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Gameguru Mania News - Mar,20 2019 - all

Google Stadia Performance Testing - briefly
(hx) 03:53 PM CET - Mar,20 2019 - Post a comment / read (1)
Rich has the full lowdown on Stadia's tech specs, and had the chance for an early hands-on with the latest (but not final) version of the streaming technology.

166ms of input latency?

System Shock Remake Gameplay video - movie
(hx) 09:34 AM CET - Mar,20 2019 - Post a comment
Nightdive Studios has released a new video, showcasing 21 minutes of gameplay footage from the upcoming remake of System Shock. As the team noted, the level shown here, Medical Level, is not the final version as there are missing enemies, weapons, effects, and sounds. There is currently no ETA on when this remake will come out.

The third game in the I.G.I. series confirmed - briefly
(hx) 09:32 AM CET - Mar,20 2019 - Post a comment / read (1)
Toadman Interactive has announced via Facebook page that the third game in the I.G.I. franchise will be released during 2021. The title is a tactical stealth FPS and a prequel to the previous games that will uncover the origin story of the I.G.I. organization. As the press release reads, Toadman has started the development of the game and is now in the prototyping stage. The team is really excited to have one of the original creators on board for the development and is looking forward to being able to share more as development continues.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection will support Windows 7 - briefly
(hx) 09:26 AM CET - Mar,20 2019 - Post a comment / read (2)
In a Reddit AMA, 343 Industries confirmed that Halo: The Master Chief Collection will not be locked on the latest Windows operating system, meaning that it will support both Windows 7 and Windows 10. As 343 Industries responded when a fan asked whether the game will support Windows 7 and Windows 10. Both – It’s the players choice if they’d like to purchase each of the games within MCC one-by-one as they release or wait and pick them all up at the end.

Currently our focus is on Win10 and Win7. Win8 is still being investigated
343 Industries has also confirmed that Halo: Reach in MCC will have the same level of "mix and match" customization found in the original games (all the individual armor pieces, etc.)

Octane from Apex Legends Is Now Available - briefly
(hx) 09:22 AM CET - Mar,20 2019 - Post a comment
Apex Legend's newest playable character is called Octane. The speed runner will have abilities that allow him to trade health for speed, regenerate the health that he lost, and drop a launch pad that shoots him and his teammates into the air. Apex Legends is the latest hit title from Respawn Entertainment. The Battle Pass for Season 1 was recently launched.

Google announces Stadia - game streaming service - briefly
(hx) 09:21 AM CET - Mar,20 2019 - Post a comment
We knew this was coming, especially after Google's teaser from earlier this month. Project Stream was a proof-of-concept in collaboration with Ubisoft, to see whether AAA gaming was possible over the internet. Things were smooth most of the time in our own experience, but there remained questions over how the concept would translate over to a finished product, especially with infrastructure challenges on the client side of things. Google's keynote at GDC just wrapped up, and the main focus was Stadia- the now named cloud gaming service borne out of Project Stream. Stadia is built with instant access in mind. An example demo came in the form of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which was used in the public test before. It is integrated with partner YouTube channels such that a trailer for a supported game would have an option to play said game, which would then launch immediately. Stadia is built with support from a wide partner network including AMD, Unity, id Software, and more.

,br> Game streaming usually means support for multiple devices, given the backend hosts the actual game processing itself. Stadia is no different, with support for a variety for products including PCs, phones, tablet, and TVs (smart or otherwise via products such as Google's Chromecast). The current limitation is support for Google's Chrome browser, although Google mentioned that they are working to support other browsers as well. Most controllers as well as the keyboard + mouse combination, and Google is also bringing out a dedicated Stadia controller for those who prefer first-party support. The Stadia controller will come in three color options, is reminiscent of the XBOX controller, and connects via WiFi directly to the game being streamed. It also has a dedicated capture button to share content on YouTube, as well as a Google Assistant button to access the built-in mic for, well, Google Assistant. The backend is no doubt critical here, with Google promising over 7500 nodes around the world to combat latency as best as possible. Each node, or Stadia instance as they are calling it, uses datacenters comprising multiple racks filled with custom hardware developed in collaboration with AMD. The hardware includes a GPU providing 10.7 TFlops compute (based on AMD's Vega microarchitecture, presumably), a custom x86 processor clocked at 2.7 GHz with hyperthreading, and 16 GB of RAM, which all pair together to provide a single node well more powerful than the Sony PS4 Pro or the Microsoft XBOX One X- even combined. But raw numbers mean little if developers can't optimize for it, however, and this will no doubt be a challenge. Google is promising a massive improvement in gameplay experience with Stadia, going from the up to 1080p/60 FPS/stereo sound setup from Project Stream to 4K/60 FPS/HDR/surround sound at launch with Stadia, and further improvements targeting 8K gameplay in the futur

