Archived News:

Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023

Diablo IV Beta Specs

PureDiablo has a recap of today's developer livestream where Blizzard discussed plans for Diablo IV. Along the way, system requirements for the beta were revealed. This can be helpful for those planning on testing, and they may give a sense of how the release version of upcoming action/RPG sequel will perform. Only two sets of specs is very 2015, so you may be wondering about ray tracing, but word is this feature will be added via a patch some time after the game's launch. Here are the specs:
Minimum Requirements for PC
Settings to run the Diablo IV Open Beta at 1080p native resolution / 720p render resolution, low graphics settings, 30 fps.

Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8100
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R9 280
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 45 GB available space
Internet: Broadband Connection

Recommended Specifications for PC

Settings to run the Diablo IV Beta at 1080p resolution, medium graphics settings, 60fps.

OS: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K or AMD R3-1300X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 370
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 45 GB available space
Internet: Broadband Connection

*Diablo IV will attempt to run on hardware below minimum specifications, including HDDs, dual-core CPUs, and Integrated GPUs. However, the game experience may be significantly diminished.

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Destiny 2 Soars

Steam's Most Played Page shows that Destiny 2 had a peak of 316,750 players at once today, smashing the previous high-water mark for the free-to-play shooter. This was sparked by today's launch of the new premium Lightfall expansion for the game. Thanks to a tweet from Benji-Sales for the heads up. One of the replies to that tweet notes that the game's peak concurrent player count could have been higher still, but demand outstripped server capacity and lots of players ended up waiting in queues.

Steam Monthly and Weekly Recaps

Here's Valve's official list of the top sellers on Steam for January, and here is the official blog post discussing the results. Additionally, as mentioned on Sunday, Valve has changed the release of its weekly top sellers list to Monday, screwing up their monopoly on a slow news day. Here's the update list of the bestsellers on Steam for last week:

  1. Sons Of The Forest.
  2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
  3. Apex Legends.
  4. Hogwarts Legacy.
  5. Destiny 2.
  6. Atomic Heart.
  7. Kerbal Space Program 2.
  8. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS.
  9. Steam Deck.
  10. Company of Heroes 3.

Plasma Early Access Next Month

Dry Licorice announces Plasma will enter Early Access on Steam on March 30th, offering an engineering sandbox for Windows. The Early Access Trailer takes a quick look back on the game's five years of development and where it stands today. Here are some plasmatic details:
In Plasma, players can explore a creative and colourful world, craft tools and machines, and even build their own structures from scratch. It's easy to get started with a user-friendly tutorial system that introduces the basics of engineering in a fun and engaging way using a groundbreaking robotics physics engine and user-friendly visual programming tools, alongside full Steam Workshop integration.

Plasma creations can be brought to life thanks to a visual programming interface, the Sketch, enabling both beginners and advanced players to experiment, tinker and create unique devices, gizmos and fully-interactive robots and mechanoids. Thanks to the built-in sharing platform anyone can make these available for others to discover, use, learn from and modify.
Continue here to read the full story.

Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop Next Month

Uncapitalized publisher astragon Entertainment and developer stillalive studios announce Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop, a new destination for the transportation simulation coming on March 23rd. This will bring the game to new platforms. The PC edition will come to the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store, and versions will also arrive on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. All PC editions will be cross-play compatible for the ultimate in multiplayer bus driver mayhem. The new version will add a new career mode, an official map extension as free DLC. There will also be a new Gold edition of the game with all the DLC for newcomers. Here's an Announcement Trailer and here's more:
With the big Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop update for the main game, bus aficionados can look forward to numerous game, AI and other detail improvements. In addition, a completely new game mode awaits the players: The new career mode combines the well-known sandbox mode with the economic system of the campaign. Instead of having to unlock everything bit by bit by completing missions, players can choose from all bus stops and bus models right from the start of the game, so that there are no limits to how far they can build up their own bus company - as long as they manage their start-up capital well, set up and operate routes successfully, expand their bus fleet skillfully and thus work their way up to become a successful local public transport company!
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REMEDIUM: Sentinels Released

REMEDIUM: Sentinels is now available in on Steam as an Early Access release for Windows. Word is the game will also come "soon" to the Epic Games Store. This is a fast-paced roguelite shooter played from a top-down perspective, as shown in the Official Early Access Release Trailer. It uses the same setting as the upcoming REMEDIUM, but apparently not the Project Remedium that was released in 2016. Here's more on this chance to be the last combatant standing in bullet hell:
REMEDIUM: Sentinels is a roguelite fast-paced auto-shooter that is set in the same world as REMEDIUM game. It has been more than a hundred years since the Grey Plague has won turning most humans into vicious mutant freaks, and only a handful of cities still stand amidst the death and chaos that consumed the land.

