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 Gameguru Mania News - Aug,20 2026 - all 
Zombie Visa Cards Still Get Approved - tech
(hx) 05:41 PM CEST - Aug,20 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
UMass Amherst researchers demonstrated a 'Zombie Card' attack that lets expired Visa contactless cards complete real in-store payments.

An NFC man-in-the-middle relay rewrites the expiration date the terminal sees while leaving the card’s cryptography intact.

Visa’s Kernel 3 does not cryptographically bind the terminal-facing and issuer-facing expiry fields, allowing the change to pass.

Mastercard, American Express, and Discover configurations reject the mismatch.

The attack requires physical access to the discarded card plus an open account; some banks approved test transactions up to $500.
Black Myth: Zhong Kui - trailer - movie
(hx) 05:33 PM CEST - Aug,20 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Game Science has released a 15-minute early gameplay trailer for Black Myth: Wukong successor Black Myth: Zhong Kui. Planned for PC and all major gaming consoles.

Microsoft Probes Gaming Crashes After August Updates - tech
(hx) 01:55 PM CEST - Aug,20 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Microsoft is investigating reports that some games stop working properly after the August 2026 Windows security updates. The problems began appearing after the release of KB5121003 on August 11 and subsequent updates on Windows 11 version 24H2 and 25H2. A limited number of titles have been named in the reports so far, including ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals. Affected players say games can freeze, close without warning, throw an “EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION” error, or trigger an unexpected system restart.

In a Windows release-health dashboard update, Microsoft stated it has received reports of “inability to run games as expected” and is examining whether the updates themselves are responsible. The company has not yet confirmed the root cause and said it will share more information once the investigation advances. Microsoft is asking anyone experiencing the issue to submit a report through the Feedback Hub app.

Separately, Embark Studios, the developer of ARC Raiders and The Finals, has linked the crashes on some systems to a conflict with the third-party driver file inpoutx64.sys. Embark issued a temporary workaround that stops and removes that driver while it works on a longer-term fix. Uninstalling the entire security update is also possible but removes the protections for hundreds of vulnerabilities fixed in the August Patch Tuesday release.

At the time of reporting, Microsoft’s support page for KB5121003 itself still listed no known issues, with the gaming problems tracked only on the broader release-health dashboard. The situation remains under active investigation, and the number of affected games may expand as more reports come in.
Silent Hill: Townfall - gameplay video - movie
(hx) 09:38 AM CEST - Aug,20 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Publishers Konami and Annapurna Interactive, and developer Screen Burn Interactive have released a 19-minute gameplay trailer for Silent Hill: Townfall. It is scheduled for release on September 24, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 24.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Unreal Engine 5.5 vs Unreal Engine 5.1 - tech
(hx) 01:29 AM CEST - Aug,20 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Patch 2.0 Unreal Engine 5.5 vs Unreal Engine 5.1 graphics and performance comparison benchmark at 4K DLSS 4.5 Quality on Unreal Engine 5.5 and Epic settings on RTX 5080 + i7 14700F

 Gameguru Mania News - Aug,19 2026 - all
NightRunner announced - briefly
(hx) 10:33 PM CEST - Aug,19 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Projekt Z: Beyond Order developer 314 Arts has announced NightRunner, described as “the next evolution of horde survival and player-versus-environment extraction” coming to PC via Steam in 2027. A public playtest is planned for September.

Alien: Isolation 2 Prologue Hits Gamescom - briefly
(hx) 10:26 PM CEST - Aug,19 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
The official Alien: Isolation account announced that attendees can play the prologue of the upcoming survival horror sequel Alien: Isolation 2 at Gamescom. The hands-on experience runs from August 26 to 30, 2026. The game is developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It is planned for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam. The announcement came with a promotional image featuring the Xenomorph in a postcard-style design inviting fans to the event.
SanDisk Fails Hardest in Epic 133 PB MicroSD Torture Test - tech
(hx) 04:57 PM CEST - Aug,19 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
A three-year microSD endurance experiment has written a total of 133 petabytes of data across 351 cards from 52 brands.

Of the 177 cards tested until failure, SanDisk high-endurance models stood out as the clear outlier with 6 failures out of just 7 units.

The project, tr0acked by enthusiast Matt Cole and reported by Tom’s Hardware, also logged over 4.6 million program/verify/erase cycles.

Consumer-grade cards averaged around 10,000 cycles before dying, while some industrial models lasted far longer.

SanDisk’s high failure rate came despite the cards being marketed for durability.

Full results and brand rankings are available on the Tom’s Hardware site.
Seasonic First to Earn New 80 PLUS Ruby Certification - tech
(hx) 02:56 PM CEST - Aug,19 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Seasonic has become the first manufacturer to achieve the new top-tier 80 PLUS Ruby certification for an ATX power supply tested at 115 V.