Gameguru Mania News - Mar,19 2019 - all

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 has multiple versions! - tech
(hx) 10:03 PM CET - Mar,19 2019 - Post a comment
The fact that Nvidia can cram a 545mm^2 GPU into a low-power laptop at all is remarkable, and generally speaking, the RTX chips perform well in their relatively small power envelopes. But as the video points out, be careful if you're in the market for a gaming laptop, as the actual performance level of some RTX GPUs can be difficult to discern. Wonder how screwed must someone feel after upgrading from a GTX 1070 laptop to an RTX 2080 Max-Q one.?

Google GDC 2019 Gaming Announcement - briefly
(hx) 09:15 PM CET - Mar,19 2019 - Post a comment
Here is the Google GDC gaming announcement.

Unity Engine Megacity tech demo - tech
(hx) 03:26 PM CET - Mar,19 2019 - Post a comment / read (1)
Megacity contains 4.5 million mesh renderers, 5000 dynamic vehicles and 200,000 unique building objects. The vehicles fly on spline-based traffic lanes, never colliding, and there are 100,000 unique audio sources, including neon signs, air-conditioning fans, and cars.

Oddworld: Soulstorm targets a 2020 release - briefly
(hx) 03:25 PM CET - Mar,19 2019 - Post a comment
Oddworld: Soulstorm picks up from Abe’s genesis and directly follows on from the overthrow of RuptureFarms and the liberation of his blighted workmates. Oddworld: Soulstorm will continue to chew up the themes of environmentalism, capitalism, consumerism and addiction that critics and fans found so engaging in release of Oddworld’s last pensive platformer, New ’n’ Tasty. The game is powered by the Unity Engine and targets a 2020 release.

The Heretic: Unity GDC 2019 reveal - movie
(hx) 03:24 PM CET - Mar,19 2019 - Post a comment
Unity’s award-winning Demo team, the creators of Adam and Book of the Dead, is working on a new short film called The Heretic. It’s a real-time cinematic running at 30 fps at 1440p on a consumer-class desktop PC.

System Shock 3 Teaser Trailer - movie
(hx) 03:20 PM CET - Mar,19 2019 - Post a comment / read (1)
A new System Shock 3 teaser trailer offers a look at OtherSide Entertainment's upcoming continuation of the old school action/RPG series. Unfortunately, the team did not reveal any additional details so I believe it’s safe to say that we are looking at a 2020 title at best here.

The Verge says it is "pre-alpha in-engine" footage.

....

Gameguru Mania News - Mar,18 2019 - all

Atari VCS Gets DELAYED Until Late 2019 - console
(hx) 11:45 PM CET - Mar,18 2019 - Post a comment / read (1)
Atari has announced that the upcoming Atari VCS will now be powered by a 14nm AMD processor featuring high-performance Radeon Vega graphics architecture and two "Zen" CPU cores. The hardware team at Atari has replaced the AMD "Bristol Ridge" processor with the new AMD Ryzen APU. The new AMD Ryzen platform will bring welcomed upgrades such as greater efficiency, faster speeds, and cooler temps; allowing the VCS to benefit from a simpler and more effective power architecture and thermal solution. The new processor includes built-in Ethernet, Native 4K video with modern HDCP, and a secure frame buffer that fully-supports DRM video (Netflix, HBO, etc.). The North American schedule is now targeting end of 2019 for delivery of the Atari VCS system for Indiegogo backers.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice gameplay trailer - movie
(hx) 10:05 PM CET - Mar,18 2019 - Post a comment
Activision and FromSoftware have released a brand new gameplay trailer for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, players will explore late 1500s Sengoku Japan, a brutal period of constant life and death conflict, as you come face-to-face with larger than life foes in a dark and twisted world. Players will unleash an arsenal of deadly prosthetic tools and powerful ninja abilities while you blend stealth, vertical traversal, and visceral head-to-head combat in a bloody confrontation. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is currently scheduled for a March 22nd release.

