– Tatu Aalto, Lead Graphics Programmer Remedy Entertainment

The highly-anticipated Alan Wake 2 launches this week, and looks stunning with breathtaking, fully ray-traced graphics which are accelerated and enhanced by NVIDIA DLSS 3.5’s complete suite of AI-powered technologies.

GeForce RTX 40 Series gamers will receive the definitive day-one experience: frame rates are multiplied by an average of 4.5X at 4K, ray tracing is even more immersive thanks to NVIDIA DLSS Ray Reconstruction, and NVIDIA Reflex makes gameplay even more responsive.

Additionally, Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure, and Shadows of Doubt, two highly rated indie games, also receive DLSS performance upgrades today.

The Return of Alan Wake!

Remedy Entertainment’s eagerly awaited Alan Wake 2, published by Epic Games, arrives October 27th with jaw-dropping fully ray-traced graphics, enhanced and accelerated by DLSS 3.5 with Ray Reconstruction. Players will explore two beautiful yet terrifying worlds, boasting the most advanced visuals seen to date in gaming, searching for the source of a supernatural darkness that has trapped Alan in an endless nightmare.

Alan Wake 2’s fully ray-traced, path-traced visuals take the game’s ray-traced lighting, reflections and shadows to the next level, unifying them in a single solution that produces incredible results, as seen in this new, exclusive Alan Wake 2 RTX launch video.

Alan Wake 2 Gets Up to 4.5X Faster with a DLSS Performance Upgrade 

Activating ray tracing and DLSS in Alan Wake 2 on a GeForce RTX GPU automatically enables Ray Reconstruction, replacing two denoisers with a unified AI model that enhances the quality of ray tracing, making gameplay more immersive, and graphics more realistic. In addition, Ray Reconstruction runs up to 14% faster in our benchmarks, further accelerating performance for GeForce RTX gamers.

The combination of NVIDIA technology gives NVIDIA GeForce RTX Gamers the ultimate Alan Wake 2 experience, with beautiful graphics and a remarkable performance uplift. Here are a few examples:

• At 4K, with every setting maxed and full ray tracing enabled, activating Frame Generation, Ray Reconstruction and Super Resolution sees frame rates multiply astronomically. On the GeForce RTX 4090, performance multiplies by 4.1X, enabling owners to play Alan Wake 2 at its very best at over 120 FPS at 4K! The GeForce RTX 4080 sees its performance multiplied by 4.7X, and the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti multiplies performance by 4.7X, for max setting 4K gameplay at nearly 80 FPS
• At 1440p, GeForce RTX 40 Series frame rates multiply by an average of 3X with full ray tracing and every other setting maxed out, enabling 80 FPS+ gameplay on the GeForce RTX 4070 and above
• At 1080p, the most popular gaming resolution, performance multiplies by 2.7X on average, enabling owners of faster cards to play at up to 190 FPS

The Fully Ray Traced World of Alan Wake 2

Full ray tracing, also known as path tracing, accurately simulates light throughout an entire scene. It is used by visual effects artists to create film and TV graphics that are indistinguishable from reality, but until the arrival of GeForce RTX GPUs with RT Cores, and the AI-powered acceleration of NVIDIA DLSS 3.5, real-time video game full ray tracing was impossible.

In Alan Wake 2, RT High and RT Medium settings use path tracing. For full details, the following table shows which settings utilize path tracing, and what ray-traced features are available when enabling each preset.

If DLSS Ray Reconstruction is disabled or not available, the following fallbacks will apply:

Alan Wake 2 Game Ready Drivers, Bundle and Cloud Gameplay

Look for the NVIDIA Game Ready Driver for Alan Wake 2 on October 26th.

Buyers of eligible GeForce RTX 4070, 4070 Ti, 4080 and 4090 graphics cards and desktop PCs, or a laptop with a GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, or RTX 4070 Laptop GPU from select retailers and etailers will receive a digital copy of the game, to play when released on October 27th. To see the complete list of participating partners in your country, head to the Alan Wake 2 bundle homepage.

Play Alan Wake 2 in the Cloud on GeForce NOW.

More DLSS games!

Other new DLSS games this week include:

• Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure – Updates today with a DLSS 2 Performance Upgrade
• Shadows of Doubt – Updates today with a DLSS 2 Performance Upgrade

Cologne, Germany – August 23, 2023:
At the bustling 2023 Gamescom event today, AYANEO, a recognized name in the handheld gaming sphere, revealed its state-of-the-art gaming handheld – the AYANEO Pocket S. Developed in partnership with Qualcomm, this next-gen device boasts the groundbreaking Qualcomm Snapdragon G Series platform.

Making Waves in Handheld Gaming

AYANEO has carved out a reputation as a trailblazer in the gaming sector. They’ve consistently adhered to their principle: “Real Gamers, For Gamers”. Their innovation streak started with the AYANEO 2021 – the world’s maiden mass-produced 7nm Windows handheld, followed closely by the bezel-less AYANEO 2S, and the soon-to-be-revealed AYANEO KUN.