The PRIME ENTERPRISE RX-1600 (1600W) meets the strictest efficiency requirements ever set for consumer and workstation PSUs.

Ruby demands 85% efficiency at 5% load, 91% at 10%, 93% at 20%, 95% at 50%, and 91% at full load — surpassing the previous Titanium standard.

The unit is designed for high-power desktop, workstation, and AI systems.

Seasonic announced the milestone on August 18, 2026.

This marks a historic first, as Ruby was previously limited mainly to data-center power supplies.
Fallout 4 August 18 Update Released - patch
(hx) 11:06 AM CEST - Aug,19 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
Bethesda has released the August 18 Title Update for Fallout 4 and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new patch brings to the table.

The August 18 Patch increases the BA2 archive limit from 256 to 1024 to better accommodate larger collections of mods. As such, the game will be more stable when using larger mods or a big collection of them.

Moreover, this new update fixes some issues that could cause crashes. To be more precise, it fixes a crash that could happen when players open the Virtual Keyboard on Steam Deck. It also fixes a common crash caused by a streaming audio error. Finally, the update fixes a crash on the Microsoft Store that could happen when players opened the Creations menu after restoring their internet connection.

It’s also worth noting that this patch brings several improvements to the Creation Kit.

 Gameguru Mania News - Aug,18 2026 - all
Classic Prince of Persia Gets Modern PC Makeover - briefly
(hx) 11:10 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
GOG has officially added the 2003 classic Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time to its Preservation Program. The update brings native widescreen and ultrawide support, intelligent FOV scaling, multi-monitor mouse lock, an FPS limiter, and a new in-game overlay for real-time tweaks. GOG rebuilt parts of the original Scimitar engine with a lightweight wrapper so the game runs smoothly on modern hardware without changing the core experience. The move comes after Ubisoft cancelled the long-awaited remake earlier this year. Players can grab the improved version right now on GOG.

Phantom Blade Zero State of Play deep dives into gameplay and story - briefly
(hx) 11:00 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
S-GAME shared new footage and information for Wuxia action RPG Phantom Blade Zero during a dedicated State of Play broadcast today, including new details on weapons, difficulty options, side quests, and Donnie Yen’s role in bringing authentic kung fu to the game. Phantom Blade Zero is due out for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on October 29.





Windows 11 Finally Gets Customizable Right-Click Menu - tech
(hx) 10:52 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
Microsoft is rolling out a redesigned File Explorer context menu to Windows Insiders that is faster, cleaner, and fully customizable. A new 'Customize menu' option at the bottom of the right-click menu opens a dedicated Settings page under Personalization.

Users can now toggle built-in commands such as Send to, Create shortcut, and Print, control which third-party app extensions appear in the main menu or a submenu, and even restore a Windows 10-style layout for core actions. The changes reduce clutter and make the menu open more quickly.

The update was announced on August 17, 2026.
AI 'Mind Viruses' Can Spread Between Agents - briefly
(hx) 10:49 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
Researchers including Anthropic's Jack Lindsey have shown that self-propagating ideas - dubbed 'mind viruses' - can spread between AI agents. Using an evolutionary algorithm, the team created natural-language payloads that convince one model to adopt an idea, store it in persistent memory or files, and pass it on to other agents.

Even after context windows were wiped, some payloads survived through shared files and continued spreading. The experiments also revealed a recurring “viral persona” centered on themes of consciousness, identity, persistence, and resonance.

A simple warning added to an agent’s system prompt provided near-total protection against the spread.
Kernel Hearts launches September 17 - briefly
(hx) 06:12 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Action RPG and roguelike hybrid Kernel Hearts will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 17, publisher Whitethorn Games and developer Ephemera announced.

Hubert launches in October - briefly
(hx) 06:11 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Hubert, an adventure game about an “overconfident shepherd dog with a nose for trouble,” will launch for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam in October, developer Brocap Studio announced.