RICO is available on Steam - briefly
(hx) 10:02 PM CET - Mar,18 2019 - Post a comment
Ground Shatter and Rising Star Games have released a brand new action movie first-person shooter on Steam, called RICO. In RICO, players take the role of a loose cannon police detective and face off against criminal gangs in procedurally-generated levels.

RICO looks kind of cool and currently has Mostly Positive Reviews on Steam

Apex Legends Cheaters Receives Permanent Hardware Ban - briefly
(hx) 08:10 PM CET - Mar,18 2019 - Post a comment / read (8)
A thread on the Apex Legends subreddit, entitled Cheaters Complaining lol, has surfaced which sets out some of the apparent stories from Apex Legends cheaters that have gotten permanent bans on PC. Hardware IDs. Just about every piece of hardware in your PC has a unique serial number or Hardware ID. Your network card has a HWID and a MAC address I believe. I'm not exactly sure how these are accessed or if they are easily spoofed, but that's the gist of it. They just have a look at the HWID of the hardware you're using and ban the account if it's a known cheater.
Now, it seems Respawn has taken it a step further by apparently issuing permanent hardware bans to Apex Legends cheaters on PC. This means that Apex Legends PC players who have received a hardware ban are unable to create another Apex Legends account on the same PC to bypass the ban. The Apex Legends subreddit threat shows a screenshot of a banned PC player who has tried just about everything to bypass the ban. From changing the MAC address, reformating his PC, partitioning his PC’s hard drives, to factory resetting but he remains banned from playing the game.

Someone is recreating Star Wars: Dark Forces - briefly
(hx) 08:04 PM CET - Mar,18 2019 - Post a comment / read (3)
Jason Lewis, a professional senior environment artist at Obsidian, is reportedly porting the environments of Star Wars Dark Forces to Unreal Engine 4 as a passion project. While port looks significantly better than the 1995 FPS, to say the last, it doesn't feature any shootable enemies yet. Download the project here before Disney makes it disappear.

Generation Zero - Release Trailer - movie
(hx) 04:14 PM CET - Mar,18 2019 - Post a comment / read (1)
THQ Nordic has released a new gameplay trailer for Avalanche’s new title, Generation Zero; an explosive game of cat and mouse set in a vast open world. In this reimagining of 1980s Sweden, hostile machines have invaded the serene countryside, and players need to fight back while unravelling the mystery of what is really going on. Players will be able to go solo or team-up with up to three of their friends in seamless co-op multiplayer. Players can collaborate and combine their unique skills to take down enemies, support downed friends by reviving them, and share the loot after an enemy is defeated. As you may have guessed, Generation Zero will be powered by the APEX Engine and will feature a full day/night cycle with unpredictable weather, complex AI behaviour, simulated ballistics, highly realistic acoustics and a dynamic 1980’s soundtrack. The game is currently planned for a March 26th release

Gameguru Mania News - Mar,17 2019 - all

Free-to-Play Version of Dead or Alive 6 Now Available - briefly
(hx) 10:43 PM CET - Mar,17 2019 - Post a comment
Koei Tecmo Games has released Dead or Alive 6: Core Fighters, a free-to-play version of the recently released 3D fighter. This is an ideal way to experience the game for those who quickly grow tired of fighters or merely want to see how good a fighting game can look on modern hardware. It’s also a way to spite the publisher for releasing a game with a $93 Season Pass.

Steam Weekly Top Sellers - briefly
(hx) 07:02 PM CET - Mar,17 2019 - Post a comment
Here are the ten top selling titles on Steam for the week as reported by Valve: Devil May Cry 5
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS
Grand Theft Auto V
Total War: WARHAMMER II
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm
Middle-earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition
Factory Town
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Siege - Year 4 Pass
Conan Exiles

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