The tech giant’s foray into the Android gaming domain was solidified in 2022 with the introduction of the Pocket series. This July, they presented gamers with the Pocket AIR, their first Android handheld device. With a myriad of high-tech features, AYANEO is reshaping the Android gaming handheld experience.

The AYANEO Pocket S: A Game Changer

The eagerly awaited AYANEO Pocket S is set to hit the market in December. Notably, it represents AYANEO’s debut collaboration with the Snapdragon platform. But more than that, it’s the first gaming handheld globally to be powered by the Snapdragon® G3x Gen2 gaming platform.

Staying true to AYANEO’s design principles, the Pocket S showcases a borderless design – a first for global Android gaming handhelds. It melds the sleekness of high-end smartphones with AYANEO’s gaming expertise, giving users a lightweight, ultra-slim device. With its advanced heat dissipation capabilities, the Pocket S embodies the definition of a top-tier gaming handheld.

Variety is the spice of gaming, and AYANEO knows this. Gamers can look forward to different configurations of the Pocket S. Whether they desire a thin, lightweight model or one with a more extended battery life, AYANEO has them covered. Plus, ergonomic design ensures the grip feels just like a game controller, enhancing the gaming experience.

Voices from the Helm

AYANEO’s CEO, Arthur, expressed his enthusiasm, “Our collaboration with Qualcomm signifies our commitment to redefining gaming. Qualcomm’s expertise in the mobile gaming sector is unparalleled. With the Snapdragon® G3x Gen2 platform, we’re crafting a handheld that challenges perceptions.”

On the other hand, Mithun Chandrasekhar, Qualcomm Technologies’ Senior Director of Product Management, remarked, “Our Snapdragon® G3x Gen2 platform epitomizes innovation in mobile gaming. Teaming up with AYANEO allows us to give gamers a device that’s nothing short of revolutionary.”

What Lies Ahead

The AYANEO Pocket S promises not just to be another device but a trendsetter. With the might of the Snapdragon® G3x Gen2 platform behind it, the global gaming community is set for a treat that surpasses expectations. We look forward to testing it and covering this further.

With up to 16 cores and 32 threads, the Ryzen 7000X3D processors are tailored made to be the fastest gaming processors available, with enough horsepower to drive massive performance in today’s most demanding titles and support a range of tasks like video editing and 3D rendering.

If you already have Intel’s top chip then it is a mixed bag at 4k but this is a very promising and incredible entry from AMD.

BTR is looking forward to testing AMD’s new chips but for now here is a review roundup:

Tom’s Hardware
Eurogamer
Anandtech
Hot Hardware

TechPowerUp

Gaming performance compared to Intel’s Core i9-13900K is slightly higher at 1080p, but at 1440p and 4K, the Intel CPU wins, by a small margin. Here again, the 13900K’s higher operating frequency is what makes the difference. Of course, if the game scales well with more cache, like the titles I mentioned before, there’s simply no stopping the 7950X3D. At 4K, where the bottleneck is with the GPU, the differences are fairly small, and just 5% separates a big range of processors, including the 5800X3D, which is still a fantastic solution for gamers, especially if they already have an AM4 platform setup. You will certainly see reviews today where the 7950X3D is considerably faster on average than in our review. If we only tested Far Cry, Elden Ring and Cyberpunk the delta would be +18% vs 13900K, and if we had Age of Empires, Mount and Blade II Bannerlord and Spider-Man only, the difference would be -19% vs 13900K. Test scene selection is also very relevant, AMD’s own reviewer’s guide lists the 13900K as faster than 7950X3D in Cyberpunk 2077, I see the opposite, same in Far Cry 6. Maybe they’re using the integrated benchmark, I use actual gameplay in all tests. At the end of the day what matters to you is the games that you play. I tried to pick popular titles from various genres, and also included “RT on” testing in two titles for this new 2023 test suite, which also uses RTX 4090 and Windows 11 22H2 with latest drivers and software. All 40 (!) comparison CPUs were retested on this setup in January and February.

Today, Bungie has launched the latest expansion in the Destiny 2 franchise – Destiny 2: Lightfall – on all platforms. Lightfall is the penultimate chapter in Destiny 2’s ongoing “Light & Darkness Saga,” and will find Guardians encountering the malevolent forces of the Shadow Legion, exploring a secret city hidden on the surface of Neptune, and discovering a new Darkness-powered subclass: Strand.

In Lightfall, Guardians will be tasked with preventing the apocalypse by stopping the Witness and its newest disciple, Calus. Along the way, Guardians will cross paths with the Shadow Legion, including the terrifying and formidable new Tormentors, who are bent on causing devastation in the high-tech capital of Neomuna.Guardians will wield a new subclass power in Lightfall; Strand will give the ability to pluck the threads that bind the universe together, creating unprecedented combat and movement capabilities. Strand will grant powerful new attacks for each Guardian class to use in unique ways, in addition to a new grapple ability which will greatly increase their mobility and traversal options throughout the game.

Lightfall’s accompanying season, Season of Defiance, launches on the same day as the new expansion for Destiny 2 and will find Guardians called into action by Mara Sov and the Queensguard to investigate the Pyramid outputs appearing across the planet and stand in defiance of humanity’s greatest foes. Jump into Defiant Battlegrounds – a new three-person activity available in the Season – where Guardians will use their newly acquired Awoken powers to tear portals into the Ascendant Plane too challenge the Shadow Legion.

