Night Hunter

http://www.dsogaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Killer-Instict-feature-672x372.jpg Killer Instict’s Creative Director, Adam Isgreen, has confirmed via a Twitch interview that Killer Instict Season 3 will be coming to the PC this March. Adam also confirmed what most of us feared; this game will be exclusive to Windows 10. Whether this means that it will be a DX12-only game remains to be seen. Killer Instict Season 3 will feature a new Dojo tutorial and will feature more characters at launch than there were available in the launch of Season 2. Tusk and Kim Wu have also been confirmed to be available at launch. Naturally, everyone on the roster will have tweaks to help balance the game to compensate for the new features and mechanics being introduced in Season 3. As we already know, the game will offer cross-play platform support between Xbox One and the PC. Here is what has been confirmed so far for Killer Instict Season 3 (thanks Reddit) Rumors that have been confirmed It will release in March 2016It is Windows 10 exclusiveAn updated Dojo TutorialTusk and Kim Wu have been confirmed to appear at launch and both will have retro costumesMore characters will be available at launch than there were in the launch of Season 2. The remaining few will be available in the coming months.Everyone on the roster will have tweaks to help balance the game to compensate for the new features and mechanics being introduced in Season 3New information that has been confirmed Two characters that are currently on the roster will be re-worked. That means their set ups and how they gain meter will be different. It is confirmed that these two characters are not Glacius, Aganos, or Shadow Jago.Although Ultimates for every character isn’t confirmed, it is possible for all the characters to receive Ultimates due to the tech they developed when they created ARIA.They will reveal more information at Pax South in San Antonio, TX sometime between January 29-31There will be more community bundles in Season 3 due to the success of the Shadow Jago Fund Raiser. The purpose of the Fund Raisers will be determined by the community on what they want to see in Season 3 that didn’t make the cut by launch. So if you want to see a certain guest character, stage, mode, feature, ect. that didn’t make the cut, make yourself heard. They are actively seeking out the community’s input. Source http://www.dsogaming.com/news/killer-instict-season-3-is-coming-this-march-on-the-pc-will-be-exclusive-to-windows-10/

For many, it was a disappointment when it was revealed that Just Cause 3 wouldn't have a multiplayer component--particularly considering how fun the multiplayer mod for Just Cause 2 is. Fortunately, the same people responsible for that mod are now at work on adding a multiplayer component to the PC version of Just Cause 3.On the official website for the existing mod, JC2-MP, the development team announced its plan to release a follow-up, JC3-MP, for Just Cause 3. The trailer below serves as a sort of proof-of-concept, showing a handful of players driving and racing around each other in the same world. There aren't yet any details on when the mod will be available, but we'll apparently be hearing about it regularly going forward. Just Cause's developer Avalanche has spoken positively about it, including co-founder Christofer Sundberg. "The mod is absolutely fantastic," he said last year after revealing Just Cause 3 wouldn't include multiplayer. "We owe those guys a lot. They have actually supported the game and helped it stay alive so many years after it was released. We don't expect the fans to make the multiplayer for Just Cause 3, but at some point you have to make a choice on where your focus is. Our strength is the sandbox experience, and we want to deliver a great Just Cause 3 experience." Sundberg also teased the possibility of adding or releasing some kind of official multiplayer experience in the future, but nothing was ever properly announced. "We're incredibly excited to show off the progress we've made these last few weeks," the mod team said today. "Moving forward you can expect frequent updates on our progress along with exciting new developments as they happen." JC2-MP allows Just Cause 2 players to play the game alongside hundreds of other players. The mod proved to be quite popular and is even available directly through Steam. Source http://fearless-assassins.com/topic/77098-just-cause-3-multiplayer-is-in-the-works/?do=findComment&comment=671710

Happy new year to you 2 mate!

