News Round // 10.2023

It appears that the major purchasing spree may have concluded. While the Microsoft and Activision deal is nearing completion, I observe Microsoft operating in a league of its own compared to Sony and other publishers. In my view, the financial challenges faced by Embracer Group, along with the closure of several studios (such as Mimimi Games, volition and Daedalics studio Part) and significant layoffs in the tech industry (like Bioware or Meta..), serve as clear indicators that the resources for substantial advancements may no longer be readily available.

PlayStation Plus, Spotify, and Disney Plus are all hiking their prices, while Netflix is taking measures to curtail password sharing. Google, on the other hand, is planning to delete accounts inactive for two years. It seems that not only the gaming industry but the tech sector as a whole is actively looking for cost-saving measures.

I don't have a clear sense of the direction or evolution of this development. We, as customers, will need to watch and wait. In most cases, shifts in established giants can create openings for newcomers.

The highly-anticipated (at least by me) space combat game, Squadron 42, has reached the feature complete phase, marking a major step toward its release. To celebrate, the development team has revealed an impressive new trailer, offering a tantalizing glimpse of the game's immersive world and intense gameplay.

In this milestone, all core features and missions have been implemented, bringing the game closer to reality. The trailer showcases cutting-edge graphics and epic space battles, leaving fans eager for what's to come.

While a release date is yet to be announced, Squadron 42's progress is a promising development for excited gamers. Check out the new trailer on their official website for a taste of what awaits in this highly-anticipated space combat adventure.

 I Held The Line

A few days ago, the previously unknown ransomware group Ransomedvc claimed to have completely hacked Sony. If the company doesn't pay, the criminals threaten to sell the stolen data. Reportedly, they have copied 260 gigabytes (GB) of data, and they want to sell this package for $2.5 million. As proof, they have uploaded a some of that data to their website in the darknet for download.

Now, user MajorNelson has spoken out on the BreachForum about the matter and claimed responsibility for the hack. He labels Ransomedvc as fraudsters seeking attention. To prove his possession of the stolen data, the user intends to release 2.4 GB of data.

As for Sony, they've remained silent. They haven't confirmed or denied the hack. It's ironically sad.

Considering the growing number of well-informed opinions circulating, it appears that a Grand Theft Auto 6 announcement is either imminent or at least on the horizon. For now that's all I have to say on this topic.

November 7th is N7 Day, and I'm eagerly awaiting what Bioware will reveal. Usually, we receive some teasers about Mass Effect, but to be honest, the previous ones were vague. I'm hoping for more substantial information this time, although I don't expect a release date or details about the main character. I'm particularly eager to learn more about the plot.

If I could make a wish, I believe there are many talented studios within the Electronic Arts space that would be eager to contribute a piece to the Mass Effect universe. I've had this idea for a Citadel adventure for a while now, and would really like to see some C-Sec stories. Or even an announcement about reintroducing the multiplayer mode from Mass Effect 3 into the Legendary Edition.

// Update 28.10.2023 - 00:40

In a interesting move, major technology players such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon, NVIDIA, AMD, and MediaTek are individually working on ARM-based CPUs for desktop PCs. This development signals a potential shift away from the traditional x86 architecture that has long dominated the desktop computer market.

Snapdragon, a mobile chipset leader, has teased preliminary performance numbers for its ARM-based desktop CPUs. However, skepticism exists as to whether these figures have been cherry-picked, emphasizing the importance of waiting for third-party benchmarks to provide a more accurate assessment.

MediaTek has made a bold claim that its ARM-based CPUs can seamlessly pair with NVIDIA GPUs, raising the possibility of a compelling collaboration. This partnership could leverage MediaTek's CPU designs with NVIDIA's renowned graphics processing units.

For AMD, expanding into the desktop segment with ARM-based CPUs represents a significant step forward. This move could potentially make AMD the only major player with both x86 and ARM CPUs in their product portfolio, offering a diverse and adaptable range of solutions that even Intel lacks.

It's essential to acknowledge that the PC market has traditionally been slow to adopt new architectures. The x86 architecture's widespread compatibility and software support present a challenge to any transition towards ARM CPUs, requiring developers to rework applications to optimize them for ARM architecture.