New Raid, World First Race Coming March 10
Shortly after the launch of Lightfall, Bungie will unlock its latest raid, Root of Nightmares. Destiny raids are pinnacle aspirational activities designed for six skilled Guardians who want to be challenged not just for their fighting skills, but their ability to work cooperatively, think on their feet, and solve seemingly impossible challenges.
The Root of Nightmares will launch for all Lightfall players on March 10 at 9 AM Pacific (17:00 UTC). With the launch of the raid, Bungie will also kick off its worldwide competition to crown the first fireteam in the world to complete the raid. The confirmed winning fireteam will win one-of-a-kind World First title belts for each fireteam member along with the glory of being awarded the World First title. Look for the official announcement of the winning World First team in the days following the launch of the raid.

Destiny 2: Lightfall

Calus has returned as a disciple of the Witness and threatens the neon city of Neomuna with destruction. Guardians will stand strong against the apocalypse knowing that, now, our end begins.

Strand – The newest elemental power in Destiny 2, Strand is powered by Darkness and allows Guardians to tap into the cosmic strings of the universe to unleash powerful attacks. Each Guardian class uses Strand in a unique way, and all Strand-enabled Guardians can take advantage of the new grapple ability to greatly increase mobility in and out of combat.

Neomuna – This neon-drenched city on Neptune is the newest destination in Destiny 2. Under siege by Calus’ Shadow Legion, Neomuna is also home to Guardians’ newest allies, the heroic Cloud Striders, who protect the city from invasion.

Legendary Campaign – The Legendary Campaign mode returns for Lightfall. Designed for players who want to experience the gripping narrative of Destiny 2’s latest storyline while also challenging their skills and earning better rewards.

Loadouts & Mod Customization ­– New Loadouts and Mod Customization features make customizing a Guardian faster and easier than ever. Easily view and place new mods via a single Mod Customization screen; save gear and mods into loadout slots that can be accessed on the fly.

Commendations & Guardian Ranks – Lightfall comes with a pair of new social systems meant to encourage friendly play and teamwork, and to better help players understand the skill level and experience of others. With Commendations, players will be able to award a variety of commendation awards to fireteam members upon completing activities together. Guardian Ranks will offer a quick visual shorthand of each Guardian’s skill and experience level, and players can move up Guardian Ranks by earning Commendations and completing activities throughout the game.

Terminal Overload – In this new destination activity, Guardians will repel attacks from both the Vex and the Cabal as they try to flood the Neptunian city with their forces.

New Raid: Root of Nightmares – Ferried from an unknown time and place, a haunting presence has been detected. Guardians must confront the ancient threat growing at their doorstep. The raid opens on March 10.

The Lightfall + Annual Pass Edition is now available on all platforms. In addition to what comes with the Lightfall standard edition (Lightfall expansion, raid, and current Season access), the Lightfall + Annual Pass Edition includes:

• Access to Seasons 21 – 23
• Lightfall Dungeon Key – Access two dungeons releasing in Year 6 of Destiny 2
• Instant Unlock of Quicksilver Storm Exotic Auto Rifle, Catalyst, and ornament
• Lightfall Exotic Sparrow
• Rahool’s Secret Stash – Earn this bonus cache of premium goods at the start of Season of Defiance and Seasons 21-23. This cache includes an Ascendant Alloy, Ascendant Shards, an Exotic Cipher, upgrade modules, and an Exotic cosmetic item.

Season of Defiance

The latest Season in Destiny 2 – Season of Defiance – is here and players can immediately earn new Season ranks. In Season of Defiance, the Vanguard calls upon its closest allies to respond after the attack on the Traveler. Guardians must master the righteous powers of the Awoken to stand against the encroaching Shadow Legion and prove themselves as Queensguard.

Defiant Battlegrounds – In this new three-player activity, Guardians will bypass the Shadow Legion’s security by entering their outposts via the Ascendant Plane. Navigate the abyss and find missing captives by completing rituals that open the gateway to safety.

Vanguard Ops Playlist Update – Now featuring Heist Battlegrounds and PsiOps Battlegrounds, the updated Vanguard Ops playlist will also include refreshed versions of two strikes: The Arms Dealer and Lake of Shadows.

Guardian Games 2023 – The annual clash of Guardian classes arrives in May and is free for all Destiny 2 players. Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans will compete to complete events, bank medallions to receive great rewards, earn a commemorative statue in the Tower, and have bragging rights for a full year.

Destiny 2: Free to Play

Destiny 2 is free to play and includes many of the new features being launched with Season of Defiance, including the Guardian Games 2023 event, access to the intro mission of the Lightfall expansion and the first mission from Season of Defiance, and more. Season Pass holders have access to all activities with additional premium rewards and instant unlocks:

• New weekly missions.
• Instantly unlocked Exotic Bow: Verglas Curve.
• Unlock Seasonal universal ornament set per class.
• Bonus XP, Exotic engrams, and more.

