In a post on Reddit, Bethesda Softworks says that The Elder Scrolls: Legends is no longer in active development, despite how there's a remaining expansion on the game's 2019 Roadmap (thanks Eurogamer). They say the free-to-play card game will continue to operate for the foreseeable future:

We would like to provide an update on Legends in regard to new content. Our previous roadmap indicated we would be releasing one more set this year. We decided to put any new content development or releases on hold for the foreseeable future. This decision will not in any way affect the release and development of GAEA’s Asia-specific version of Legends, which is operated separately, but will inform our decisions on content and feature development going forward.

Until then, you can still download and play Legends on all existing platforms and compete online as well as in the single-player modes. We will also continue to support the game with monthly reward cards and regular in-game events. New expansions and other future content, however, are no longer under active development. We will continue to provide ongoing maintenance support.

To thank you all for supporting Legends these past few years, and for continuing to play with us, we are giving away The Tamriel Collection – an assortment of new, three-attribute cards and more – to all players for free upon their next login. We are immensely grateful to work on The Elder Scrolls: Legends, to have you as a community, and we sincerely appreciate the love and support you’ve given us.

There is now a Steam Listing for a game called I Am Jesus Christ, a first-person messiah simulation that's said to be coming soon (thanks IGN). This trailer shows off some of the miracles this will allow you to perform, including the resurrection. Here's a description:

"I am Jesus Christ" is a realistic simulator game inspired by stories from the New Testament of the Bible. Get into old times and follow the same path
of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. Game is covering the period from Baptizing of Jesus Christ and to Resurrection. Have you ever wondered to be like Him - one of the most privileged and powerful people in the world?

Check if you can perform all famous miracles from the Bible like Jesus Christ. It is a simulation game and you can try to save the world as He did. Are you ready to fight with Satan in the desert, exorcising demons and curing sick people? Or calm the storm in the sea?

Pray like Him to get your Holy Spirit's power and help people around you. Fight with evil, make miracles, resurrect dead, feel and act like Him.
If you a game-lover, why not to get to know His pass, His challenges, His sufferings, and His power!

Reach the final stage of Resurrection and show the world that you are alive!

Key features:

• Open World
• Special skills
• Realistic fight with Satan
• Over 30 miracles like healing people, walking on water, calming storm, feeding people
• Baptising and getting super power of Holy Spirit
• Praying and increasing of Holy Spirit
• Crucifixion and Resurection

and much more...

Continue here to read the full story.

Steam now offers the release of Ski Jumping Pro VR, a Windows game that allows you to experience the agony of defeat (and hopefully the thrill of victory) of ski jumping through virtual reality. Word is: "Just in time for the start of the Ski Jumping World Cup, Ski Jumping Pro VR lets you experience the extreme ups and perilous downs of professional ski jumping like no other game." This requires an HTC Vive headset, but this trailer attempts to show off the experience on a flat monitor. Here are more details:

Set out on your journey as a relative unknown in Career or Quick Jump modes and aim for the pinnacle of Ski Jumping's most prestigious competitions, like World Champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Andreas Wellinger.

“When you’re at the top of the ramp in a big competition, the adrenaline rush hits you and you know that a good jump can put you in contention, but equally the slightest error could end in disaster. You get the same feeling in Ski Jumping Pro VR,” said Andreas Wellinger.

Compete in events over 32 venues, all meticulously created from their real-life equivalents, and battle the elements as you jump in icy and blustery conditions in both day and night-time tournaments.

Andreas Wellinger continues, “The venues in Ski Jumping Pro VR are breathtaking. You feel the elation from the crowd when you stick a landing because the locations are so true to life. The hill, the lights, the views. It’s all so accurate.”

Upgrade as you progress with the deep character customization to improve your performance and style to become a true pro in the ultimate winter sports simulation.

Continue here to read the full story.

Steam now offers a free weekend for Road to Guangdong, a driving game set in 1990s China. The full title of this Early Access game is listed as Road to Guangdong - Road Trip Car Driving Simulator Story-Based Indie Title (公路旅行驾驶游戏), so we're pretty sure this isn't based on a Hope/Crosby movie. Here's a trailer showing off gameplay, and here's a description of the game:

Embark on a Journey of Discovery
On a mission to revive their struggling family restaurant, Sunny and Guu Ma must visit long-lost relatives in search of secrets that will bring diners flooding back. But it won’t be easy. The long trip with her ageing aunt will truly test their relationship as cultural differences bubble to the surface. Only by making tough choices along the way will Sunny discover what fate has in store for her.

