The results are impressive, and even in the PL1 state beats Rocket Lake by huge margins, at least in that single Cinebench 20 result. It's a shame all that efficiency is lost in PL2.

Those CoD and BF "PC" trailers, jesus christ they look so terribly and cheaply made...

Like for real, CoD's trailer is just "RTX THIS, RTX THAT, LOOK AT ALL THIS ACTION GAMEPLAY", and it's not even taking the time to properly show off scenes of RTX on/off (you know, like the earlier RTX game trailers were doing and that worked out well in showing the core difference).

Battlefield has it far worse, because all of that gameplay they showed off within that "PC" trailer was extremely choppy, with flashes of text telling us it's got RT and "advanced AO" (again, not showing the differences).

Also both trailer think it's cool to toss in "MULTIPLAYER MAPS, GAME MODES, OTHER SHIT THAT'S COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO A PC TRAILER". Like come on man, they literally must have handed this shit over to an intern and told them to mash it together, because this is some stupid lazy shit. It honestly feels like they decided to copy Ubisoft in their PC pandering trailer bs, but they didn't even try hard enough to their level.

Can we please either stop making PC version trailers (unless it's a port coming yrs later) or actually hire someone for the art/animation dept who both knows what they are doing and actually, legit gives a shit about what we'd like to see and what we should actually be seeing in the first place. Slapping text and telling us RT this and that doesn't mean shit if the footage is choppy/blurry and not putting focus on what you're telling us via text dialogue. 

I never once studied art or cinematography at college, but even I can see that they could have done way, waaaay better with both their trailers. Like fuck me, SE did a better job showing off RT with GotG RTX on/off, and that's a Japanese fucking publisher using Western tech ffs. 

Sorry for the rant, I'm just irked by how bad PC version trailers have gotten over the years and I feel it's reached a point where we're somehow the joke, and not the people making the damn trailers, I'm so tired of it. 

I'll be damned! I take one day off from checking hardware sites and come back to find that both bit-tech and Hexus (same owner) have closed:

bit-tech: https://www.bit-tech.net/news/the-end/

Hexus: https://hexus.net/tech/news/industry/148580-cheer-up-its-end-world/

They no longer were what they used to be, but they were still interesting to check.

This December will be less exciting with no Epic Giveaway.

That's sad. I used to visit those two sites a lot for tech news :(

Ubisoft drinks the crypto Kool-Aid, announces plans to develop blockchain games

https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-drinks-the-crypto-kool-aid-announces-plans-to-develop-blockchain-games/#comment-jump

A Cancer is Growing in Gaming - "Play to Earn"

Interesting video in what seems to be the next big nonsense from game publishers. So far, Ubisoft seems to be the one that is heavily investing in this concept and in the next few years, we might see more and more games with this model.

Play to Earn is a model where you "play" the game and "earn" real/in game money. It's similar to how you can use your GPUs to mine crypto to earn money but instead of your GPUs doing it, it's you that's doing it by playing the game. In certain situations, it can be beneficial to the user as you can create something unique in the game and sell it at a market place but as we know in the gaming industry, it's ripe for abuse... And since Ubisoft is leading the pack, we probably see some yikes worthy games with this model coming up in the next few years.

Western Digital to Ship 20TB OptiNAND HDDs in November 2021

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/wdc-to-start-shipments-of-20tb-hdd-in-november

Eh the only good thing I could see coming out of the blockchain and NFT's etc for the gaming industry is making digital games NFT's. So digital copies can be sold, traded, gifted etc. I'm really confused about this sudden "blockchain" games thing, and I'm too lazy and getting too old to understand what the hell is going on with it.

Not that this would ever happen, companies have no reason to give you a way to sell used digital games.

The Tuesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

With 180 million players, League of Legends games have more active users than Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/with-180-million-players-league-of-legends-games-have-more-active-users-than-steam/
These days you can't write a tweet about League of Legends without some wiseass popping up in the replies saying 'dead game lol.' That has never been true: it's one of the bits of community flotsam that attaches to any live service game that's been around for a while. But now Riot's released a new player statistic that shows just how alive and kicking the League series is.
The tweet seemed a little fuzzy so I reached out to Riot to clarify exactly what games this includes and the methodology. While the publisher wouldn't give a breakdown of the numbers across different titles, it says the figure is based on games set in the League of Legends universe. "This includes League of Legends, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Legends of Runeterra, Teamfight Tactics and Fight for the Golden Spatula (licensed in China)." So: no Valorant (which would have added around 14 million players a month).
>> Mighty impressive.