Purchase the Season of Defiance Silver Bundle and receive a new Legendary emote along with 1,700 Silver (1,000 + 700 bonus Silver) which can be used to purchase Seasons, cosmetics, and more.

Destiny x Among Us Collaboration

Time to catch the Impostor! Bungie and Innersloth, the studio behind the hit social deduction game Among Us, debut the first collection of Destiny-themed cosmetics in the Among Us storefront starting today. In addition to items based on each of the three iconic Guardian classes – Titan, Warlock, and Hunter – the collection also includes cosmetics inspired by Destiny characters such as Osiris, Lord Shaxx, Saint-14, Eris Morn, and more.

The Destiny cosmetic items are available now in Among Us for a limited time!

SteelSeries Lightfall Accessories

SteelSeries, the original esports brand that fuses gaming and culture, KontrolFreek®, the creator of Performance Gaming Gear, and Bungie have collaborated on a new collection of limited-edition gear inspired by Destiny 2: Lightfall.

Featuring the brilliant color schemes and graphic designs of Neptune’s gleaming megacity of Neomuna, the limited-edition collection brings the sci-fi universe of Destiny to life through the award-winning Arctis 7+ Headset, Aerox 5 Wireless Gaming Mouse, QcK Prism XL Mousepad, and KontrolFreek Thumbsticks. As a bonus, customers who purchase the special-edition collection will receive exclusive in-game cosmetics in Destiny 2.

The Destiny 2 x SteelSeries collection is available at SteelSeries.com, KontrolFreek.com, and BungieStore.com for the following MSRPs:

• Arctis 7+ Wireless Headset | Destiny 2: Lightfall Edition – NA: $179.99 | EMEA: €199.99 | APAC: $199.99
• Aerox 5 Wireless Gaming Mouse | Destiny 2: Lightfall Edition – NA: $149.99 | EMEA: €159.99 | APAC: $159.99
• QcK Prism XL Mousepad | Destiny 2: Lightfall Edition – NA: $69.99 | EMEA: €69.99 | APAC: $69.99
• Nova Booster Pack | Destiny 2: Lightfall Edition – NA: $34.99 | EMEA: €34.99 | APAC: $34.99​
• KontrolFreek Performance Thumbsticks | Destiny 2: Lightfall Edition – NA: $19.99

For more information:

Destiny 2: Lightfall Official Page
Destiny 2: As Light Falls ViDoc
Destiny 2: Lightfall Launch Trailer
Destiny 2: Lightfall Neptune Trailer
Destiny 2: Lightfall Weapons & Gear Trailer
Destiny 2: Lightfall Strand Trailer
Destiny 2: Season of Defiance Official Page (will be live at 9 AM PT)
Destiny 2: Season of Defiance – Launch Trailer

Today, Bungie released the latest trailer leading up to the launch of Destiny 2: Lightfall for Guardians to prepare for what the Witness has planned for the Traveler, which has nowhere left to run.

In case you missed it, here are some exciting things that Bungie has released in the past few weeks leading up to Lightfall:

• Lightfall Interactive Trailer for new and returning Guardians to catch up on the story before Lightfall
• Destiny 2 ViDoc: As Light Falls with insights from Destiny 2 developers on Lightfall
• Weapons and Gear Trailer showing off new firepower coming with Lightfall
• A closer look at the new subclass, Strand, with a new trailer and blog post
• Lightfall and the Year Ahead blog from Destiny 2 Game Director Joe Blackburn
• Destiny 2: Lightfall x SteelSeries collaboration

Lastly, the final cinematic for Season of the Seraph and the year of The Witch Queen was revealed last week, setting up the next confrontation in the Destiny 2 Light and Darkness saga.

Players can look forward to grappling through the neon city of Neomuna with the new subclass, Strand, while taking on Calus and his Shadow Legion when Destiny 2: Lightfall and Season of the Defiance launch next Tuesday, February 28.

With the releases of the latest generation of Intel and AMD platforms, the era of PCIe 5.0 SSD has officially arrived. TEAMGROUP today has launched the T-FORCE CARDEA Z540 M.2 PCIe 5.0 SSD. Developed with outstanding technological expertise, it is the SSD gamers of all kinds have been waiting for. Now it’s ready to lead the consumer SSD market into the new era of Gen5. The Z540 PCIe 5.0 SSD uses the latest PCIe Gen 5 x 4 interface and supports the latest NVMe 2.0 protocol, allowing it to reach read and write speeds of up to 12,000MB/s and 10,000MB/s respectively, nearly double the theoretical speed limit of PCIe 4.0. Possessing cutting-edge specifications, Z540 SSD brings gamers an unprecedented, next-generation gaming experience.

