The rest of gamingkind might be concerning itself with saving money right now, but it seems a few devs didn't get the message. Yes, Runescape isn't the only game that's going to be getting more expensive. Bohemia Interactive also announced today that the open-world survival game DayZ will also see a price hike, but this one is coming much sooner: Right after the Steam Fall Sale.
Technically speaking, the first price hike is already here. Bohemia said in a press release that the current price of $30 will be maintained until the end of the big Steam sale, but it's actually already been increased to $35 and then put on sale for 15 percent off, dropping it back down to the $30 mark until December 2. It will go up again to $44 when DayZ enters beta, currently planned for near the end of 2015, and then take a final jump to $50 when it goes into full release.
The studio also revealed its development "roadmap" for 2015:
When Microsoft launches Windows 10 next year, the operating system will support FLAC out of the box, according to a tweet from Gabriel Aul, the head of Microsoft's Operating Systems Group's Data and Fundamentals Team.
FLAC—short for Free Lossless Audio Codec—is a popular format among audiophiles and anyone trading in high-quality music. Its algorithm can typically reduce a file to around half its original size, which can then be decompressed to an identical copy of the original audio.
Previously, anyone wanting to listen to or convert FLAC files on Windows had to do so via a third-party program such as the ever-popular VLC media player or the versatile music player foobar2000. With Windows 10, Windows Media Player will be able to handle those duties.
This expands Microsoft's support for popular but less-than-standard file formats. FLAC joins MKV (one of the most common containers for H.264 video alongside MP4) and HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), both of which were also confirmed by Aul on Twitter last month.
We'll probably still install Media Player Classic Homecinema on Windows 10, just to be on the safe side.
Have you read our guide to overclocking your graphics card? You should! Overclocking a graphics card today is simpler and safer than ever, and with a bit of tuning you can extend the life of an aging graphics card or get even better performance out of a new one. But what if you don't have just one graphics card? What if you have two, or three, or even four running in SLI? How does that affect the overclocking process?
To answer that question, we had Nvidia distinguished engineer Tom Petersen sit down with us at the LPC, which is outfitted with four GTX Titans. In the video above, Petersen walks us through his overclocking process using EVGA PrecisionX 16 and gives us some tips on multi-GPU overclocking. Petersen gave us his advice on all our questions, including:
Which card you should plug your monitor into
Whether every card should be clocked at the same speed
The trade-off between core overclocking, memory overclocking, and heat
How far you should push voltage
How much VRAM do you really need for modern games?
The specific overclocking process we go through obviously only applies to Nvidia cards, but most of the advice is also good for AMD Crossfire users. The second page of our overclocking guide shows how to tweak power settings and clock speeds in the Catalyst Control Center.
[Update: Ubisoft has clarified that while the season pass is no longer available for purchase, those who have one will still get all the DLC that was initially planned for it. That means the free game is a straight-up bonus, making this actually quite a good deal for season pass buyers.]
Original story:
Ubisoft has announced that the upcoming Assassin's Creed Unity DLC Dead Kings will be given away to all owners of the game as an apology for its botched launch. Sales of the season pass and Gold Edition of the game have been halted, and anyone who's already purchased either will be offered another Ubisoft game.
"I want to sincerely apologize on behalf of Ubisoft and the entire Assassin's Creed team. These problems took away from your enjoyment of the game, and kept many of you from experiencing the game at its fullest potential," Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat wrote. "To show our appreciation for your continued support, we re making the upcoming Assassin s Creed Unity Dead Kings DLC free for everyone. For Season Pass holders, we will also offer the choice of one additional game from a selection of Ubisoft titles for free."
Season pass holders can choose to receive The Crew, Far Cry 4, Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, Rayman Legends, or Just Dance 2015 at no charge. They will also "continue to have access to a variety of additional content, including Assassin s Creed Chronicles: China," according to the latest community update. The system for claiming the free game is not currently in place but should be live soon.