http://4d663a369f9f03c3c61e-870e77779efd63f7bd6c2ee08d8cfae6.r2.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/gJZ843by_mro.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg Final Fantasy IX, the secret best Final Fantasy title, is coming to PC, only 15 years after it released for the original PlayStation. Square Enix announced the news on their Japanese site here (thanks, NeoGAF!), and while there's no guarantee it'll release in the West, the fact that you can view that site in English makes me hopeful.The belated PC port will feature "high-definition graphics, newly added achievements, auto-save, high speed mode, and several game boosting features", and that's thankfully not code for "we made the game look hideous", a la Final Fantasy VI. You can see how the port looks in the accompanying trailer: Source http://www.pcgamer.com/final-fantasy-9-is-finally-coming-to-pc/

http://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/mgsv_mgo_tga_01_web-Copy.jpg Hideo Kojima may be gone from Konami but the publisher is still pushing support for Metal Gear Online, the multiplayer mode of Metal Gear Soldi 5: The Phantom Pain. Konami recently revealed on Twitter that, “New DLC planned for MGO, including new maps, Survival, and more! Further details to come.” A new update is also currently available for the game which reduces the amount of XP required for leveling up and adjusts weapon values. For instance, the stun grenade will no longer blind you if you’re not facing it. The shotgun has also had its knockback range increased while the readying speed for machine guns and the SERVAL AMR-7 have been reduced. It also seems that Konami will be looking to make reviving team-mates slightly more difficult in a future update. Source http://gamingbolt.com/metal-gear-online-receiving-new-maps-survival-mode-and-more

http://cnet3.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2015/09/10/be5477d2-502e-4c47-914b-9fa40ccb5d29/resize/970x546/37007fad5d38668449439da9f3f3b202/samsung-galaxy-s6-galaxy-s6-edge.jpg Samsung's next major smartphones could launch in February and come in two sizes, according to news reports Monday. Expected to be called the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, the new devices may be unveiled on February 20, according to blog SamMobile. South Korea's Electronic Times is reporting the 2016 smartphone line would have a standard 5.2-inch version with straight sides and a larger 5.5-inch variant with curved sides. That would deviate from the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, which both debuted in 2015 with 5.1-inch screens, though the Edge had curved sides. Samsung remains the only phone maker to use a vertically curve-edged display. LG's G Flex and G Flex 2 devices slightly curved downward at the middle. Since demand for the Galaxy S6 Edge initially outstripped supply at one point, there's some question as to whether Samsung has learned from that release. Samsung reportedly plans to have 5 million handsets ready to go at launch: 3.3 million of the Galaxy S7 and 1.7 million of the Galaxy S7 Edge. Rumored launch dates for the flagship phones have varied, from as early as next week at Las Vegas' Consumer Electronics Show -- which would be ahead of Samsung's typical cycle -- to February 20, right around Barcelona's Mobile World Congress trade show, the company's usual venue. Other recent rumors suggest the Galaxy S7 could have an iris scanner for unlocking the phone with your eyes, USB Type-C charging, and a pressure-sensitive display similar to 3D Touch on the Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. Check out our full list of Galaxy S7 rumors for more. Source http://www.cnet.com/...on-february-20/

California-based game developer Red 5 (Firefall) was unable to pay its staff on December 25--Christmas Day. That's according to several sources cited in a new report from Kotaku today. http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2984660-firefall.jpg Paychecks at the studio are usually delivered every other Friday. However, staffers didn't get paid on December 25, and some were reportedly sent the following memo: "Hi Team, I regret to inform you that Red 5 currently does not have the funds necessary to meet our payroll scheduled for today Friday, December 25. Due to this, there will not be payroll paid this week. "Red 5 and The9, our parent company, is currently working to resolve this, during the holidays, as soon as possible. We are hopeful we’ll be able to resolve this and will update the team immediately." As Kotaku explains, Red 5 has faced challenging times of late, including the ousting of some of its founding staff in recent years. Chinese company The9 bought a majority stake in Red 5 in 2010. In 2012, the studio announced plans to open a European headquarters in Ireland, creating 30 jobs as a result. Kotaku was unable to reach Red 5 for comment. We have reached out to the company and will update this post if any new information becomes available. The company's main studio is in Laguna Hills, California. Red 5 was founded in 2005 by a number of former Blizzard Entertainment employees. Source http://www.gamespot....p/1100-6433398/