The T-FORCE CARDEA Z540 M.2 PCIe 5.0 SSD is equipped with an exclusive ultra-thin graphene heat spreader that combines multiple patented^[1] technologies. It’s made of 100% recyclable graphene material and utilizes the advantages of hexagonal honeycomb lattice structures to rapidly and evenly disperse heat horizontally, providing Z540 SSD with top-notch cooling. The Z540’s ultra-thin graphene heat spreader is less than 1mm thick and is compatible with various PCIe 5.0 motherboard heatsinks. Based on T-FORCE LAB’s internal testing, the operating temperature of Z540 SSD combining motherboard heatsink and graphene heat spreader is 3–5°C lower than the temperature with only motherboard heatsinks^[2]. Moreover, CARDEA Z540 uses the latest intelligent thermal regulation technology with built-in temperature sensing to automatically adjust performance and prevent overheating. T-FORCE LAB has created numerous temperature solutions for the Z540 SSD to not only enhance and protect data integrity of the SSD but also maintain good operating temperatures at high speeds, extending the lifespan of the SSD.

Z540 M.2 PCIe 5.0 SSD supports TEAMGROUP’s patented S.M.A.R.T. monitoring software^[3], allowing users to easily track the health and performance of the SSD. With a 5-year warranty provided by TEAMGROUP, gamers can fully enjoy the powerful speeds of Gen5 without any worries. The first batch of T-FORCE CARDEA Z540 M.2 PCIe 5.0 SSD will be available in the 2TB capacity and be sold worldwide in Q2, 2023. To get a first glimpse of the latest generation SSD, please stay tuned to TEAMGROUP’s official sales channels.

【Learn More】

T-FORCE CARDEA Z540 M.2 PCIe 5.0 SSD

https://www.teamgroupinc.com/en/product/cardea-z540

The Sabrent Steam Deck Dock is now available on Amazon for $29.99

The Sabrent USB Type-C 6-Port Docking Station with Power Delivery (DS-SD6P) is your solution to dock, charge, and expand the Steam Deck and other USB-C devices like iPads, tablets, phones, and more. Devices with DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt) support can output to a secondary display at up to 4K/60Hz, for work or for pleasure. The primary device can be charged up to 95W via PD3.0 with one USB Type-C port for power input. A second Type-C port is conveniently left free to attach devices such as additional external storage.

Three additional USB Type-A ports, located at the sides of the dock, are ideal for adding devices like keyboards, mice, USB audio devices, Ethernet adapters, and more. The back side contains USB-C and HDMI ports, including an integrated USB-C cable for connecting your docked device. This dock is designed to be minimalist but sturdy – it won’t clutter your workspace or distract you and will stay in place. It’s compatible with a range of operating systems and devices to simplify your life.

Home Base

Sabrent’s USB Type-C 6-Port Docking Station with Power Delivery (DS-SD6P) is an affordable and easy-to-use all-in-one docking solution for your Steam Deck and other USB-C devices. Output to 4K with the HDMI port and add accessories with multiple USB ports, all while charging your primary device.

Charge and Connect

Contains 3x USB Type-A and 2x USB Type-C ports for power delivery (PD3.0) and additional devices. One Type-C port is used to input power for charging, while the other is free for devices such as extra external storage. The Type-A ports allow you to add keyboards, mice, and more.

4K Clarity

A single HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP 1.4 support allows you to output up to 4K/60Hz on a secondary display. Play games on the big screen or just get more space to work for your Deck and other devices with DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt) support.

Style And Grace

This docking station has a minimalist design, so it doesn’t get in your way, and it goes with everything. The sturdy, non-slip base makes sure it stays in place. It matches the Deck without the high cost and fits other USB-C devices like iPads, tablets, phones, and more.

Just Works

Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. Works with the Steam Deck and a variety of other devices. Please register your product at sabrent.com. Contact technical support with any questions.

EA recently cancelled two games and delayed another, which is part of a larger trend of games that are being delayed or outright cancelled.

Respawn Entertainment announced it will sunset Apex Legends Mobile and the game will go offline on May 1. (Source: Respawn Entertainment)

In the past few months, the gaming industry has seen a huge wave of delays and cancellations including two games made by Respawn Entertainment, one of EA’s biggest cash cows. Here we look at all the potential factors bogging them down.

The gaming industry is being swept into a trend of delays and cancellations. Huge publishers including EA and Ubisoft have recently delayed some upcoming projects and completely axed some highly anticipated projects that are just getting off the ground. In the aftermath, quite a few game development employees have been laid off during the past few months.

Small delays happen all the time, but they are costly. All teams have to be synchronized in order to achieve a good release, from the game studio, to the marketing department, to the retailers that sell the game. Delaying a game can kill a quarterly report and damage a publisher’s reputation. Cancellations and sunsetting are also big business hits. So, why are so many industry powerhouses making these risky moves? Let’s investigate.

Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (EA), one of the industry giants, has announced that several games are losing support. Apex Legends Mobile will be shutting down after being live for a measly eight months. May 1 will be the last day players can log in to the game. The announcement surprised many gamers, as the PC version of the title has reached over 130 million players.

EA is also cutting Battlefield Mobile. The company claimed “the industry has evolved” so their goals with Battlefield are changing. Industrial Toys, the studio developing Battlefield Mobile, is shutting down.

That’s not all. The highly anticipated Star Wars Jedi: Survivor by Respawn Entertainment received a six-week delay, moving from March 17 to April 28.

Wizards of the Coast

Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop fantasy role-playing game from the 1970s, has been enjoying a large popularity spike in recent years. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, D&D sales enjoyed a huge 33% jump in 2020, and the IP has continued to expand since then, including a move to the video games platform helmed by Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro.