Steam has several new deals, including the new weeklong deals:

• The new daily deal is Legend Bowl, 15% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1106340/Legend_Bowl/
• PC Building Simulator and its DLCs are on sale, up to 60% off until Friday: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/pcbuildingsimulator-franchise
• The VR Only Arizona Sunshine will be 67% off until November 5: https://store.steampowered.com/app/342180/Arizona_Sunshine/
• Generation Zero is going to be 73% off until Friday 5: https://store.steampowered.com/app/704270/Generation_Zero/
• And Publisher Freebird Games celebrates its 10th anniversary offering its games up to 80% off until November 8: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/2750327/sale/freebirdanniversary
• When it comes to the weeklong deals, here's a sample:
  • Summer Memories is 25% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1227890/Summer_Memories/
  • Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX, that has a demo, is 35% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1333470/Alex_Kidd_in_Miracle_World_DX/
  • Spirit of the North gets a 50% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1213700/Spirit_of_the_North/
  • Railroad Corporation is 66% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/797400/Railroad_Corporation/
  • And DUCATI - 90th Anniversary is 85% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/456780/DUCATI__90th_Anniversary/

The Humble Store has four new sales:

• The Splinter Cell franchise Sale brings 75% discounts (on three titles) during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/splinter-cell-franchise-sale/
• The The Division franchise Sale brings up to 75% discounts during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/the-division-franchise-sale/
• The Crime Pays Sale features up to 90% discounts during the next 6 days. There are keys for Steam, GOG, EGS and the Rockstar thing: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/crime-pays-sale/
• The last one is the Fall VR Sale, with up to 90% discounts during the next 6 days. There are keys for Steam and GOG (1): https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/fall-vr-sale/

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Bloodborne PSX Demake is coming to PC in January 2022
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bloodborne-psx-demake-is-coming-to-pc-in-january-2022/
Last month, we shared a video that showcased ten minutes of gameplay footage from the upcoming PSX demake of Bloodborne. And today, we are happy to report that this free fan game/project is coming to PC on January 31st, 2022.
(...)
Bloodborne PSX Demake will only go up to Father Gascoigne, with extended areas and some bonus post-game content. So yeah, don’t expect this project will have all the areas from Bloodborne.

The final version of Bloom, crossover between Blood and Doom, is available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-final-version-of-bloom-crossover-between-blood-and-doom-is-available-for-download/
Modder ‘drugod’ has released the final version of Bloom, a crossover mod between Doom and Blood. This mod is compatible with most Doom wads (doom.wad, doom2.wad, plutonia.wad and tnt.wad), and the modder suggests using Gzdoom 4.6 or above. Going into more details, Bloom features more than 30 enemies from Blood and Doom. Moreover, it adds more than 22 new hybrid monsters. The mod also features 20 weapons and “guns of kimbo powerup! “.
>> Available from ModDB.

GAMING NEWS

Call of Duty Vanguard Official PC System Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/call-of-duty-vanguard-official-pc-system-requirements/
Alongside the PC trailer, Activision revealed the official PC system requirements for Call of Duty Vanguard. In addition, the publisher confirmed that Beenox is handling the game’s PC version.
>> It only asks for 36GB of storage, 61Gb recommended! And it will support both DLSS and FSR.

PC demo released for post-apocalyptic/sci-fi game, Phobos – Subhuman
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pc-demo-released-for-post-apocalyptic-sci-fi-game-phobos-subhuman/
Underdog Virtual has released a PC early demo of its upcoming post-apocalyptic/sci-fi game, Phobos – Subhuman. Phobos Subhuman is a story-rich action-adventure in which an astronaut’s daughter embarks on a quest to uncover the mystery behind her father’s disappearance.

New Call of Duty 2022 leaks surface; realistic gore, inspired by films like Sicario, moral system, weapon jam & more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-call-of-duty-2022-leaks-surface-realistic-gore-inspired-by-films-like-sicario-more-system-weapon-jam-more/
It appears that some new details about the next Call of Duty game, Call of Duty 2022, have been leaked online. According to numerous reports, this Call of Duty 2022 game will be a sequel to Modern Warfare, and will be inspired by films such as Sicario, Traffic and No Country for Old Men.

Tuesday news, part two:

Riot is throwing events across tons of its games to celebrate Arcane's upcoming release
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/riot-is-throwing-events-across-tons-of-its-games-to-celebrate-arcanes-upcoming-release/
With League of Legends TV series Arcane hitting Netflix this month, Riot is throwing a whole bunch of events across its different games.