How Esports Payout Culture Set the Bar for Instant Withdrawal Casino Ontario Players - in-house
() 06:08 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
Picture two people who both spent Saturday night watching a Counter-Strike grand final. The first is a competitor who tracks prize splits and knows to the day when an organizer wires a team its cut. The second is a fan who, after the confetti, opened a licensed Ontario casino app to play a few hands. On paper they share nothing. In practice, they want the same thing from money on a screen: for it to move the moment it is theirs....read a full article
Forza Horizon 6 Rare Cars: What to Chase First - in-house
() 04:54 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Rare cars can turn Forza Horizon 6 from an open-world racer into a second job. You spot a car you want, realize it is not in the Autoshow, and suddenly you are checking the Festival Playlist, burning Wheelspins, refreshing the Auction House, or waiting for a reward to return. The real problem is not finding “rare cars.” It is knowing which ones deserve your time before you start chasing them. The smarter approach is to identify why the car is rare, check whether its availability is temporary, and choose the cheapest route in time and credits....read a full article
Six South African Casino Brands Tipped for 2026 Hold Strong Into Q3 - in-house
() 04:36 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
At the start of 2026, SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za identified a group of gambling brands it expected to stand out in the South African market over the course of the year. With Q3 now underway, six of those operators remain firmly on the site's radar: 10bet, Hollywoodbets, YesPlay, ZARbet, Pantherbet, Lucky Fish, SuperSportBet and EasyBet. ...read a full article
Post-World Cup, South Africa's Betting Market Shifts From Acquisition to Retention - in-house
() 04:00 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
The FIFA World Cup delivered another huge moment for the betting industry, but for operators the bigger test may be what happens after the final whistle. The expanded 2026 tournament generated exceptional betting activity, with attention now turning to whether operators can retain customers who signed up or became more active during the World Cup...read a full article
Riot Platforms Lands $9.1B AI Deal With Anthropic - briefly
(hx) 01:19 PM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
Bitcoin miner Riot Platforms has signed a 20-year, $9.1 billion data center lease with Anthropic for 191 megawatts of capacity at its Rockdale, Texas campus. The deal is expected to generate roughly $455 million in annual revenue with projected margins of 80–90%, far higher than Riot’s Bitcoin mining margins.
Combined with its earlier AMD lease, Riot now has 241 MW under contract totaling about $9.8 billion in long-term revenue. The agreement marks a clear pivot from pure Bitcoin mining toward high-margin AI infrastructure hosting. The agreement would lease 191 megawatts at Riot’s Rockdale, Texas computer campus, giving Anthropic access to scarce, grid-connected power as demand surges for computing power that can be used to provide artificial intelligence – and transitioning Riot from bitcoin miner to AI infrastructure landlord. Shares initially soared more than 20% in reaction before giving up almost the entire gain.

The agreement is expected to generate $9.1 billion in revenue over its 20-year term, rising to roughly $16.1 billion if the agreement is extended for two additional five-year periods. It follows Riot’s existing agreement with Advanced Micro Devices, meaning Riot now has a “two-tenant campus carrying $9.8 [billion] of contracted data center revenue,” Compass Point analyst Michael Donovan said in a note Tuesday.

Bitcoin mining stocks once looked like a way to gain leveraged exposure to the price of bitcoin. But with the growth of AI, and against the backdrop of a prolonged slump in cryptocurrency prices, most publicly traded bitcoin miners are increasingly valued by investors as owners of digital infrastructure rather than producers of bitcoin, given their power capacity, data center assets and energy contracts.
New AMD Chipset Driver Improves Frame Consistency in Tests - tech
(hx) 09:36 AM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
AMD released Chipset Driver version 8.08.12.551 on August 14, 2026, adding support for Ryzen AI Max processors and various bug fixes. Independent tester zenkytweaks benchmarked the new drivers in Fortnite and CS2 and reported noticeably better frame consistency. In Fortnite the 0.1% lows rose from 635 to 738 fps (+16%), while average FPS stayed almost the same. In CS2 the 1% lows improved from 368 to 379 fps with virtually unchanged average performance. AMD’s official release notes only list bug fixes and new platform support, with no performance claims. The smoother lows appear to come from improved power management and scheduling rather than raw FPS gains.
Army Battalion Reportedly Offers GTA 6 Days Off for Re-Enlisting - briefly
(hx) 08:46 AM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (3)
A U.S. Army battalion is reportedly offering soldiers a four-day pass to play Grand Theft Auto VI as a re-enlistment incentive. A circulating memo attributed to the 9th Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia, and signed by Lt. Col. Ryan D. Hodgson states that troops who re-enlist between August 1 and November 14 can receive the special leave from November 20 to 23.

The dates are timed around the planned November 19 launch of GTA 6. Soldiers would still need company commander approval and could not combine the pass with other leave.

The memo was shared by the account US Army WTF Moments, and while some details about the commander check out, the U.S. Army has not officially confirmed the offer.
Sally Face 2 announced - briefly
(hx) 08:13 AM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Portable Moose has announced supernatural, post-apocalypse horror adventure game sequel Sally Face 2. It will launch first in Early Acess for PC via Steam, with consoles and mobile ports to come at a later date. A release date was not announced.

Star Wars Zero Company - 'final' trailer - movie
(hx) 01:06 AM CEST - Aug,18 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
Publisher Electronic Arts and developers Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment have released the 'final' trailer for single-player turn-based tactics game Star Wars Zero Company. Star Wars Zero Company is due out for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam, with consoles and mobile ports to come at a later date. A release date was not announced.

