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-ceo-rips-apart-chip-delay-narrative-says-giant-amounts-of-vera-rubin-coming/

The Friday gaming news!

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

The Humble Store has a ridiculous amount of new sales:

• Assassin’s Creeed Franchise Sale features up to 85% discounts during 6 days. Except for the first one, that’s only available from GOG, all the other keys are for UbiConnect: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/assassins-creed-franchise-sale/
• Total War Fracnhise Sale has games up to 85% off during 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/total-war-franchise-sale/
• Goblinz Studio Spotlight Sale puts its games on sale with up to 85% discounts during 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/goblinz-spotlight/
• Hooded Horse Spotlight Sale has games up to 90% off and will also last 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/hooded-horse-spotlight/
• Tacti-Cool Savings Sale has games up to 90% off and will last 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/tacticool-savings/
• Square Enix Summer Sale has up to 90% discounts. This Sale will last 13 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/square-enix-summer-sale-2026/

Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition , with a 70% discount during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/age-of-empires-ii-definitive-edition
• The Premiere Bundle has 6 games and will be 75% off during 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/premiere-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Shader Injector Mod 2.0 Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/final-fantasy-7-rebirth-shader-injector-mod-2-0-released/
And the time has finally come. Modder ‘dddd5’ has just released Shader Injector Mod 2.0 for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This mod will significantly overhaul the game’s graphics. So, let’s dive in.
Shader Injector V2.0 includes more advanced lighting shaders, bringing better shading throughout the game. The new version also improves screen-space reflections with better coverage and support for rough and glossy surfaces. In addition, it features experimental support for Screen-Space Global Illumination (SSGI) and ambient occlusion (AO). These effects will improve light bounce and shading, helping scenes look more natural and realistic.
Another new feature is a work-in-progress ocean shader. This shader adds stronger wave detail, underwater light patterns, chromatic dispersion, depth blur, and better screen-space and fallback reflections. Together, these changes make the ocean look more realistic. The new shader will work on most of the ocean in the game. However, the game uses many different water shaders, so some water surfaces will not use it at launch. The modder plans to add support for more water types in future updates. The current water effects are also still being tuned and will be refined before release.
Finally, Shader Injector 2.0 ships with a modified post-process shader. This will allow players to adjust brightness/contrast/color, various tonemaps, and an experimental automatic exposure. So, players can experiment with them to make the game look the way they want.
>> The article has two videos, with one being an installation guide.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City New Legacy Adds 25 Original Story Missions
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/grand-theft-auto-vice-city-new-legacy-adds-25-original-story-missions/
Modder ‘Rohansrinivasan123’ has released the New Legacy Mission Pack for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. This mod adds 25 original story missions to the game. And, since this mission pack adds new free content to the game, I recommend giving it a go.
Going into more details, New Legacy expands the original game with 25 brand-new story missions. Built using Sanny Builder and CLEO, this project delivers fresh gameplay while staying true to the classic Vice City experience.
Players will take part in intense shootouts, daring heists, high-speed chases, and raids on gang hideouts. They will also protect allies and complete action-packed missions across the city.
Each mission has its own goals, characters, locations, and cinematic moments. This helps every mission feel fresh and different. Furthermore, we get custom cutscenes and mission briefings.
Whether you are returning to Vice City after many years or playing it for the first time, New Legacy adds hours of new content while keeping the original story intact.
You can go ahead and download the mod from this link. Sadly, though, I could not find a trailer or a gameplay video for it.

GAMING NEWS

Battlefield 6 Title Update 1.4.1.0 – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/battlefield-6-title-update-1-4-1-0-full-patch-notes/
DICE has announced that Title Update 1.4.1.0 for Battlefield 6 will be released on July 21st and has shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new patch brings to the table.

Brand New Gameplay Trailer for FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/brand-new-gameplay-trailer-for-final-fantasy-resonance/
Square Enix has released a new gameplay trailer for its upcoming 2D-HD FINAL FANTASY game, FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE. This trailer packs almost 3 minutes of gameplay footage, so if you’ve been looking forward to it, you should definitely check it out.

Virtua Fighter Crossroads Gets Official VS Battle Gameplay Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/virtua-fighter-crossroads-gets-official-vs-battle-gameplay-trailer/
SEGA has released the official VS Battle gameplay trailer for its upcoming VF game, Virtua Fighter Crossroads. This trailer focuses on the VS Battle mode, which is our traditional arcade mode where two players fight each other.