http://36646d87786feafc0611-0338bbbce19fc98919c6293def4c5554.r0.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/VX0KD7oZSiiU.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg "Imminently shipping". Now there's a strange phrase to see in an Oculus Rift press release. If you are a developer imminently shipping your Rift game, the final Rift hardware and SDK version 1.0 will be winging its way towards you this week. I feel like I've woken up from stasis a few years on from where I was, but of course the Rift is coming out in the first three months of next year, and of course that means there will be games for it—we already know that Eve: Valkyrie will be shipping with every Rift (Andy thinks it's great, and I defer to him in all things space). If you've been developing a Rift launch title but forgot to mention it to anyone, you can still use the Oculus submission tool to have it approved and get the new hardware. Developers making Rift games that won't be released at launch will have to lump it with DK2 and SDK 0.8. Source http://www.pcgamer.com/final-rift-hardware-and-sdk-10-shipping-to-devs/

The 2015 Steam Winter Sale has begun. As earlier reports indicated, the sale period started today, December 22, and will run for two weeks through January 4. http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_large/1179/11799911/2982789-deals1.jpg In a news release, Valve said there will be discounts on "thousands of games and software." You can also collect Winter Sale-themed trading cards only available during the sale period. Some good deals include The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for $5, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for $30, Ark: Survival Evolved for $18, and Rocket League for $14. In addition, Valve is introducing the first-ever Steam Sale comic, called "Gingerbread Jake In: North Pole Noir." A new page from the comic will be revealed every day during the sale. Like the Fall sale before it, it looks like the Steam Winter sale won't include rotating daily deals--that means what's on offer now may be all you'll see for the duration of the sale. Source http://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-winter-sale-begins-offers-thousands-of-disco/1100-6433318/

http://0cb8dd5d2dc142d08f0f-eb3b436d25971e5860b39e72b0600342.r94.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/AL-m5MQDiEuN.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg In thoroughly unsurprising news, there is going to be a new Battlefield game. According to a Tweet by DICE development director Dan Vaderlind, now that Star Wars: Battlefront has shipped he's been transferred over to "the next Battlefield". A new Battlefield game usually releases every two years: Battlefield 3 came in 2011, Battlefield 4 in 2013, and Battlefield: Hardline earlier this year. Despite claiming they had no intentions to annualise Battlefield, EA has Battlefield 5 on its release schedule for 2016.Whatever the case, if you weren't too fond of Hardline's militarised cop theme, Battlefield 5 will be a return to the series' more traditional military setting, according to comments made by EA's CFO last year. It's in keeping with the publisher's mandate to ship a new FPS every year, which means we'll probably see a new Titanfall in 2017.Support for Battlefield 4 continues, with a new map based on a Battlefield 2 classic released last month. Source http://www.pcgamer.com/battlefield-5-is-currently-in-development-says-dice-rep/

Originally scheduled to release this week, Hitman won't launch officially until March 2016. That doesn't mean you can't access it earlier – in fact, Square Enix announced at the weekend that a beta period will commence on February 19 for PC. There's a catch though: in order to guarantee access, you'll need to preorder the game.According to the announcement, the beta mission "is set twenty years in the past at a top-secret ICA recruitment and training facility. This extremely unique mission revolves around how Agent 47 was recruited into the ICA and shows the first time that 47 meets his long-time handler, Diana Burnwood."While Hitman launches officially on March 11, the full game will roll out over the course of 2016. It'll launch with three sandboxes – France, Italy and Morocco – with Thailand, USA and Japan launching in April, May and June respectively.Source http://www.pcgamer.com/hitman-beta-confirmed-for-february-2016/