A release date for the Dead Kings DLC has not yet been announced but is also expected soon. More information about the replacement offer is up in the FAQ.
DreamHack Winter 2014, one of the year's biggest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments, will be held in J nk ping, Sweden on November 27-29, and will play host to the fourth community-funded $250,000 CS:GO major (livestream schedule
here). 16 teams will be hoping to remain in competition come Saturday, and in this preview we will take a deeper look at the squads most likely to make a difference.
fnatic
(flusha, JW, KRIMZ, olofm, pronax)
Champions of the first major a year ago, fnatic changed two players in July and since then have won four of the seven tournaments they have attended, including three dominant victories in a row. They also placed second at the previous major in August. KRIMZ has been their best player recently, but virtually anyone aside from in-game leader pronax can carry them in a series. They are clear favorites going into DreamHack, but their players have been named as suspects in
the recent cheating scandal, which could affect their play even if none of the rumors turn out to be true.
LDLC
(Happy, kioShiMa, NBK, shox, SmithZz)
Built in the French reshuffle in September, LDLC have made the final in four of five tournaments they have attended. They can t seem to beat fnatic, yet consistently defeat everyone else. LDLC are favorites to reach the semi-finals unless they face their kryptonite early in the playoffs. Happy is the team s in-game leader and a solid fragger, NBK is the most versatile player, and shox is the superstar of the team. They play a skill-heavy style that suits the current counter-terrorist heavy meta-game of CS:GO, but as a result struggle on the terrorist sides.
Virtus.pro
(byali, Neo, pasha, Snax, TaZ)
Virtus.pro won the second CS:GO major,
EMS One Katowice, but have since then struggled to play at the same level. They won Gfinity 3 in August, but otherwise have mostly crashed out in the quarter-finals of the biggest tournaments. They are known for stepping up during the majors, but a win would require strong play from all three of their heavy hitters, namely pasha, byali, and Snax. The Poles haven t been able to fire on all cylinders since Katowice, but a strong individual showing could propel this team over their competition. They may be the world s best terrorist side team at their peak.
NiP
(f0rest, friberg, GeT_RiGhT, Maikelele, Xizt)
The most storied and successful team in CS:GO, they recruited Maikelele to replace Fifflaren earlier this month. Despite winning the most recent major, ESL One Cologne, they have struggled since then. GeT_RiGhT and f0rest are the superstars of the team, and if they wish to make the semi-finals they will need those two to play to their potential—which hasn t been the case in recent months. Their current level remains a mystery as no one has seen them play much with Maikelele, thus adding to the intrigue surrounding the team.
Na`Vi
(Edward, GuardiaN, seized, starix, Zeus)
Na`Vi broke out in May with a victory over Titan and NiP at SLTV StarSeries IX Finals, and have since then been a consistent top five team with multiple top four finishes in recent months. Their team relies heavily on star AWPer GuardiaN, though riflers Edward and seized can also take over matches at times, but neither is very consistent. They play a very strategic style with one of the all-time great leaders Zeus running the show.
Cloud9
(Hiko, n0thing, Semphis, sgares, shroud)
After adding shroud, Cloud9 exceeded most expectations with their ESL One Cologne performance, but most recently failed to advance from the group stage at two tournaments in Europe. They have been bootcamping in Europe for all of November, so this is a do-or-die event for this team—it s hard to imagine they will ever get better conditions than now to perform. Their star player is hiko, but n0thing and shroud are just as, if not more, explosive at times.
dignitas
(cajunb, device, dupreeh, FeTiSh, Xyp9x)
These Danes were one of the most consistent teams in the world for the first eight months of 2014, but have since then seen their level of play, as well as consistency, drop. They removed aizy to bring back former member cajunb, adding more skill to an already skilled lineup that may lack in leadership. Their star player device is one of the most skilled all-around players in the world, but often chokes in big matches. dignitas should be one of the teams competing for a top four finish, and this exact roster made top four at the second major.