You control a Sentinel created by alchemists with only one goal - defend the cities against the endless hordes of mutants until your reactor dies. Combine items and alchemical elements to acquire more and more weapons and create unique builds!
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DEAD CIDE CLUB Early Access

Early Access to DEAD CIDE CLUB is now underway for Windows on Steam, offering a free-to-play side-scrolling shooter (or is it cide-scrolling?). Here's the Early Access Launch Trailer. The listing's explanation of the game's multiplayer support is pretty diluted, but we have a concentrated batch of details from a separate announcement, so here are those:
Dead Cide Club boldly breaks away from the first-person shooter (FPS) genre with a unique, side-scrolling interpretation of fast-paced, fluid, and fun gunplay.. Tired of brushing up on traditional FPS skills like precision aiming and reload timing? In Dead Cide Club, you’ll think on the fly and make split-second decisions in the midst of intense and insane warfare.

Dead Cide Club had two beta tests and several focus group tests (FGT) last year. Since then, it has evolved through user feedback and improved game systems. In addition to enhanced weapon balancing and control, the game added Cartels and a perk system to make gameplay more exciting, and introduced core features such as "Domination Mode" and "Horde Mode."
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Evening Multiplex

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

Into the Black

Last Link of the Day: Wes Craven's ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Thanks Ant.

Destiny 2: Lightfall Released

Destiny 2: Lightfall is now available on all platforms, adding a new paid expansion for the free-to-play first-person shooter. The Windows edition can be found on the Epic Games Store and Steam, and there's also a Lightfall + Annual Pass bundle on the Epic Games Store and Steam. The announcement also reveals plans to launch a new raid called Root of Nightmates on March 10th. Here's the official Launch Trailer, and here is more on how this changes your destiny:
In Lightfall, Guardians will be tasked with preventing the apocalypse by stopping the Witness and its newest disciple, Calus. Along the way, Guardians will cross paths with the Shadow Legion, including the terrifying and formidable new Tormentors, who are bent on causing devastation in the high-tech capital of Neomuna.

Guardians will wield a new subclass power in Lightfall; Strand will give the ability to pluck the threads that bind the universe together, creating unprecedented combat and movement capabilities. Strand will grant powerful new attacks for each Guardian class to use in unique ways, in addition to a new grapple ability which will greatly increase their mobility and traversal options throughout the game.
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Scars Above Released

Scars Above is now available for Windows on Steam as well as for Xbox and PlayStation, offering a third-person shooter set in space, where no once can hear you say "my god, it's full of scars!" The Launch Trailer introduces the story with cinematics and a couple of snippets of gameplay. Here's word:
Scars Above, the latest title from publisher Prime Matter and Serbian developer Mad Head Games, is finally here, ready to bring you on an unforgettable trip across the stars. A challenging, third-person, sci-fi title, Scars Above is now available in stores globally.

Scars Above puts players in the space boots of Dr. Kate Ward as she finds herself abducted then lost on a surreal and dangerous alien world. Players will have to use Ward’s scientific aptitude, wreckage from her ship, and the planet’s local wildlife to survive.
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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Announced

A post on Steam announces Shadow of the Erdtree, a new expansion currently in development for Elden Ring, FromSoftware's smash-hit action/RPG which launched right about one year ago. The reveal is just a couple of sentences, but for a deep dive into the implication from clues and lore, there are hundreds of words on the topic on Kotaku. This notes the Japanese Elden Ring Site shows this is coming to Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Here's the actual announcement:
Rise, Tarnished, and let us walk a new path together.
An upcoming expansion for ELDEN RING, Shadow of the Erdtree, is currently in development.

We hope you look forward to new adventures in the Lands Between.

IO Interactive's Online Fantasy RPG Revealed

HITMAN developer IO Interactive announces it is now working on a new fantasy-themed online RPG. This is pretty preliminary, so details are few, and there's no indication of when we should expect to see the game. But there is a general sense of what it's about, including how it's a bit of a labor of love:
Now we are sharing with all of you, that we are embarking on a new adventure! One that expands our creativity, our capabilities, and in some sense our identity. We are building a new world, a new IP – an online fantasy RPG. A world and a game built from the core to entertain players and expand for many years to come. It feels familiar, yet at the same time IOI is going on a journey unlike any we have been on before.

For many, this journey is also a deeply personal one that began long before we started making games for a living – and it started with the fantasy genre. From the “Fighting Fantasy” books compelling you to choose your path, alone, against wizards, lizards, and thief kings. To the togetherness, camaraderie, agony, and delight found around the tabletop. For some it meant taking the role of a game master: Part storyteller, part AI opponent, part guide, part villain. For everyone around that table it meant creativity, imagination, building a world together, and a shared goal in creating a great game experience.
Continue here to read the full story.

Square Enix on PC Final Fantasy XVI

A post to the Japanese PlayStation.Blog has an official confirmation that Final Fantasy XVI will indeed be coming to PC as well as PlayStation 5. Naturally, this is in the site's native Japanese, but DSOGaming has picked out the relevant quote and translated it into English. In this, Naoki Yoshida repeatedly says the company would "like" to release a PC version, but in the end makes it sound a little more certain than that:
“First of all, it is true that “FINAL FANTASY XVI” is a six-month timed exclusive on the PS5 platform. However, that and the PC version coming out six months later are two completely different stories. I want to make it clear that the PC version will not be released in six months.