At today’s Games Awards show, Ubisoft revealed the debut gameplay trailer for Far Cry: Primal. Far Cry: Primal is coming to the PC on March 1st, a week after the console release. In Far Cry Primal you play as Takkar, the last member of a tribe of seasoned hunters. In order to survive the Stone Age you must use every tool at your disposal. Tame the beasts you encounter and you may just become top of the food chain. Enjoy! Source http://www.dsogaming.com/news/far-cry-primal-is-slightly-delayed-on-the-pc-first-gameplay-trailer-revealed/

http://4d663a369f9f03c3c61e-870e77779efd63f7bd6c2ee08d8cfae6.r2.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/orQCwkP8d9tE.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg The Overwatch closed beta that's currently underway will be brought to an end next week. Blizzard said the beta will relaunch sometime in January, but now it's time to start sorting through all the data that's been collected over the past month-and-a-half."Since the start of the Overwatch beta in late October, aspiring heroes from around the world have battled it out in more than 900,000 matches. In this same period of time, we've also gathered invaluable information about our servers, core systems like matchmaking, and overall map and hero balance—thanks not only to the raw data we've collected from the game, but also to the numerous bug reports, suggestions, critiques, and experiences you’ve shared," Blizzard said in the announcement. "This phase of development has been key, but now it's time to analyze the data we have, dig into your feedback even further, and put that knowledge to use as best we can."The beta will be shut down at 9 am PST on December 10, one week from today, but the beta forums will stay open until December 18. No new players will be added between now and the shutdown, but all those who are in the current beta will be readmitted once it restarts. Blizzard also plans to add more players after it relaunches, although specifics about how many and when they'll be allowed behind the velvet rope have yet to be nailed down.We had a nice chat about Overwatch with Game Director Jeff Kaplan and Creative Director Chris Metzen early last month at BlizzCon, during which we talked about the beta test, future content, and why Blizzard opted to go with the rather surprising not-free-to-play payment model. Source http://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-beta-is-shutting-down-next-week/

http://36646d87786feafc0611-0338bbbce19fc98919c6293def4c5554.r0.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/YbA3HvVenWdJ.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg Nvidia's new driver, version 358.87, is out just in time for the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops III this week. As well as BlOps 3, it has also added "Game Ready" support for Anno 2205, and the new War Thunder patch with GameWorks.Nvidia has also said that it will be adding Game Ready driver support "on or before launch day for the top titles this holiday season." The game's included in this are: -Civilization Online-Fallout 4-Just Cause 3-Monster Hunter Online-Overwatch-Just Cause 3-RollerCoaster Tycoon World-StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void-Star Wars: Battlefront-Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege-War Thunder Release 358 has added SLI support for ShadowPlay and GameStream in Windows 10, as well as Stereo support for DirectX 12 SLI and 3D Surround. ShadowPlay is Nvidia's screen recording utility, and GameStream is streaming tech that allows you to pipe a PC game to a GameStream-capable box connected to your TV over WiFi.The new driver has also added a number of bug fixes related to performance drops and crashes for Windows 10, 8, and 7. Known issues on Windows 10 still include stuttering and flickering in the newly released version of Batman: Arkham Knight.If you're using GeForce Experience and have handed over your email address, then you'll have a chance to win one of the prizes Nvidia is offering this holiday, from games and graphics cards to the Shield Android TV box, part of Nvidia's incentive to join their mailing list. Source http://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-promises-game-ready-drivers-for-a-dozen-holiday-games/

http://0cb8dd5d2dc142d08f0f-eb3b436d25971e5860b39e72b0600342.r94.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/IgAdx7RQOjWi.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg The awkward Overwatch leaks continue, with a leaked poster pointing to a 'Spring 2016' release for Blizzard's colourful squad shooter. If you check out the fine print at the bottom, the game is expected to release "on or before June 21, 2016". That's no surprise really – the game is in beta at the moment – but the poster only serves to raise more questions: what pricing model is Blizzard planning?My guess is that it'll have a base rate, like Counter-Strike, supplemented by in-game transactions. The poster (leaked via NeoGAF) promises a 'Noire Widowmaker Skin' at launch with purchase of a boxed copy, which confirms skins will be available. The poster also confirms PS4 and Xbox One editions. These boxed editions are priced at US$60 according to Andy's report earlier today, and at that price point it's tempting to believe Overwatch won't be free-to-play at all.Alternatively, the game will be free-to-play, and these boxes will come bundled with in-game currency and the client. Again, this is all speculation, and for all we know someone mocked this poster up to troll us all. Whatever the case, we'll find out for sure at Blizzcon, which is happening right about now Source http://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-will-release-in-june-2016-leaked-poster-reveals/