What was once counterculture has become one of the biggest communities on TikTok. Despite this popularity, Wizards cancelled at least five video game projects based on the fantasy RPG genre in January. Roughly 15 people at Wizards of the Coast lost their jobs, and external studios such as OtherSide Entertainment and Hidden Path Entertainment will feel the pain, too. There will still be D&D games, just fewer of them.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft followed EA’s steps by cancelling or delaying titles, and by laying off some developers after 2022 sales were lower than expected. Skull and Bones (now in its fifth delay), Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage were all supposed to be released in 2022. That did not happen.

In fact, Ubisoft is in hot water. After two games flopping last year and not releasing an Assassin’s Creed game, they are in for a bad year. In 2022, Ubisoft also cancelled four unannounced games. In 2023, Ubisoft already has cancelled three more games.

Other delays

This trend is concerning, spanning more than just the big names. Following are a couple more delays to illustrate the point:

• Fntastic delayed The Day Before by eight months.
• Naughty Dog delayed The Last of Us Part I on PC by a few weeks.
• Playstack delayed The Last Faith.
• Daedalic delayed The Lord of the Rings: Gollum for the third time.
• Microsoft delayed Forza Motorsport.
• Koei Tecmo delayed Atelier Ryza 3 by a month.

Now that we’ve established that the gaming industry has been hitting some snags in the past few months, let’s find out why.

Customers are buying fewer games

The market size of the US video games industry shrunk in 2022. (Source: Statista)

The global video game market value declined from 2021 to 2022. While the number of gamers is growing, customers are actually spending less money buying games. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. With rising prices across every sector, consumers have less money to buy luxury items like video games. Customers want entertainment that costs less.

US consumers only spent $56.6 billion on video games in 2022, which was down 5% from the previous year. Gaming companies saw a few wins, like PS5 sales having its biggest quarter, but the gaming departments of most companies took a few hits. Even E3 was cancelled.

Game development costs went up, thanks to the pandemic

The economic effects of the pandemic on the video game industry did not become apparent until recently. That’s because big games take a substantial amount of time to create. Elden Ring, one of the biggest games of 2022, started development in 2017. In 2023, we are finally seeing games that took major development hits because of the pandemic.

Game studios can work from home for plenty of the development process, but not all of it. At the beginning of the pandemic, how were game developers supposed to start motion capture? Or in-person mapping? I am not surprised Just Dance 2023 flopped. Ubisoft published a version of the game every single year since 2009. If Just Dance 2023 was being developed during the pandemic, how were the developers supposed to capture the dance moves?

The beginning of the pandemic was fantastic for selling video games, when customers had money and time at home. It wasn’t fantastic for developing video games, and now we are finally feeling those effects.

The verdict

We are just now seeing the effects of the pandemic on video games because of how long the triple-A development cycle is. Nobody can know for sure, but perhaps gaming studios have been overwhelmed by a combination of factors:

• Consumers had less money to spend.
• Game development became harder, thanks to the pandemic.
• Earlier delays snowball into more delays.
• Recent games are flopping, scaring stakeholders.

We didn’t notice that the pandemic had such a big effect on the gaming industry because we didn’t see games that were mostly developed during this time. One delay can slow down other projects further down the pipe, because studios can’t move developers from one project to the next. Now that those games are coming out, or are getting delayed because of the pandemic, video game publishers like EA and Ubisoft have to take action.

Three additional USB Type-A ports, located at the sides of the dock, are ideal for adding devices like keyboards, mice, USB audio devices, Ethernet adapters, and more. The back side contains USB-C and HDMI ports, including an integrated USB-C cable for connecting your docked device. This dock is designed to be minimalist but sturdy – it won’t clutter your workspace or distract you and will stay in place. It’s compatible with a range of operating systems and devices to simplify your life.

Home Base

Sabrent’s USB Type-C 6-Port Docking Station with Power Delivery (DS-SD6P) is an affordable and easy-to-use all-in-one docking solution for your Steam Deck and other USB-C devices. Output to 4K with the HDMI port and add accessories with multiple USB ports, all while charging your primary device.

Charge and Connect

Contains 3x USB Type-A and 2x USB Type-C ports for power delivery (PD3.0) and additional devices. One Type-C port is used to input power for charging, while the other is free for devices such as extra external storage. The Type-A ports allow you to add keyboards, mice, and more.

4K Clarity
A single HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP 1.4 support allows you to output up to 4K/60Hz on a secondary display. Play games on the big screen or just get more space to work for your Deck and other devices with DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt) support.

Style And Grace

This docking station has a minimalist design, so it doesn’t get in your way, and it goes with everything. The sturdy, non-slip base makes sure it stays in place. It matches the Deck without the high cost and fits other USB-C devices like iPads, tablets, phones, and more.

Just Works

Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. Works with the Steam Deck and a variety of other devices. Please register your product at sabrent.com. Contact technical support with any questions.

Stay tuned for more information, We should have a review coming soon!

New York City, NY –August 19, 2020– Video game accessories manufacturer NEXiLUX release Joy-Con Alternative for Nintendo Switch, and Wired Optical Gaming Mouse and Keyboard+Mouse Bundle, compatible with Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC, today.