Keep Your Car on the Road
A treasured part of her family for longer than Sunny can remember, Sandy has carried her loved ones through many a crisis. But her beloved car is falling apart and she’ll need a helping hand to respond to this latest emergency. Only careful driving and regular checks under the bonnet will enable her to carry Sunny to the climax of her quest.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Humble Choice is Here - Humble Bundle Blog.
• Steam Daily Deal - NieR-Automata, 33% Off.
• Steam Daily Deal - Van Helsing Franchise Sale, up to 90% Off.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 12/6/19 - Patch Notes. Thanks Charlie INTEL.

• Borderlands 101 - A Beginner’s Guide to Borderlands 3.
• Hearthstone BattleGrounds - Part 2 - Carbot.

• MechWarrior 5- Mercenaries Interview - Campaign Length, Epic Games Partnership & More.
• Shovel Knight director Sean Velasco digs into Yacht Club Games' past and future - VentureBeat.
• Starbreeze completes reconstruction process after 12 months - GamesIndustry.biz.
• Fast Travel CEO navigates VR's speed bumps - GamesIndustry.biz.

• Take on Your Own Evolutionary Journey in Ancestors- The Humankind Odyssey, Available Now on Xbox One.
• Darksiders Genesis Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• Immortal Planet Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• You’re Invited to an ID@Xbox Party Time Sale - Xbox Wire.
• The Drop: New PlayStation Games for December 10, 2019.
• This Week on Xbox: December 6, 2019.

• Niantic and Qualcomm collaborating on augmented reality glasses.

• Bernie Sanders proposes $150 billion for public broadband improvements.
• Amazon to open new office in Manhattan in 2021.
• Minecraft is most popular game on YouTube in 2019 with 100bn views.
• Social media platforms leave 95% of reported fake accounts up, study finds.
• Google Assistant can now share photos, search podcasts, and make notes with third-party apps.
• Google lets Chrome users share sites via QR code – here's how to enable it.
• Dr DisRespect signs a TV deal with the creators of The Walking Dead.
• Amazon Customers Buy Nintendo Switch, Get Sent Condoms, Tambourines, Electric Toothbrushes Instead. Thanks Kxmode.

• AMD CTO Mark Papermaster: More Cores Coming in the 'Era of a Slowed Moore's Law.' Thanks Hypothermia.
• Intel is bringing back a 22nm Haswell-era Pentium CPU for some reason.
• Report: Magic Leap laid off 'dozens' following slow sales of its debut AR headset.
• WinSCP version 5.15.9. Thanks Ant.

• Newly discovered Mac malware uses “fileless” technique to remain stealthy.
• China fires up 'Great Cannon' denial-of-service blaster, points it toward Hong Kong.
• Ransomware attack hits major US data center provider. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Google’s New Chrome Move: Another Reason To Switch To Firefox?

• Elon Musk wins 'pedo guy' defamation case. Did not see that coming.
• TikTok chief to meet with lawmakers amid suspicions about China ties. Thanks Hypothermia.

• Phoenix Point only available on the Epic Game Store because developers ‘dropped the ball’. Thanks Kxmode…
• Assassin's Creed: Origins - Denuvo vs Denuvo-free benchmarks - Significantly less stuttering, faster loading…
• I Miss Cheesy Video Game Voice Acting. I hear that. Remember the voice packs for Wing Commander? Thanks Neutronbeam…

Link of the Day: "They Didn't Get It": First 'Star Trek' Movie Almost Killed Franchise. Thanks Neutronbeam.

New content is available for Tropico 6, as publisher Kalypso Media and developer Limbic Entertainment now offer The Llama of Wall Street premium DLC pack on Steam as well as a free Seguridad Social update for the dictator simulation. The free release includes a new building, a new sandbox map, and more, while the paid DLC offers the chance to get in touch with your inner Llama DiCaprio to become a stock marker mogul. Here's a new DLC trailer, and here are more details:

About Tropico 6 – The Llama of Wall Street DLC
The Llama of Wall Street DLC features a wide variety of new features and mechanics. The price of goods will now succumb to fluctuations and trends in the global market, and players will be able to make use of new buildings, such as the Trade Institute, to play the markets and even manipulate export prices. It also adds new missions, events, additional customisation options and edicts.