Acer is releasing its two new Predator XB1 monitor models later this month. The Z35 is coming soon too, but that won't be until December, according to Tom's Hardware.The $799 Predator XB271HU has an IPS panel, a 27-inch screen with a resolution of 2560x1440, and a top-end refresh rate of 165Hz. Its response time is 4ms, and it comes with two 2W speakers, an HDMI, a DisplayPort v1.2, and four USB 3.0 ports.http://ec0c5a7f741a6f3bff65-dd07187202f57fa404a8f047da2bcff5.r85.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/G28hjJ_bvrSs.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpgMeanwhile the $899 XB271HK is also a 27-inch IPS panel, however its resolution is 3840x2160, and its refresh rate is 60Hz. Otherwise, the two monitors are identical. Both are G-Sync enabled, and also have Acer's GameView technology, where you can switch between various customizable profiles.As far as the specs go, Acer's XB271HU is extremely similar to Asus' PG279Q RoG Swift, which could be the new best gaming monitor. Both have the same resolution, and cap out at the same overclocked refresh rate. This means they're likely using the exact same panels, but there could be differences in calibration and other internals that give one display an edge over the other. With Acer's monitor, you get an extra USB port on the side.As for the Predator Z35, it has a high price tag and some beefy specs to go along with it. It will start at $1,200, and for that money you'll get a curved VA panel with a 35-inch display, a 2560x1080 resolution, and a refresh rate of 144Hz. The Z35 doesn't have a firm release date yet however, and we won't know which of the monitors is the best until they're all out. Source http://www.pcgamer.com/acers-predator-xb1-g-sync-monitor-to-duke-it-out-with-asus-this-month/

http://0cb8dd5d2dc142d08f0f-eb3b436d25971e5860b39e72b0600342.r94.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/9ZCXLIENXAp9.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg More than three years after the release of Darksiders 2, the Darksiders 2 Deathinitive Edition is just about upon us. It includes the original Darksiders 2 plus all DLC, an improved graphics engine with 1080p support, and "reworked and tuned game balancing and loot distribution." Nordic Games is also offering three "franchise loyalty program" discount tiers for owners of the original game.Those who own the Darksiders Franchise Pack on Steam will be given the Deathinitive Edition automatically and free once it goes live—after which, by the way, the Franchise Pack will be removed from Steam. Owners of the original Darksiders 2 will be given an 80 percent discount code, usable during the first week of release. And if you've never even looked sideways at the game, you can still snag it at a 20 percent discount, also for up to a week after it's out.It sounds like a pretty good deal, but not everyone is happy. Some owners of the game are complaining on Steam that they own all but one or two of the DLC releases included in the Franchise Pack but purchased them separately, and are thus not eligible for the free upgrade. Nordic explained in a forum post that it wanted to extend the offer to everyone who owns all the DLC, regardless of how they acquired it, but said it simply wasn't possible to do so."We had to bind tier 1 to one single SKU, which was and is the Franchise pack. 80% off isn't too bad either, right?" it wrote. The Deathinitive Edition will sell for $30, it added, so the final cost at the second discount tier will be about $6.The Darksiders 2 Deathinitive Edition comes to the PC on November 5. Source http://www.pcgamer.com/darksiders-2-deathinitive-edition-comes-to-the-pc-tomorrow/