HellRaisers
(ANGE1, Dosia, kucher, markeloff, s1mple)
HellRaisers are a team who seemingly hold endless potential, but can never realize it in a best-of-three setting, or at the right times. They are incredibly skilled with players such as Dosia, markeloff, and new recruit s1mple leading the way, but lack in team play and tactics. Since their last event they have added well known ex-dAT in-game leader B1ad3 as a coach, so depending on how effective he is we could see a much improved HellRaisers squad at DreamHack.
iBUYPOWER
(AZK, desi, nitr0, Skadoodle, swag)
iBUYPOWER failed to make the playoffs in Europe for a long time despite a few good showings in North America, until finally scoring a second place finish in late October. However, the team was then stripped as they cut their in-game leader DaZeD and another versatile member steel to add two inexperienced players, who likely still need more time. There is a lot of pressure on their star rifler swag, and very skilled AWPer Skadoodle. Making the playoffs would be a good showing for this American side.
Copenhagen Wolves
(cadiaN, gla1ve, Kjaerbye, Pimp, tenzki)
The second Danish team got into DreamHack Winter through the Last Call qualifier on Saturday, and therefore likely aren t in the best shape going into this tournament. Their biggest strength is gla1ve s leadership and the skills of Pimp and youngster Kjaerbye, but they are not favored to reach the playoffs from their group.
The Steam sale is go! Prepare yourself with last year's concise guide to wise Steam sale spending during this joyous time. Look out for our recommendations from the current crop of deals on the site shortly.
It's happening again. It's happened before and it'll keep on happening until we're all destitute wrecks cowering under a mountain of unplayed indie curios. The Steam sale. Yes, a tycoon of savings on Steam's massive library of games, but also an ordeal. The unprepared soul can be subsumed entirely by the flurry of green -70% labels, emerging from the other end of the sale with a swollen library and an existential crisis. What to play first? What to do with all the games you already own?
Earlier we asked our Twitter and Facebook followers if they had any strategies for surviving the Steam sales, and saw some distinct themes emerge. If you're reading this site, chances are you're already a seasoned veteran of many Steam sales gone by, and so you may recognise some of the phases listed below. Don't worry, they're perfectly natural. Together, we can get through this.
1 Denial
The first response from many was understandable: run. Just run. Think of your credit card and abandon civilization until the Steam sale has expired. Pack a few lunches and discard your usual mobile phone in favour of a cheap burner that's only reachable by close family members in case of emergency. Forage. Count the dawns until the required time has passed. Then, when you're sure—
and only when you're sure—return.
You had some less extreme ideas. "Delete the credit card number from the account" suggested Jonlan on Facebook. "Pretend it isn't happening" said Giorgio. "I'm running away" Colin declared.
Please don't knock out your family members and send them to Texas.
Mike had a different plan. "Delete Steam, Block it with Password protected firewall, disable internet, Give password to family member, Knock out Family member, get someone to hide them in Texas."
Denial is an understandable Steam sale response, but please don't knock out your family members and send them to Texas. Nobody deserves that.
2 Anger
It seems odd to be angry at cheap games, but there's a lot of ambient anger out there. Alyssa on Facebook recommends "incoherent screaming" in the face of the Steam sale. Chris on Facebook left a simple cry of "Nooooooo."
3 Bargaining
You set rules, but those rules are fragile and easily broken. Nonetheless, with great resolve, they're your best hope. "Limit yourself to your wishlist" Jake suggests on Twitter "*adds 1000's of games to wishlist*"
Nick: "My survival strategy is not to buy any games until I have finished playing what I already have." Bold.
Brave, even, but what are we to do if we already have hundreds of unplayed titles, spend the rest of our lives playing the games we own like balanced and happy human beings?
No early access, stay under budget if you have one, and hydrate.
Another Nick on Facebook has a good plan. "Wishlist, under $20US for AAA, 75%+ and will actually play for indie, no early access, stay under budget if you have one, and hydrate."