The second part of the gaming news:

Arc Raiders is fixing a bug that would sign players up to be shipped off to the apocalyptic wasteland without telling them
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-is-fixing-a-bug-that-would-sign-players-up-to-be-shipped-off-to-the-apocalyptic-wasteland-without-telling-them/
Clearing your raider for Expedition is a pretty big deal in Arc Raiders. It involves tons of prep and a dedication that you're willing to start the next season with a fresh character and stash (alongside some perks that the Expedition offers your new avatar). It's not something that everyone is willing or able to do, which is why this latest bug left players in such disarray.
(...)
Thankfully Embark is intervening now, before anyone's exiled Topside. "We want to err on the side of caution," Embark explains in a message to players via social media. "We will revert the Departure sign-up for players whose sign-up behaviour appears representative of this issue. This may be done in several waves, starting tomorrow, Friday, July 17, 2026 5:00 PM."

Saber's new business boss says the KOTOR remake will 'hopefully' be out in 2028
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/sabers-new-business-boss-says-the-kotor-remake-will-hopefully-be-out-in-2028/
We got our yearly 'KOTOR remake is still alive' assurance back in March, but they must be making some real progress over there at Saber Interactive because here's a fresh one: Newly-minted chief business officer Steve Allison said in a recent post that "hopefully" the long-overdue remake will be out in, uhh, 2028.

Closed game studio returns to un-live service its game with community servers before shutdown: 'We don't believe Deceive Inc. should quietly disappear'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/closed-game-studio-returns-to-un-live-service-its-game-with-community-servers-before-shutdown-we-dont-believe-deceive-inc-should-quietly-disappear/
In a rare reversal of live service demise, a beloved but "dead" live service FPS will not shut down, but instead receive custom server support that ensures it'll be playable forever. Long live Deceive Inc.

After 13 years, Path of Exile's devs are finally ready to ditch one of its most iconic and frustrating mechanics
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/after-13-years-path-of-exiles-devs-are-finally-ready-to-ditch-one-of-its-most-iconic-and-frustrating-mechanics/
If you've ever seen Path of Exile you probably noticed that all its gear has red, green, and blue circular sockets on them. Those sockets are the basis of its character build customization: You don't learn skills in PoE, you pick up skill gems and insert them into your gear. Skill gems–and multi-colored sockets—have been core to PoE ever since it was released.
(...)
In PoE's next expansion, Curse of the Allflame, socket colors, a system that has been synonymous with the action RPG for the last 13 years, will be removed. Most items will have gray sockets that will work with any skill gem you find, saving you the busywork of having to swap the colors around until they're just right.

Marathon's 'experimental' PvE mode will only be playable for 2 weeks when it goes live in July, full rollout expected to happen sometime in Season 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/marathons-experimental-pve-mode-will-only-be-playable-for-2-weeks-when-it-goes-live-in-july-full-rollout-expected-to-happen-sometime-in-season-3/
I was pretty excited when I read about Marathon's Vault Breaker PvE mode in June: I like shooting things, and I love the Marathon aesthetic, but the grind of extraction shooters just isn't my thing. In an update released today, ahead of next week's mid-season update, Bungie revealed more about the upcoming "experimental" PvE mode, including that its initial iteration will only be available for two weeks.

The follow-up to one of last year's best detective games is off to an 'overwhelmingly positive' start on Steam after just 2 days
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/the-follow-up-to-one-of-last-years-best-detective-games-is-off-to-an-overwhelmingly-positive-start-on-steam-after-just-2-days/
While I spent much of 2025 obsessed with Blue Prince, PC Gamer's 'best design' GOTY award winner, it wasn't the only killer puzzle game to release near the beginning of last year. The Roottrees are Dead, a game mostly spent sitting at a computer (yours, and also a virtual one) sussing out what happened to a sprawling family. It's not the first game to use that sort of interface to cast you as the sleuth with a dense mystery to solve, but it was enough of a hit to immediately spawn imitators.
Developer Evil Trout, meanwhile, has been working on its own follow-up, and it looks like it's going to be a hit, too. The Incident at Galley House, released on Tuesday, has already pulled in more than 600 Steam reviews with an overwhelmingly positive 97% of them giving it a thumbs up.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse isn't technically connected to the Netflix anime, but its cinematography was inspired by the show
https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/castlevania-belmonts-curse-isnt-technically-connected-to-the-netflix-anime-but-its-cinematography-was-inspired-by-the-show/
When Konami revealed back in February that it's finally making a new Castlevania, the teaser trailer's art and color palette was so reminiscent of the Netflix anime series that it seemed possible the game was actually using the show's designs, or at least had gotten a little love from the folks at Powerhouse Animation. In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Konami confirmed there's no explicit continuity between the show and the new game, but the similarity was certainly intentional.