The Joy-Con Alternative, available in Transparent BLUE & RED or Solid BLACK, costs $44.99. It includes the two Joy-Cons, the grip to play as a pro controller, a type-C cable to charge it from a compatible USB power source., and instructions on how to sync properly.

The Wired Optical Gaming Mouse for Windows costs $24.99 and supports Macro and RGB LED customization. The Windows software, which can be downloaded from our website, enables countless RGB settings. This mouse is compatible with our keyboard and mouse adapters (NXL-95214 and NXL-95223).

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A special bundle containing the Wired Optical Gaming Mouse and the Pro Gaming Keyboard is also available for just $69.99.

About NEXiLUX
Based in New York City, NEXiLUX is an accessories manufacturer for devices such as consoles and PC’s. NEXiLUX have produced controllers, adapters, and many other products addressed to enhance the gaming experience of platforms such as Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and past generation consoles.

We get really confused when industry experts say:

• People are cutting their cord because of the high cost and “unwanted” content
• Folks are jumping to streamers for the “original” content
• Guys/gals are moving to OTT for the unique content
• Gen Zs/millennials are going to switch services for their “old” favorites – The Office, Friends, Big Bang Theory

Have you looked at your Internet plus four-five OTT service bills?

Yeah, and the cost will probably rise faster than your old cable bundle bill.

Watching all the stuff they offer?

Kiddie shows don’t do much for our teenagers or us. Wife dislikes horror shows and sci-fi, so don’t get to watch them very often. And for peace in the household, we watch what they watch.

Original or unique means it’s different than what we usually watch; and if it’s different enough, we probably don’t want to watch it.

If people like original/unique, why do they move for the old stuff?

Admit it, you changed because folks are talking about saving big bucks by dropping the old guy and picking up the new kid at the office, at the club, on the plane/train, everywhere.

You picked your services (assuming you’re a parent) because the kids wanted it.

Our daughter had to see baby Yoda, so we signed up for Disney +. Then there were the sighted twins and Apple TV + joined the list.

Fortunately, our son grew up with Star Wars, and Mando, Cara make a great team.

Of course, they both like others from the two services as well as shows on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime (which doesn’t really count because of free delivery).

We also added Tubi because it has a growing list of free (ad-supported) movies/tv shows.

IMBd is another great place to browse for free content, thanks to Amazon purchasing them.

And, according to Deloitte, which reported there are more than 300 streaming video services available in the US and 1K plus globally, our selection only scratched the surface.

The only thing that really sets the D2C services apart is original (different) content.

In other words. we shaved our cable to D2C because the family wanted to watch their content on their terms – when, where and on their preferred screen.

That’s a great convenience and our total cost – right now – is less than our old all-inclusive cable service bill which rose steadily over the past few years compared to inflation.

We just about choked when a Comcast spokesperson told Consumer Reports that they try to hold costs down, but prices increase because consumers demand certain programming.

The last we heard, they charge both sides – consumer and network – and take a little out of the middle – 16-20 minutes out of every hour are devoted to ads.

And to make their annual numbers with people bailing on their service, they are “forced” to charge more for the fixed day/time viewing.

Fortunately for all of us, the spokesperson added that the company will continue to make investments which have included NBCUniversal and Britain’s Sky Communications to give customers more for their money.

We shaved the cable and added the services with our eyes wide open because we realize streaming isn’t going to magically get cheaper as more people subscribe.

We found it humorous when NYU business professor Peter Newman said, “There’s always the threat that once they hook you, they’ll raise the prices later.”

M&E expert Allan McLennan, PADEM Media Group’s Chief Executive, emphasized that streaming is a rather new phenomenon for providers and consumers.

“Right now, everyone – technology, media and telecom players – is riding the wave to get as many consumers as possible to add their service to their growing library of streaming services,” he said.

“Over the next two years we’ll see a lot of millennial and Gen Z subscription churn as people switch from one special offer to another and creatively figure out how to watch as much as possible for as little as possible,” McLennan commented.

However, he did say that the change has brought M&E companies closer to their customers than ever before, which could work to the advantage of both parties.

“Some people simply do not want their content interrupted and they are willing to pay more to have it ad free,” McLennan said. “Others want maximum choice and availability while still other subscribers will be willing to accept ads for a discount in the service cost.

“Ad acceptance will improve as people begin to realize that ad space will be reduced from 16-20 minutes down to 8 and the ads will be more personalized,” McLennan added. “And personalization will improve with experience.”

Another option, which is certainly available to Apple and others, is offering the full range of sensory services – video, music, reading, gaming – in a gotta’ have bundle.

Music streaming had an increase of 58 percent last year to 41 percent, 39 percent of US consumers already subscribe to gaming services and 41 percent play video games daily/weekly.

Nothing is more logical than offering multiple services at a bundled price, making it very hard to leave.

All of that is well and good for satisfying the “older” audiences but the major emphasis this year is on delivering real, complete, family friendly content … stuff the little kids will want to watch so more mature viewers can enjoy exciting films/shows after the little ones have been put to bed.