Some prefer to add a set amount of cash to their Steam wallet and spend only that. Others like to wait for daily sales and only pick up anything else they want on the final day of sales. All very sensible, but yes, don't forget to eat, drink, breathe and all that.
4 Depression
"I already have 1,111 games on steam, do I really need more?" ponders kaoskongo on Twitter in a moment of apparent despondency. Yes, of course, even if it means ruining that lovely tally of ones. "#RIPWallet :(" says another commenter. Your wallet may die, but you will live on to play perhaps some of the many games you now own. "I don't even know. I doubt the games I want will even end up on sale" says Tom. Have faith. The daily deals will provide. Ultimately, why be sad? A PS4 game costs $60, you can probably pick up at least 6 decent games in the thanksgiving sales for that.
5 Acceptance
"I don't think you get it... There is no survival or strategy with the steam sale" says Sean on Facebook. It's a sentiment commonly shared. "There is no strategy or survival. Only submission" says Talonblaze. "No survival strategies are useful under the power of Lord Gaben" says another. "Gang Beasts!!!!!!" adds Jason, correctly. Ultimately, game sales are good, and don't worry if you miss out on a daily deal you were desparately hoping for, there's always the Christmas Steam sale to prepare for, and this will start all over again.
What are you hoping to pick up in the coming days?
How did it come to this. You were so careful. Your small group of survivors planned meticulously, taking every precaution. For years, you had dodged the cultists—their wails and chanting covering the noise as you slipped past from building to building. And yet, your numbers slowly dwindled. Now it was just you. But you would never be taken.
Browsing the internet was risky these days, but it was late November. A quiet time—a respite—as the masses prepared for their feverish Christmas orgy. It was hideous, and hypnotising—a mass rush of base digital consumerism. Thankfully, it was still weeks away.
Suddenly, a Tweet. Agitated. Unintelligible. A string of capitalised vowels. A link.
You click without thinking; curiosity making you restless. And there it was: the Steam store page. How could you have forgotten? They do an Autumn sale, too.
"No," you mouth, stumbling backwards, eyes still transfixed on the screen. Quickly, you reach for the mouse, noticing how this year, it has an exploration theme—a natural choice given the recent updates to recommendation and curation systems.
It's not too late. You go to close the browser. If you just quit out... but... what's that? The Evil Within? It's 66% off? That's a good price. You'd always wanted to try that, but where was the time? Maybe you could make time. Maybe you could stop running. Maybe you could give in...
The bad news is that Jagex has announced that the subscription rates for Runescape will be going up in 2015. The good news for existing players is that the increase will only affect new subscribers, or those who let their memberships lapse for too long.
Jagex revealed the coming increase yesterday, and while exact timing and pricing haven't been announced yet, the company also confirmed that active subscribers won't be affected by the increase unless and until they let their subscriptions lapse for more than 14 days. After that, they'll have to pony up at the higher rate, just like newbies.
"We've got big plans for RuneScape in 2015, as Mod Mark showed you at RuneFest, and we'll be putting more power than ever into your hands—developing your most popular ideas as content updates," the studio wrote.
Runescape membership currently costs $8 per month, or $40 for six months if you're committed and want to save a few bucks. More information about the coming changes and how they will affect other parts of the game can be found in the FAQ.
Grey Goo is a classic-with-a-twist RTS from Westwood-descendant Petroglyph Studios. The twist, in this instance, is more of an ooze: one of the factions is led by a giant, unit-spawning blob of goo.
After an alpha test that took place earlier this year, the team has seemingly made significant progress—so much so that they've now announced a Steam release date. In a forum post, the team say Grey Goo will be out early next year, on 23 January.
In the meantime, "cool information and initiatives" are planned. The first to appear: a development diary covering the feedback from Grey Goo's test process.
For more on the game, check out our most recent hands-on preview. You can see Grey Goo's official teaser trailer below.