Earlier this year Acer released the best gaming monitor on the planet, the first 144Hz model to use a beautiful IPS screen. The 27-inch, 2560x1440 G-Sync monitor replaced the Asus RoG Swift as our favorite thanks to its superior IPS screen. Well, Asus has finally fired back, releasing the anticipated PG279Q that we first saw at Computex in June with an IPS screen and up to 165Hz refresh. How do they compare? TFT Central has performed an extensive review of the new monitor, and we’ve pulled out some of the highlights. The PG279Q still has the 27-inch display with a 2560x1440 resolution, with a response time of 4ms. It also has a refresh rate of 144Hz which is overclockable up to 165Hz. It has a DisplayPort 1.2a, and a 1.4 HDMI port, as well as two USB 3.0 ports. Aesthetically, the PG279Q is pretty much the same as the PG278Q RoG Swift, with a “frameless” design that only gives you a total frame border of 10mm. TFT Central says the base is sturdy, and it has a pretty circular light around the stand connection as well as a lit up ROG Swift logo off to the side. From all sides the PG279Q looks thin, and stylish. The on-screen display menu includes a “GamePlus” quick access menu, which has options for cross-hairs, a timer, and a frames per second counter. The OSD also features an option to turn on overclocking. In addition, there’s a Turbo button to allow you to switch between 60, 120, and 144Hz refresh rates, or whatever you’ve overclocked it to. However you will need an Nvidia GTX960 or better to actually use overclocking. http://0cb8dd5d2dc142d08f0f-eb3b436d25971e5860b39e72b0600342.r94.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/UP3k7xOQdVLd.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg The calibration performance tests came out with a 2.3 default average gamma, (4 percent deviance from 2.2) a default white point of 6206k (5 percent deviance from 6500k). Pretty good when compared with the competing Acer XB270HU which has a deviance of 9 percent and 6 percent respectively. It also has a better default DeltaE average of 1.1 compared to the XB270HU’s 1.9. They each have the same calibrated black depth of 0.12cd/m^2, and a very similar calibrated DeltaE average, with 0.3 for the Asus monitor, and 0.4 for the Acer. As for calibrated contrast ratio, the Asus has 989:1, while the Acer has 1000:1. Thanks to the IPS panel, the viewing angles of the PG279Q were good, with minimal color tone shift until you get past about a 45 degree angle. Only a slight darkening occurs horizontally from wider angles, with contrast shifts occurring more noticeably in the vertical field. The PG279Q has a similar level of “IPS-glow” to the Acer XB270HU when looking at a black image, which is mostly inherent to the technology. As for gaming, the PG279Q offers G-Sync and has a ULMB blur-reduction backlight system. However the two can’t be used in conjunction since ULMB won’t work with G-Sync’s variable refresh rate. At the moment, Nvidia’s 3D Vision is not supported, so you’ll be better off sticking with the PG278Q if you’re looking at using 3D. TFT Central tested input lag, and the screen only showed a total lag of 3.25ms, the majority of which can be put down to pixel response times. So the conclusion is that the monitor should be fine for all gaming. Up at 144Hz, the response time gets as low as 5.2ms, which is faster than the Acer XB270HU which had an average of 5.9ms at 144Hz. These results were found using the monitor’s Overdrive mode. When OD was turned off, the response times were much slower, and there was more blurring on moving images. When overclocked, the PG279Q didn’t drop any frames at its maximum 165Hz refresh rate, however the response times at the higher refresh rate were not as good as they were at 144Hz (6.0ms). That means it'll likely be better to stick to 144Hz rather than overclock for gaming, but limiting one of the few features Asus has over its Acer competitor. The Asus PG279Q is definitely a contender for the new best gaming monitor, but the two displays are clearly so similar, you can't really go wrong with either one. Source http://www.pcgamer.com/