It seemed logical that Alphabet’s YouTube could have a special dedicated, age-appropriate channel – YouTube Kids – and have an inside track to capturing a huge global market.

The idea has been a total bust!

Instead of young, innocent material to enjoy, it has been flooded with conspiracy videos; obviously disturbing clips; and to put it simply, terrible content.

With 500 hours of video uploaded every second, you just know there are going to be wierdos and kinkies out there wanting to expose your kids to stuff that even their dogs turn their backsides to … yeah, that bad.

They keep working on their parental controls but if mom/dad must be there to check every video they click on, they’d much rather pay a few bucks here and there for trustworthy services that serve up content kids want to watch and that parents want them to watch!

In addition, they paid $170M last year for targeting ads at little kids and harvesting data on children.

Social media sites just can’t seem to resist!

One of the biggest frustrations Netflix subscribers have is that personal favorites will suddenly disappear from the schedule, often because the contract period is over, and the studio has other plans for the show.

That’s sorta’ understandable by an adult or Gen Zer, but a toddler?

Not so much!

When Disney decided it was time for Moana to come home in December, they knew it wasn’t going to be a happy Christmas.

Fortunately, Hastings and team were planning ahead, even before Iger and the Disney folks were planning their launch.

Worldwide, there are about 127.35M households (83.09M in the US) with an average of 3.4 people per family (2.6 in US). As of mid-last year, 26 percent of the world’s population was Gen Alpha, under 15 years of age.

Just as parents don’t want their youngsters to be exposed to unseemly stuff, if you offer them entertainment kids gotta’ have, they’ll sign in a heartbeat.

Nearly 60 percent of Netflix customers (about 83M households), watch kid and family content which is why the company invested heavily in showrunners, producers and creative folks from DreamWorks Animation and other studios around Hollywood.

To help kids forget about Moana (fortunately, they have a short attention span) they unleashed Klaus, Kid Cosmic, Ghee Happy and a pipeline of content for the younger audience.

With a major focus on international growth, animation will play a key role in capturing new customers in the 192 countries where Netflix has a presence.

Alan Wolk, co-founder of TVREV noted that animation is critical to the firm’s growth plans because films can be easily dubbed into local languages and the stories often transcend geographic barriers.

Ted Sandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, has noted that the complete family fare is important because shows for children help the company build trust in the firm’s content which, in turn, builds habits as well as long-term subscriptions and localized recommendations to other parents.

Sandos is optimistic that new animated series like The Boss Baby: Back in Business and preschool show The Mighty Little Bheem will produce significant international growth.

It’s an approach that has been proven very successful for Disney, which offers access to more than 500 titles like Sleeping Beauty and Moana as well as a growing roster of kid-friendly movies and series.

Disney+ is placing special emphasis on family content, with nothing higher than a 13-years age rating.

Folks looking for some of the more mature content can add Hulu to their bundle; and while you’re at it, add ESPN to throw dad a bone … the threesome won’t cost much and everyone in the family will be happy.

While Apple TV+ admittedly has a lean lineup of content right now, the company also knows it has a global potential viewing market of more than 100M customers and has planned for kid viewers at the outset with Snoopy in Space and several other kid shows.

As Ampere so aptly pointed out, there’s no “new” money in the world and the adjusted family income hasn’t increased in recent years; so, families are willing to shift their entertainment expenditure from the cable bundles to the flexibility and versatility of D2C content distribution.

With the kids helping parents choose the early services (Netflix, Apple TV +, Disney +) and families taking advantage of the “added benefits” of Amazon Prime as well as the free viewing options such as Tubi TV or Pluto TV, you have to wonder how much more “entertainment convenience” consumers are willing to “take advantage of.”

Parents will probably find it difficult to switch services for themselves when kids are involved.

The Gen Alphas will look up at mom and dad and repeat Andrea Vogel’s statement, “Lloyd, please don’t ruin my childhood.”

Maybe you can do it, but we sure can’t!

# # #

Andy Marken – andy@markencom.com – has authored more than 600 articles on management, marketing, communications, industry trends in media & entertainment, consumer electronics, software and applications. He is an internationally recognized marketing/communications consultant with a broad range of technical and industry expertise–especially in storage, storage management and film/video production fields. And has an extended range of relationships with business, industry trade press, online media and industry analysts/consultants.

Deliver Us The Moon is set in an near-future where the Earth’s resources have been depleted. For humanity’s survival the World Space Agency is tasked with solving this extreme energy crisis by colonization and exploitation of the moon’s natural reserves of Helium-3. But communications with the Moon base cease, and the new energy source is lost. A new mission to re-establish the energy supply creates the scenario to Deliver Us The Moon where you become the hero in this puzzle-adventure game

[twenty20 img1=”15843″ img2=”15844″ offset=”0.5″]

Deliver Us The Moon is a great showcase for ray-traced reflections and shadows. Using the Unreal 4 engine, the RTX lighting engine casts realistic reflections on all surfaces capable of reflecting light, increasing image quality and furthering immersion. Ray-traced reflections are based on the exact geometric detail and dynamic lighting of a scene that can’t be done in real time through traditional methods. Check out NVIDIA’s blog for the details.