Join forces with your very own stockbroker and satisfy your inner white-collar mogul, taking over the US economy and helping establish Tropico as a global mega-brand. Play the markets and sabotage Wall Street as you unravel the sinister secrets of The Broker and work to become the ultimate corporate llama among wolves.

Continue here to read the full story.

This post announces the planned Private Game feature will come to Battlefield V on December 9th, saying these will now be known as Community Games. This post has more details, including an explanation that the changed name better reflects their goals for the feature.

Community Games are specifically designed for players who want to create a more personal experience in Battlefield V. Whether you are a content creator that wants their own space to create great stories, or you simply want to create a playlist of your favourite maps for you and your friends, this feature has something for everyone.

Make use of the custom filter system within the Server Browser to search through all of the Community Games that have been created by other players, allowing you to find the experience you’re looking for.

Personalize your Community Game with your own playlists that allow you to pick the number of rounds in your rotation and mix up the game modes (if they share the same Player Count). Choose from the list of available maps, and store all of your choices in your own set of preset configs that you’re able to save for future use.

Protect your experience with a password, or make use of the server kick functionality so that you can more closely control the experience that’s shared by your own close-knit Battlefield V community.

Next week will also see the launch of the Wake Island map remake in Battlefield V. A new Wake Island Overview Trailer shows off this free update coming to the military shooter on December 12th. The clip eschews the horrors of war with some Pulp Fiction-style action and discusses the history of the map, which debuted for Battlefield 1942 a mere 17 years ago. A post on the Battlefield Blog has more details, including this overview of gameplay:

Wake Island caters to air/sea/land warfare, as well as different tempos based on which game mode you’re playing. Breakthrough provides fast-paced action, while Conquest Assault lets you experience the classic, more slow-placed version of Battlefield.

Due to the scale of the map, players can find more or less action based on where on the island they are. All flags have been designed for close-quarters combat, while the spaces between the flags have been designed for slower-paced gameplay. There are locations on the maps which are suited for the Recon class as well but have been balanced with a high risk, high reward design in mind.

Continue here to read the full story.

There's a playable demo for Touring Karts on Steam, where this Windows game is currently racing its way through Early Access. Now Ivanovich Games is offering the chance to unlock up to two copies of the game to those able to string together winning streaks in the demo. Word is you can earn your free copy by winning three races in a row, and if you can manage five consecutive wins you will also get a copy to gift to a friend:

Touring Karts is all about competition and Ivanovich Games want the best players competing in our multiplayer when the PlayStation 4 / PSVR version of the game launches in one week from now. So from now until the 22nd of December, everybody who comes to compete online in the Touring Karts Steam Demo will unlock the full Touring Karts game by winning 3 races in a row, and also get an extra Steam code for a friend if they win 5 races in a row. So now it's time to test your racing skills show off what you are made of! You can check the News on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Along with this new competition, we come up with the new coolest helmets collection to date! Available now on the Steam and Oculus version, also will be ready to play with on the PS4 / PSVR from day one.

Revolution Games announces a new release date for Beyond a Steel Sky, revealing they are delaying the release of their "most ambitious adventure to date" (thanks Gematsu). They intended to get this out before the end of this year, but now say it will come "a few months later," saying they will specify a release date early next year. Word is: "This extra time is being used to ensure that we realise our vision: Integrating conceptual innovations like Virtual Theatre and system hacking into adventure gameplay; Innovating with graphics technology in ToonToy; Working closely with Dave Gibbons to create a beautiful visual style." Here's a refresher on the project from its Steam Listing:

From Charles Cecil, creator of the Broken Sword series, with art direction by Dave Gibbons, legendary comic book artist behind ‘Watchmen’, comes ‘Beyond a Steel Sky’, the long awaited sequel to the cult classic ‘Beneath a Steel Sky’.

You are Robert Foster. A child has been abducted in a brutal attack. You have vowed to bring him home. But the trail has led you from your community of desert wasteland dwellers, to Union City, one of the last remaining mega-cities in a world ravaged by shattering wars, and political meltdown.