http://0cb8dd5d2dc142d08f0f-eb3b436d25971e5860b39e72b0600342.r94.cf1.rackcdn.com/images/8MnblbjKFQzO.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg Earlier this year we learned that DirectX 12 would have a feature called Multiadapter, which can allow you to use multiple different GPUs in your system if game developers program their DX12 support to take advantage of the feature. You’ll even be able to use Nvidia and AMD cards together rather than using SLI / Crossfire, and that’s exactly what AnandTech has been testing.Developer Oxide Games has created a special build of its real time strategy game Ashes of the Singularity which takes advantage of this new DX12 feature. It’s a resource-hungry game, and so is a great test of what the new multi-GPU setups can do. It’s just a tech demo right now, since neither the game nor the multiadapter support are finished, but the results so far are surprising (and more than a little encouraging).AnandTech's tested the game using an Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X and GTX 980 Ti, along with an AMD Radeon R9 Fury X and R9 Fury for the most part. AnandTech used the GTX 980 Ti and the R9 Fury X together as the main test cards, since they’re similar in price and specifications. They also used a GTX 680 and a Radeon HD 7970 together to see how the multi adapter works on older cards. As for the rest of the rig, it had a 4.2GHz Intel Core i7-4960X, along with 32GB of DDR3 RAM.Interestingly, using the new multiadapter technology, mixed GPU setups (i.e. mixing up the manufacturers) performed better than homogenous setups. At a resolution of 2560x1440, the mixed setup of the R9 Fury X and the GTX 980 Ti came out on top (70.8 frames per second) over the combined R9 Fury X and R9 Fury (67.1 frames per second). One note is that using the Radeon card as the primary card came out with a 1.4fps (2 percent) lead over the mixed setup with the Nvidia card as the primary.The mixed GPU setup also came out on top in overall percentage performance gains. The R9 Fury X + GTX 980 Ti setup was 75 percent faster than a single R9 Fury X, while a dual AMD setup was only 66 percent faster than a single card setup. Meanwhile, the Nvidia-led mixed setup was 64 percent faster than a single GTX 980 Ti, and the dual Nvidia setup merely saw a 46 percent performance increase.Exciting stuff, as explicit multiadapter could allow PC gamers to take advantage of the strengths of Nvidia and AMD platforms, or get years of extra mileage out of aging graphics cards. Typically you can only run identical GPUs in tandem, but if enough developers support multiadapter through DX12, you could pair a new GTX 970 with an older GTX 660 and eke out a bit more performance.Anandtech adds a much-needed word of caution, though: "it’s important to note that what happens from here is ultimately more in the hands of game developers than hardware developers. Given the nature of the explicit API, it’s now the game developers that have to do most of the legwork on implementing multi-GPU, and I’m left to wonder how many of them are up to the challenge. Hardware developers have an obvious interest in promoting and developing multi-GPU technology in order to sell more GPUs – which is how we got SLI and Crossfire in the first place – but software developers don’t have that same incentive." Source http://www.pcgamer.com/

http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AMD-Embedded-640x353.jpg When AMD, Intel, or Nvidia launch new hardware, they almost always focus on the high-end of the consumer market. Low-end parts and server/workstation solutions typically follow at later dates. This time around, however, AMD is shaking things up and introducing support for DDR4 in a new embedded SoC, codenamed Merlin Falcon. The new chip leverages the Excavator CPU and the same basic silicon as AMD’s Carrizo, but with additional validation and testing for the embedded market, including support for its L2 cache and RAM. http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AMD-Embedded2-640x353.jpg According to the company’s BIOS and Kernel Developer’s Guide for Excavator-class parts (Family 15h Models 60h-6Fh), Carrizo was designed to support either DDR3 or DDR4 in the same unified northbridge. This raises the question of why the company is only rolling out DDR4 support in the embedded market? According to Colin Cureton, senior manager of AMD’s embedded product management team, it comes down to lifecycle support and Carrizo / Carrizo-L’s market position. Embedded hardware is typically expected to operate for at least five years, with 7-9 years being relatively common. Right now, the consumer market is still mostly based on DDR3, but that will change over the next few years as DDR4 productions and clock speeds ramp up. If you’re buying hardware today and want cheap RAM four years from now, DDR4 makes more sense. The other reason AMD stuck with DDR3 for Carrizo was to make it easier for OEMs to design flexible systems. Carrizo and Carrizo-L now share a common form factor, a substantially overlapping power envelope, and use the same kind of memory. Carrizo-L, however, is based on AMD’s Puma+ CPU core, which is basically the Jaguar core from 2013 with a few additional changes and power tweaks. Since that chip doesn’t support DDR4, AMD opted to stick with DDR3 across its mobile and desktop stack. We should note it’s not clear how much additional benefit AMD would have actually gotten from DDR4 in any case. While more bandwidth is broadly better for integrated GPUs, our Kaveri tests when that chip was launched indicated that it’s not an absolute. We saw better performance with lower-latency DDR3-2133 than high-latency DDR3-2400. It’s possible that the power envelopes AMD wanted to sell into and the cost premiums attached to DDR4, it simply didn’t make sense to bring a DDR4 Carrizo to market — at least not yet. With Zen delayed to 2017, it’s possible we could see such a part next year. http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AMD-Embedded5-640x306.jpgThe older solution required two separate chips and was 1.92mm tall; the new package can limbo into a minimum height of just 1.62mm. The total chip area for the older two-chip solution was 1528 mm sq, while Merlin Falcon is just 1073mm sq.Like AMD’s full desktop parts, Merlin Falcon will include full support for HSA and can leverage a complete Linux open-source stack. All of the typical features of Carrizo’s integrated GPU, including multiple display-outs, hardware decode support for H.264 and H.265, and HSA 1.0 support are also included. The SKUs themselves are shown below:http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AMD-Embedded3-640x350.jpgThere aren’t many surprises here. Like AMD’s mobile Carrizo, Merlin Falcon focuses on the 12-25W power envelope, with chips available in dual and quad-core configurations, as well as a CPU-only version of the core with somewhat higher clocks. Overall performance is covered on the next slide — like Carrizo, Merlin Falcon is far more power efficient within the same TDP envelope than Kaveri was.http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AMD-Embedded4-640x313.pngIn the graph above, the blue lines are Merlin Falcon products while the single grey line is AMD’s previous Hierofalcon SoC. AMD’s measured performance in CoreMark is fairly competitive with Intel’s 15W Core i3 and Core i5 processors, but whether or not Coremark maps well to embedded workloads isn’t a question we’ve spent much time studying. Overall, AMD wants to position these devices as suitable for pachinko systems, lottery terminals, communications infrastructure, medical imaging devices (where HSA’s capabilities could come in handy) and security and retail signage. Unfortunately, AMD wasn’t able to point to any major customer announcements for these products, but that’s not uncommon in the embedded space. Embedded hardware, by its very nature, tends to be invisible. At the same time, given AMD’s overall financial condition, the company needs every scrap of sales revenue it can find — we’ve asked for details on any upcoming wins or new customers and will update this story if we hear back Source http://www.extremetech.com/