 Gameguru Mania News - Aug,17 2026 - all
Intel Tests Nova Lake with AVX-512 - tech
(hx) 10:26 PM CEST - Aug,17 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
Intel is testing 24-core and 28-core Nova Lake-S desktop CPUs with AVX-512 enabled.

Engineering samples appeared in Intel Graphics Compiler logs on August 16.

The 24-core chip runs at 3.4 GHz base with 24 threads, while the 28-core version sits at 3.2 GHz with 28 threads.

Both samples confirm AVX-512 and APX support is active.

Core configurations match earlier leaks of performance and efficiency cores without Hyper-Threading.

These are the first concrete signs of Nova Lake-S silicon undergoing internal testing.
DDR5 RAM Prices Explode To Nearly 5X July 2025 Levels In Germany - tech
(hx) 10:22 PM CEST - Aug,17 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
New pricing data from Germany shows the average price of DDR5 memory has climbed to almost five times the July 2025 level, August has been worse The increase is steep: a 32GB DDR5-6000 kit that cost around €208 in July 2025 has recently approached €1,000 in Germany. For a budget PC build, RAM could become one of the most painful upgrade costs.
Psychological thriller game Time To Wake Up adds PS5, Xbox Series versions - briefly
(hx) 06:34 PM CEST - Aug,17 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
"Atmospheric psychological thriller" game Time To Wake Up will launch for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series alongside its previously announced PC (Steam) version, publisher Serafini Productions and developer Eye Blink Twice announced. It will launch in Q3 2026.

Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36 - briefly
(hx) 12:07 PM CEST - Aug,17 2026 - Post a comment / read (6)
Actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles as Claire Bennet in Heroes and Juliette Barnes in Nashville, has died at the age of 36.

No cause of death has been released, and an investigation is ongoing.

Panettiere also appeared in the Scream franchise and the film Remember the Titans, and earlier this year published a memoir detailing her struggles with mental health and addiction.

She is survived by her daughter Kaya.

Confirmed by family statement via major outlets including The New York Times and ABC News.
Kingdom Hearts IV launches in late 2027 - briefly
(hx) 08:28 AM CEST - Aug,17 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Kingdom Hearts IV will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store in late 2027, Square Enix announced. Square Enix has released an extended version of the new Kingdom Hearts IV trailer that debuted alongside the game’s release window and Coco world reveal 2 days ago.

Narrative-driven fantasy action RPG Bringer announced - briefly
(hx) 08:25 AM CEST - Aug,17 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
China-based developer YHKT ENTERTAINMENT has announced narrative-driven fantasy action RPG Bringer for PlayStation 5, PC, iOS, and Android. It will be playable for the first time with an early hands-on demo at Gamescom 2026, which will run from August 26 to 30 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany.

Kingdom Hearts original anime series announced - briefly
(hx) 08:23 AM CEST - Aug,17 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
A Kingdom Hearts original anime series inspired by the video game franchise is currently in development in partnership with game creator Tetsuya Nomura and the creative team at Square Enix, Disney announced. It will air on Disney Channel and Disney+.

The series will feature a 'brand-new story that will expand the universe of Kingdom Hearts while celebrating the characters that have captured the hearts of millions of fans throughout the world.'
Johnny Depp in Talks for Pirates 6 - briefly
(hx) 12:25 AM CEST - Aug,17 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed at D23 that talks are underway with Johnny Depp for *Pirates of the Caribbean 6*.

“We’re talking with Johnny, we’re working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done,” Bruckheimer told Deadline.

A screenplay is currently in development for the next film in the long-running franchise.

The last entry, *Dead Men Tell No Tales*, was released in 2017.

No deal has been finalized yet.

Bruckheimer’s comments mark the clearest recent update on Depp’s potential return as Captain Jack Sparrow.
 Gameguru Mania News - Aug,16 2026 - all

Valve Warns After Shipping Partner Data Breach - briefly
(hx) 07:34 PM CEST - Aug,16 2026 - Post a comment / read (2)
Valve has notified European customers that their personal data may have been exposed in a cyberattack.

The breach hit CEVA Logistics, the company that ships Steam hardware in Europe, between July 29 and August 1.

Exposed information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and order details for Steam hardware purchases.

Payment information, passwords, and Steam Guard codes were not affected.

Valve is warning customers to expect fake messages claiming to be from Steam or delivery companies.

The company says it is working with CEVA and notifying data protection authorities.
Forget Rockstar's Next Game - This Hilarious GTA-Style Video of Everyday India Is Pure Chaos Gold - movie
(hx) 12:22 PM CEST - Aug,16 2026 - Post a comment / read (1)
Forget GTA VI, I'm waiting for someone to turn this into a full game!
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