Fortified and impenetrable, it is a utopia in which people live happily under the surveillance and control of a benign AI. But all is far from what it seems...

‘Beyond a Steel Sky’ is a dramatic, humorous, cyberpunk thriller in which engaging puzzles drive a fast-paced narrative set in a dynamic gameworld that responds to – and is subverted by – the player’s actions.

Publisher Games Operators and developer Tomula Games announce Cyborg Mechanic, a simulation where you play a surgeon/mechanic who augments clients in a "shady and absurd cyberpunk underworld." The game's Steam Listing is now online, showing this is expected for release in 2021, and a gruesome trailer offers a first look at gameplay. Here's word:

Become a cyborg surgeon mechanic in a shady and absurd cyberpunk underworld. Repair burnt-out circuits, modify limbs, perform complex surgeries, and craft better equipment for your clientele. Remember that augmenting an organic body with mechanical parts is risky and can result in augmentation rejection or even death. To top it all off, most of your clients are disreputable individuals with an extensive criminal record. This fact makes your business suspicious to the authorities, who won’t stop bothering you and asking you questions. Make your one-person operation thrive and increase its popularity to keep a steady flow of customers and cash. But beware of the police putting you on their radar. The more recognizable you are, the more they’ll breathe down your neck. Stay vigilant and don't let them lock you up. Decide whether to turn your clients over to the police or keep your mouth shut. You have to keep your dodgy business up and running somehow, right?

Continue here to read the full story.

Publisher Assemble Entertainment and developer Moral Anxiety Studio announce Roadwarden, an RPG coming next year to Windows, Linux, and macOS via Steam. This is an unusual mash-up, as they call this "an illustrated text-based RPG," that combines a text-based RPG with a visual novel, which seems oxymoronic. The Announcement Trailer doesn't help clear this up much, unless its display of pixel-art text shows how the game will be presented. Here's word:

Some of Roadwarden's key features include:

• Explore & Change the World: Discover the secrets and face the challenges of a hostile fantasy world — inevitably unveiling its uniquely sinister history
• Grow With the Challenge: Create your own background story, personal abilities, beliefs, and personality to shape your very own future as a Roadwarden
• Classical RPG Attitude: Prepare yourself for an epic journey, either as a warrior, mage or scholar, and define your character‘s traits; like friendly, playful or intimidating, during interactions with various NPCs
• Mysteries Unfold: Use your savvy and wiles when investigating and drawing your conclusions to understand the true nature of this world. Immerse yourself in detailed dialogues and sidequests with dozens of NPCs to gain their trust and support.

Continue here to read the full story.

Rockstar Games announces next week will offer GTA Online players the chance to get in touch with their inner Danny Ocean by ripping off the Diamond Casino in what they call "the biggest, most audacious, most complex criminal operation ever to hit Los Santos." This will launch on December 12th, and word is this will offer a new approach to the game's heist architecture:

The Diamond Casino Heist is an all-new approach to Heist architecture and execution: one huge gameplay-packed operation as you work with the Cheng family to infiltrate the most secure building in all of Los Santos. Featuring a diverse range of opportunities for set-up and prep missions that shape your plan of attack, multiple paths of approach, constantly changing security measures and a dizzying array of choices once inside. Expect outcomes for you and your crew to change on the fly as you deal with each new situation, leading to more choices mid-mission. Even if the best laid plans go sideways, you’ll have the opportunity to keep the mission afloat without failing by shooting your way out with your remaining team lives, all allowing the Heist to be highly replayable with new scenarios unfolding each time.

In order to plan the biggest Heist ever perpetrated in Los Santos, Heist crew leaders will setup an unexpected new commercial venture as a front, a retro Arcade business property shrouding the nerve center within where Heist operations are staged and rehearsed. While the business runs above, down below you can practice hacking keypads or cracking vault doors, store equipment and getaway vehicles, and owners of existing businesses can add a Master Control Terminal to handle all current operations.

• Dota 2 Update - December 6th, 2019.
• Steam Client Update Released.

• Don't Die, Minerva Preview - Gaming Nexus.