Nordic Games has released the launch trailer for the upcoming Darksiders II "Deathinitive" Edition, which arrives in just a few more days on October 27 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. As announced previously, the Deathinitive Edition boasts 1080p graphics and includes all DLC released for the game during its initial run . In addition, the game uses a new rendering engine to improve how the lighting and shadows look. Players can also expect better graphics overall for characters and environments. Darksiders II has also had its gameplay systems tweaked somewhat for the new release, as the game's balancing and loot distribution mechanics have been "reworked and tuned."Deathinitive Edition DLC includes: (Maker Armor Set, The Abyssal Forge, The Demon Lord Belial, Death Rides, Angel of Death, Deadly Despair, Shadow of Death, Mortis Pack, Rusanov's Axe, Van Der Schmash Hammer, Fletcher's Crow Hammer, Mace Maximus, Argul's Tomb. The game will sell for $30. Leading development on the Deathinitive Edition is Gunfire Games. This studio is staffed almost entirely by people who worked on the Darksiders franchise at creator Vigil Games before its closure. Looking ahead, Nordic Games--which acquired the Darksiders franchise from THQ when the company went bankrupt--has said it has plans for a third game in the series. Source http://www.gamespot.com/

Pricing for the top-of-the-line Surfacebook "ultimate laptop" has been announced. As revealed on Microsoft's website (via Windows Central), the premium model will cost $3,200; its configuration includes a 1 TB SSD, 16 GB RAM, and Intel i7 processor with dedicated graphics. That's more than double the price of the introductory model, which has lower specs and sells for $1,500. Microsoft announced the Surfacebook during a Microsoft Devices presentation earlier this month. The 13.5-inch device, the first laptop Microsoft has ever built, aims to offer the "full punch of a high performance laptop with unprecedented versatility of a tablet." Microsoft claims the device is two times more powerful than the latest Macbook Pro. In addition, Microsoft worked with the Xbox engineering team to help with optimizing the GPU. Head to Microsoft's website to see a full rundown of configurations and price points for the Surfacebook. Preorders opened on October 7, while the device is slated to go on sale October 26. However, due to strong demand, shipment dates for this model and others have been pushed back to 7 or 8 weeks. Source http://www.gamespot.com/ http://www.cnet.com/