Because we have spent a lot of time and money optimizing the PS5 platform in order to deliver the best gaming experience possible. Of course, we would like to release a PC version at some point so that as many people as possible can play the game. However, if we start optimizing the PC version after the PS5 version is released, we will not be able to optimize it in six months, so it will not be released in a short span of six months. We would like to release it eventually, and I think we will, but right now we are not at the stage where we can say when.”

New NVIDIA GeForce Drivers

NVIDIA announces the availability of a new version 531.18 WHQL-certified Windows drivers for GeForce graphics cards. Word is these are game ready for the recently launched Atomic Hearts as well as the upcoming beta for THE FINALS. This also introduces RTX Video Super Resolution, which uses AI to improve the quality of video streamed to Chrome or Edge browsers. Word is NVIDIA was already providing "class leading" support for Atomic Heart, so this is apparently part of its doctoral thesis:
When Atomic Heart launched on February 21st, GeForce RTX gamers had class-leading performance, plus support for NVIDIA DLSS 3, NVIDIA DLSS 2 and NVIDIA Reflex.

When DLSS 3 is enabled, 4K performance with a GeForce RTX 4090 is boosted by 90% to 184 FPS, and with a GeForce RTX 4080 it’s increased by 80% to 146 FPS. With a GeForce RTX 4070 Ti at 1440p, DLSS 3 increases performance by 62%, running at max settings at over 160 FPS. DLSS 3 can also help boost performance in CPU-bound scenarios.

Dakar Desert Rally Adds SnowRunner Trucks

Saber Interactive announces the launch of the SnowRunner Trucks Pack on Steam as new DLC for Dakar Desert Rally. Anyone who visits a desert will tell you that the addition of snow could be an improvement, and this explores that concept. Well not really. This adds the trucks to the desert race, but apparently not the accompanying snow. This mash-up DLC is free for owners of both of the off-roading games, and it is also available as a separate purchase for those who only own Dakar. These Patch Notes outline all the changes, which also include updates to the base game. Here's a DLC Trailer and here's more:
Dakar Desert Rally authentically captures the intense scale and thrill of one of the world’s most challenging off-road events across over 20,000 square kilometers of diverse terrain with dynamic weather. Choose from some of the sport’s most renowned racing teams, or create your own and build up your garage with a long line of cars, bikes, trucks, quads and SSVs from the world’s top manufacturers. Forge your path to victory across a variety of game modes, including an arcade-style Sport mode for quick pick-up-and-play action, Professional and Simulation modes for a true rally experience, and online multiplayer for up to four players for the ultimate competitive challenge.
Continue here to read the full story.

SnowRunner Boasts 10M SnowRunners; Year 3 Begins

Speaking of SnowRunner, that's getting some love today as well. Saber Interactive also announces the Season 9 and Year 3 Pass are now available on PC and consoles for the frosty driving game. This comes with word that the game has now entertained more than 10 million players, though these are not all sales, as the game is also available through Game Pass. The Year 3 Pass covers Season 9 and three more to follow, adding new maps, new trucks and new cosmetics. Season 9 specifically introduces two new maps, two new vehicles, and some all-new activities. The various purchase options are outlined on the Focus Entertainment Website. Check out the Season 9 Overview Trailer for a look, and read on for more:
Season 9 marks the beginning of SnowRunner’s Year 3 Pass. The pass also includes the upcoming seasons 10, 11 and the game’s third expansion with Season 12. The grand debut of new iconic brands like Kenworth and Mack will also delight their many fans in the SnowRunner community as the Year 3 Pass unfolds, in addition to numerous new add-ons and cosmetics. On top of it all, Year 3 Pass owners receive the exclusive Save the Day Vinyl Wrap Pack, bringing four exclusive skins for the Freightliner M916A1, Freightliner 114SD, International HX520 and Chevrolet Kodiak С70.

Finally, SnowRunner is proud to announce a new milestone: over 10 million players have sat behind the wheel! Such a landmark number is a testament to the dedication and passion of the game’s incredibly active community. From the teams at Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment, we want to thank all the Runners 10 million times!
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Morning Crowdfunding

Out of the Blue

The snow is still lightly falling here after an overnight storm dropped a couple of inches on the ground. The fact that it's still snowing at all means the snow removal process is yet to begin here, so I don't have to panic yet about moving cars. Thinking about this makes me realize that I've only had to move the cars once this winter up until now, and that was during a dusting that didn't really require clearing. So it's on the last day of February that we got our first real snow of the winter. That can't be good. Lack of winter snow can often lead to summer droughts. Hopefully we're not in for one of those.

Obituary: Disney Legend Burny Mattinson Has Passed.

Wintry Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

Stories

Science
Thanks Max.

Media

Follow-ups

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