• DEMON'S TILT Is Now Available For Xbox One And Windows 10 (Xbox Play Anywhere).
• Wandersong Is Now Available For Xbox One (And Included In Xbox Game Pass).
• Cold Silence Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• Freediving Hunter- Spearfishing The World Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Ancestors- The Humankind Odyssey Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• State of Play Airs Live Tuesday, December 10 – PlayStation.Blog.
• Next Week on Xbox: New Games for December 10 to 13.

• Samsung’s Galaxy S11 will reportedly feature a 108-megapixel camera.
• Kashmir users kicked off WhatsApp.
• You don't have to share your phone number for Facebook logins anymore.
• Microsoft wants everyone to follow its lead with its new mobile design.

• We need to save .ORG from arbitrary censorship by halting the private equity buy-out.
• Trade war goes digital: countries eye tariffs on Internet economy.
• 2019 YouTube Rewind apologizes for 2018, is still massively disliked.

• New MIT system extracts hidden videos from visible footage by analyzing how light reflects on a pile of clutter.
• Retail Therapy: Smart Carts Roll Out to Assist Shoppers and Avoid Checkouts. Thanks Hypothermia.
• Pod Squad: Descript Uses AI to Make Managing Podcasts Quicker, Easier. Thanks Hypothermia.
• GIMP 2.10.14 Released. Thanks Ant.

• Qualcomm Executive Says Optical Fingerprint Scanners Aren’t Secure; Believes 3D Ultrasonic Technology Is Vastly Superior.
• CS-GO scammers are using s1mple’s old streams to steal skins.
• New ransomware attacks target your NAS devices, backup storage.
• Tricky VPN-busting bug lurks in iOS, Android, Linux distros, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, say university eggheads.
• Keybase moves to deal with crypto-chat spam as users face scammer onslaught.

• Uber had 6,000 US sexual assault reports in two years.
• Facebook sues Hong Kong company over ad fraud.
• Heavy fine for Chinese firm over unlicensed game.

• Darksiders Genesis PC Performance Analysis - DSOGaming.
• Halo Reach PC Performance Analysis - DSOGaming.

• ASUS AX58BT Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 Dual Band PCIe Adapter Review - TweakTown.
• Asustor Nimbustor 4 (AS5304T) 4-bay NAS Review - TechPowerUp.
• Corsair Crystal 680X Mid-Tower Chassis - TweakTown.
• Corsair QL120 and QL140 RGB fan review - Guru3D.
• Crucial X8 Portable NVMe SSD 1 TB Review - TechPowerUp.
• EVGA GeForce GTX 1650 Super SC Ultra Graphics Card Review - TechPowerUp.
• Gigabyte GTX 1660 SUPER Gaming OC 6G Graphics Card - LanOC Reviews.
• SilverStone Permafrost PF240-ARGB Review - APH Networks.

• Epic Games Store policy change expands in-game payment options for devs…
• Daybreak Games rumoured to be developing a Marvel MMORPG before its financial “realignment”…
• The State Of PC Gaming In 2019. Thanks Neutronbeam…

I've previously mentioned that the climate in my downstairs office seems to be surprisingly stable, and it was not dipping very far below 60℉ without the heat on regardless of the outside temperature. That's the good news, but the bad news is that this is still pretty chilly. I toughed it out for a while, but I'm built for warmth, so I finally had to give in and do something about it. There are still boxes we're dealing with from our move piled up down here, so it took a little work to clear the area around the baseboard heaters, but now I have actual heat running. This is electric, which may blow up our utility bill, so that will have to be monitored. There is a decommissioned hole in the wall down here for a flue for a pellet stove, and the long-term solution may be to install another of those. In the meantime I'll just be happy that its so much less chilly down here.

Warmer Links:	Thanks Ant.
Links:	Pantone Declares Another Year of Blue. Thanks LinkedIn. Hear hear!
Stories:	Chipotle has nurses check if workers who call in sick are hungover. Thanks LinkedIn. Bill Nye the Science Guy Headed to Trial Against Disney. Thanks Neutronbeam.
Science:	Student Solves a Decades-Old Physics Mystery. Chronic pain can change the way your brain processes emotion, scientists find. Thanks Max.
Media: (Driver safety edition)	Watch a woman nonchalantly step aside as out-of-control car barrels toward her. Woman suffers accident after discussing scooter regulations. Car Jumps Into Dealership Parking Lot.
Follow-up:	WHO decries 'collective failure' as measles kills 140,000.
The Funnies:	StBeals.