GTA Online mimics reality by nerfing payouts after making everything cost more: 'Prices go up, paychecks go down'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/gta-online-mimics-reality-by-nerfing-payouts-after-making-everything-cost-more-prices-go-up-paychecks-go-down/
Making money in GTA Online has basically always been a game of whack-a-mole, with players finding the latest and greatest trick, and Rockstar promptly shutting the loophole down. With Grand Theft Auto 6 on the horizon, Rockstar has decided to nerf heists, which were one of the most popular ways to make a good buck in Los Santos.

The blinding muzzle flash in Modern Warfare 4's gameplay premiere was actually a bug
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/the-blinding-muzzle-flash-in-modern-warfare-4s-gameplay-premiere-was-actually-a-bug/
Before Modern Warfare 4's official hands-on gameplay premiere yesterday, Infinity Ward had to clear the air regarding visual recoil. Effectively, it's aware of the concerns it's buck wild, and will be monitoring feedback during the beta before launch. So what I wasn't expecting soon after was to get blinded by a severe case of muzzle flash every trigger pull while watching the new gameplay yesterday.
(...)
After a clip of Skyrroz showcasing it spread around, Infinity Ward once again had to step in to confirm that, no, this isn't intentional. But it sure is a shame that it's marred the first proper hands-on gameplay the community's been privy to.

And here’s the third part of the Friday gaming news:

Grand Theft Auto 6 leaker who was given an indefinite sentence in 2023 because he wouldn't stop hacking is now out of hospital and awaiting retrial
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/grand-theft-auto-6-leaker-who-was-given-an-indefinite-sentence-in-2023-because-he-wouldnt-stop-hacking-is-now-out-of-hospital-and-awaiting-retrial/

I love that Matt Damon once turned down 'a bunch of money' to appear in a Bourne game because they wouldn't make it more like Myst
https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/matt-damon-now-a-fortnite-skin-once-turned-down-a-bunch-of-money-to-appear-in-a-bourne-game-because-they-wouldnt-make-it-more-like-myst/
>> Sure, because a Bourne game in the style of Myst would make any sense at all.

EA vice president of advertising says game ads are a 'huge opportunity', but it 'has to make sense for the game'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/ea-vice-president-of-advertising-says-game-ads-are-a-huge-opportunity-but-it-has-to-make-sense-for-the-game/

And now, the weekend deals at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• Managerial Promo has games up to 90% off and will last 7 days: https://www.gog.com/es/promo/20260717_managerial_promo
• Treasure Chest Promo features games with up to 95% discounts during the next 7 days: https://www.gog.com/es/promo/20260717_treasure_chest_promo

+Steam

• Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist is going to be 50% off until July 23: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1571100/Passpartout_2_The_Lost_Artist/
• Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown gets a 30% discount until the 30th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2643390/Star_Trek_Voyager__Across_the_Unknown/
• Phasmophobia , still in Early Access, will also be 30% off until the 30th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/739630/Phasmophobia/
• FUMES is another Early Access title, has a demo and a 40% discount until the 30th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1920430/FUMES/
• Dealer's Life 2 will be 70% off until the same July 30: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1343670/Dealers_Life_2/
• The Surge will have an 87% discount until July, the 30th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/378540/The_Surge/
• And these are the new sales/events:
  • Convergence Games Showcase is full of upcoming releases and has games on sale, up to 85% off. The deals will end between the 20th and the 30Th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45098973/sale/ConvergenceGamesShowcase
  • Secret Sauce 2026 has upcoming titles, demos and games up to 75% off. The deals will end between the 23rd and the 30th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45028385/sale/secretsauce2026
  • Alberta & Beyond Sale features indie games. It has launched early and only has three deals as of now. Hopefully, more will be added later: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45961986/sale/GDX2026

And those were all the news I had to share fot this week. Until the next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

Yikes!

According to our source, a 3GB GDDR7 chip currently costs between $60 and $70. A standard 2GB GDDR7 chip reportedly costs around $20. This means the 3GB version can cost about three times as much despite providing 50% more capacity.

So, taking the lower $60 a chip estimation, a card like the RTX 5070 that (in theory) costs $550 and has 6 memory chips would go up $240 and be around $790?

Yeah, I don't see that thing flying off the shelves.

Finally I can play The Dark Project again (I don't like the Gold extra missions and changes), and with controller support too, and it's on sale too.