This new Halo Infinite map reminds me of one of Halo 5's best
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/this-new-halo-infinite-map-reminds-me-of-one-of-halo-5s-best/
One of the maps I remember best from Halo 5 is Plaza, a small, asymmetrical Slayer map set on a human colony world. It's rare for Halo maps to lean into neon lights or tight urban spaces, which made me think this newly revealed Halo Infinite map, Streets, was actually a remake of Plaza. It's not, but the two are definitely similar, with side streets that split off and reconnect through a central area and lots of places to jump up to balconies and overhangs. This seems like a good thing to me, because Plaza was one of the most fun 4v4/free-for-all maps in Halo 5.

One of China's biggest games is going global with an open world RPG
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/one-of-chinas-biggest-games-is-going-global-with-an-open-world-rpg/
Honor of Kings is one of the most popular mobile games in the world. It's also got a fun history: When Tencent couldn't convince Riot to make a mobile version of League of Legends, it had its TiMi Studio Group subsidiary whip up one of its own—Honor of Kings—which was then released in the West as Arena of Valor.
Arena of Valor flopped (...), but it remains a monster hit in China (...)
Now Tencent is trying again to bring Honor of Kings to worldwide audiences, but this time in a slightly different form: As an open-world action-RPG called Honor of Kings: World. The world in question is "teeming with compelling encounters, fantastic creatures and breathtaking landscapes," says the publisher.

Edwin returns as one of four legendary cards in Hearthstone's The Deadmines
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/edwin-returns-as-one-of-four-legendary-cards-in-hearthstones-the-deadmines/
Hearthstone's Standard mode is in a pretty weird spot right now, with the dominance of the Questline cards having chased most Midrange and Control decks out of the meta, leaving only ultra fast Aggro to compete. (...)
Today, Blizzard revealed the remaining four cards, all of which are legendaries. Here they are, starting with the return of combo king Edwin Van Cleef, who looks quite a bit less menacing than when his previous iteration was finally nerfed.

Minecraft cheaters try to steal accounts, download ransomware instead
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/minecraft-cheaters-try-to-steal-accounts-download-ransomware-instead/
Minecraft cheaters in Japan are being hit with some instant karma, according to cybersecurity outfit Fortinet. Wannabe hackers are being targeted by data-destroying ransomware that masquerades as a list of stolen Minecraft accounts.

Amazon disables New World 'wealth transfers' to fight gold dupe exploit
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/amazon-disables-new-world-wealth-transfers-to-fight-gold-dupe-exploit/
Amazon has temporarily disabled all forms of wealth transfer in its new MMO New World, including player-to-player transfers, guild treasuries, sending currency, and trading posts, because of a "possible gold duplication exploit." It is now investigating the issue and said that wealth transfers will be restored once it has a handle on things.

New World player kills over 1,000 boars to prove that luck is working
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/new-world-luck-bonus-percentage/
Now that the New World launch crush has settled down and Amazon is focused on playing whack-a-mole with exploits, players are finding enough leisure time to ask the really important questions, such as: What if I killed a thousand boars and tracked the drop rates to reverse-engineer how the luck stat works?

World of Warcraft is forming a player-led Community Council
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/world-of-warcraft-is-forming-a-player-led-community-council/
Blizzard has begun taking applications for a new World of Warcraft Community Council, a platform that hopes to give a select group of players a direct line of communication with developers.

Say goodbye to your mortal shell with this gorgeous, ghostly puzzle game
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/say-goodbye-to-your-mortal-shell-with-this-gorgeous-ghostly-puzzle-game/
Halloween has come and gone. But that needn't mean saying goodbye to ghosts and ghouls entirely, with French indie developer Florian Veltman today introducing us to a somewhat more pleasant tale from beyond the grave.

Players are accidentally triggering New World's latest gold duplication exploit
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/players-are-accidentally-triggering-new-worlds-latest-gold-duplication-exploit/
A gold duplication exploit forced Amazon to halt all wealth transfers in New World yesterday, making it effectively impossible for players to move money around while it works to find and fix the problem. But it seems that by doing so, it opened the door to another exploit that enables players to dupe their gold without even trying.
>>

Also, some of you may find this interesting: https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/upcoming-steam-deck-qanda-might-teach-us-a-few-more-things-before-launch/

It's because of the new "Play to Earn" model that's starting to grow in the games industry. The idea is you play a game and earn either in game currency or real money by grinding and doing things within the game which then you can use to buy things. The crypto part comes in because what you earn is a "Crypto Token" in the back end and if you exchange it for real money, the value of the "Crypto Token" goes up.

It's hard to picture how this will all be but there are some examples of it in the video I posted. I get the feeling there is gonna be some essh things that's gonna be happening in the future.